1976 Pittsburgh Steelers season

Infobox NFL season
team = Pittsburgh Steelers
year = 1976
record = 10-4
division_place = 1st in AFC Central
coach = Chuck Noll
stadium = Three Rivers Stadium
playoffs = L to the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship game
previous = 1975
next = 1977

The 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers started the season looking to become the first team in the Super Bowl era to win three-straight league championships (and first since the 1929-1931 and 1965-1967 Green Bay Packers). However, many thought that would be in doubt after the team started 1-4 and saw quarterback Terry Bradshaw injured in the week 5 loss to the Cleveland Browns after a vicious sack by Joe "Turkey" Jones that has since become immortalized in NFL Films as part of the Browns-Steelers rivalry.

Despite the setbacks, the Steelers would turn it around behind the strength of the Steel Curtain and its dual threat at running back in Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, finishing 10-4 and posting five shutouts. Rookie quarterback Mike Kruczek wound up going 6-0 starting in place of Bradshaw, largely due to the strength of the ground game. This would also stand as an NFL record for best start for a rookie quarterback until 2004--when the Steelers own Ben Roethlisberger more than doubled that record and went 13-0 as a starter his rookie season.

However, injuries to both Bleier and Harris in the playoffs caught up to them resulting in losing to the Oakland Raiders for the AFC Championship. Even with the Black & Gold coming up short, many Steelers fans--including the Rooney family themselves--consider the 1976 Steelers the best team in franchise history, even better than all five world championship teams.

Regular season

Schedule

Game Summaries

Week 1 (Sunday September 12, 1976): at Oakland Raiders

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=0
R2=7
R3=7
R4=14
Home=Raiders
H1=7
H2=0
H3=24
H4=0"at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California"

* Game time: 4:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 51,371
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC)

Scoring Drives:

* Oakland - Casper 30 pass from Stabler (Steinfort kick)
* Pittsburgh - Bleier 2 run (Gerlea kick)
* Pittsburgh - Stallworth 47 lateral from Harris after 25 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Bell 11 pass from Bradshaw (Gerlea kick)
* Oakland - Biletnikoff 21 pass from Stabler (Steinfort kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 3 run (Gerela kick)
* Oakland - Casper 10 pass from Stabler (Steinfort kick)
* Oakland - Stabler 2 run (Steinfort kick)
* Oakland - FG Steinfort 21

Week 2 (Sunday September 19, 1976): vs. Cleveland Browns

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Browns
R1=0
R2=14
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Steelers
H1=0
H2=0
H3=17
H4=14"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 49,169
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC)

Scoring Drives:

* Cleveland - Rucker 14 pass from Sipe (Cockroft kick)
* Cleveland - Roan 17 pass from Sipe (Cockroft kick)
* Pittsburgh - Stallworth 14 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 47
* Pittsburgh - Harris 2 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Stallworth 5 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Bradshaw 7 run (Gerela kick)

Week 3 (Sunday September 26, 1976): vs. New England Patriots

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Patriots
R1=6
R2=3
R3=14
R4=7
Home=Steelers
H1=7
H2=6
H3=7
H4=7"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 47,379
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Harris 3 run (Gerela kick)
* New England - FG Smith 42
* New England - FG Smith 40
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 32
* New England - FG Smith 26
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 41
* Pittsburgh - Harris 2 run (Gerela kick)
* New England - Francis 38 pass from Grogan (Smith kick)
* New England - Stingley 58 pass from Grogan (Smith kick)
* New England - Grogan 6 run (Smith kick)
* Pittsburgh - Grossman 11 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)

Week 4 (Monday October 4, 1976): at Minnesota Vikings

Linescore Amfootball
Road= Steelers
R1=6
R2=0
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Vikings
H1=0
H2=7
H3=0
H4=10"at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota"

* Game time: 9:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 47,809
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (ABC) Frank Gifford (play by play), Alex Karras & Howard Cosell (color commentators)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Cunningham 1 pass from Bradshaw (kick blocked)
* Minnesota - Foreman 8 run (Cox kick)
* Minnesota - Foreman 4 run (Cox kick)
* Minnesota - FG Cox 43

Week 5 (Sunday October 10, 1976): at Cleveland Browns

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=7
R2=3
R3=0
R4=6
Home=Browns
H1=3
H2=3
H3=9
H4=3"at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 76,411
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC)

Scoring Drives:

* Cleveland - FG Cockroft 43
* Pittsburgh - Harris 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Cleveland - FG Cockroft 28
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 30
* Cleveland - C. Miller 1 run (kick failed)
* Cleveland - FG Cockroft 50
* Cleveland - FG Cockroft 40
* Pittsburgh - Kruczek 22 run (kick blocked)

Week 6 (Sunday October 17, 1976): vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Linescore Amfootball
Road= Bengals
R1=3
R2=0
R3=3
R4=0
Home=Steelers
H1=0
H2=13
H3=0
H4=10"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 48,311
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC)

Scoring Drives:

* Cincinnati - FG Bahr 22
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 42
* Pittsburgh - Harris 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 40
* Cincinnati - FG Bahr 19
* Pittsburgh - Harris 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 30

Week 7 (Sunday October 24, 1976): at New York Giants

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=0
R2=10
R3=0
R4=17
Home=Giants
H1=0
H2=0
H3=0
H4=0"at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 69,783
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Harris 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 21
* Pittsburgh - Harris 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 28
* Pittsburgh - Lewis 16 run (Gerela kick)

Week 8 (Sunday October 31, 1976): vs. San Diego Chargers

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Chargers
R1=0
R2=0
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Steelers
H1=0
H2=3
H3=0
H4=20"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 45,484
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 36
* Pittsburgh - Bradshaw 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Pough 11 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Fuqua 3 run (kick failed)

Week 9 (Sunday November 7, 1976): at Kansas City Chiefs

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=7
R2=3
R3=21
R4=14
Home=Chiefs
H1=0
H2=0
H3=0
H4=0"at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 71,516
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Harrison 4 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 28
* Pittsburgh - Harris 25 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 5 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Lewis 19 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Deloplaine 15 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Deloplaine 7 run (Gerela kick)

Week 10 (Sunday November 14, 1976): vs. Miami Dolphins

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Dolphins
R1=0
R2=0
R3=3
R4=0
Home=Steelers
H1=0
H2=7
H3=0
H4=7"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 48,945
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Harris 21 run (Gerela kick)
* Miami - FG Yepremian 45
* Pittsburgh - Harrison 1 run (Gerela kick)

Week 11 (Sunday November 21, 1976): vs. Houston Oilers

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Oilers
R1=0
R2=10
R3=0
R4=6
Home=Steelers
H1=10
H2=5
H3=10
H4=7"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 47,947
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Bleier 10 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 37
* Pittsburgh - Safety, Toews blocked punt out of end zone
* Houston - Burrough 69 pass from Hadl (Butler kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 35
* Houston - FG Butler 43
* Pittsburgh - Harrison 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 18
* Pittsburgh - Harrison 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Houston - Sawyer 2 pass from Hadl (kick failed)

Week 12 (Sunday November 28, 1976): at Cincinnati Bengals

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=0
R2=0
R3=7
R4=0
Home=Bengals
H1=3
H2=0
H3=0
H4=0"at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 55,142
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC)

Scoring Drives:

* Cincinnati - FG Bahr 40
* Pittsburgh - Harris 4 run (Gerela kick)

Week 13 (Sunday December 5, 1976): vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Buccaneers
R1=0
R2=0
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Steelers
H1=7
H2=21
H3=14
H4=0"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 43,385
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Bleier 7 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Bleier 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Kruczek 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Bleier 3 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Swann 35 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Swann 23 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)

Week 14 (Saturday December 11, 1976): at Houston Oilers

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=0
R2=7
R3=7
R4=7
Home=Oilers
H1=0
H2=0
H3=0
H4=0"at Astrodome, Houston, Texas"

* Game time: 12:30 PM EST
* Game weather: Dome
* Game attendance: 44,743
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC)

"Scoring Drives:"'

* Pittsburgh - Swann 21 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 11 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Bradshaw 1 run (Gerela kick)

Postseason

Game Summaries

=AFC Divisional Playoff (Sunday December 19, 1976): at Baltimore Colts =

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=9
R2=17
R3=0
R4=14
Home=Colts
H1=7
H2=0
H3=0
H4=7"at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland"

* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 59,296
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Lewis 76 pass from Bradshaw (kick failed)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 45
* Baltimore - Carr 17 pass from Jones (Linhart kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harrison 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Swann 29 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 25
* Pittsburgh - Swann 11 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Baltimore - Leaks 1 run (Linhart kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harrison 10 run (Mansfield kick)

AFC Championship (Sunday December 26, 1976): at Oakland Raiders

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=0
R2=7
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Raiders
H1=3
H2=14
H3=7
H4=0"at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California"

* Game time: 4:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 53,821
* Referee: Tommy Bell (American football official)|Tommy Bell
* TV announcers: (NBC) Curt Gowdy (play by play), Don Meredith (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* Oakland - FG Mann 39
* Oakland - Davis 1 run (Mann kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harrison 3 run (Mansfield kick)
* Oakland - Bankston 4 pass from Stabler (Mann kick)
* Oakland - Banaszak 5 pass from Stabler (Mann kick)

References