1976 Pittsburgh Steelers Season
Season Summary: The 1976 Steelers overcame a disastrous 1-4 start to win 10 straight games, powered by the most dominant defense in NFL history. Mean Joe Greene, Jack Ham, and Defensive Player of the Year Jack Lambert anchored a unit that did not allow a TD in 22 consecutive quarters nor in 8 of the last 9 regular season games, totally blanking 5 of its last 8 opponents. The Steel Curtain posted a record 5 shutouts, including 3 in a row, and allowed just 138 points all season, the fewest in the Super Bowl era.
On offense, Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier each rushed for over 1,000 yards. They had to. Lynn Swann suffered a brutal week 1 concussion on a cheap shot by Oakland's George Atkinson. Terry Bradshaw was lost for 6 games after another cheap shot by Cleveland's "Turkey" Joe Jones, who drove Bradshaw headfirst into the turf well after the whistle, forcing rookie QB Mike Kruczek to start 6 games. The Steelers won them all.
Heading into the playoffs, the Steelers were firing on all cylinders. They overwhelmed the 11-3 Colts, limiting league MVP Bert Jones and his #1-rated offense to just 99 yds passing and 71 yds rushing. Meanwhile, the Steelers piled up 526 yards (301 passing and 225 rushing) and scored 40 points in a seemingly effortless win.
But the win proved costly. Injuries to Franco and Rocky in the Colts game crippled the Steelers in a frustrating AFC title loss to Oakland. The 1976 Steelers are still widely considered one of the greatest teams to not win the Super Bowl. A truly legendary defense that fell just short of a three-peat... and arguably the most talented team overall in NFL history.