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 1978 Preseason 


1978 Steelers 22 at Colts 10 Preseason
The game gets off to a scary start as Terry Bradshaw suffers a broken nose at the end of an ill-advised 16-yard scramble when, in spite of the fact it's a preseason game, Terry finishes the run by putting his head down and plowing into a pair of defenders.

Gerela's kicking is horrendous, a portend of the shaky kicking season ahead. Blount picks off a Bert Jones pass early, so Jones tries his luck with rookie CB Ron Johnson. Johnson plays like a seasoned veteran, however, giving Jones nothing and showing flashes of the brilliant rookie season to come.

Includes color commentary by LB Andy Russell and features a magnificent effort by rookie FA Ron Scott, who runs several defenders over on his way to a TD on a kickoff return.




1978 Steelers 13 vs Falcons 7 Preseason
Pittsburgh's defensive strength is evident early when a blocked punt gives Atlanta a 1st-and-goal from the Steelers 3-yd line. After failing to gain an inch on 2 running plays, the Falcons' 3rd-down pass is picked off by Donnie Shell (the first of 5 Steelers INTs in the game). Atlanta's only points come on a 42-yd fumble recovery by Ernie Jackson.

Lynn Swann gives Pittsburgh a 13-7 lead midway through the 4th quarter with a diving end zone catch for a 35-yd TD. Atlanta returns the ensuing kickoff 49 yds to the Pittsburgh 46, but Dirt Winston picks off QB Kim McQuilken, who throws two more INTs in Steeler territory in the waning minutes to Steeler rookies Nat Terry and Larry Anderson. A huge thank you goes out to Jay Korber for generously providing us with this game!




1978 Steelers 13 at Cowboys 16 Preseason
A preseason preview of Super Bowl and one of the most fascinating games in our collection. If you want to see how football has changed in 40 years, watch as the two best teams in football GO AT IT for 60 minutes -- starters playing all the way -- in a supposedly "meaningless" preseason game.

Amazingly, plays that are run successfully in this game are also run successfully in the Super Bowl. Case in point, Bradshaw runs the exact same flanker screen play that Swann breaks for a 29-yd gain just before the half in Super Bowl XIII against the Cowboys in this game, and Swann gashes them for 35 yds to set up Pittburgh's opening TD.

The Steelers lead 13-3 before Dallas mounts a furious 4th quarter comeback with Staubach hitting Tony Hill for the game-winner with just 31 seconds left. Bradshaw comes back in for one last try to win it. The footage ends after Bradshaw hits Theo Bell for a 30-yarder to the Dallas 49 and we don't get to see what happens on his final pass as time expires.

An amazing contrast between a REAL no-holds-barred football game featuring two determined championship teams vs. the meaningless scrimmage between no-name players on the bubble you would see today in a 4th preseason game. Truly fascinating! A big-time thank you to Brad Geffers for providing us with this game!



 1978 Regular Season 



Bonus Footage
TWIPF Highlights (1:21)
1978 Steelers 28 at Bills 17
Due to Pope John being aired by all networks on opening weekend of the NFL in 1978, no NFL early games were broadcast in their entirety, so the game is joined as the 3rd quarter begins with Pittsburgh leading 14-0.

The Steelers appear intent on steamrolling the Bills via the ground game as Franco, Rocky, & Sidney Thornton eat up yardage in large chunks. Pittsburgh extends their lead to 21-0 early in the 4th following a fantastic diving tackle on 4th and inches by Jack Lambert, who slices through and nails the RB in the backfield for a loss.

Bradshaw is sharp, hitting 14 of 19 for 217 yds & 2 TDs, Franco racks up 96 yds and a TD, and Bennie Cunningham (3 catches for 70 yds) and John Stallworth (3 catches for 86 yds, 1 TD) both have terrific receiving days. Old man Bill Munson comes off the bench to replace a struggling Joe Ferguson at QB late in the game, leading the Bills to 17 garbage time points (including a TD pass to former Steeler Frank Lewis). But the outcome is never in question as the Steelers bulldoze their way to another score capped by Bradshaw's 15-yd TD pass to Theo Bell to punctuate a relatively easy opening-day win.





Bonus Footage
TWIPF Highlights (1:24)
1978 Steelers 21 vs Seahawks 10
After a scoreless opening quarter (thanks in part to a case of drop-itis by Steeler receivers), Pittsburgh opens up a 14-0 lead in the 2nd quarter on a pair of Bradshaw TD passes, a 4-yd dart to Swann and a 15-yd strike to a WIDE open Sidney Thornton.

The Steel Curtain applies steady pressure all afternoon, sacking Zorn 4 times (2 by a seemingly unstoppable L.C. Greenwood) and forcing several turnovers. John Banaszak forces a fumble at midfield (recovered by Jack Lambert) to set up Pittsburgh's first score. Lambert later adds a decisive INT while Jack Ham forces (and recovers) a fumble.

Despite being overmatched, Seattle's potent young offense -- led by Jim Zorn and Steve Largent -- keeps fighting and narrows the score to 14-10 early in the 3rd quarter. The Steelers seem a bit sluggish at times, falling victim to their own mental errors throughout the day and leaving a lot of potential points on the field with empty red zone trips.

But Pittsburgh ultimately wakes up and puts the game away with an impressive marathon 16-play, 75-yd TD drive capped by a Harris TD on 4th and goal (several minutes of this drive are missing), and the Steel Curtain closes out the win by forcing Seattle turnovers on their final two drives.





Bonus Footage
GOW Highlights (11:31)
TWIPF Highlights (1:25)
1978 Steelers 28 at Bengals 3
Sorry, this game is currently not available. If you have access to it, please let us know!





Bonus Footage
GOW Highlights (20:16)
TWIPF Highlights (3:12)
Swann Brutal Hit (5:06)
Flea Flicker Play (1:42)

1978 Steelers 15 vs Browns 9 OT
UPGRADE! The famous "flea-flicker" OT game! Pittsburgh wins this hard-hitting defensive battle on a play dubbed "High School Right" (officially named "fake 84 reverse-gadget pass"). On the play, Bradshaw hands off to Bleier, who hands off to Swann, who pitches the ball back to Bradshaw, who throws a picture-perfect bomb to a wide-open Bennie Cunningham for the game-winning 37-yd TD.

While this play is a highlight reel-favorite and one of the most famous plays in Steeler history, there are plenty of other memorable moments. Jack Lambert is ferocious, capping an afternoon of excellence by making the biggest defensive play of the game when he DESTROYS Mike Pruitt for a loss in the final seconds of regulation, knocking Cleveland out of FG range. L.C. Greenwood, Donnie Shell and Dwight White also shine on a day in which the defense, emulating Lambert's "kill 'em all" attitude, is flagged for 4 personal fouls.

While Pittsburgh's offense generally struggles, Lynn Swann dazzles with 6 catches for 83 yds, five of which come after Swannie absorbs one of the most vicious shots you will EVER see at the 39:45 mark (click here to watch it). While breaking toward the sideline, Swann reaches out to snare a pass when suddenly... BAM!!! Ron Bolton leaves his feet and demolishes Swann with a shoulder to the head at full speed. Swann's entire body snaps backward, his feet fly up in the air and he hits the ground with a sickening thud. NBC announcers Enberg and Olsen gasp in horror and the crowd let's out a collective "Ooohhh!" Such a hit would've resulted in a flag, a fine and a suspension in today's NFL. But Swannie bounces up, adjusts his face mask and returns the the huddle without missing a play, a testament to his toughness.

Chuck Noll is full of surprises in this game. Roy Gerela recovers his own perfectly executed (and totally unexpected) onside kick in the 4th quarter, and even though the drive ends without points, the Steelers soon get the ball back and Gerela connects on a 36-yd FG to tie the game. Even the final play of regulation is crazy when Tony Dungy intercepts Sipe's Hail Mary in the end zone and nearly weaves his way coast-to-coast with no time on the clock.

In overtime, the infamous "Three Rivers Jinx" finally rears its head to preserve the win for Pittsburgh. On the OT kickoff, Larry Anderson stumbles, falls to one knee (but is not touched), gets back up and fumbles the ball. The Browns recover and the Cleveland offense trots on the field, but the officials incorrectly rule Anderson is down by contact and the Steelers retain possession. Bradshaw hits Cunningham on "High School Right" a few plays later and the rest is history. A HUGE thanks to Steve Burkhart for providing this incredible upgrade!





Bonus Footage
TWIPF Highlights (0:45)
1978 Steelers 28 at Jets 17
An entertaining game which includes Franco Harris throwing the one of the butt-ugliest passes you'll ever see. :) With the Jets throwing everything they have at the Steeler running game (holding the Steelers to just 60 yds rushing through 3 quarters), Terry Bradshaw shifts to a precision passing game and coolly slings 3 TD passes, picking apart New York's defense in remarkably easy fashion.

Lynn Swann is devastating, catching 7 passes for 102 yds & 2 TDs (with another great catch nullified by a motion penalty) and Stallworth adds 4 catches for 43 yds and a TD. The Steelers gain more yards through the air than on the ground for the 5th straight week as Bradshaw rolls against the young and over-matched Jets secondary.

The Jets, who didn't figure to put a dent in Pittsburgh's top-rated Steel Curtain defense, move the ball surprisingly well at times, particularly on the ground during the first half. But New York comes away empty a few too many times due to miscues, and after giving up a few big plays early, the Steel Curtain finally wakes up and gets down to business. Jets backup QB Matt Robinson (subbing for an injured Richard Todd) is sacked 5 times and spends a good deal of the 2nd half looking out his ear hole as the Steelers open up a 28-10 third quarter lead.

Of course, no Jets game is complete without a blatant cheap shot by the defense. With less than 2 minutes remaining, LB Mike Hennigan dives head first into Bradshaw's planted right leg leaving everyone in Pittsburgh holding their collective breath as the future Hall of Fame QB lies on the grass writhing in agony. Fortunately, Bradshaw escapes with only a bruised knee as the Steelers move to 5-0 for the first time in team history. A nice-quality game with Sam Nover and Bob Trumpy call for NBC.



NBC TV Broadcast (edited huddles) w/Costas & Matte


NBC TV Broadcast synced with WTAE Fleming & Cope


Bonus Footage
TWIPF Highlights (1:24)
1978 Steelers 31 vs Falcons 7 - w/Costas & Matte

1978 Steelers 31 vs Falcons 7 - w/Fleming & Cope

Atlanta gets an old-school butt-kicking, Steeler style. Even though both teams are ultimately playoff-bound, the Falcons are totally outclassed and never stand a chance against the undefeated Steelers, who seemingly can do no wrong.

A broken play magically turns into a 6-yd Bradshaw TD run; a Rocky Bleier fumble magically becomes a 10 yd gain and a first down. Keying all of this good fortune is Franco Harris darting and cutting back against the grain for his first 100-yard game of the season, keeping Atlanta on their heels while opening up the passing game for Bradshaw. Terry takes full advantage, hitting 13 of 18 for 231 yds and 2 TDs (1 passing, 1 rushing) with John Stallworth snagging 6 of those passes for 114 yards and a TD (highlighted by a 71 yard catch & run).

But the glory this day really belongs to the men in the trenches as Pittsburgh's offensive and defensive lines simply ravage Atlanta. The Steelers execute multiple 80+ yard scoring drives as the O-Line opens gaping holes for Franco and gives Bradshaw all day to throw.

While the Steelers set a team record with 28 first downs, Steve Bartowski is the victim of one jail break after another by the Pittsburgh D-line. It's quite amazing to behold such a ferocious pass rush being generated by just the front four. And with no LBs blitzing, the Steelers are free to leave 7 defenders downfield in coverage on nearly every play. The result is a rout.

Unfortunately, the Steelers lose TE Bennie Cunningham for the season to a knee injury. Some edited huddles, post-game footage includes brief interview with Bradshaw and Cosell's Monday Night highlights.

Note: There are two different versions of this game. The first is the CBS TV broadcast (edited huddles) with Bob Costas and Tom Matte calling the game. The second is the same CBS TV edited broadcast sync'd with the full length WTAE radio call by Jack Fleming and Myron Cope.



Outstanding quality!
Most of NBC Broadcast with Jack Fleming & Myron Cope


Complete NBC Broadcast with Dick Enberg & Merlin Olsen


Bonus Footage
TWIPF Highlights (2:53)
1978 Steelers 34 at Browns 14 - w/Fleming & Cope

1978 Steelers 34 at Browns 14 - w/Enberg & Olsen

There are a number of things that stand out to me about this game; the overwhelming, SWARMING speed of the Steeler defense is astounding as they bewilder Sipe with a vast array of all-out blitzes; Swann & Stallworth are dazzling; Bradshaw's mobility in the pocket is remarkable.

But what strikes me most is the unbridled hatred between these bitter AFC Central rivals, which is epitomized by Jack Lambert's ejection from the game.

Lambert dives at QB Brian Sipe helmet-first as Sipe is being tackled out of bounds, but Lambert really doesn't make solid contact as he mostly flies over Sipe. While it may have been a slightly late hit, it most certainly wasn't spearing. When the flag flies, Lambert is instantly in the official's face, shouting his case.

A Browns player gets a little too close and Lambert erupts, catching the guy with a nice right hook (the dude isn't wearing a helmet). Lambert instantly returns to chewing out the official, who throws another flag, and then Lambert REALLY flies into a rage and is ejected. When Noll appears to begin reprimanding Lambert on the sidelines, an infuriated Lambert gives Noll (who wisely shuts up) an earfull, too. Noll pleads Lambert's case to the officials to no avail and Lambert unloads on the refs again.

For the record, Lambert probably deserved to be ejected -- not for the original hit but for punching a Brown and starting a brawl -- and I love the guy for it. No one has EVER played the game with more fire and intensity than Jack Lambert.

With Lambert out, safety Mike Wagner steps up with a game-high 10 tackles and intercepts a Sipe pass to set up the game's decisive score. But it's rookie returner Larry Anderson's 95-yd kickoff return for a TD just before the half that is the turning point in the game, giving the lead back to Pittsburgh and completely sucking the wind out of Cleveland's sails after they had scored to take a 7-6 advantage following Lambert's ejection. The Browns move the ball well and have a commanding 185-67 edge in 1st half yardage, but 4 turnovers kill them as the Steelers dominate the 2nd half and turn the game into a blowout.

Note: There are two different versions of this game. The first is the complete NBC broadcast (good video quality) with Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen calling the game. The second is a partial broadcast of the game (outstanding video quality) with the radio call from Jack Fleming and Myron Cope dubbed in (footage ends late in 4th quarter with Steelers leading 34-14), graciously provided by Tim McCartney.




1978 Steelers 17 vs Oilers 24 MNF
Features Jack Lambert's famous, "It might be a good idea to put dresses on QBs" quote during a halftime interview with Howard Cosell, referring to Lambert's ejection for a hit on Sipe vs. Cleveland the previous week. LOL.

Pastorini is razor sharp and the Oilers run extremely well, alternating between Earl Campbell (89 yards, 3 TDs) & Rob Carpenter (42 yards), but if not for an avalanche of mental errors, this one goes in the books as a "W" for Pittsburgh. Swann snags a pair of TDs (plus a 3rd that was nullified by a penalty) and is wide open for the tying TD on 4th and goal in the final seconds of the game, but Bradshaw short-hops it by inches.

Randy Grossman also has a HUGE game for Pittsburgh (9 catches for 116 yards), but penalties, a missed kick by Gerela, a dropped TD pass by Stallworth and a pair of errant Bradshaw passes late in the game are a little too much to overcome.





Bonus Footage
TWIPF Highlights (1:05)
1978 Steelers 27 vs Chiefs 24
Kansas City picks off Bradshaw's first pass and has a short field at the Pittsburgh 11, but the Steel Curtain holds the Chiefs to a short FG. The always resilient Bradshaw responds by engineering three consecutive TD drives, each of them time-consuming and perfectly balanced.

Lynn Swann rips the Kansas City secondary with 5 catches for 80 yards in the first half alone, and the Steel Curtain again comes up big on Jack Ham's a leaping, drive-ending interception at the Steeler 2-yd line. Bradshaw immediately goes back to work, alternating handoffs to Franco and Rocky and mixing in occasional darts to Swann. Shortly before the half, Bradshaw hits Stallworth across the middle for a 23-yd TD and the Steelers head to the locker room with a commanding 20-3 lead in what looks like a laugher.

But credit Marv Levy's Chiefs for refusing to fold. Kansas City fights back ferociously in the second half, running the ball remarkably well and scoring two TDs in the first 5 minutes of the 3rd quarter against the suddenly sleepwalking Steelers, courtesy of a Bradshaw fumble and INT (forced to Swann in triple coverage) on back-to-back possessions. Things look grim when Bradshaw goes down with a bruised elbow and Kruzcek has to finish the game.

Thankfully, Donnie Shell scores the first TD of his career on a 17-yd scoop-and-score of a K.C. fumble late in the 3rd quarter (forced by Robin Cole) to extend Pittsburgh's lead to 27-17. Mike Kruczek feeds the ball to Franco and Rocky to eat the clock, and the Chiefs' late TD is rendered meaningless when Jack Ham recovers the onside kick.

Game has edited huddles and is missing some action.



CBS Broadcast w/Criqui & Stram, includes commercials, haltime and postgame


CBS Broadcast w/Fleming & Cope (WTAE) dubbed in


Bonus Footage
TWIPF Highlights (1:08)
1978 Steelers 20 vs Saints 14 - w/Criqui & Stram

1978 Steelers 20 vs Saints 14 - w/Fleming & Cope

The Saints play their hearts out in a very entertaining game which probably should've been much higher scoring for both teams. Bradshaw (16 of 23, 200 yds, 2 TDs) and Manning (22 of 32 for 344 yds, 1 TD) are both outstanding.

The Steelers play very well offensively when they're on the field, but the Saints are able to capitalize on turnovers and drive-extending penalties to keep the Steeler offense on the bench for much of the afternoon. Amazingly, the Steelers have only 3 possessions during the entire first half.

Despite dominating time of possession, the Saints find points tough to come by. Jack Lambert ends one promising drive with a leaping INT at the Steeler 17. Then with just 12 seconds left in the half and the Saints poised to take a 14-3 lead at the Steeler 5-yd line, great coverage by Mel Blount forces a HUGE sack/fumble of Archie Manning (who has a jailbreak of 6 Steeler defenders converging on him) and Joe Greene recovers to end the threat and the half.

Amusingly after halftime, an open mic captures announcer Don Criqui asking, "We're going to do this off camera?" Pause. "Yeah, good, good. The reason I ask, I have my tie off, my coat off... my pants off." Wonder what his partner in the booth Hank Stram thought of that? LOL

The 3rd quarter begins with Bradshaw engineering a textbook 12-play 77-yd TD drive highlighted by a pair of great Lynn Swann catches (the first a leaping grab for 21 yds on 4th & 4, the second a tipped ball in tight double coverage for the TD) and Gerela later adds a FG for a 13-7 lead.

But early in the 4th, a red-hot Manning brings the Saints storming down the field on an 80-yd drive to retake the lead. With time running short, Bradshaw cooly rallies the troops and caps a brilliant 8-play drive with a 3rd down swing pass to Rocky Bleier for the 24-yd winning TD (surprisingly, the first regular season TD reception of Rocky's career) in the final 2 minutes to preserve a Steelers victory.

Note: There are two different versions of this game. The first is the complete CBS broadcast with Don Criqui and Hank Stram calling the game and features all the old commercials, complete halftime show and a postgame interview with Bradshaw including highlights from around the league. The second is the same CBS broadcast with the amazing WTAE radio call from Jack Fleming and Myron Cope dubbed in.





Bonus Footage
TWIPF Highlights (1:47)
1978 Steelers 7 at Rams 10 SNF
A rare (for the era) Sunday night football game with Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell and Don Meredith in the booth.

Action begins in second half of this penalty-filled "Mud Bowl" when Swann makes a fantastic leaping grab in the back of the endzone (while being blatantly interferred with) for the first score of the game.

L.A. strikes right back, moving quickly downfield for a FG and from there, the two best defenses in the league slug it out. With the Steelers continually pinned deep in their own territory, Cappelletti finally breaks a 26-yard run to set up a short Haden TD pass and a 10-7 Rams win. Features the top two defenses in the league at their best.

Second half only with some edited huddles.




1978 Steelers 7 vs Bengals 6
A classic "trap" game. Sometimes you have to win ugly, and this one is about as ugly as a win can get. Despite an absolutely miserable 4 INT performance by Terry Bradshaw (who was the NFL's top-rated passer coming into the game), the 9-2 Steelers do just enough to eek out a win over the hapless 1-10 Bengals.

Thankfully, the Steel Curtain does their job to perfection, forcing 5 turnovers with Mel Blount intercepting two passes and fumble recoveries by Mean Joe and Jack Ham. The Steelers appear to be denied a game-icing TD in the 4th quarter after Dennis Winston scoops up a fumbled punt and smoothly glides into the end zone, but the officials blow the ball dead.

A vicious (but clean) blindside sack/forced fumble by Mike Wagner on a safety blitz knocks Ken Anderson out of the game with less than a minute to play, finally ending Cinci's hopes. Definitely not a thriller, but an important division win nonetheless.



ABC TV Broadcast with Gifford, Cosell & Meredith


ABC TV Broadcast synced with WTAE Fleming & Cope

1978 Steelers 24 at 49ers 7 MNF - w/Gifford, Cosell, Meredith

1978 Steelers 24 at 49ers 7 MNF - w/Fleming & Cope

Bradshaw and Swann star as the Steelers beat the living crap out of the Niners on Monday Night Football. The Steelers amass 212 rushing yards and Bradshaw, after an early interception, bounces back to carve up San Fran's secondary with relative ease, connecting on a trio of TD passes. NFL receiving leader Lynn Swann is particularly devastating, hauling in 8 catches for 134 yds and 2 TDs.

The Steel Curtain relentlessly torments Niner QB Scott Bull, intercepting his very first pass (en route to a 5 INT night) while delivering some truly terrifying shots, sacking him 4 times for 39 yds. The Niners are clearly outclassed, but the refs seem to be trying to even things out, penalizing Pittsburgh 13 times for 102 yds while San Fran is flagged just 1 time for 5 yds.

Trailing 17-0, the Niners finally catch a break when Rocky Bleier fumbles away a handoff inside the Steeler 5, setting up a 2-yd TD run for San Fran. On Pittsburgh's ensuing drive, Bleier -- who is not known as a fumbler -- shockingly coughs it up again near midfield. But Ham soon restores order with his second interception of the night, Bradshaw promptly hits Stallworth for a TD, and the 49ers never threaten again.

While this game is supposedly recorded from the source tape, the original broadcast was very blurry (whoever taped it had some definite antenna problems), so the quality isn't fantastic. At halftime, ABC news provides updates on the shocking murder earlier that day of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone by a disgruntled former staffer.

Note: There are two different versions of this game. The first is the ABC Monday Night Football broadcast with Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell and Don Meredith calling the game. The second is the same ABC broadcast with the amazing WTAE radio call from Jack Fleming and Myron Cope dubbed in.



Higher quality video, original broadcast missing some drives


Lower quality video, more complete version of broadcast


Bonus Footage
TWIPF Highlights (2:54)
Shell KOs Campbell (1:19)
1978 Steelers 13 at Oilers 3 - high quality, missing some drives

1978 Steelers 13 at Oilers 3 - more complete, lower video quality

In one of the great defensive clashes of the '78 season and one of the most physical games of all time, the Steelers get revenge on the road for their mid-season loss to Houston and clinch the AFC Central division.

This game features Hall of Famer Donnie Shell's famous hit on Earl Campbell (who was running effectively to that point with 41 yds on 7 carries), badly bruising Campbell's ribs and sidelining him for the game. As usual between these two teams, this matchup is an extremely physical and results in injuries to multiple players on both sides (including Swann & Pastorini along with Campbell).

Both defenses play extremely well, but the Steel Curtain is especially brilliant, forcing 6 Houston turnovers and holding the Oilers to just 164 yds of offense. Both QBs are held under 100 yds passing as Pastorini is terrorized by the Steel Curtain and throws 3 INT's (2 by Lambert, 1 by Wagner), while Bradshaw struggles to decipher Houston's coverages.

Franco Harris (27 carries, 102 yds) is largely contained for much of the afternoon, but he finally breaks a HUGE 31-yd run in the 3rd quarter to the Oiler 4 to set up a crucial FG. Bradshaw finally puts it all together on Pittsburgh's final possession, engineering the Steelers' only sustained drive of the contest. The 11-play, 80-yd march is keyed by two great John Stallworth catches, the first in triple coverage on 3rd and 9 for a 25-yd gain, the second for the game-winning 5-yd TD. Features Howard Cosell's halftime highlights after the game. "This Week in Pro Football" highlights also available.

Note: There are two different versions of this game. The first is the majority of the NBC broadcast featuring better video quality, but missing several "non-scoring" drives in each half. The second is a more complete broadcast of the game with greaty reduced video quality. The majority of the missing plays are there, but this recording is many generations removed from the master.



High Quality partial NBC Broadcast w/Fleming & Cope


Complete NBC Broadcast with Curt Gowdy & John Brodie


Bonus Footage
TWIPF Highlights (1:55)
1978 Steelers 35 vs Colts 13 - w/Fleming & Cope

1978 Steelers 35 vs Colts 13 - w/Gowdy & Brodie

As a fan of bad weather games, this is obviously among my all-time favorites.

In the midst of an MVP season, Terry Bradshaw has a freakishly good game in near-blizzard conditions (11 of 18, 240 yds, 3 TDs), burying the Baltimore secondary under an avalanche of pinpoint accurate passes despite seemingly unplayable weather. Receivers Lynn Swann (3 catches, 87 yds) and John Stallworth (1 catch, 31 yds, 1 TD) each appear only briefly in the first half, but their acrobatic grabs and yardage after catch put the Colts in an early 21-0 hole.

Bradshaw's TD dime to Stallworth is a thing of particular beauty. Despite the miserable field conditions, Terry launches this gorgeous, sky-high rainbow pass ("Ooo-wee, what a lollipop!" in the words of Myron Cope) that drops with pin-point accuracy into Stallworth's hands in the back corner of the end zone. It's a ridiculously precise 50-yd throw that few in NFL history could execute. To do it in such terrible weather conditions makes it even more remarkable.

The Steel Curtain is equally terrifying, absolutely overwhelming the "Bert Jones-less" Colts as backup QB Bill Troup goes a meager 8 of 18 for 62 yds with 2 INTs, 2 sacks and 2 fumbles. But in spite of generating almost no offense, the Colts surprisingly find themselves back in the game after the weather conditions contribute to a bad exchange between Bradshaw and Harris, and LB Derrel Luce scoops up the loose ball and slip-slides his way to a 44-yd TD on the recovery.

But on the ensuing kickoff, Larry Anderson breaks loose and slaloms his way all the way down to the Colt 19. From there, Bradshaw quickly reestablishes control with a short TD pass to Grossman and shortly thereafter, ices the game (pun intended) with his 3rd TD of the afternoon, a deep pass to a wide open Jim Smith, the first TD catch of the young WR's career.

On defense, Tony Dungy gets the first start of his career (subbing for an injured Mike Wagner) and snags his 5th INT of the season as the Steelers clinch homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Gotta love the Zamboni clearing snow off of the yard lines between plays. A big-time thanks to Brad Geffers and Tim McCartney for the nice upgrades!

Note: There are two different versions of this game. The first is is a partial NBC broadcast (outstanding video quality) with the radio call from Jack Fleming and Myron Cope dubbed in (footage ends in 4th quarter with Steelers leading 35-13). The second the complete NBC broadcast (decent video quality) with Curt Gowdy and John Brodie calling the game.



Decent quality picture with severely edited huddles


Lower video, more complete version of broadcast


Bonus Footage
TWIPF Highlights (1:10)
1978 Steelers 21 at Broncos 17 - better quality, edited huddles
1978 Steelers 21 at Broncos 17 - lesser quality, more complete

Bradshaw and Stallworth are superb as the Steelers jump out to 21-0 lead at Mile High Stadium in the final game of the regular seasons and then watch from the bench as the Steeler reserves hold off the Broncos in a tune up for the playoffs.

Action is highlighted by a ridiculous leaping TD grab in traffic by Stallworth, who outleaps and out-muscles two Denver defenders in the end zone to reel in a bomb from a scrambling Bradshaw. Terry, who plays only the first half, ties the NFL record for most TD passes in a season since the NFL/AFL merger on the score to Stallworth, then takes it all for himself minutes later with a scrambling across-the-grain strike to Jim Smith for his 28th TD pass of the season.

Denver comes back late in the game against Pittsburgh's second team players threatens to steal a win after a 48-yd pass interference call in the end zone on a Hail Mary puts the ball on the Steeler 1-yd line with 7 seconds left. But the Steel Curtain stuff Denver's goal line plunge as regulation ends to preserve the victory.

I have two versions of this game: One version has decent video quality initially but has severely edited huddles and deteriorates as the game progresses (flickers between color and black & white). The other version is largely unedited but the video quality is not very good.


 1978 Post Season 

Complete NBC Broadcast plus pregame and postgame with Dick Enberg & Merlin Olsen


Complete NBC TV Broadcast dubbed with Fleming & Cope
High Video Quality!


Bonus Footage
TWIPF Highlights (5:13)
1978 AFC Playoffs Steelers 33 vs Broncos 10 - w/Enberg & Olsen

1978 AFC Playoffs Steelers 33 vs Broncos 10 - w/Fleming & Cope

This playoff rematch features the NFL's top two defenses in a cold, misty rain. The Steelers dominate early, suffocating Craig Morton and jumping out to a 16-3 lead on the strength of a pair of Franco Harris TDs. Midway through the 2nd quarter, Norris Weese comes off the bench to lead a TD drive, and despite Pittsburgh's dominance, the game remains somewhat competitive at 19-10 after 3 quarters.

But in the 4th quarter, Terry Bradshaw suddenly and explosively bombs the Broncos into submission, connecting on a pair of beautiful deep TD strikes to Stallworth (45 yds) and Swann (38 yds) in a span of just 44 seconds.

With the Bronco's concentrating on stopping Lynn Swann via constant double coverage, John Stallworth is truly magnificent, undressing CB Steve Foley with one great catch after another en route to 156 yds on a playoff record 10 receptions. Meanwhile, Swannee works a little magic of his own with an unbelievable leaping TD grab at the goal line in spite of double coverage and having a Denver player draped all over him.

Franco Harris is in typical playoff form, scoring 2 TDs and rumbling for 105 yds on 24 carries to set up Pittsburgh's aerial assault. All-Pro defensive players fill both rosters (incredibly, the two defensive squads combined have all 11 Pro Bowler starters). But while Pittsburgh's offensive line controls the line of scrimmage, protects Bradshaw (0 sacks) and is able to move the ball up and down the field almost at will against the Orange Crush, the Steel Curtain absolutely SMOTHERS Denver's offensive efforts, sacking QB combo of Morton and Weese 6 times (2 by Joe Greene, who also blocks a FG) as the Broncos are outgained 425-218.

Note: There are two different versions of this game, both have outstanding video quality, especially the Fleming & Cope version, which is the orignal NBC TV broadcast synced with the iconic WTAE radio call Jack Fleming and Myron Cope. The other version is the complete NBC broadcast (including pregame, halftime show and postgame) with Dick Enberg & Merlin Olsen calling the game. The amazing Fleming and Cope footage was generously contributed by Tim McCartney. Both versions feature lots of great post-game material including interviews with Swann and Stallworth.



Complete NBC TV Broadcast dubbed with Fleming & Cope
AMAZING Video Quality!


Complete NBC Broadcast plus pregame and postgame with Curt Gowdy & John Brodie


Complete NBC TV Broadcast dubbed with CBS Radio Broadcast (Nelson & Kelly)


Bonus Footage
TWIPF Highlights (2:00)
17 pts in 48 sec (15:37)
1978 AFC Championship Steelers 34 vs Oilers 5 - w/Fleming & Cope

1978 AFC Championship Steelers 34 vs Oilers 5 - w/Gowdy & Brodie

1978 AFC Championship Steelers 34 vs Oilers 5 - w/Nelson & Kelly

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.

Lots of pregame and postgame footage including previews of title games, a feature on Lance Alworth, a story about Joe Greene and Lynn Swann giving the Oilers briefcases for beating the Bengals, updates on John Madden's retirement from coaching and Bill Walsh's impending hire by the 49ers. At halftime, an excellent piece on the Immaculate Reception plus scores and highlights. After the game, lots of player interviews and more highlights from NBC and WTAE-TV.

Note: There are three different versions of this game, all have outstanding video quality, especially the first version, which is the orignal NBC TV broadcast synced with the iconic WTAE radio call Jack Fleming and Myron Cope. The second version is the complete NBC broadcast (including pregame, halftime show and postgame) with Curt Gowdy and John Brodie calling the game. The third is the NBC TV broadcast of the game with the CBS radio call from Lindsey Nelson and Jim Kelly dubbed in. The amazing Fleming and Cope footage was contributed by Tim McCartney, and the CBS Radio audio was donated by Doug Kovach.




Super Bowl XIII Pregame
Approximately 1-1/2 hours of pregame material from Super Bowl XIII featuring Dick Enberg, Bryant Gumble, Mike Adamle, Fran Tarkenton, Donna de Verona, Merlin Olsen, Curt Gowdy and John Brodie. Includes short recaps of the twelve previous Super Bowls, pregame analysis of the offensive and defensive gameplans for both teams, short interviews with Joe Greene, Jon Kolb, Jack Ham, Rocky Bleier, Lynn Swann, Donnie Shell, Rayfield Right, Randy White, Don Shula, Tony Dorsett, Thomas Henderson, Pete Roselle, Charlie Waters and Drew Pearson, a hillarious live interview with Myron Cope about the Terrible Towel, the Andy Griffith "What It Was, Was Football" monologue, a feature on Terry Bradshaw about his "Smokey and the Bandit" cameo with Burt Reynolds and longer interviews of Bradshaw by Joe Namath and Staubach by Fran Tarkenton.



Complete NBC Broadcast with Curt Gowdy & John Brodie


Complete NBC Broadcast with Jack Fleming & Myron Cope




Super Bowl XIII Steelers 35 vs Cowboys 31 - w/Gowdy & Brodie

Super Bowl XIII Steelers 35 vs Cowboys 31 - w/Fleming & Cope

NFL titans clash in the greatest Super Bowl match-up of all time in terms of Hall of Fame pedigree. Bradshaw, Swann & Stallworth air it out against Staubach, Dorsett & "America's Team" in a circus of big plays featuring 16 future Hall of Fame players (10 for Pittsburgh and 6 for Dallas) and two future Hall of Fame head coaches.

League and game MVP Terry Bradshaw is brilliant from the outset, particularly on 3rd down, where he hits 8 of 9 passes for 165 yards & 2 TDs. By halftime, Bradshaw has already thrown for over 250 yds and scored 3 TDs, breaking every significant Super Bowl passing record after only 30 minutes, ultimately finishing with 318 yards and 4 TDs. It's worth noting that Bradshaw really gets the hot hand after the Henderson/Hegman sack/strip for a Dallas TD. Terry is hurt on the play and administered smelling salts on the sideline. So what does he do during the next few minutes of play? He coolly throws a 3rd down 75-yard TD strike to Stallworth, hooks up with Swann three times for 76 yards and engineers a masterful 2-minute drill, capped by a beautiful touch pass to Bleier for the go-ahead TD heading into halftime.

Speaking of Swann & Stallworth, their final stats speak for themselves; Swann 7 rec. for 124 yds & a TD (the game-winner), and Stallworth 3 rec. for 115 yds & 2 TDs (in spite of playing only the 1st half due to leg cramps). And while the final game statistics suggest a shootout, Pittsburgh is clearly the dominant team. Dorsett gains 45 yards on Dallas ill-fated opening drive yet only has 47 yards by halftime. Contrary to the claims of many Dallas fans, the Jackie Smith drop occurs during the 3rd quarter, not in the waning moments of the game. Credit the Cowboys for continuing to fight, but much of Dallas' total yardage comes in "garbage time" after Pittsburgh has opened up an insurmountable 18 point 4th quarter lead.

Before the game, the video features commentary from Dick Enberg, Curt Gowdy, John Brodie and Merlin Olsen plus player introductions and the coin toss from George Halas and the singing of National Anthem. After the game, there's plenty of postgame analysis and interviews with Bradshaw, Franco, Banaszak, Staubach, Landry and closes with Swann & Stallworth popping the cork on a huge bottle of champagne. My personal favorite game and one of the most entertaining Super Bowls of all time.

Note: There are two different versions of this game, both have outstanding video quality. The first is the complete NBC broadcast (including full halftime show) with Curt Gowdy and John Brodie calling the game. The second is the NBC broadcast of the game with the radio call from Jack Fleming and Myron Cope dubbed in (no halftime show), graciously provided by Tim McCartney.




Super Bowl XIII Local Postgame Coverage
33 minutes of local Super Bowl postgame coverage featuring clips from multiple channels. First, Channel 4 Action News highlights with John Steigerwald and Mike Schneider, plus coverage of fan celebrations in and around Pittsburgh. Next, TV2 Eyewitness News coverage features Bill Proctor, John Sanders and Marlynn Singleton (celebrations in Oakland and Lawrenceville), short locker room interviews with Swann, Stallworth, Blount, Dwight White (with champagne in his eyes lol), Jack Lambert (commenting on Thomas Henderson), Joe Greene and Franco. Then back to Channel 4 for a hilarious Myron Cope locker room interview of John Banaszak (who is taking drags off a cigarette while discussing Mike Webster wearing a Terrible Towel), then Cope wearing a "Super Sombrero" and calling the Cowboys the "Dallas Crybabies." Lastly, Dee Thompson with 11 Alive interviewing Franco and Tony Dorsett. Thanks to Rick A. for making this available!



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* = Pro Bowl
+ = First Team All-Pro
= Hall of Fame Inductee