1974 Season
10-3-1 Regular Season • AFC Central Champion • Super Bowl IX Champion
Season Summary: The 1974 season changed the Pittsburgh Steelers forever. It began with the greatest draft in NFL history. Pittsburgh selected four future Hall of Famers in Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and Mike Webster, then added a fifth in undrafted free agent Donnie Shell. Combined with the young talent already in place, the foundation of the greatest dynasty in NFL history was suddenly almost complete.
The season itself wasn't nearly as orderly. A players strike disrupted training camp and Joe Gilliam won the starting job. Bradshaw eventually reclaimed his job, although the quarterback situation remained unsettled until late in the season.
Despite turmoil at QB, the rest of the team was coming together. Franco Harris rushed for 1,006 yards, Lambert won Defensive Rookie of the Year, and the Steel Curtain was becoming the dominant force that would define the decade. Pittsburgh finished 10-3-1 and won the AFC Central.
In the playoffs, the Steelers beat Buffalo 32-14, then went to Oakland and stunned the Raiders with 21 fourth-quarter points in a 24-13 AFC Championship win. In Super Bowl IX, the defense smothered Minnesota, allowing just 119 total yards (still a Super Bowl record) and no offensive points. MVP Harris rushed for 158 yards, Bradshaw threw a 4th-quarter TD, and Pittsburgh won 16-6.
After more than four decades without a championship, the Steelers were finally on top of the NFL. More importantly, the pieces were now in place. The dynasty had arrived.
Click WATCH to watch the game.
Regular Season
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| Game | Week | Date | Result | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Lng | Rate | Sk | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Lng | ||||
| vs Colts | 1 | 09/15 | W 30-0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| at Broncos | 2 | 09/22 | T 35-35 OT | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| vs Raiders | 3 | 09/29 | L 0-17 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 1 | — | 27.1 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 0 | — |
| at Oilers | 4 | 10/06 | W 13-7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| at Chiefs | 5 | 10/13 | W 34-24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| vs Browns | 6 | 10/20 | W 20-16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| vs Falcons | 7* | 10/28 | W 24-17 | 9 | 21 | 42.9 | 130 | 6.2 | 0 | 2 | — | 24.0 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 1.8 | 1 | — |
| vs Eagles | 8* | 11/03 | W 27-0 | 12 | 22 | 54.5 | 146 | 6.6 | 1 | 0 | — | 90.3 | 1 | 4 | 48 | 12.0 | 0 | 34 |
| at Bengals | 9* | 11/10 | L 10-17 | 13 | 35 | 37.1 | 140 | 4.0 | 0 | 1 | — | 37.8 | 1 | 6 | 31 | 5.2 | 0 | 16 |
| WATCHat Browns | 10 | 11/17 | W 26-16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WATCHat Saints | 11* | 11/25 | W 28-7 | 8 | 19 | 42.1 | 80 | 4.2 | 2 | 2 | — | 50.2 | 2 | 9 | 99 | 11.0 | 1 | 33 |
| vs Oilers | 12* | 12/01 | L 10-13 | 6 | 20 | 30.0 | 60 | 3.0 | 1 | 1 | — | 35.4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 2 |
| at Patriots | 13* | 12/08 | W 21-17 | 10 | 16 | 62.5 | 86 | 5.4 | 1 | 1 | — | 71.4 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 |
| vs Bengals | 14* | 12/14 | W 27-3 | 8 | 13 | 61.5 | 132 | 10.2 | 2 | 0 | — | 135.3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1974 TOTAL | 8 G / 7 GS | — | 5-2 as starter | 67 | 148 | 45.3 | 785 | 5.3 | 7 | 8 | 35 | 55.2 | 10 | 34 | 224 | 6.6 | 2 | 34 |
* Bradshaw started
Postseason
| Game | Week | Date | Result | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Lng | Rate | Sk | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Lng | ||||
| WATCHvs Bills | DIV* | 12/22 | W 32-14 | 12 | 19 | 63.2 | 203 | 10.7 | 1 | 0 | — | 116.8 | 0 | 5 | 48 | 9.6 | 0 | — |
| WATCHat Raiders | AFC* | 12/29 | W 24-13 | 8 | 17 | 47.1 | 95 | 5.6 | 1 | 1 | — | 59.7 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0.3 | 0 | — |
| WATCHvs Vikings | SB IX* | 01/12 | W 16-6 | 9 | 14 | 64.3 | 96 | 6.9 | 1 | 0 | — | 108.0 | 2 | 5 | 33 | 6.6 | 0 | — |
| POSTSEASON | 3 | — | 3-0 | 29 | 50 | 58.0 | 394 | 7.9 | 3 | 1 | 35 | 94.9 | 2 | 14 | 82 | 5.9 | 0 | — |
* Bradshaw started