A simply stunning recording of the 1978 AFC Championship TV broadcast synced with the radio call of Jack Fleming and Myron Cope.
The Steelers absolutely DESTROY the shell-shocked Oilers in TERRIBLE weather at Three Rivers Stadium in one of my favorite games ever.
Pittsburgh acclimates to the cold, steady rain right from the start, driving for TDs twice in the first quarter with Harris and Bleier scoring the points. The score is 14-3 as halftime approaches when suddenly, within the last 48 seconds of the first half, the Steelers explode for 17 points in a stunning display of power.
First, Bradshaw hits Swann in double coverage with a perfect 29-yard rainbow for a TD to run the score to 21-3. The Oilers fumble away the ensuing kickoff, and Bradshaw immediately fires a laser to Stallworth on a crossing route for another score. After the kickoff, Houston fumbles again on the first play from scrimmage and the Steelers add a Gerela FG before halftime for an insurmountable 31-3 lead.
Bradshaw (11 of 19, 200 yds, 2 TD), Swann (4 catches, 98 yds, 1 TD) & Ham (1 INT, 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries) are spectacular, but the incredible play of Pittsburgh's offensive line is the key to the game. While Bradshaw has all day in the pocket (0 sacks), the Steel Curtain absolutely swarms Pastorini, sacking him 4 times and intercepting him 5 times while completely neutralizing the great Earl Campbell (62 yds and 3 fumbles on 22 carries). By game's end, the teams combine for 12 fumbles and 14 turnovers in the icy soup as the Steelers slip 'n slide their way to their 3rd Super Bowl.
Several things are interesting about this recording. First, the video quality is absolutely superb because it's directly from the Betamax source tape.
Secondly, the person who recorded it was technologically savvy enough in 1978 to connect his radio to the Beta player, allowing him to sync the WTAE audio with the NBC video in real time.
The result is flawless. It's pure video gold and you're going to love watching it. Enjoy!
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Swann and Stallworth DEMOLISH the Browns
Combined 11 Catches, 255 Yards, 3 TDs
This classic from 1977 features all 11 devastating catches by the amazing Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. Swann catches 5 passes for 129 yards and 1 TD in the first half alone, forcing the Browns to double-cover him. The result? Stallworth catches 6 passes (4 in the 2nd half) for 126 yards and 2 TDs. Terry Bradshaw is red-hot, despite playing with a cast on his broken left wrist, hitting 13 of 21 for 283 yards and 3 TDs.
To celebrate Rocky Bleier's birthday, here is the story behind Rocky's longest run, as told by Joe Greene.
"Rocky was slow. One of the stories he shared was that he always wanted to be fast enough that when he ran, his hair would blow in the wind. And one day, he had a breakaway... and he said he felt the wind blowing in his hair."
Former Raider cheap-shot artist George Atkinson is full of $#!t about many things, most of all when it comes to Lynn Swann's toughness. This clip is from the '78 Flea Flicker game in which Swann takes one of the most brutal shots you will ever see. Had this happened in the modern era, it would've resulted in flags, fines and a likely suspension. But Swann simply bounces up, adjusts his facemask and trots back to the huddle. Not only does Swann not miss a single play, he continues to go fearlessly across the middle for the rest of the afternoon, making 5 of his game-leading 6 catches AFTER the hit, all of them in traffic.
This never gets old to me. :) This video is a compilation of all 4 of the great Lynn Swann's catches in Super Bowl X, including the often overlooked "3rd catch." One thing is certain: Nobody made more from limited opportunities than Swannie. IMO, this is still the greatest Super Bowl Performance by a wide receiver.
Take note of the fantastic blocks by Rocky Bleier on both deep throws. He flips D.D. Lewis on his head on the first, then sends Cliff Harris head over heels on the second.
Watch as L.C. Greenwood knocks Staubach out cold in the 4th quarter with an absolutely VICIOUS hit! Jolly Roger is scrambling around, trying to make something happen, and L.C. just UNLOADS on Staubach with a brutal helmet-to-helmet collision. It's not a cheap shot; Roger is under tremendous pressure, trying to scramble out of the grasp of Banaszak and Dunn and spins head first into the oncoming Greenwood, who just blows him up, sending the ball flying one way and Roger's consciousness the other. Staubach is out cold for several minutes on the field and spends the rest of the game on the sidelines, pondering retirement (or maybe just trying to remember his name).
Watch as the incomparable Lynn Swann literally jumps over a car (Nov. 25, 1979). Throughout the '70s and early '80s, cars were constantly parked dangerously close to the end zone during games at Three Rivers Stadium as part of a marketing campaign.
An entertaining look (and listen) from Bill Cowher's second season as head coach. During Pittsburgh's 1993 drubbing of the previously undefeated Saints, ESPN mic'd up Bill Cowher for their semi-regular "Sound Tracks" feature. What ensues is a great window into the psyche of the young coach, giving us a glimpse of the passion, intensity and one-on-one communication style that made Cowher's players love, respect and relate to him so well.
Enjoy the video, and then take a look at Bill Cowher's remarkable 1992 debut season.
"Lambert didn't see me coming until the last instant. He tried to square up but couldn't, and I drilled him -- just floored him. The play went for a score, and he got up cussing and yelling with the wildest eyes I've ever seen!" More...
Shared from a personal email we received from Mark Dufresne in December of 2003.
I was a failed Steeler draft choice as a tight end coming out of Nebraska in
1978 (7th round, selected 187th overall), but during my brief stint with the team, I experienced a couple of memorable Jack Lambert moments first hand that I thought your readers would enjoy.
Lambert was as intimidating in camp as he was in games... maybe even more so. Nobody
messed with Jack. NOBODY. His respect was solid within the team. He was his own man and was not
into political correctness in the slightest because I believe his heart was
pure and he was comfortable within himself.
At our first team lunch with the
vets in camp, we had to stand up and introduce ourselves -- rookies and star veterans alike -- and tell what school we played for. When it came his turn, Jack stood up on
his chair and shouted like a Marine drill sergeant, "I'm Jack Lambert,
I'm from Grambling and if you don't like it, you can kiss my
skinny white a$$!" He sat back down without even a trace of a smile and the
place just went nuts, howling and laughing. Grambling is, of course, a predominantly black
state university in Louisiana...
There has never been a draft in the history of the NFL, by any team in any year, that was better than the Steelers' draft of 1974.
Lynn Swann (1), Jack Lambert (2), John Stallworth (4) and Mike Webster (5) (plus undrafted free agent Donnie Shell), were each taken by the Steelers in the '74 draft... and each now resides forever in Canton. A staggering 17 rookies made the team in 1974, and amazingly, the team went on to win the Super Bowl. With the veterans sitting out training camp due to the NFL Players' strike, Chuck Noll was able to pay special attention to his prize crop of rookies. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Click to WATCH:
Bradshaw: Best Bad Weather QB of All Time
Terry Bradshaw is perhaps best known for his great performances in big games. But Bradshaw was also arguably the best bad weather QB in NFL history. In harsh weather conditions where opposing QB couldn't seem to keep their footing, get a grip on the ball or throw on target, Terry was somehow able to drop dimes 50 yards downfield for touchdowns, throw perfect spirals and perform as if it was 65 and sunny.
Simply put, Bradshaw was a bad@$$. Enjoy this video with clips from several bad weather games from the 1970's (including two AFC Championships) and judge for yourself.
During weeks 8 and 9 of the 2014 season, Big Ben Roethlisberger delivered the greatest two-game statistical performance by any QB in NFL history. This video highlights each of Ben's record-setting 12 touchdown passes. Enjoy!
Week 8 vs Indianapolis: 40/49, 522 yds, 6 TD, 0 Int
Week 9 vs Baltimore: 25/37, 340 yds, 6 TD, 0 Int
NFL Films Greatest Throw of All Time
Bradshaw's 64-Yard Deep Post to Swann
NFL Films ranks Terry Bradshaw's game-winning 64-yard TD bomb to Lynn Swann in Super Bowl X as the "Greatest Throw of All Time." I couldn't agree more.
It had all the elements of the toughest throws: It came on the biggest stage under a relentless pass rush; it was a deep pass (soaring more than 60 yards in the air) placed perfectly over the shoulder of a well-covered receiver. And it made the Steelers champions.
After the NFL Films segment, I've added footage of the play from the original game broadcast of the game.
PROOF the Ball Hit Tatum
Seeing is Believing... and it's Easy to See
I've never fully understood the controversy around this play in terms of whether the ball hit Jack Tatum. It obviously did.
Yet according to 50 years of whining by Raiders fans, I'm supposed to ignore my what my eyes plainly see and somehow believe this magic ball -- which had already screamed PAST Frenchy Fuqua -- somehow did NOT hit Jack Tatum square in the chest... even though the video clearly shows it did. And the fact that it hit Tatum makes it a legal play.
From the 1972 NFL Rule Book: Rule 7, Section 5, Article 2, Item 2-c: Any forward pass (legal or illegal) becomes incomplete and ball is dead immediately if pass is caught by any [offensive] player after it has touched ineligible [offensive] player or second eligible [offensive player], and before any touching by [defensive player]. The penalty of this this infraction is a loss of down at the previous spot.
However, if a [defensive] player touches [the] pass first, or simultaneously with or subsequent to its having been touched by only one [offensive] player, then all [offensive] players become and remain eligible.
So when the ball made contact with Tatum, it became legal for Franco to catch the ball.
Rest in peace, Franco. You meant so much to the Steelers, to the city of Pittsburgh, and to the NFL. Your contributions will live forever. God bless your family.
WOW!!! Recently discovered footage of the end of the Immaculate Reception game showing Franco's miraculous catch and the frenzied aftermath, including referee Fred Swearingen's controversial phone call to NFL Senior Official Art McNally.
It's noteworthy that the announcers who witnessed the play first-hand don't even question that 1) the ball hit Tatum, and 2) Franco caught the ball. These realities are obvious in this broadcast, and other recently discovered footage such as the wide angle "All 22" game film (which the Raiders kept hidden for nearly 50 years) also confirm it.
Click to WATCH
Immaculate Reception "All 22" Wide Angle Game Film
Truly amazing wide angle "All 22" game film of the "Immaculate Reception." We edited it to show full speed, slow motion and added enhanced closeup views (along with the projector sound effect). Not sure who is responsible for making the raw footage available after nearly 50 years, but THANK YOU!
It's always been obvious to me that the ball hit Tatum in the chest. Less clear has been Franco's catch. But when you see it here, it's obvious he got it.
There's an official right on top of the play who sees the hit, then tracks the ball right into Franco's hands. Franco's motion is silky smooth, with no hesitation or adjustment that you'd have to make to gather in a trapped ball. It goes right to him. He gathers it in seamlessly and races toward the end zone.
50 years later, it's still the greatest play in NFL history.
"The Steeler and the Pittsburgh Kid"
1981 TV Movie (NBC Hour Special) Staring Joe Greene with Franco Harris and Harvey Martin
This is so early-'80s cheesy! You've got to love it! LOL
Mean Joe Greene and the Pittsburgh Steelers temporarily adopt a nine-year-old boy and they learn a valuable lesson from each other. Featured is a dream sequence where the kid plays quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This show is based on the award-winning 1979 Coca-Cola commercial where Mean Joe trades his jersey in exchange for a Coke from a kid. The commercial was so successful it was run all over the world and different versions were eventually filmed for different sports using the top athletes of the day.
Henry Thomas, who played the boy, also played Elliott in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the following year. Shot on location in Dallas at Texas Stadium. A local semi-pro team was used to fill out the roster.
A very special thank you to Brian Molka of Pittsburgh for generously contributing this rare recording!
Watch 70's Steelers Games on MP4 Go ahead, get stuck in the '70s! Or the '80s, '90s or '00s! We've converted our extensive library of over 670 classic Steelers games (full games as they were originally broadcast by the networks) from VHS and DVD to MP4. You can relive these fantastic gridiron battles right here!
Games that are ready to watch have a green light next to them on the list. If you don't see a green light, the game ins't active yet but will be coming soon.
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Ben's Final Moments at Heinz Field Ben's Emotional Goodbye. I'm Not Crying, You're Crying.
THANK YOU, Big Ben.
I have enjoyed everysinglemoment that you've been on the field as a Steeler. It has been a joy to watch you play the game the way it was meant to be played. You have brought tremendous honor to Steeler Nation and the city of Pittsburgh.
You've been my favorite part of the last 18 years of Steeler football. No single player has meant more to the Steelers since the glory days of the '70s. You were the catalyst for a 1/3rd of Pittsburgh's Lombardi's and without you, those championships wouldn't be in Pittsburgh. You're a true throwback player who ranks among the greatest of the greats who've ever worn the black and gold at any position.
Blue collar and tough. But also creative and exciting, delivering some of the greatest improvisation the world has ever seen at QB. And above all, clutch. 41 fourth quarter comebacks; 53 game-winning drives. Only one QB in NFL history has more... and I'd take you over him any day.
Until the very end, I held out hope the retirement rumors were wrong. I'm sorry to see you go, but I love the way you chose to do it. I can tell you with zero shame, I shed a few tears in the moments after the Cleveland game.
Again, thank you, Ben. Your Gold Jacket awaits. I can't wait to see you enshrined in Canton.
Click to WATCH
Jack Lambert Body Slams Former Teammate
I can't help but chuckle every time I watch this clip. Week in and week out, Jack Lambert was absolutely ON FIRE for the game of football. A blazing f-ing inferno. And when the stakes were high, Lambert somehow ratcheted his level of rage even higher. In the 1979 regular season finale vs. the Bills, the Steelers needed a victory to win the division and secure a bye. This ferocious tackle by Lambert, who picks up and body slams former teammate Mike Collier like a rag doll, is a concise resume of the butt-kicking the Steelers delivered that day as they steamrolled toward their 4th Super Bowl title.
Webster's Dictionary defines the verb "hex" as "to affect if by an evil spell." In the NFL, hex is defined as "that which happened to the Cleveland Browns whenever they played in Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium." From the facility's opening in 1970 through 1985, the Browns made 16 trips to Pittsburgh... and came home losers 16 times. This great "Distant Replay" clip from 1995 details the Three Rivers Jinx and features interviews with past coaches and players.
Ten of the sixteen original "jinx" games are available to watch on this site. Click below to watch a game:
2004 was a truly SPECIAL season for the Steelers, despite not hoisting a Lombardi at the end. It remains one of my favorite seasons of all time, and other than 1976, the 2004 squad was perhaps the best Steeler team to not win a Super Bowl. It was an incredibly fun year. Central to that fun was the birth of the Ben Roethlisberger era.
Ben elevated the team from the moment he stepped on the field. By his 3rd start, he was taking over games. He very quickly distinguished himself as the best player on offense, and his insertion into the starting lineup almost instantly transformed that team from talented underachiever to heavyweight contender. The young QB wasn't perfect... but he had "Hall of Fame" written all over him right from the start and the Steelers immediately began winning games with Ben that they would've lost without him.
Throughout his career, it's never been about what Ben has done "statistically." He's never been a particularly coveted fantasy football player, even in the midst of 5000-yard seasons. That's because fantasy football is 100% stats-based, and stats aren't what make Ben great. It's about what he does in BIG moments, clutch plays that "only" Ben Roethlisberger makes; that winning edge that he brought to the team from the moment he stepped on the field. Ben is largely defined by intangibles, but first and foremost, it's about WINNING. And he's been winning since the start.
This video features highlights from every regular season start of Ben Roethlisberger's amazing "Rookie of the Year" season in 2004. It's a long video (16-1/2 minutes), but I've watched it multiple times and it makes me smile every time.
Enjoy the video, and then go take a look at the remarkable 2004 season for a deeper look at one of the great teams in Pittsburgh Steelers history.
That time Rod Woodson used Marvin Harrison as a blocking dummy to tackle Marshall Faulk
1996 AFC Wildcard Game:
Pro wrestling meets the NFL when Hall of Famer Rod Woodson, unable to position himself to tackle Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, uses Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison's body like a blocking dummy to slam Faulk to the ground.
Plain and simple, Rod Woodson was a BEAST.
Jerome Bettis Owns Urlacher
Here Comes the Bus!
Rarely can a Hall of Fame career be summed up in a single play. But needing a win to keep Pittsburgh's 2005 playoff hopes alive in blizzard conditions, Jerome Bettis delivers such a play in a collision that symbolizes not only his great 13-year career, but a generation of smashmouth football in Pittsburgh.
The 1976 Steeler Defense
Greatest Defense of All Time
At the start of the 1976 season, four losses in their first five games left the Steelers almost lifeless. When rookie QB Mike Kruczek took over for an injured Terry Bradshaw against he division-leading Cincinnati Bengals, the turning point was at hand.
The Steel Curtain answered the call and what followed was the most amazing defensive streak in modern hstory, the dimensions of which offer statistical delights to even the most casual football historians. After their 1-4 start, the Steelers win 10 straight games. The defense does not allow a touchdown in 22 consecutive quarters nor in 8 of the last 9 regular season games and totally blanks 5 of its last 8 opponents. Five shutouts and only 28 points allowed over 9 games, folks. There has never been anything like it in NFL history.
Donnie Shell Drills Earl Campbell
Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial Class of 2020
Watch Hall of Famer Donnie Shell's famous hit on Earl Campbell, badly bruising Campbell's ribs and sidelining him for the game as the Steelers go on to win 13-3, clinching the AFC Central crown.
Who are "Mac & Wife"?
Beauty and the Beast, Renee and Tim McMillen :)
The creator of this site sitting on his Throne of Lies :)
Acri-what? It will ALWAYS be Heinz Field to us.
With our son Eric at Heinz Field 2016 win over the Jets
With our son Craig at Heinz Field 2005 win over 'da Bears
Getting our grandson off to a good start!
The Steelers are 34-4 when I attend the game and the kids are a combined 13-1.
Steelers Gameday!
We love the Buckeyes as much as the Steelers. O-H... I-O!!!
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