Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

CSKreager wrote:Buffalo/Pittsburgh in the 1992 playoffs. Steelers had a dropped pick-six that would've given them a lead, Buffalo scored later and that was effectively the game.

Richard Shelton. Another example of how incredibly lucky the Bills were in 1992 and 93.

However, I don't think that the Steelers were ready for prime time yet after watching that game.

Pittsburgh moved the ball consistently in that game, but their drives always seemed to fizzle. A couple turnovers killed drives. At least once, an O'Donnell sack knocked the team out of FG range. A bad snap/hold on a FG attempt cost Pittsburgh another potential three points.

What comes to mind for me is the two monumental flops of the 1960's Don Shula led Baltimore Colts.

Both the 1964 Championship Game and Super Bowl III were significant losses by a favored team.
Those games "should" have been much closer.

I think that the 1984 AFC Title Game could have been closer. The Steelers moved the ball into Miami territory on their first drive, but came up with nothing. They also had a holding call wipe out an Abercrombie run to around Miami's 10, and Malone turned the ball over right after Pittsburgh got a turnover from the Dolphins.

7DnBrnc53 wrote:I think that the 1984 AFC Title Game could have been closer. The Steelers moved the ball into Miami territory on their first drive, but came up with nothing. They also had a holding call wipe out an Abercrombie run to around Miami's 10, and Malone turned the ball over right after Pittsburgh got a turnover from the Dolphins.

I think that game was the water reaching it's level. The Steelers were a 9-7 team with 9-7 talent that played over it's head in Denver the week before. The 89 Steelers were a similar team. But those teams cemented Chuck Noll's coaching legacy IMO. He got more out of them then they were capable of.

MatthewToy wrote:

7DnBrnc53 wrote:I think that the 1984 AFC Title Game could have been closer. The Steelers moved the ball into Miami territory on their first drive, but came up with nothing. They also had a holding call wipe out an Abercrombie run to around Miami's 10, and Malone turned the ball over right after Pittsburgh got a turnover from the Dolphins.

I think that game was the water reaching it's level. The Steelers were a 9-7 team with 9-7 talent that played over it's head in Denver the week before. The 89 Steelers were a similar team. But those teams cemented Chuck Noll's coaching legacy IMO. He got more out of them then they were capable of.

Good point, but that Miami team was a mirage. They were Dan Marino and nothing else. Reality caught up with them in the Super Bowl.

7DnBrnc53 wrote:

MatthewToy wrote:

7DnBrnc53 wrote:I think that the 1984 AFC Title Game could have been closer. The Steelers moved the ball into Miami territory on their first drive, but came up with nothing. They also had a holding call wipe out an Abercrombie run to around Miami's 10, and Malone turned the ball over right after Pittsburgh got a turnover from the Dolphins.

I think that game was the water reaching it's level. The Steelers were a 9-7 team with 9-7 talent that played over it's head in Denver the week before. The 89 Steelers were a similar team. But those teams cemented Chuck Noll's coaching legacy IMO. He got more out of them then they were capable of.

Good point, but that Miami team was a mirage. They were Dan Marino and nothing else. Reality caught up with them in the Super Bowl.

And yet nobody was good enough to keep them from HFA or beat them in the playoffs.

If they were Marino and nothing else, you'd think someone would have gotten to them before the Super Bowl.