1975 Pittsburgh Steelers 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.
In 2007, the 1975 Steelers were ranked as the 7th greatest Super Bowl champions on the NFL Network's documentary series , with team commentary from Lynn Swann, Dwight White, and Mike Wagner, and narrated by Bruce Willis.

Offseason

NFL Draft

Personnel

Staff

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.

Schedule

Regular season

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 1

In the Week 1 game, the Steelers opened the season as defending champions, and crushed the Chargers, 37-0, in San Diego.

Week 2

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.

Week 3

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.

Week 4

In Week 4, the Steelers beat the Denver Broncos in Three Rivers, 20-9.

Week 5

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.

Week 6

In Week 5, the Packers would host the Steelers in Milwaukee, however, the tense battle ended in Pittsburgh's favor, 16-13.

Week 7

In Week 7, the Steelers played the Bengals in Riverfront Stadium and beat up the Bengals, 30-24.

Week 8

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.

Week 9

In Week 9, the Steelers beat the Chiefs, 28-3.

Week 10

In Week 10, the Steelers defeated the Oilers again, this time in Houston 32-9, and secured a playoff spot.

Week 11

In Week 11, the Steelers beat the Jets 20-7.

Week 12

In another defeat of Cleveland in Week 13, 31-17, the Steelers continued their winning streak to 10.

Week 13

In Week 13, the Steelers finished the sweep of the division by beating the Bengals again, 35-14.

Week 14

In the meaningless Week 14 game, the Steelers were beaten by Los Angeles, 10-3.

Standings

Stats

Quarter-by-quarter

Postseason

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultTVGame Site
DivisionalSaturday December 27Baltimore ColtsW 28–10NBCThree Rivers Stadium
ChampionshipSunday January 4Oakland RaidersW 16–10NBCThree Rivers Stadium
Super Bowl XSunday January 18Dallas CowboysW 21–17CBSMiami Orange Bowl

Game summaries

Divisional

Pittsburgh won the game, despite giving up eight turnovers.

Super Bowl