1980 Pittsburgh Steelers Season
Season Summary: The 1980 Steelers still had greatness. Four rings. A Hall of Fame roster. They started 4-1. As a 12-year-old kid, I just assumed they'd do it again. That's what the Steelers did. But injuries piled up. Stallworth was lost immediately. Bradshaw, Swann, Franco, and Lambert all missed time. Even the backups started going down.
The once-ferocious pass rush vanished. Close games slipped away. A 2-point loss in Cinci. Then a 1-point loss to Cinci. Then a 1-point loss in Cleveland. A play here or a kick there might’ve changed everything, but they couldn't get it done and the season became a roller coaster.
After an electric comeback over Cleveland, they got stomped in Buffalo. They crushed Miami, only to get shut out in Houston. That game stunned me. I didn't think it was possible to shut out the Steelers. I lived in Ohio, surrounded by Browns fans. The morning after that shutout, they were all waiting for me at school. LOL.
The 1980 season hurt. Not because they were bad... but because they weren't great anymore. It was the end of something very special.