1973 Pittsburgh Steelers season

Infobox NFL season
team = Pittsburgh Steelers
year = 1973
record = 10-4
division_place = 2nd AFC Central
coach = Chuck Noll
stadium = Three Rivers Stadium
playoffs = L to the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Divisional playoff
previous = 1972
next = 1974

Offseason

NFL Draft

Preseason

Schedule

Game Summaries

Regular Season

eason Standings

[ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 296 ]

Game Summaries

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

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

* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 48,913
* Referee:
* TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 11
* Pittsburgh - Bradshaw 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Detroit - Jessie 84 pass from Landry (Mann kick)
* Detroit - FG Mann 40
* Pittsburgh - McMakin 24 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Shanklin 6 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)

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

Linescore Amfootball
Road= Browns
R1=3
R2=0
R3=0
R4=3
Home=Steelers
H1=10
H2=6
H3=10
H4=7"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 49,396
* Referee:
* TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 12
* Cleveland - FG Cockroft 43
* Pittsburgh - Fuqua 4 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 40
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 26
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 44
* Pittsburgh - Lewis 8 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Cleveland - FG Cockroft 28
* Pittsburgh - Lewis 53 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)

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

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=3
R2=3
R3=13
R4=17
Home= Oilers
H1=0
H2=7
H3=0
H4=0"at the Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas"

* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 39,331
* Referee:
* TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 20
* Houston - Alston 7 pass from Pastorini (Butler kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 47
* Pittsburgh - Bradshaw 1 run (kick failed)
* Pittsburgh - Russell 45 interception return (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Shanklin 26 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 26
* Pittsburgh - Edwards 86 interception return (Gerela kick)

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

Linescore Amfootball
Road= Chargers
R1=0
R2=0
R3=0
R4=21
Home=Steelers
H1=17
H2=21
H3=0
H4=0"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 48,795
* Referee:
* 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)
* Pittsburgh - Bradshaw 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 38
* Pittsburgh - Steve Davis 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Wagner recovered blocked punt in end zone (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Shanklin 37 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)
* San Diego - LeVias 13 pass from Fouts (Wersching kick)
* San Diego - Jones 3 run (Wersching kick)
* San Diego - Holmes 1 run (Wersching kick)

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

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=0
R2=0
R3=0
R4=7
Home= Bengals
H1=6
H2=3
H3=7
H4=3"at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio"

* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 55,819
* Referee:
* TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

* Cincinnati - FG Muhlmann 20
* Cincinnati - FG Muhlmann 19
* Cincinnati - FG Muhlmann 20
* Cincinnati - Clark 3 run (Muhlmann kick)
* Cincinnati - FG Muhlmann 41
* Pittsburgh - P. Pearson 1 run (Gerela kick)

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

Linescore Amfootball
Road= Jets
R1=7
R2=7
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Steelers
H1=0
H2=9
H3=3
H4=14"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 48,682
* Referee:
* TV announcers:

Game summary

Scoring Drives:

* New York Jets - Riggins 1 run (Howfield kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 27
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 29
* New York Jets - Caster 28 pass from Demory (Howfield kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 36
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 13
* Pittsburgh - Shanklin 16 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 2 run (Gerela kick)

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

Linescore Amfootball
Road= Bengals
R1=0
R2=6
R3=0
R4=7
Home=Steelers
H1=3
H2=7
H3=10
H4=0"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 45,761
* Referee:
* TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 15
* Cincinnati - FG Muhlmann 17
* Cincinnati - FG Muhlmann 41
* Pittsburgh - Shanklin 51 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 18
* Pittsburgh - Fuqua 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Cincinnati - E. Johnson 16 pass from Anderson (Muhlmann kick)

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

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

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

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

* Washington - FG Knight 30
* Pittsburgh - P. Pearson 7 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)
* Washington - FG Knight 12
* Pittsburgh - Shanklin 24 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)
* Washington - FG Knight 16
* Pittsburgh - B. Pearson 46 pass from Gilliam (Gerela kick)
* Washington - Brown 17 pass from Kilmer (Knight kick)

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

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=0
R2=7
R3=7
R4=3
Home= Raiders
H1=0
H2=3
H3=0
H4=6"at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California"

* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 47,535
* Referee:
* TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Shanklin 14 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)
* Oakland - FG Blanda 40
* Pittsburgh - Harris 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 17
* Oakland - Biletnikoff 27 pass from Lamonica (snap fumbled)

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

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

* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 48,580
* Referee:
* TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

* Denver - FG Turner 32
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 15
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 13
* Denver - FG Turner 11
* Denver - Little 10 run (Turner kick)
* Pittsburgh - Shanklin 42 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)
* Denver - FG Turner 46
* Denver - Odoms 2 pass from Johnson (Turner kick)

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

Linescore Amfootball
Road= Steelers
R1=7
R2=3
R3=3
R4=3
Home= Browns
H1=7
H2=7
H3=0
H4=7"at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio"

* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 67,773
* Referee:
* TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Shanklin 9 pass from Gilliam (Gerela kick)
* Cleveland - Phipps 1 run (Cockroft kick)
* Cleveland - Pruitt 15 pass from Phipps (Cockroft kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 24
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 14
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 20
* Cleveland - Pruitt 19 run (Cockroft kick)

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

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=0
R2=3
R3=7
R4=16
Home= Dolphins
H1=20
H2=10
H3=0
H4=0"at the Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida"

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

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

* Miami - Anderson 27 interception return (Yepremian kick)
* Miami - FG Yepremian 28
* Miami - FG Yepremian 46
* Miami - Mandich 2 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick)
* Miami - Anderson 38 interception return (Yepremian kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 37
* Miami - FG Yepremian 14
* Pittsburgh - P. Pearson 5 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Harris 21 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - B. Pearson 17 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Safety, White tackled Griese in end zone

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

Linescore Amfootball
Road= Oilers
R1=7
R2=0
R3=0
R4=0
Home=Steelers
H1=3
H2=14
H3=10
H4=6"at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"

* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 38,004
* Referee:
* TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 49
* Houston - Alston 11 pass from Pastorini (Butler kick)
* Pittsburgh - B. Pearson 15 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - Steve Davis 3 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 31
* Pittsburgh - Ham recovered fumble in end zone (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 20
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 42

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

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=7
R2=7
R3=13
R4=10
Home=49ers
H1=0
H2=7
H3=0
H4=7"at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California"

* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 52,252
* Referee:
* TV announcers:

Game summary

john brodie's number was retired prior to game

'Scoring Drives:

* Pittsburgh - Rowser 71 interception return (Gerela kick)
* San Francisco - Hall recovered blocked punt in end zone (Gossett kick)
* Pittsburgh - P. Pearson 1 run (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 27
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 27
* Pittsburgh - Lewis 50 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Pittsburgh - FG Gerela 35
* Pittsburgh - Steve Davis 1 run (Gerela kick)
* San Francisco - Atkins 3 run (Gossett kick)

Postseason

Game Summaries

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

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Steelers
R1=0
R2=7
R3=0
R4=7
Home= Raiders
H1=7
H2=3
H3=13
H4=10"at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California"

* Game time:
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 50,094
* Referee:
* TV announcers:

Game summary

'Scoring Drives:

* Oakland - Hubbard 1 run (Blanda kick)
* Oakland - FG Blanda 25
* Pittsburgh - B. Pearson 4 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Oakland - FG Blanda 31
* Oakland - FG Blanda 22
* Oakland - Brown 54 interception return (Blanda kick)
* Oakland - FG Blanda 10
* Pittsburgh - Lewis 26 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)
* Oakland - Hubbard 1 run (Blanda kick)

References