NFL Game of the Week: Steelers at Eagles 1979

[74_75_78_79_]

Always knew about the game but never seen it. Did catch the GOTW version of, however. Steelers had 6 starters out, Swann amongst them. Banascak seemed to play a fired-up inspiring game as usual. Ham picked off Jaws. I didn't know Sidney Thornton's nickname was 'Thundering Bull'. He scored the game's first points, putting the 'Burgh up for the first (and only) time. The forgotten Birds' TE, Keith Krepple, seemed to make a few good plays. He scored the tying TD to make the game 7-7; also would go on to score Philly's only TD in SBXV a year later. Herm Edwards INT'd Terry in the endzone later on. It was said that Harold Carmichael was double-teamed most of the day so I'll assume there wasn't much he-vs-Blount going on. Steelers rallied hard in the end but came up just short. I think that '79 Eagles squad was better than both Dallas and Washington hence best in NFC. They vs Steelers in a rematch Pasadena could have been fun!

Thoughts?

Did anyone here see the game?

EDIT - Jaws-to-Krepple helped set-up Birds' first TD.

[Gary Najman]

Below is the gamebook of that game. I remember seeing it as a kid, but the only thing that I vividly remember of that game was that three LBs (Jack Lambert, Jack Ham and John Bunting) made interceptions. I would like to know if there has been another game since where at least three linebackers intercepted a pass each.

Bunting's interception was vital, as it returned it to the Steelers 2-yard line. Two plays later Wilbert Montgomery scored the winning touchdown.

http://www.steelers.com/assets/images/i ... _94732.pdf

[74_75_78_79_]

Below is the gamebook of that game. I remember seeing it as a kid, but the only thing that I vividly remember of that game was that three LBs (Jack Lambert, Jack Ham and John Bunting) made interceptions. I would like to know if there has been another game since where at least three linebackers intercepted a pass each.

Bunting's interception was vital, as it returned it to the Steelers 2-yard line. Two plays later Wilbert Montgomery scored the winning touchdown.

http://www.steelers.com/assets/images/i ... _94732.pdf

Nice! Quite informative; something to hold me over until getting to finally see the entire game someday. Yes, of course they showed the Bunting-INT on GOTW. I forgot to mention OP about it being said that Franco had recent fumble-issues early that season as he fumbled that game as well. I made a misspell - it's Keith KREPFLE. Thought I'd see Bill Cowher on the Birds' roster; guess not. I see my man Rick "Dazed and Confused" Moser though (perhaps the Steve Tasker of those '78/'79 Steeler teams)!

This may have already been brought up here and either I missed it or forgot, but fast-forwarding to Week #16, I didn't know Steelers already had division won upon the start of the 4PM EST Eagles@Oilers game. I caught the very beginning of it recently with the announcers stating that Steelers clinched by beating Bills, 28-0. So that, pretty much, made it a meaningless game after all which is a shame. Would have been nice to see those two in a critical affair. No wonder the game has hardly ever been mentioned. Then again, it doesn't help that another just "sort of" historic game was going on at the same time just upstate, lol. A game the Eagles hope ends in a tie.

And why did Steelers clinch? Both they and Oilers had same division (4-2) and conference (9-3) record.

[ChrisBabcock]

Then again, it doesn't help that another just "sort of" historic game was going on at the same time just upstate, lol. A game the Eagles hope ends in a tie.

That Cowboys/Redskins game is one that I'd love to see in its entirety someday!

EDIT: I see there's a scratchy 2-part upload of the whole game on youtube.

[Rupert Patrick]

Then again, it doesn't help that another just "sort of" historic game was going on at the same time just upstate, lol. A game the Eagles hope ends in a tie.

That Cowboys/Redskins game is one that I'd love to see in its entirety someday!

EDIT: I see there's a scratchy 2-part upload of the whole game on youtube.

I have never seen a good copy of the 1979 Cowboys Redskins game. Due to the historic significance of the game, that is may very well be the greatest (in terms of an outstanding game in the midst of important historical context) regular season game in pro football history, it is one I would love to see the NFL Network play sometime. But I guess they are just too busy replaying the same Top 10 shows that they have played about 653 times in the past month, and if they do play an old game, it's a random game from last season. If they do have to actually dig into the archives to pull out an older game, they'll just replay Brett Favre's debut game as a Packer or one of the Tom Brady Super Bowls that they play about a dozen times each year.

[L.C. Greenwood]

Then again, it doesn't help that another just "sort of" historic game was going on at the same time just upstate, lol. A game the Eagles hope ends in a tie.

That Cowboys/Redskins game is one that I'd love to see in its entirety someday!

EDIT: I see there's a scratchy 2-part upload of the whole game on youtube.

I have never seen a good copy of the 1979 Cowboys Redskins game. Due to the historic significance of the game, that is may very well be the greatest (in terms of an outstanding game in the midst of important historical context) regular season game in pro football history, it is one I would love to see the NFL Network play sometime. But I guess they are just too busy replaying the same Top 10 shows that they have played about 653 times in the past month, and if they do play an old game, it's a random game from last season. If they do have to actually dig into the archives to pull out an older game, they'll just replay Brett Favre's debut game as a Packer or one of the Tom Brady Super Bowls that they play about a dozen times each year.

Yes, I saw that '79 Dallas-Washington game live, and it was a classic. It's disappointing not to see more of the great games of the past, besides the old Super Bowls. I think there's a perception younger viewers wouldn't be that interested in these classics, but I disagree. In my opinion, if the NFL Network made the effort to find these games, it would be successful. I've even seen some old games on YouTube in remarkable video quality.

[Rupert Patrick]

I have never seen a good copy of the 1979 Cowboys Redskins game. Due to the historic significance of the game, that is may very well be the greatest (in terms of an outstanding game in the midst of important historical context) regular season game in pro football history, it is one I would love to see the NFL Network play sometime. But I guess they are just too busy replaying the same Top 10 shows that they have played about 653 times in the past month, and if they do play an old game, it's a random game from last season. If they do have to actually dig into the archives to pull out an older game, they'll just replay Brett Favre's debut game as a Packer or one of the Tom Brady Super Bowls that they play about a dozen times each year.

Yes, I saw that '79 Dallas-Washington game live, and it was a classic. It's disappointing not to see more of the great games of the past, besides the old Super Bowls. I think there's a perception younger viewers wouldn't be that interested in these classics, but I disagree. In my opinion, if the NFL Network made the effort to find these games, it would be successful. I've even seen some old games on YouTube in remarkable video quality.

It's been discussed here in the past, and the general perception is that the NFL only wants to talk up the history of the game twice a year - Super Bowl weekend when they announce the new HOF class, and HOF weekend in Canton when they are inducted. With the various pension lawsuits the league has faced and now the whole concussion lawsuit issue, the league probably does not want to trumpet it's past heroes and glamorize the history of the game in the way Major League Baseball basks in it's history. The NFL collectively seems to be happy if fans would just forget that except for Joe Namath, pro football began around 1980, and that is what they want the NFL Network to focus on.