NFL team sports season
The 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 43rd in the National Football League . They would be the second championship team in club history . This Steelers team entered the beginning of the season as defending champions for the first time in their 40-year history. The team was led by a dominating defense and a quick offense, and won Super Bowl X over the Dallas Cowboys , 21-17. The 1975 Steelers had one of the greatest defensive teams of all time. The team posted their best defensive numbers since 1946 , and scored more points than any other Steelers team to that point, up until it came time for the 2010 NFL season, beating the 1975 squad by 2 points.
In 2007, the 1975 Steelers were ranked as the 7th greatest Super Bowl champions on the NFL Network 's documentary series America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions , with team commentary from Lynn Swann , Dwight White , and Mike Wagner , and narrated by Bruce Willis . The 1975 Steelers' +211 point differential stands as the best in franchise history.
Offseason
NFL Draft
Personnel
Staff
1975 Pittsburgh Steelers staff
Front office
Chairman of the Board – Arthur J. Rooney
President – Daniel M. Rooney
Vice President – John R. McGinley
Vice President – Arthur J. Rooney, Jr.
Public Relations Director – Ed Kiely
Traveling Secretary – James A. Boston
Publicity Director – Joe Gordon
Controller – Robert P. Quinn
Accountant – Dennis P. Thimons
Ticket Manager – Joseph H. Carr
Director of Player Personnel – Dick Haley
Assistant Director of Player Personnel – Bill Nunn
Director of Professional Scouting – V. Timothy Rooney
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Strength and conditioning
Strength – Louis Riecke
Flexibility – Paul Uram
Team Physician, Orthopedic – Dr. John Best
Team Physician, M.D. – Dr. David S. Huber
Team Dentist – Dr. George P. Boucek
Trainer – Ralph Berlin
Assistant Trainer – Robert Milie
Equipment Manager – Anthony Parisi
Field Manager – Jack Hart
Film Director – Bob McCartney
Photographer – Harry Homa
[ 1]
Roster
Preseason
During the preseason, the Steelers acquired undrafted free-agent , John Banaszak . The Defensive tackle from Eastern Michigan played in three games and later became the 1975 Team ROY (Rookie of the Year).
Schedule
Regular season
Schedule
Game summaries
Week 1
1
2 3 4 Total
• Steelers
10
10 3 14
37
Chargers
0
0 0 0
0
Scoring summary 1 PIT Roy Gerela 29-yard field goalSteelers 3–0
1 PIT Frank Lewis 40-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick)Steelers 10–0
2 PIT Gerry Mullins recovered fumble in end zone (Roy Gerela kick)Steelers 17–0
2 PIT Roy Gerela 25-yard field goal Steelers 20–0
3 PIT Roy Gerela 38-yard field goal Steelers 23–0
4 PIT John Stallworth 38-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick)Steelers 30–0
4 PIT Mike Collier 7-yard run (Roy Gerela kick)Steelers 37–0
In the Week 1 game, the Steelers opened the season as defending champions , and crushed the Chargers, 37-0, in San Diego. (1-0)
Week 2
1
2 3 4 Total
• Bills
0
10 13 7
30
Steelers
0
0 7 14
21
In Week 2, the Steelers, coming off a crushing defeat of the Chargers in Week 1, came to play revenge eager Buffalo in Pittsburgh. The Bills had been beaten the previous year by the Steelers in the playoffs, 32-14. Chuck Noll had warned the team the previous week that the team did not play very well, however, the players ignored him and were beaten by a 227-yard-rushing day by RB O.J. Simpson, 30-21. (1-1)
Week 3
1
2 3 4 Total
• Steelers
7
21 0 14
42
Browns
0
0 0 6
6
In this Week 3 matchup, the Steelers would be hosted by the Cleveland Browns. These two teams had already been established as one of the league's best rivalries by this time, and Joe Greene's infamous kicking of the Browns lineman Bob McKay only fueled the rivalry. The fight that broke out afterwards caught it on fire. Greene was later fined $500 while the Steelers beat the Browns, 42-6. (2-1)
Week 4
1
2 3 4 Total
Broncos
3
6 0 0
9
• Steelers
7
10 0 3
20
Date: October 12Location: Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaGame start: 1:00 p.m., EST Game attendance: 49,164Game weather: 59°F (Mostly Cloudy)Referee: Dick Jorgensen Television network: NBC
Scoring summary 1 DEN Jim Turner 22-yard field goalBroncos 3–0
1 PIT Lynn Swann 43-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick)Steelers 7–3
2 PIT Lynn Swann 9-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) Steelers 14–3
2 PIT Roy Gerela 39-yard field goal Steelers 17–3
2 DEN Jim Turner 39-yard field goal Steelers 17–6
2 DEN Jim Turner 36-yard field goal Steelers 17–9
4 PIT Roy Gerela 28-yard field goal Steelers 20–9
In Week 4, the Steelers beat the Denver Broncos in Three Rivers, 20-9. (3-1)
Week 5
1
2 3 4 Total
Bears
0
3 0 0
3
• Steelers
0
10 10 14
34
Date: October 19Location: Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaGame start: 1:00 p.m., EST Game attendance: 47,579Game weather: 50°F (Cloudy)Referee: Norm Schachter Television network: CBS
Scoring summary 2 CHI Bob Thomas 32-yard field goalBears 3–0
2 PIT Roy Gerela 37-yard field goalTie 3–3
2 PIT Reggie Harrison 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick)Steelers 10–3
3 PIT Roy Gerela 18-yard field goal Steelers 13–3
3 PIT Franco Harris 3-yard run (Roy Gerela kick)Steelers 20–3
4 PIT Rocky Bleier 3-yard run (Roy Gerela kick)Steelers 27–3
4 PIT Terry Bradshaw 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick)Steelers 34–3
In Week 5, the Steelers crushed Chicago, 34-3. Three weeks after the Steelers were beaten by Buffalo, the team was 4-1, and had allowed only 18 points during the last three weeks while scoring 99. (4-1)
Week 6
1
2 3 4 Total
• Steelers
3
10 0 3
16
Packers
0
6 7 0
13
Scoring summary 1 PIT Roy Gerela 19-yard field goalSteelers 3–0
2 GB John Brockington 2-yard run (kick blocked)Packers 6–3
2 PIT Mike Collier 94-yard kickoff return (Roy Gerela kick)Steelers 10–6
2 PIT Roy Gerela 19-yard field goal Steelers 13–6
3 GB John Brockington 5-yard run (Joe Danelo kick) Tie 13–13
4 PIT Roy Gerela 29-yard field goal Steelers 16–13
In Week 5, the Packers would host the Steelers in Milwaukee, however, the tense battle ended in Pittsburgh's favor, 16-13. (5-1)
Week 7
1
2 3 4 Total
• Steelers
0
10 13 7
30
Bengals
3
0 0 21
24
Scoring summary 1 CIN Dave Green 23-yard field goalBengals 3–0
2 PIT Roy Gerela 42-yard field goalTie 3–3
2 PIT Lynn Swann 37-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick)Steelers 10–3
3 PIT Rocky Bleier 3-yard run (Roy Gerela kick)Steelers 17–3
3 PIT Lynn Swann 25-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (kick failed)Steelers 23–3
4 CIN Charlie Joiner 34-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Dave Green kick)Steelers 23–10
4 CIN Essex Johnson 3-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Dave Green kick)Steelers 23–17
4 PIT Terry Bradshaw 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) Steelers 30–17
4 CIN Chip Myers 22-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Dave Green kick)Steelers 30–24
In Week 7, the Steelers played the Bengals in Riverfront Stadium and beat up the Bengals, 30-24. (6-1)
Week 8
1
2 3 4 Total
Oilers
0
7 3 7
17
• Steelers
10
7 0 7
24
Date: November 9Location: Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaGame start: 1:00 p.m., EST Game attendance: 49,460Game weather: 75°F (Sunny)Referee: Jim Tunney Television network: NBC
In this heated Week 8 battle, the Steelers would play host to the Houston Oilers. Pittsburgh sealed the win with a 4th quarter touchdown pass from #12 Terry Bradshaw to #82 John Stallworth that placed them at the top of the division. (7-1)
Week 9
1
2 3 4 Total
Chiefs
0
3 0 0
3
• Steelers
0
7 14 7
28
Date: November 16Location: Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaGame start: 1:00 p.m., EST Game attendance: 48,803Game weather: 55°F (Partly Cloudy)Referee: Bernie Ulman Television network: NBC
In Week 9, the Steelers beat the Chiefs, 28-3. (8-1)
Week 10
1
2 3 4 Total
• Steelers
2
13 3 14
32
Oilers
0
3 0 6
9
In Week 10, the Steelers defeated the Oilers again, this time in Houston 32-9, and secured a playoff spot. (9-1)
Week 11
1
2 3 4 Total
• Steelers
0
10 10 0
20
Jets
0
0 0 7
7
In Week 11, the Steelers beat the Jets 20-7. (10-1)
Week 12
1
2 3 4 Total
Browns
3
14 0 0
17
• Steelers
7
3 14 7
31
Date: December 7Location: Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaGame start: 1:00 p.m., EST Game attendance: 47,962Game weather: 38°F (Sunny) • Wind 11Referee: Pat HaggertyTelevision network: NBC
Scoring summary 1 CLE Don Cockroft 26-yard field goalBrowns 3–0
1 PIT Franco Harris 3-yard run (Roy Gerela kick)Steelers 7–3
2 CLE Greg Pruitt 1-yard run (Don Cockroft kick)Browns 10–7
2 CLE Willie Miller 17-yard fumble return (Don Cockroft kick)Browns 17–7
2 PIT Roy Gerela 32-yard field goal Browns 17–10
3 PIT Lynn Swann 3-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick)Tie 17–17
3 PIT Lynn Swann 18-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) Steelers 24–17
4 PIT Franco Harris 8-yard run (Roy Gerela kick) Steelers 31–17
In another defeat of Cleveland in Week 13, 31-17, the Steelers continued their winning streak to 10. (11-1)
Week 13
1
2 3 4 Total
Bengals
0
7 0 7
14
• Steelers
14
7 7 7
35
Date: Saturday, December 13Location: Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaGame start: 12:30 p.m., EST Game attendance: 48,889Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), (Sunny) wind 8 mphReferee: Ben Dreith Television network: NBC
In Week 13, the Steelers finished the sweep of the division by beating the Bengals again, 35-14. (12-1)
Week 14
1
2 3 4 Total
Steelers
3
0 0 0
3
• Rams
0
3 0 7
10
In the meaningless Week 14 game, the Steelers were beaten by Los Angeles, 10-3. (12-2)
Standings
Stats
Quarter-by-quarter
Quarter-by-quarter
1
2
3
4
OT
T
Steelers
63
118
81
111
0
373
Opponents
9
62
23
68
0
162
Postseason
Schedule
Game summaries
Divisional
1
2 3 4 Total
Colts
0
7 3 0
10
• Steelers
7
0 7 14
28
Franco Harris gained 152 yds rushing, one yard less than the Baltimore Colts offense. Andy Russell set a record for longest playoff fumble return.
AFC Championship
1
2 3 4 Total
Raiders
0
0 0 10
10
• Steelers
0
3 0 13
16
Date: January 4Location: Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaGame start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 50,609Game weather: 16°F (Blowing Snow)Referee: Ben Dreith TV announcers (NBC): Curt Gowdy , Al DeRogatis , and Don Meredith
Pittsburgh won the game, despite giving up eight turnovers.[ 5]
Super Bowl
1
2 3 4 Total
Cowboys
7
3 0 7
17
• Steelers
7
0 0 14
21
Lynn Swann earned the MVP award catching 4 receptions for 161 yards.
The Pittsburgh Steelers won their 2nd of their 6 Super Bowl championships.
Awards, honors, and records
References
^ 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide .
^ 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide .
^ 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide .
^ "1975 Pittsburgh Steelers" . Pro-Football-Reference.com .
^ "Number three" . Three Rivers top Greatest Play and Game . PittsburghSteelers.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2008 .
Formerly the Pittsburgh Pirates (1933–1939)
Franchise Stadiums Culture Lore Rivalries Media Division championships (24) Conference championships (8) League championships (6) Retired numbers Hall of Fame members Current league affiliations