1979 Pittsburgh Steelers season

Infobox NFL season
team = Pittsburgh Steelers
year = 1979
record = 12-4
division_place = 1st AFC Central
coach = Chuck Noll
stadium = Three Rivers Stadium
playoffs = W Super Bowl XIV
previous = 1978
next = 1980

The "1979 Pittsburgh Steelers season" saw the Steelers successfully defend their Super Bowl Championship from the previous year as they achieved a 12-4 record and went on to defeat the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XIV.

Offseason

Regular season

Schedule

Game Summaries

Week 1 (Monday September 3, 1979): at New England Patriots

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=0
R2=6
R3=0
R4=7
R5=3
Home=Patriots
H1=0
H2=3
H3=3
H4=7
H5=0"at Schaefer Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts"

* Game time: 9:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 60,978
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (ABC) Frank Gifford (play by play), Don Meredith & Howard Cosell (color commentators)

Scoring Drives:

* New England - Francis 4 Pass from Grogan (Smith kick)
* Pittsburgh - Thornton 2 run (kick failed)
* New England - FG Smith 31
* New England - FG Smith 32
* Pittsburgh - Thornton 21 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 41

Week 2 (Sunday September 9, 1979): vs. Houston Oilers

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Oilers
R1=0
R2=0
R3=0
R4=7
Home=Steelers
H1=7
H2=3
H3=14
H4=14"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 49,792
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Thornton 1 run (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 45
* Pittsburgh - Thornton 16 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Hawthorne 8 run (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Smith 18 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Winston 41 interception return (Bahr kick)
* Houston - Merkens 9 pass from Neilsen (Fritsch kick)

Week 3 (Sunday September 16, 1979): at St. Louis Cardinals

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=7
R2=0
R3=0
R4=17
Home=Cardinals
H1=9
H2=6
H3=6
H4=0"at Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri"

* Game time: 4:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 50,416
* Referee: Jerry Markbreit
* TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* St. Louis - Anderson 12 run (kick failed)
* St. Louis - FG Little 22
* Pittsburgh - Stallworth 18 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* St. Louis - Brown 1 run (kick failed)
* St. Louis - FG Wood 24
* St. Louis - FG Wood 27
* Pittsburgh - Bleier 4 run (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Cunningham 5 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 20

= Week 4 (Sunday September 23, 1979): vs. Baltimore Colts =

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Colts
R1=3
R2=0
R3=3
R4=7
Home=Steelers
H1=7
H2=3
H3=0
H4=7"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 49,483
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC) Sam Nover (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* Baltimore - FG Mike-Mayer 27
* Pittsburgh - Stallworth 47 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Baltimore - Carr 26 pass from Landry (Mike-Mayer kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 25
* Baltimore - FG Mike-Mayer 24
* Pittsburgh - Cunningham 28 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)

Week 5 (Sunday September 30, 1979): at Philadelphia Eagles

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=0
R2=7
R3=0
R4=7
Home=Eagles
H1=0
H2=7
H3=10
H4=0"at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 70,352
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC) Charlie Jones (play by play), Len Dawson (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Thornton 7 run (Bahr kick)
* Philadelphia - L. Harris 1 run (Franklin kick)
* Philadelphia - FG Franklin 48
* Philadelphia - Montgomery 1 run (Franklin kick)
* Pittsburgh - Stallworth 37 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)

Week 6 (Sunday October 7, 1979): at Cleveland Browns

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=21
R2=9
R3=7
R4=14
Home=Browns
H1=0
H2=14
H3=7
H4=14"at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio"

* Game time: 4:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 81,260
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), John Brodie (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Cunningham 7 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Thornton 10 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 71 run (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Smith 7 pass from Bradshaw (kick failed)
* Cleveland - Rucker 32 pass from Sipe (Cockroft kick)
* Cleveland - Newsome 18 pass from Sipe (Cockroft kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 42
* Pittsburgh - Harris 25 run (Bahr kick)
* Cleveland - Hill 14 pass from Sipe (Cockroft kick)
* Pittsburgh - Bleier 70 run (Bahr kick)
* Cleveland - Logan 30 pass from Sipe (Cockroft kick)
* Cleveland - Logan 13 pass from Sipe (Cockroft kick)
* Pittsburgh - Thornton 1 run (Bahr kick)

Week 7 (Sunday October 14, 1979): at Cincinnati Bengals

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=3
R2=0
R3=0
R4=7
Home=Bengals
H1=7
H2=20
H3=0
H4=7"at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 52,381
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC) Sam Nover (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 46
* Cincinnati - Ross 7 pass from Anderson (Bahr kick)
* Cincinnati - Johnson 1 run (kick failed)
* Cincinnati - Kurnick 12 fumble return (Bahr kick)
* Cincinnati - LeClair 27 fumble return (Bahr kick)
* Cincinnati - Walker 14 pass from Anderson (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Stallworth 33 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)

Week 8 (Monday October 22, 1979): vs. Denver Broncos

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Broncos
R1=7
R2=0
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Steelers
H1=7
H2=21
H3=0
H4=14"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 9:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 49,699
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (ABC) Frank Gifford (play by play), Don Meredith & Howard Cosell (color commentators)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Swann 11 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Denver - Moses 64 pass from Morton (Turner kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 2 run (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 4 run (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Thornton 1 run (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Thornton 17 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - A. Anderson 10 run (Bahr kick)

Week 9 (Sunday October 28, 1979): vs. Dallas Cowboys

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Cowboys
R1=0
R2=3
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Steelers
H1=0
H2=7
H3=7
H4=0"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 50,199
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (CBS) Pat Summerall (play by play), Tom Brookshier (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Harris 1 run (Bahr kick)
* Dallas - FG Septien 32
* Pittsburgh - Harris 48 run (Bahr kick)

Week 10 (Sunday November 4, 1979): vs. Washington Redskins

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Redskins
R1=0
R2=7
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Steelers
H1=7
H2=17
H3=7
H4=7"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 49,462
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (CBS) Curt Gowdy (play by play), Hank Stram (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Stallworth 11 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Washington - Riggins 4 run (Moseley kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 21
* Pittsburgh - Cunningham 16 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Grossman 4 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Stallworth 65 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Moser 2 run (Bahr kick)

Week 11 (Sunday November 11, 1979): at Kansas City Chiefs

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=10
R2=10
R3=0
R4=10
Home=Chiefs
H1=0
H2=0
H3=3
H4=0"at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 70,132
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), John Brodie (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Stallworth 26 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 31
* Pittsburgh - Swann 16 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 20
* Kansas City - FG Stenerud 42
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 37
* Pittsburgh - Brown 1 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)

Week 12 (Sunday November 18, 1979): at San Diego Chargers

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=0
R2=0
R3=7
R4=0
Home=Chargers
H1=7
H2=14
H3=7
H4=7"at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California"

* Game time: 4:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 51,910
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* San Diego - Jefferson 16 pass from Fouts (Wood kick)
* San Diego - Klein 6 pass from Fouts (Wood kick)
* San Diego - Matthews 2 run (Wood kick)
* Pittsburgh - Bleier 2 run (Bahr kick)
* San Diego - Lowe 77 interception return (Wood kick)
* San Diego - Bauer 2 run (Wood kick)

Week 13 (Sunday November 25, 1979): vs. Cleveland Browns

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Browns
R1=10
R2=10
R3=7
R4=3
R5=0
Home=Steelers
H1=3
H2=10
H3=0
H4=17
H5=3"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 48,773
* Referee: Ben Dreith
* TV announcers: (NBC) Charlie Jones (play by play), Len Dawson (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* Cleveland - Newsome 21 pass from Sipe (Cockroft kick)
* Cleveland - FG Cockroft 20
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 45
* Cleveland - FG Cockroft 32
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 34
* Cleveland - Logan 16 pass from Sipe (Cockroft kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 2 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Cleveland - Hill 3 pass from Sipe (Cockroft kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 1 run (Bahr kick)
* Cleveland - FG Cockroft 40
* Pittsburgh - Harris 1 run (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 21
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 37

Week 14 (Sunday December 2, 1979): vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Bengals
R1=0
R2=10
R3=7
R4=0
Home=Steelers
H1=10
H2=14
H3=10
H4=3"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 46,251
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 43
* Pittsburgh - Swann 58 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 1 run (Bahr kick)
* Cincinnati - FG Bahr 46
* Pittsburgh - Bleier 1 run (Bahr kick)
* Cincinnati - Curtis 29 pass from Anderson (Bahr kick)
* Cincinnati - Curtis 32 pass from Anderson (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Swann 42 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 23
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 32

Week 15 (Monday December 10, 1979): at Houston Oilers

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=0
R2=0
R3=3
R4=14
Home=Oilers
H1=0
H2=7
H3=3
H4=10"at Astrodome, Houston, Texas"

* Game time: 9:00 PM EST
* Game weather: Dome
* Game attendance: 55,923
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (ABC) Frank Gifford (play by play), Fran Tarkenton & Howard Cosell (color commentators)

Scoring Drives:

* Houston - Burrough 25 pass from Pastorini (Fritsch kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 37
* Houston - FG Fritsch 24
* Houston - FG Fritsch 34
* Pittsburgh - Swann 9 run (Bahr kick)
* Houston - Carpenter 4 run (Fritsch kick)
* Pittsburgh - Stallworth 34 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)

Week 16 (Sunday December 16, 1979): vs. Buffalo Bills

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Bills
R1=0
R2=0
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Steelers
H1=7
H2=7
H3=7
H4=7"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 48,002
* Referee:
* TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), John Brodie (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Swann 20 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 1 run (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Thornton 8 run (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 11 run (Bahr kick)

Postseason

chedule

Game Summaries

AFC Divisional Playoff (Sunday December 30, 1979): vs. Miami Dolphins

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Dolphins
R1=0
R2=0
R3=7
R4=7
Home=Steelers
H1=20
H2=0
H3=7
H4=7"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 12:30 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 50,214
* Referee: Cal Lepore
* TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), John Brodie (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Thornton 1 run (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Stallworth 17 pass from Bradshaw (kick blocked)
* Pittsburgh - Swann 20 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Miami - Harris 7 pass from Griese (von Schamann kick)
* Pittsburgh - Bleier 1 run (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 5 run (Bahr kick)
* Miami - Csonka 1 run (von Schamann kick)

AFC Championship (Sunday January 6, 1980): vs. Houston Oilers

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Oilers
R1=7
R2=3
R3=0
R4=3
Home=Steelers
H1=3
H2=14
H3=0
H4=10"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 50,475
* Referee: Jim Tunney
* TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentators)

Scoring Drives:

* Houston - Perry 75 interception return (Fritsch kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 21
* Houston - FG Fritsch 21
* Pittsburgh - Cunningham 16 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Stallworth 20 pass from Bradshaw (Bhar kick)
* Houston - FG Fritsch 23
* Pittsburgh - FG Bahr 39
* Pittsburgh - Bleier 4 run (Bahr kick)

Super Bowl XIV (Sunday January 20, 1980): vs. Los Angeles Rams

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Rams
R1=7
R2=6
R3=6
R4=0
Home=Steelers
H1=3
H2=7
H3=7
H4=14"at Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California"

* Game time: 6:15 PM EST
* Game weather: 67°F (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 103,985
* Referee: Fred Silva
* TV announcers: (CBS) Pat Summerall (play by play), Tom Brookshier (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

* PIttsburgh - FG Bahr 41
* Los Angeles - Bryant 1 run (Corral kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 1 run (Bahr kick)
* Los Angeles - FG Corral 31
* Los Angeles - FG Corral 45
* Pittsburgh - Swann 47 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Los Angeles - Smith 24 pass from McCutcheon (kick failed)
* Pittsburgh - Stallworth 73 pass from Bradshaw (Bahr kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 1 run (Bahr kick)

Honors and Awards

* Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl MVP

References

succession box
title = Super Bowl champion
years = 1979
before = Pittsburgh Steelers
1978
after = Oakland Raiders
1980