1971 Pittsburgh Steelers season

Offseason

NFL Draft

Preseason

Schedule

Game summaries

Regular season

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday September 19, 1971): Chicago Bears

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 55,049
• Referee: Bernie Ulman
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Pearson fumble recovery in end zone (kick failed)6–0
• Chicago – FG Percival 33 6–3
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 32 9–3
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 29 12–3
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 42 15–3
• Chicago – Brupbacher 30 fumble return (Percival kick)15–10
• Chicago – Farmer 8 pass from Nix (Percival kick)17–15

Week 2 (Sunday September 26, 1971): Cincinnati Bengals

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 48,448
• Referee: Norm Schachter
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 33 3–0
• Pittsburgh – Smity 16 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)7–3
• Cincinnati – Parrish 14 fumble return (Muhlmann kick)10–7
• Pittsburgh – Staggers 67 punt return (Gerela kick)14–10
• Pittsburgh – Pearson 13 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)21–10

Week 3 (Sunday October 3, 1971): San Diego Chargers

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 44,339
• Referee: Jim Tunney
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• San Diego – FG Partee 21 3–0
• Pittsburgh – Fuqua 5 run (Gerela kick)7–3
• San Diego – Parks 16 pass from Hadl (Partee kick)10–7
• Pittsburgh – Fuqua 1 run (Gerela kick)14–10
• San Diego – Garrett 4 run (Partee kick)17–14
• Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 5 run (Gerela kick)21–17

Week 4 (Sunday October 10, 1971): Cleveland Browns

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 83,391
• Referee: Jack Vest
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Cleveland – FG Cockroft 25 3–0
• Cleveland – Morin 19 pass from Nelsen (Cockroft kick)10–0
• Cleveland – Scott 18 run (Cockroft kick)17–0
• Pittsburgh – D. Smith 22 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)17–7
• Cleveland – FG Cockroft 20 20–7
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 33 20–10
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 11 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)20–17
• Cleveland – Kelly 7 run (Cockroft kick)27–17

Week 5 (Monday October 18, 1971): Kansas City Chiefs

at the Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 49,533
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• TV announcers:ABC Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, Don Meredith

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 32 3–0
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 40 6–0
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 35 9–0
• Kansas City – Taylor 5 pass from Dawson (Stenerud kick)9–7
• Kansas City – Taylor 27 pass from Dawson (Stenerud kick)14–9
• Kansas City – Wright 5 pass from Dawson (Stenerud kick) 21–9
• Kansas City – Podolak 1 run (Stenerud kick)28–9
• Kansas City – FG Stenerud 11 31–9
• Pittsburgh – Fuqua 1 run (Gerela kick)31–16
• Kansas City – Thomas 32 interception return (Stenerud kick)38–16

Week 6 (Sunday October 24, 1971): Houston Oilers

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 45,872
• Referee: Ben Dreith
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Houston – Dawkins 1 run (Moseley kick)7–0
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 28 3–7
• Houston – FG Moseley 24 3–10* Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 22 6–10 Houston – Dawkins 1 run (kick failed) 6–16
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 9–16
• Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run (Gerela kick)16–16
• Pittsburgh – Fuqua 30 run (Gerela kick)23–16

Week 7 (Sunday October 31, 1971): Baltimore Colts

at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

• Game time:
• Game weather: 60,238
• Game attendance:
• Referee: Jack Reader
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Baltimore – Bulaich 1 run (O'Brien kick)7–0
• Baltimore – FG O'Brien 20 10–0
• Baltimore – FG O'Brien 9 13–0
• Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 3 run (Gerela kick)13–7
• Baltimore – Richardson 19 pass from Morrall (O'Brien kick)20–7
• Baltimore – Richardson 49 pass from Morrall (O'Brien kick)27–7
• Baltimore – Perkins 60 pass from Morrall (O'Brien kick)34–7
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 31 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)34–14
• Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run (Gerela kick)34–21

Week 8 (Sunday November 7, 1971): Cleveland Browns

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 50,202
• Referee: Fred Wyant
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 45 3–0
• Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run (Gerela kick)10–0
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 23 13–0
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 17 16–0
• Cleveland – Safety, Houston tackled Walden in end zone 16–2
• Cleveland – Scott 1 run (Cockroft kick)16–9
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 13 19–9
• Pittsburgh – Smith 40 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)26–9

Week 9 (Sunday November 14, 1971): Miami Dolphins

at Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 66,435
• Referee: Bob Frederic
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Miami – FG Yepremain 43 3–0
• Pittsburgh – Smith 30 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)7–3
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 28 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)14–3
• Pittsburgh – Smith 16 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)21–3
• Miami – Warfield 12 pass from Griese (Yepremain kick)21–10
• Miami – Warfield 86 pass from Griese (Yepremain kick)21–17
• Miami – Warfield 60 pass from Griese (Yepremain kick)24–21

Week 10 (Sunday November 21, 1971): New York Giants

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 50,008
• Referee: Fred Silva
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• New York Giants – Houston 26 pass from Tarkenton (Gogolak kick)7–0
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 25 7–3
• New York Giants – FG Gogolak 25 10–3
• Pittsburgh – Rowser 70 interception return (Gerela kick)10–10
• New York Giants – FG Gogolak 29 13–10
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 4 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)17–13

Week 11 (Sunday November 28, 1971): Denver Broncos

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 39,710
• Referee: Tommy Bell
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Denver – Little 3 run (J. Turner kick)7–0
• Denver – FG J. Turner 32 10–0
• Pittsburgh – Pearson 8 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick) 10–7
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 19 10–10
• Denver – Little 16 run (Turner kick) 17–10
• Denver – Safety, Lynch tackled Walden in end zone 19–10
• Denver – FG J. Turner 12 22–10

Week 12 (Sunday December 5, 1971): Houston Oilers

at the Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 37,778
• Referee: Fred Swearingen
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Houston – Reed 27 pass from Pastorini (Moseley kick)7–0
• Houston – FG Moseley 25 10–0
• Houston – Campbell 8 run (kick blocked) 16–0
• Houston – FG Moseley 37 19–0
• Houston – FG Moseley 25 22–0
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 15 22–3
• Houston – Holmes 4 run (Moselely kick)29–3

Week 13 (Sunday December 12, 1971): Cincinnati Bengals

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 60,022
• Referee: Jack Vest
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Hanratty 3 run (Gerela kick)7–0
• Cincinnati – Coslet 43 pass from Carter (Muhlmann kick)7–7
• Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 22 10–7
• Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 18 13–7
• Pittsburgh – Fuqua 40 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)14–13
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 5 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)21–13

Week 14 (Sunday December 19, 1971): Los Angeles Rams

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 45,233
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

• Los Angeles – FG Ray 15 3–0
• Los Angeles – FG Ray 15 6–0
• Los Angeles – Snow 20 pass from Gabriel (Ray kick)13–0
• Pittsburgh – L. Brown 3 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)13–7
• Los Angeles – FG Ray 15 16–7
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 2 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)16–14
• Los Angeles – L. Smith 1 run (Ray kick)23–14

Standings

References