1973 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The 1973 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 41st season in the National Football League. The team finished second in the AFC Central division, but qualified for the postseason for the second consecutive season.

The 1973 Steelers' pass defense is arguably the greatest in the history of the NFL. Their defensive passer rating -- the quarterback passer rating of all opposing quarterbacks throughout the season -- was 33.1, an NFL record for the Super Bowl era.

According to Cold Hard Football Facts:^[1]

Pittsburgh's pass-defense numbers that year were stunning. Opposing passers compiled the following stat-line:

• 164 of 359 (45.7%) for 1,923 yards, 5.36 [yards-per-attempt], 11 [touchdowns] and 37 [interceptions]

The figure that leaps screaming off the sheet is the amazing 37 picks in 14 games. The 2009 Jets, by comparison, allowed a puny 8 TDs in 16 games, but hauled in just 17 picks. Pittsburgh's all-time best pass defense was an equal-opportunity unit: Mike Wagner led the team with 8 INT, but 10 other guys recorded at least one pick. Amazing. Eleven defenders boasted at least one INT for Pittsburgh that season. The entire starting secondary recorded 24 picks alone, and Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount was last on the list: Wagner (8), safety Glen Edwards (6), cornerback John Rowser (6) and Blount (4).

The Steelers lost to the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Divisional Playoffs.

Offseason

NFL Draft

Preseason

Schedule

Game summaries

Regular season

Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday September 16, 1973): Detroit Lions

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 48,913
• Referee: Fred Wyant
• TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 11 3–0
• Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run (Gerela kick)10–0
• Detroit – Jessie 84 pass from Landry (Mann kick)10–7
• Detroit – FG Mann 40 10–10
• Pittsburgh – McMakin 24 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)17–10
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 6 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)24–10

Week 2 (Sunday September 23, 1973): Cleveland Browns

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 49,396
• Referee: Tommy Bell
• TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 12 3–0
• Cleveland – FG Cockroft 43 3–3
• Pittsburgh – Fuqua 4 run (Gerela kick)10–3
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 40 13–3
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 26 16–3
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 44 19–3
• Pittsburgh – Lewis 8 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)26–3
• Cleveland – FG Cockroft 28 26–6
• Pittsburgh – Lewis 53 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)33–6

Week 3 (Sunday September 30, 1973): Houston Oilers

at the Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 39,331
• Referee: Jim Tunney
• TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 20 3–0
• Houston – Alston 7 pass from Pastorini (Butler kick)7–3
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 47 7–6
• Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run (kick failed)12–7
• Pittsburgh – Russell 45 interception return (Gerela kick)19–7
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 26 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)26–7
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 26 29–7
• Pittsburgh – Edwards 86 interception return (Gerela kick)36–7

Week 4 (Sunday October 7, 1973): San Diego Chargers

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 48,795
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• TV announcers:

Game summary

Johnny Unitas playing for San Diego is knocked out of the game after completing only 3 of 15 passes for 24 yards and 3 interceptions.

'Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 12 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)7–0
• Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run (Gerela kick)14–0
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 38 17–0
• Pittsburgh – Steve Davis 1 run (Gerela kick) 24–0
• Pittsburgh – Wagner recovered blocked punt in end zone (Gerela kick)31–0
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 37 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)38–0
• San Diego – LeVias 13 pass from Fouts (Wersching kick)38–7
• San Diego – Jones 3 run (Wersching kick)38–14
• San Diego – Holmes 1 run (Wersching kick)38–21

Week 5 (Sunday October 14, 1973): Cincinnati Bengals

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 55,819
• Referee: Dick Jorgensen
• TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

• Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 20 3–0
• Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 19 6–0
• Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 20 9–0
• Cincinnati – Clark 3 run (Muhlmann kick)16–0
• Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 41 19–0
• Pittsburgh – P. Pearson 1 run (Gerela kick)19–7

Week 6 (Sunday October 21, 1973): New York Jets

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 48,682
• Referee: John McDonough
• TV announcers:

Game summary

Scoring Drives:

• New York Jets – Riggins 1 run (Howfield kick)7–0
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 27 7–3
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 29 7–6
• New York Jets – Caster 28 pass from Demory (Howfield kick) 14–6
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 36 14–9
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 13 14–12
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 16 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)19–14
• Pittsburgh – Harris 2 run (Gerela kick)26–14

Week 7 (Sunday October 28, 1973): Cincinnati Bengals

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 45,761
• Referee: Norm Schachter
• TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 15 3–0
• Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 17 3–3
• Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 41 6–3
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 51 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)10–6
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 18 13–6
• Pittsburgh – Fuqua 1 run (Gerela kick)20–6
• Cincinnati – E. Johnson 16 pass from Anderson (Muhlmann kick) 20–13

Week 8 (Monday November 5, 1973): Washington Redskins

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 49,220
• Referee: Tommy Bell
• TV announcers: ABC Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, Don Meredith

Game summary

Joe Gilliam (Jefferson Street) makes his Monday night debut.

'Scoring Drives:

• Washington – FG Knight 30 3–0
• Pittsburgh – P. Pearson 7 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick) 7–3
• Washington – FG Knight 12 7–6
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 24 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)14–6
• Washington – FG Knight 16 14–9
• Pittsburgh – B. Pearson 46 pass from Gilliam (Gerela kick) 21–9
• Washington – Brown 17 pass from Kilmer (Knight kick)21–16

Week 9 (Sunday November 11, 1973): Oakland Raiders

at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 47,535
• Referee: Bernie Ulman
• TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 14 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)7–0
• Oakland – FG Blanda 40 7–3
• Pittsburgh – Harris 1 run (Gerela kick)14–3
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 17 17–3
• Oakland – Biletnikoff 27 pass from Lamonica (snap fumbled)17–9

Week 10 (Sunday November 18, 1973): Denver Broncos

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 48,580
• Referee: Fred Silva
• TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

• Denver – FG Turner 32 3–0
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 15 3–3
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 13 6–3
• Denver – FG Turner 11 6–6
• Denver – Little 10 run (Turner kick)13–6
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 42 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)13–13
• Denver – FG Turner 46 16–13
• Denver – Odoms 2 pass from Johnson (Turner kick)23–13

Week 11 (Sunday November 25, 1973): Cleveland Browns

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 67,773
• Referee: Jim Tunney
• TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 9 pass from Gilliam (Gerela kick)7–0
• Cleveland – Phipps 1 run (Cockroft kick)7–7
• Cleveland – Pruitt 15 pass from Phipps (Cockroft kick)7–14
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 24 10–14
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 14 13–14
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 20 16–14
• Cleveland – Pruitt 19 run (Cockroft kick)21–16

Week 12 (Monday December 3, 1973): Miami Dolphins

at the Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 68,901
• Referee: Ben Dreith
• TV announcers: Howard Cosell,Don Meredith,Frank Gifford

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

• Miami – Anderson 27 interception return (Yepremian kick)7–0
• Miami – FG Yepremian 28 10–0
• Miami – FG Yepremian 46 13–0
• Miami – Mandich 2 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick)20–0
• Miami – Anderson 38 interception return (Yepremian kick)27–0
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 37 27–3
• Miami – FG Yepremian 14 30–3
• Pittsburgh – P. Pearson 5 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)30–10
• Pittsburgh – Harris 21 run (Gerela kick)30–17
• Pittsburgh – B. Pearson 17 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) 30–24
• Pittsburgh – Safety, White tackled Griese in end zone 30–26

Week 13 (Sunday December 9, 1973): Houston Oilers

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 38,004
• Referee: Bob Frederic
• TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 49 3–0
• Houston – Alston 11 pass from Pastorini (Butler kick)7–3
• Pittsburgh – B. Pearson 15 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)10–7
• Pittsburgh – Steve Davis 3 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)17–7
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 31 20–7
• Pittsburgh – Ham recovered fumble in end zone (Gerela kick)27–7
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 20 30–7
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 42 33–7

Week 14 (Saturday December 15, 1973): San Francisco 49ers

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 52,252
• Referee: Tommy Bell
• TV announcers:

Game summary

John Brodie's number was retired prior to game

'Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Rowser 71 interception return (Gerela kick)7–0
• San Francisco – Hall recovered blocked punt in end zone (Gossett kick)7–7
• Pittsburgh – P. Pearson 1 run (Gerela kick)14–7
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 27 17–7
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 27 20–7
• Pittsburgh – Lewis 50 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)27–7
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 35 30–7
• Pittsburgh – Steve Davis 1 run (Gerela kick)37–7
• San Francisco – Atkins 3 run (Gossett kick)37–14

Standings

Postseason

Game summaries

Week 15 (Sunday December 23, 1973): Oakland Raiders

at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 50,094
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

• Oakland – Hubbard 1 run (Blanda kick)7–0
• Oakland – FG Blanda 25 10–0
• Pittsburgh – B. Pearson 4 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)10–7
• Oakland – FG Blanda 31 13–7
• Oakland – FG Blanda 22 16–7
• Oakland – Brown 54 interception return (Blanda kick)23–7
• Oakland – FG Blanda 10 26–7
• Pittsburgh – Lewis 26 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)26–14
• Oakland – Hubbard 1 run (Blanda kick)33–14

References