Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

The Pittsburgh Steelers won four Super Bowls in six years from 1974 to 1979.  This team was one of the best ever and really turned Pittsburgh into a football town. Prior to that only the Pirates that had any big following.  Being a Steeler fan  made you feel like a freak.  Before 1970, the two biggest home crowds occurred at Pitt Stadium in 1963.

46,000-The Steelers defeated the New York Giants 31 to 0
50,000-The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 9 to 7.

AFC 1972 EAST

Pittsburgh W 11 L 3 (2) Cleveland Browns W 10 L 4  (3) Cincinnati Bengals W 8 L 6
--Against Cleveland-Pittsburgh lost on the road 26 to 24; won at home 30 to 0;
--Against Cincinnati-Pittsburgh lost on the road 15 to 10; won at home 40 to 17;
--Defeated the Oakland Raiders 34 to 28
Cleveland made the Playoffs as a Wild Card.

1973-Both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati made the playoffs at 10-4.
Against Cincinnati Pittsburgh lost on the road 19 to 7 and won at home 20 to 13.

Pittsburgh on the road defeated Oakland  17 to 9. At home, they defeated the Washington Redskins 21 to 16.

1974-Pittsburgh finished first at 10-3-1 to the Cincinnati Bengals 7-7; but for most of the year, it was closer than this.  After 11 weeks Pittsburgh was 8-2-1 and Cincinnati 7-4.   In November at Cincinnati, Kenny Anderson completed 20  of 22 passes and the Bengals defeated the Steelers 17 to 10.  Hit with injuries, the Bengals lost their last three games.  Pittsburgh at home won the final weekend game with Cincinnati 27 to 3.

1975-Pittsburgh showed how good they were in first place with a 12-2 record.

Cincinnati finished second at 11-3.
The Houston Oilers were third at 10-4.
The Steelers beat both teams twice during

At Cincinnati  Pittsburgh won 30 to 24.  At home Pittsburgh won 35 to 14.
Houston-Pittsburgh won at home 24 to 17 and at Houston 32 to 9.
Cincinnati made the playoffs.  Houston did not.

1976-The Steelers and the Bengals each had 10-4 records.  Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati twice, 23 to 6 at home and 7 to 3 on the road.  Cincinnati did make the playoffs.

1977-Pittsburgh was 9-5 and the Bengals second at 8-6.  The Cincinnati did not make the playoffs.

At home-the Steelers beat Cincinnati 20 to 14 at home; lost 17 to 10 on the road.
Pittsburgh defeated Dallas at home 28 to 13.  The Cowboys finished 12-2 and won the Super Bowl.

The last two years of the Steelers dynasty showed how good they and the AFC Central Division were.  They defeated the Wild Card Houston Oilers in the AFC Championship.  The Oilers of course finished second in the AFC Central.
1978 Pittsburgh was 14-2 to Houston's 10-6.  Pittsburgh lost to the Oilers at home 24 to 17 but beat them on the road 13 to 3. They beat Houston 34 to 5 in the AFC Title  Game; Pittsburgh defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl 35 to 31.
1979 Pittsburgh was 12-4 to Houston's 11-5.  Pittsburgh defeated to the Oilers at home 38 to 7 and lost to them on the road 20 to 17. They beat Houston 27 to 13 in the AFC Title  Game; Pittsburgh defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl 31 to 19.

Ken Stabler and the Raiders were the only team to beat the Steelers twice in the postseason during the 1970s in 1973 and 1976, it would have been a third time in 72' had it not been for a man named Franco ...

LeonardRachiele wrote:The Pittsburgh Steelers won four Super Bowls in six years from 1974 to 1979.  This team was one of the best ever and really turned Pittsburgh into a football town. Prior to that only the Pirates that had any big following.  Being a Steeler fan  made you feel like a freak.  Before 1970, the two biggest home crowds occurred at Pitt Stadium in 1963.

46,000-The Steelers defeated the New York Giants 31 to 0
50,000-The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 9 to 7.

IIRC Three Rivers Stadium was (by the late 70s) one of the NFL stadiums with lesser capacity (only Metropolitan Stadium in Minnesota, the Houston Astrodome, St. Louis' Busch Stadium and Milwaukee County Stadium had less capacity), but they averaged over 50,000 spectators every game.