1983 Pittsburgh Steelers season

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2012)

Offseason

Regular season

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday September 4, 1983): vs. Denver Broncos

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 58,233
• Referee: Jerry Seeman
• TV announcers: (NBC) Bob Costas (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Denver – Winder 1 run (Karlis kick)
• Pittsburgh – F. Harris 4 run (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 31
• Denver – Egloff 2 pass from DeBerg (Karlis kick)

Week 2 (Sunday September 11, 1983): at Green Bay Packers

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 58,144
• Referee: Fred Silva
• TV announcers: (NBC) Bob Costas (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – F. Harris 3 run (Anderson kick)
• Green Bay – Lofton 71 pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick)
• Pittsburgh – Stoudt 1 run (kick blocked)
• Green Bay – Lofton 73 pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 30
• Pittsburgh – Pollard 1 run (Anderson kick)
• Green Bay – Lofton 13 pass from Dickey (Stenerud kick)
• Pittsburgh – Safety, Kohrs tackled Dickey in end zone

Week 3 (Sunday September 18, 1983): at Houston Oilers

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

• Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
• Game weather: Dome
• Game attendance: 44,150
• Referee: Jim Tunney
• TV announcers: (NBC) Marv Albert (play by play), John Brodie (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 49
• Houston – Roaches 97 kickoff return (Kempf kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 35
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 20
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 22
• Pittsburgh – F. Harris 6 run (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Abercrombie 30 pass from Stoudt (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Hinkle 14 interception return (Anderson kick)
• Houston – Moriarty 1 run (Kempf kick)
• Houston – Campbell 1 run (Kempf kick)
• Pittsburgh – Abercrombie 50 run (Anderson kick)
• Houston – Walls 28 pass from Manning (Kempf kick)

Week 4 (Sunday September 25, 1983): vs. New England Patriots

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 55,282
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Sweeney 3 pass from Stoudt (Anderson kick)
• New England – Weishuhn 27 run with lateral of interception by Nelson (J. Smith kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 20
• New England – Ramsey 4 pass from Grogan (J. Smith kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 34
• New England – Collins 4 run (J. Smith kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 28
• Pittsburgh – Abercrombie 26 pass from Stoudt (Anderson kick)
• New England – Starring 76 pass from Grogan (J. Smith kick)

Week 5 (Sunday October 2, 1983): vs. Houston Oilers

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 56,901
• Referee: Dick Jorgensen
• TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), Ahmad Rashad (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Pollard 1 run (Anderson kick)
• Houston – FG Kempf 34
• Houston – Campbell 1 run (Kempf kick)
• Pittsburgh – Abercrombie 51 pass from Stoudt (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 18

Week 6 (Monday October 10, 1983): at Cincinnati Bengals

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Game time: 9:00 pm EDT
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 56,086
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• TV announcers: (ABC) Frank Gifford (play by play), Don Meredith & O.J. Simpson (color commentators)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Woods 38 fumble return (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 35
• Cincinnati – Johnson 1 run (Breech kick)
• Cincinnati – J. Griffin 41 interception return (Breech kick)
• Pittsburgh – Johnson 34 interception return (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Clayton 70 interception return (Anderson kick)

Week 7 (Sunday October 16, 1983): vs. Cleveland Browns

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 59,263
• Referee: Bob McElwee
• TV announcers: (NBC) Charlie Jones (play by play), Bob Griese (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 18
• Pittsburgh – Abercrombie 1 run (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Merriweather 31 interception return (Anderson kick)
• Cleveland – FG Bahr 27
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 29
• Cleveland – Green 23 run (Bahr kick)
• Pittsburgh – F. Harris 1 run (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Sweeney 40 pass from Stoudt (Anderson kick)
• Cleveland – Green 1 run (Bahr kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 26
• Pittsburgh – Best 94 fumble return (Anderson kick)

Week 8 (Sunday October 23, 1983): at Seattle Seahawks

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

• Game time: 4:00 pm EDT
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 61,615
• Referee: Gordon McCarter
• TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – F. Harris 9 run (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Stoudt 1 run (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Pollard 1 run (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 20
• Seattle – Warner 1 run (N. Johnson kick)
• Seattle – Largent 21 pass from Krieg (N. Johnson kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 32
• Seattle – Johns 26 pass from Krieg (N. Johnson kick)

Week 9 (Sunday October 30, 1983): vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time: 1:00 pm EST
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 57,468
• Referee: Ben Dreith
• TV announcers: (CBS) Jim Kelly (play by play), John Dockery (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Tampa Bay – FG Capece 26
• Tampa Bay – FG Capece 49
• Tampa Bay – FG Capece 27
• Tampa Bay – FG Capece 28
• Pittsburgh – Capers 11 pass from Stoudt (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 42
• Pittsburgh – Pollard 2 run (Anderson kick)

Week 10 (Sunday November 6, 1983): vs. San Diego Chargers

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time: 1:00 pm EST
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 58,191
• Referee: Jerry Seeman
• TV announcers: (NBC) Bob Costas (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Abercrombie 6 run (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 45
• Pittsburgh – Blount 3 fumble return (Anderson kick)
• San Diego – FG Benirschke 39
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 30
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 49
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 42

Week 11 (Sunday November 13, 1983): at Baltimore Colts

at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

• Game time: 2:00 pm EST
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 57,319
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers: (NBC) Merle Harmon (play by play), Jim Turner (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Abercrombie 11 run (Anderson kick)
• Baltimore – FG Allegre 46
• Baltimore – FG Allegre 37
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 42
• Pittsburgh – Sweeney 7 pass from Stoudt (Anderson kick)
• Baltimore – Dickey 5 run (Allegre kick)
• Pittsburgh – Cunningham 2 pass from Stoudt (Anderson kick)

Week 12 (Sunday November 20, 1983): vs. Minnesota Vikings

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time: 1:00 pm EST
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 58,417
• Referee: Jim Tunney
• TV announcers: (CBS) Jim Kelly (play by play), John Dockery (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Cunningham 3 pass from Stoudt (Anderson kick)
• Minnesota – McCullum 30 pass from Dils (Ricardo kick)
• Minnesota – Galbreath 6 pass from Dils (Ricardo kick)
• Minnesota – FG Ricardo 39
• Pittsburgh – Stoudt 4 run (Anderson kick)

Week 13 (Thursday November 24, 1983): at Detroit Lions

at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan

• Game time: 12:30 pm EST
• Game weather: Dome
• Game attendance: 77,724
• Referee: Gene Barth
• TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Detroit – Sims 2 run (Murray kick)
• Detroit – FG Murray 27
• Detroit – Norris 13 pass from Hipple (Murray kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 38
• Detroit – Sims 2 run (Murray kick)
• Detroit – Martin 81 punt return (Murray kick)
• Detroit – Norris 4 yd pass from Eric Hipple (Murray kick)
• Detroit- Chadwick 5 pass from Danielson (Murray kick)

Week 14 (Sunday December 4, 1983): vs. Cincinnati Bengals

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Game time: 1:00 pm EST
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 55,832
• Referee: Red Cashion
• TV announcers: (NBC) Charlie Jones (play by play), Bob Griese (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Cincinnati – Johnson 1 run (Breech kick)
• Cincinnati – Johnson 16 run (Breech kick)
• Cincinnati – FG Breech 19
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 48
• Cincinnati – FG Breech 27
• Pittsburgh – F. Harris 29 pass from Stoudt (Anderson kick)
• Cincinnati – FG Breech 32

Week 15 (Saturday December 10, 1983): at New York Jets

Week 16 (Sunday December 18, 1983): at Cleveland Browns

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Game time: 1:00 pm EST
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 72,313
• Referee: Ben Dreith
• TV announcers: (NBC) Bob Costas (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 34
• Cleveland – Belk 64 pass from Sipe (kick failed)
• Cleveland – FG Bahr 30
• Cleveland – Holt 3 pass from Sipe (Bahr kick)
• Pittsburgh – Stoudt 3 run (Anderson kick)
• Cleveland – Feacher 4 pass from Sipe (Bahr kick)
• Cleveland – Holt 1 pass from Sipe (Bahr kick)
• Pittsburgh – F. Harris 2 pass from Malone (Anderson kick)

Standings

Playoffs

Game summary

AFC Divisional Playoff (Sunday January 1, 1984): at Los Angeles Raiders

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

• Game time: 4:00 pm EST
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 90,380
• Referee: Gene Barth
• TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 17
• Los Angeles Raiders – Hayes 18 interception return (Bahr kick)
• Los Angeles Raiders – Allen 4 run (Bahr kick)
• Los Angeles Raiders – FG Bahr 45
• Los Angeles Raiders – King 9 run (Bahr kick)
• Los Angeles Raiders – Allen 49 run (Bahr kick)
• Pittsburgh – Stallworth 58 pass from Stoudt (Anderson kick)
• Los Angeles Raiders – Hawkins 2 run (Bahr kick)

References