1979 Pittsburgh Steelers season

Sports season August 2023 March 2026 Pittsburgh Steelers 1979 12–4 1st AFC Central Chuck Noll Dick Haley Art Rooney Three Rivers Stadium Won Divisional Playoffs(vs. Dolphins) 34–14Won AFC Championship(vs. Oilers) 27–13 Won Super Bowl XIV(vs. Rams) 31–19 border:none; padding:0; 10 CB Mel Blount QB Terry Bradshaw DT Joe Greene DE L. C. Greenwood LB Jack Ham RB Franco Harris LB Jack Lambert S Donnie Shell WR John Stallworth C Mike Webster border:none; padding:0; 6 Jack Ham (1st team) Jack Lambert (1st team) Donnie Shell (1st team) John Stallworth (1st team) Mike Webster (1st team) Mel Blount (2nd team) John Stallworth Steelers seasons The 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 47th season in the National Football League (NFL). The Steelers successfully defended their Super Bowl Championship from the previous year, despite not improving on their 14–2 record from last year with a 12–4 record. They went on to defeat the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XIV. The Steelers started out to a 4–0 record. Adding to the previous season, the Steelers had won 12 in a row. They finished the regular season at 12–4. In six of those games the opponents were held to a touchdown or less. In the playoffs Pittsburgh defeated Miami, 34–14 and then for the second consecutive season beat Houston 27–13, in the AFC championship game. The Steelers ended the decade by defeating the Los Angeles Rams 31–19 in Super Bowl XIV. Despite them and the San Diego Chargers having 12–4 records, the Chargers were awarded the top seed in the AFC because of their victory over the Steelers. With the win, and the Pittsburgh Pirates win in the 1979 World Series, Pittsburgh would be the last city to claim Super Bowl and World Series wins in the same year until 1986 when the New York Mets won the World Series in 7 games over the Boston Red Sox, and the New York Giants won Super Bowl XXI 39–20 over the Denver Broncos. The 1979 Steelers are the only team to win a Super Bowl featuring players that had never played for another NFL team, featuring 40 original draft picks and six undrafted free agents. The 1979 squad would set a franchise record for total points and points-per-game, with both records later broken in 2014. They also remain the only team to win four Super Bowls in six years, as well as the only team with two streaks of consecutive Super Bowl wins. On February 23, 2007, NFL Network aired America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, the 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers, with team commentary from John Banaszak, L. C. Greenwood and John Stallworth, and narrated by Ed Harris. Offseason NFL draft 1979 NFL draft 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers 1 28 Greg Hawthorne Running back Baylor no yes 2 56 Zack Valentine Linebacker East Carolina no yes 4 86 Russell Davis Running back Michigan no yes 4 110 Calvin Sweeney Wide receiver USC no yes 5 137 Dwaine Board Defensive end North Carolina A&T no 6 157 Bill Murrell Tight end Winston-Salem State no 6 161 Dwayne Woodruff Cornerback Louisville no yes 6 165 Matt Bahr Kicker Penn State no yes 7 192 Bruce Kimball Offensive guard UMass no 8 220 Tom Graves Linebacker Michigan State no yes 9 248 Rick Kirk Defensive end Denison no 10 275 Tod Thompson Tight end BYU no 11 303 Charlie Moore Center Wichita State no 12 322 Ed Smith Linebacker Vanderbilt no 12 330 Mike Almond Wide receiver Northwest Louisiana no no no Undrafted free agents + 1979 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeAnthony AndersonRunning backTempleRay ButlerSafetyKansas StateRich DansdillGuardMissouriDave DiCiccioSafetyPittsburghLarry DouglasWide receiverSouthernDerrick GlasperCornerbackVirginiaFrank GoroleskiWide receiverCortland StateDexter GreenRunning backIowa StateGene JohnsonTight endMichiganDuane JonesRunning backMississippi Valley StateCarlos LeeWide receiverConcordPhil NoelTackleKansas StateMark OlivariLinebackerTulaneGeorge SmallGuardNorth Carolina A&TRick SnodgrassKickerSlippery RockJohhny StoutamireSafetyLivingstoneJerry TaylorWide receiverTulsaBernard WintersDefensive endSyracuse Personnel Staff / Coaches 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers #08214A white #EEC607 Chairman of the board – Arthur J. Rooney President – Daniel M. Rooney Vice president – John R. McGinley Vice president – Arthur J. Rooney, Jr. Public relations director – Ed Kiely Traveling secretary – James A. Boston Publicity director – Joe Gordon Controller – Dennis P. Thimons Assistant controller – James S. Maund Director of ticket sales – Geraldine Glenn Director of player personnel – Dick Haley Assistant director of player personnel – Bill Nunn Director of professional scouting – V. Timothy Rooney Talent scout – West Coast – Bob Schmitz Pro talent scout – Tom Modrak College talent scout – Joe Krupa Head coach – Chuck Noll Assistant head coach – George Perles Offensive line – Rollie Dotsch Offensive backfield – Dick Hoak Receivers – Tom Moore Defensive coordinator – Woody Widenhofer Defensive backfield – Dick Walker Strength – Louis Riecke Flexibility – Paul Uram Physician, M.D. – Dr. David S. Huber Physician, M.D. – Dr. Anthony P. Yates Physician, orthopedic – Dr. Paul B. Steele, Jr. Dentist – Dr. George P. Boucek Trainer – Ralph Berlin Assistant trainer – Robert Milie Equipment manager – Anthony Parisi Field manager – Jack Hart Film director – Bob McCartney Photographer – Harry Homa 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide Roster 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers 45 8 12 Terry Bradshaw 15 Mike Kruczek 18 Cliff Stoudt 33 Anthony Anderson running back y 20 Rocky Bleier 32 Franco Harris 27 Greg Hawthorne y 39 Rick Moser 38 Sidney Thornton 83 Theo Bell 86 Jim Smith wide receiver 82 John Stallworth 88 Lynn Swann 89 Bennie Cunningham 84 Randy Grossman 79 Larry Brown tight end, born 1949 T 77 Steve Courson G 57 Sam Davis American football G 63 Thom Dornbrook G/C 55 Jon Kolb T 72 Gerry Mullins G 66 Ted Petersen T 52 Mike Webster C 76 John Banaszak DE 65 Tom Beasley DE 67 Gary Dunn DT 64 Steve Furness DT 75 Joe Greene DT 68 L. C. Greenwood DE 78 Dwight White DE 56 Robin Cole OLB 50 Tom Graves American football y MLB 59 Jack Ham OLB 58 Jack Lambert American football MLB 51 Loren Toews OLB 54 Zack Valentine y OLB 53 Dennis Winston OLB 30 Larry Anderson American football CB 47 Mel Blount CB 29 Ron Johnson cornerback CB 31 Donnie Shell SS 24 J. T. Thomas defensive back FS/CB 49 Dwayne Woodruff y CB  9 Matt Bahr y K  5 Craig Colquitt P 69 Fred Anderson American football DE IR 45 Russell Davis running back y RB IR 26 Larry Douglas American football y WR IR 62 Willie Fry DE/DT IR -- Derrick Glasper no y CB IR 74 Ray Pinney T IR 85 Calvin Sweeney y WR PUP 23 Mike Wagner S IR 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide 1980 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers Roster & Players https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/pit/1979_roster.htm 2025-03-08 Pro-Football-Reference.com en Preseason Schedule Week Date Opponent Kickoff TV Result Record Venue Attendance NFL.comrecap 1 August 4, 1979 at Buffalo Bills 6:00 p.m. EDT WIIC W 15–7 1–0 Rich Stadium 34,370 2 August 11, 1979 New York Giants 6:00 p.m. EDT WIIC W 10–3 2–0 Three Rivers Stadium 46,624 3 August 17, 1979 at New York Jets 8:00 p.m. EDT WIIC W 27–14 3–0 Giants Stadium 46,159 4 August 25, 1979 at Dallas Cowboys 9:00 p.m. EDT NBC L 14–16 3–1 Texas Stadium 64.543 Notes: time a a All times are EASTERN time. Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Kickoff TV Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 September 3, 1979 at New England Patriots 9:00 p.m. EDT ABC W 16–13 (OT) 1–0 Schaefer Stadium 60,978 Recap 2 September 9 Houston Oilers 1:00 p.m. EDT NBC W 38–7 2–0 Three Rivers Stadium 49,792 Recap 3 September 16 at St. Louis Cardinals 4:00 p.m. EDT NBC W 24–21 3–0 Busch Memorial Stadium 50,416 Recap 4 September 23 Baltimore Colts 1:00 p.m. EDT NBC W 17–13 4–0 Three Rivers Stadium 49,483 Recap 5 September 30 at Philadelphia Eagles 1:00 p.m. EDT NBC L 14–17 4–1 Veterans Stadium 70,352 Recap 6 October 7 at Cleveland Browns 4:00 p.m. EDT NBC W 51–35 5–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 81,260 Recap 7 October 14 at Cincinnati Bengals 1:00 p.m. EDT NBC L 10–34 5–2 Riverfront Stadium 52,381 Recap 8 October 22, 1979 Denver Broncos 9:00 p.m. EDT ABC W 42–7 6–2 Three Rivers Stadium 49,699 Recap 9 October 28 Dallas Cowboys 1:00 p.m. EST CBS W 14–3 7–2 Three Rivers Stadium 50,199 Recap 10 November 4 Washington Redskins 1:00 p.m. EST CBS W 38–7 8–2 Three Rivers Stadium 49,462 Recap 11 November 11 at Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 p.m. EST NBC W 30–3 9–2 Arrowhead Stadium 70,132 Recap 12 November 18 at San Diego Chargers 4:00 p.m. EST NBC L 7–35 9–3 San Diego Stadium 52,426 Recap 13 November 25 Cleveland Browns 1:00 p.m. EST NBC W 33–30 (OT) 10–3 Three Rivers Stadium 48,773 Recap 14 December 2 Cincinnati Bengals 1:00 p.m. EST NBC W 37–17 11–3 Three Rivers Stadium 46,521 Recap 15 December 10, 1979 at Houston Oilers 9:00 p.m. EST ABC L 17–20 11–4 Astrodome 55,293 Recap 16 December 16 Buffalo Bills 1:00 p.m. EST NBC W 28–0 12–4 Three Rivers Stadium 48,002 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Notes: time a a All times are EASTERN time. (UTC–4 and UTC–5 starting October 28) Game summaries Week 1: at New England Patriots 1979 New England Patriots season Steelers 0 6 0 7 3 Patriots 7 6 0 0 0 Schaefer Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts Monday, September 3 9:00 pm EDT 78 F, wind 13 mph on 60,978 Jim Tunney ABC Frank Gifford (play by play), Don Meredith & Howard Cosell (color commentators) Box Score #eee First quarter NE – Russ Francis 4-yard pass from Steve Grogan (John Smith kick) NE 7-0 Second quarter PIT – Sidney Thornton 2-yard run (kick failed) NE 7-6 NE – John Smith 31-yard field goal NE 10-6 NE – John Smith 32-yard field goal NE 13-6 Fourth quarter PIT – Sidney Thornton 21-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) 13-13 tie Overtime PIT – Matt Bahr 41-yard field goal PIT 16-13 Passing PIT: Terry Bradshaw 15/26, 221 yards, TD NE: Steve Grogan 11/33, 123 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing PIT: Franco Harris 26 att, 74 yards NE: Sam Cunningham 17 att, 62 yards Receiving PIT: John Stallworth 5 rec, 95 yards NE: Russ Francis 5 rec, 53 yards, TD Week 2: vs. Houston Oilers 1979 Houston Oilers season Oilers 0 0 0 7 Steelers 7 3 14 14 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Sunday, September 9 1:00 pm EDT 63 F, (Partly Cloudy) wind 6 mph on 49,792 Pat Haggerty NBC Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator) #eee Box Score First quarter PIT – Sidney Thornton 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Second quarter PIT – Matt Bahr 45-yard field goal Third quarter PIT – Sidney Thornton 16-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Greg Hawthorne 8-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Fourth quarter PIT – Jim Smith 18-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Dirt Winston 41-yard interception return (Matt Bahr kick) HOU – Guido Merkins 9-yard pass from Gifford Nielsen (Toni Fritsch kick) Passing HOU: Gifford Nielsen 4/11, 41 yards, TD, 2 INT PIT: Terry Bradshaw 12/29, 198 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing HOU: Earl Campbell 16 att, 38 yards PIT: Franco Harris 14 att, 42 yards Receiving HOU: Billy Johnson 2 rec, 32 yards PIT: Lynn Swann 5 rec, 95 yards Week 3: at St. Louis Cardinals 1979 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season Steelers 7 0 0 17 Cardinals 9 6 6 0 Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri Sunday, September 16 4:00 pm EDT 63 F, wind 5 mph on 50,416 Jerry Markbreit NBC Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator) Box Score #eee First quarter STL – Ottis Anderson 12-yard run (kick failed) STL – Steve Little 22-yard field goal PIT – John Stallworth 18 pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) Second quarter STL – Theotis Brown 1-yard run (kick failed) Third quarter STL – Mike Wood 24-yard field goal STL – Mike Wood 27-yard field goal Fourth quarter PIT – Rocky Bleier 4-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Bennie Cunningham 5-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Matt Bahr 20-yard field goal Passing PIT – Terry Bradshaw 14/31, 206 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT STL – Jim Hart 12/24, 132 yards Rushing PIT – Rocky Bleier 13 att, 73 yards, TD STL – Theotis Brown 14 att, 69 yards, TD Receiving PIT – John Stallworth 6 rec, 80 yards, TD STL – Mel Gray 1 rec, 48 yards Week 4: vs. Baltimore Colts 1979 Baltimore Colts season Colts 10 0 3 0 Steelers 7 3 0 7 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Sunday, September 23 1:00 pm EDT 66 F, (Sunny) wind 10 mph on 49,483 Gordon McCarter NBC Sam Nover (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator) Box Score #eee First quarter BAL – Steve Mike-Mayer 27-yard field goal PIT – John Stallworth 47-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) BAL – Roger Carr 36-yard pass from Greg Landry (Steve Mike-Mayer kick) Second quarter PIT – Matt Bahr 25-yard field goal Third quarter BAL – Steve Mike-Mayer 24-yard field goal Fourth quarter PIT – Bennie Cunningham 28-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) Passing BAL – Greg Landry 17/34, 195 yards, TD, 2 INT PIT – Terry Bradshaw 19/29, 249 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing BAL – Joe Washington 21 att, 65 yards PIT – Sidney Thornton 13 att, 129 yards Receiving BAL – Roger Carr 4 rec, 68 yards, TD PIT – John Stallworth 4 rec, 83 yards, TD Week 5: at Philadelphia Eagles 1979 Philadelphia Eagles season Steelers 0 7 0 7 Eagles 0 7 10 0 Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia Sunday, September 30 1:00 pm EDT 68 F, wind 12 mph on 70,352 Cal Lepore NBC Charlie Jones (play by play), Len Dawson (color commentator) Box Score #eee Second quarter PIT – Sidney Thornton 7-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) PHI – Leroy Harris 1-yard run (Tony Franklin kick) Third quarter PHI – Tony Franklin 48-yard field goal PHI – Wilbert Montgomery 1-yard run (Tony Franklin kick) Fourth quarter PIT – John Stallworth 37-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) Passing PIT – Terry Bradshaw 12/26, 176 yards, TD, 2 INT PHI – Ron Jaworski 11/20, 158 yards, 2 INT Rushing PIT – Sidney Thornton 16 att, 88 yards, TD PHI – Wilbert Montgomery 28 att, 98 yards, TD Receiving PIT – John Stallworth 5 rec, 102 yards, TD PHI – Keith Krepfle 4 rec, 95 yards Week 6: at Cleveland Browns 1979 Cleveland Browns season Steelers 21 9 7 14 Browns 0 14 7 14 Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio Sunday, October 7 4:00 pm EDT 48 F, wind 17 mph on 81,260 Jim Tunney NBC Don Criqui (play by play), John Brodie (color commentator) Box Score #eee First quarter PIT – Bennie Cunningham 7-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Sidney Thornton 10-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Franco Harris 71-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Second quarter PIT – Jim Smith 14-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (kick failed) CLE – Reggie Rucker 32-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick) CLE – Ozzie Newsome 18-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick) PIT – Matt Bahr 42-yard field goal Third quarter PIT – Franco Harris 25-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) CLE – Calvin Hill 14-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick) Fourth quarter PIT – Rocky Bleier 70-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) CLE – Dave Logan 30-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick) CLE – Dave Logan 13-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick) PIT – Sidney Thornton 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Passing PIT – Terry Bradshaw 12/21, 161 yards, 3 TD CLE – Brian Sipe 22/41, 351 yards, 5 TD, 3 INT Rushing PIT – Franco Harris 19 att, 153 yards, 2 TD CLE – Mike Pruitt 15 att, 73 yards Receiving PIT – John Stallworth 4 rec, 96 yards, TD CLE – Ozzie Newsome 6 rec, 97 yards, TD Week 7: at Cincinnati Bengals 1979 Cincinnati Bengals season Steelers 3 0 0 7 Bengals 7 20 0 7 Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati Sunday, October 14 1:00 pm EDT 40 F, wind 7 mph on 52,381 Ben Dreith NBC Sam Nover (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator) #eee Box Score First quarter PIT – Matt Bahr 46-yard field goal CIN – Dan Ross 7-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Chris Bahr kick) Second quarter CIN – Pete Johnson 1-yard run (kick failed) CIN – Howard Kurnick 12-yard fumble return (Chris Bahr kick) CIN – Jim LeClair 27-yard fumble return (Chris Bahr kick) Fourth quarter CIN – Rick Walker 14-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Chris Bahr kick) PIT – John Stallworth 33-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) Passing PIT – Terry Bradshaw 21/40, 275 yards, TD, 2 INT CIN – Ken Anderson 9/20, 120 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing PIT – Franco Harris 9 att, 45 yards CIN – Charles Alexander 19 att, 91 yards Receiving PIT – John Stallworth 6 rec, 126 yards, TD CIN – Archie Griffin 4 rec, 65 yards Week 8: vs. Denver Broncos 1979 Denver Broncos season Broncos 7 0 0 0 Steelers 7 21 0 14 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Monday, October 22 9:00 pm EDT 71 F, (Clear) wind 9 mph on 49,699 Pat Haggerty ABC Frank Gifford (play by play), Don Meredith & Howard Cosell (color commentators) Box Score #eee First quarter PIT – Lynn Swann 11-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) DEN – Haven Moses 64-yard pass from Craig Morton (Jim Turner kick) Second quarter PIT – Franco Harris 2-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Franco Harris 4-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Sidney Thornton 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Fourth quarter PIT – Sidney Thornton 17-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Anthony Anderson 10-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Passing DEN – Craig Morton 16/31, 261 yards, TD, INT PIT – Terry Bradshaw 18/24, 267 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing DEN – Jon Keyworth 4 att, 29 yards PIT – Franco Harris 17 att, 121 yards, 2 TD Receiving DEN – Haven Moses 5 rec, 133 yards, TD PIT – Lynn Swann 2 rec, 76 yards, TD Week 9: vs. Dallas Cowboys 1979 Dallas Cowboys season Cowboys 0 3 0 0 Steelers 0 7 7 0 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Sunday, October 28 1:00 pm EST 59 F, (Partly Cloudy) wind 12 mph on 50,199 Dick Jorgensen CBS Pat Summerall (play by play), Tom Brookshier (color commentator) Box Score #eee Second quarter PIT – Franco Harris 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) DAL – Rafael Septién 32-yard field goal Third quarter PIT – Franco Harris 48-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Passing DAL – Roger Staubach 11/25, 113 yards PIT – Terry Bradshaw 11/25, 126 yards Rushing DAL – Tony Dorsett 19 att, 73 yards PIT – Franco Harris 18 att, 102 yards, 2 TD Receiving DAL – Drew Pearson 5 rec, 89 yards PIT – John Stallworth 7 rec, 98 yards Week 10: vs. Washington Redskins 1979 Washington Redskins season Redskins 0 7 0 0 Steelers 7 17 7 7 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Sunday, November 4 1:00 pm EST 53 F, (Sunny) wind 7 mph on 49,462 Gordon McCarter CBS Curt Gowdy (play by play), Hank Stram (color commentator) Box Score #eee First quarter PIT – John Stallworth 11-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) Second quarter WAS – John Riggins 4-yard run (Mark Moseley kick) PIT – Matt Bahr 21-yard field goal PIT – Bennie Cunningham 16-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Randy Grossman 4-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) Third quarter PIT – John Stallworth 65-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) Fourth quarter PIT – Rick Moser 2-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Passing WAS – Joe Theismann 14/31, 147 yards, INT PIT – Terry Bradshaw 15/27, 311 yards, 4 TD, INT Rushing WAS – John Riggins 13 att, 56 yards, TD PIT – Franco Harris 15 att, 62 yards Receiving WAS – Danny Buggs 3 rec, 37 yards PIT – John Stallworth 6 rec, 126 yards, 2 TD In that game. Franco Harris became the 5th man to rush for 8,000 career rushing yards, and it was also Chuck Noll's 95th win as a head coach, the same number that Vince Lombardi won during his career. Week 11: at Kansas City Chiefs 1979 Kansas City Chiefs season Steelers 10 10 0 10 Chiefs 0 0 3 0 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri Sunday, November 11 1:00 pm EST 34 F, wind 15 mph on 70,132 Fred Wyant NBC Don Criqui (play by play), John Brodie (color commentator) Box Score #eee First quarter PIT – John Stallworth 26-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Matt Bahr 31-yard field goal Second quarter PIT – Lynn Swann 16-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Matt Bahr 20-yard field goal Third quarter KC – Jan Stenerud 42-yard field goal Fourth quarter PIT – Matt Bahr 37-yard field goal PIT – Larry Brown 1-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) Passing PIT – Terry Bradshaw 17/29, 232 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT KC – Steve Fuller 9/20, 89 yards, INT Rushing PIT – Franco Harris 20 att, 68 yards KC – Mike Williams 6 att, 19 yards Receiving PIT – John Stallworth 4 rec, 88 yards, TD KC – J.T. Smith 3 rec, 47 yards Week 12: at San Diego Chargers 1979 San Diego Chargers season Steelers 0 0 7 0 Chargers 7 14 7 7 San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California Sunday, November 18 4:00 pm EST 63 F, wind 9 mph on 51,910 Red Cashion NBC Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator) Box Score #eee First quarter SD – John Jefferson 16-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Mike Wood kick) Second quarter SD – Bob Klein 6-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Mike Wood kick) SD – Bo Matthews 2-yard run (Mike Wood kick) Third quarter PIT – Rocky Bleier 2-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) SD – Woodrow Lowe 77-yard interception return (Mike Wood kick) Fourth quarter SD – Hank Bauer 2-yard run (Mike Wood kick) Passing PIT – Terry Bradshaw 18/36, 153 yards, 5 INT SD – Dan Fouts 11/24, 137 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing PIT – Franco Harris 20 att, 44 yards SD – Mike Thomas 13 att, 53 yards Receiving PIT – John Stallworth 4 rec, 55 yards SD – John Jefferson 5 rec, 106 yards, TD Week 13: vs. Cleveland Browns Browns 10 10 7 3 0 Steelers 3 10 0 17 3 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Sunday, November 25 1:00 pm EST 62 F, (Cloudy) wind 6 mph on 48,773 Ben Dreith NBC Charlie Jones (play by play), Len Dawson (color commentator) Box Score #eee First quarter CLE – Ozzie Newsome 21-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick) CLE – Don Cockroft 20-yard field goal PIT – Matt Bahr 45-yard field goal Second quarter CLE – Don Cockroft 32-yard field goal PIT – Matt Bahr 34-yard field goal CLE – Dave Logan 16-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick) PIT – Franco Harris 2-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) Third quarter CLE – Calvin Hill 3-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick) Fourth quarter PIT – Franco Harris 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) CLE – Don Cockroft 40-yard field goal PIT – Franco Harris 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Matt Bahr 21-yard field goal Overtime PIT – Matt Bahr 37-yard field goal Passing CLE – Brian Sipe 23/38, 333 yards, 3 TD, INT PIT – Terry Bradshaw 30/44, 364 yards, TD, INT Rushing CLE – Brian Sipe 3 att, 30 yards PIT – Franco Harris 32 att, 151 yards, 2 TD Receiving CLE – Dave Logan 7 rec, 135 yards, TD PIT – Franco Harris 9 rec, 81 yards, TD Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals Bengals 0 10 7 0 Steelers 10 14 10 3 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Sunday, December 2 1:00 pm EST 33 F, (Cloudy) wind 12 mph on 46,251 Jim Tunney NBC Sam Nover (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator) Box Score #eee First quarter PIT – Matt Bahr 43-yard field goal PIT – Lynn Swann 58-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) Second quarter PIT – Franco Harris 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) CIN – Chris Bahr 46-yard field goal PIT – Rocky Bleier 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) CIN – Isaac Curtis 29-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Chris Bahr kick) Third quarter CIN – Isaac Curtis 32-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Chris Bahr kick) PIT – Lynn Swann 42-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Matt Bahr 23-yard field goal Fourth quarter PIT – Matt Bahr 32-yard field goal Passing CIN – Ken Anderson 20/36, 258 yards, 2 TD PIT – Terry Bradshaw 17/29, 339 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing CIN – Pete Johnson 18 att, 51 yards PIT – Franco Harris 20 att, 92 yards, TD Receiving CIN – Isaac Curtis 5 rec, 119 yards, 2 TD PIT – Lynn Swann 5 rec, 192 yards, 2 TD Week 15: at Houston Oilers Steelers 0 0 3 14 Oilers 0 7 3 10 Astrodome, Houston, Texas Monday, December 10 9:00 pm EST Dome 55,923 Jerry Markbreit ABC Frank Gifford (play by play), Fran Tarkenton & Howard Cosell (color commentators) Box Score #eee Second quarter HOU – Ken Burrough 25 pass from Dan Pastorini (Toni Fritsch kick) Third quarter PIT – Matt Bahr 37-yard field goal HOU – Toni Fritsch 24-yard field goal Fourth quarter HOU – Toni Fritsch 34-yard field goal PIT – Lynn Swann 9-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) HOU – Rob Carpenter 4-yard run (Toni Fritsch kick) PIT – John Stallworth 34-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) Passing PIT – Terry Bradshaw 14/29, 137 yards, TD, 2 INT HOU – Dan Pastorini 10/16, 170 yards, TD Rushing PIT – Franco Harris 12 att, 59 yards HOU – Earl Campbell 33 att, 109 yards Receiving PIT – Bennie Cunningham 2 rec, 67 yards HOU – Ken Burrough 3 rec, 48 yards, TD Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills 1979 Buffalo Bills season Bills 0 0 0 0 Steelers 7 7 7 7 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Sunday, December 16 1:00 pm EST 48 F, (Cloudy) wind 13 mph on 48,002 Fred Silva NBC Don Criqui (play by play), John Brodie (color commentator) Box Score #eee First quarter PIT – Lynn Swann 20-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) Second quarter PIT – Franco Harris 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Third quarter PIT – Sidney Thornton 8-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Fourth quarter PIT – Franco Harris 11-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Passing BUF – Joe Ferguson 11/31, 103 yards, 2 INT PIT – Terry Bradshaw 14/27, 209 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing BUF – Mike Collier 16 att, 49 yards PIT – Franco Harris 21 att, 100 yards, 2 TD Receiving BUF – Jerry Butler 3 rec, 54 yards PIT – Lynn Swann 3 rec, 61 yards, TD Standings Stats Passing Rushing Receiving Kicking Punting Kick Return Punt Return Defense & Fumbles Scoring Summary Team Quarter-by-quarter Quarter-by-quarter 1 2 3 4 OT T Steelers 89 114 62 145 6 416 Opponents 57 104 53 48 0 262 Postseason Schedule Round Date Opponent Kickoff TV Result Record Game Site Attendance Recap Wild Card First Round Bye Divisional December 30 Miami Dolphins (3) 12:30 p.m. EST NBC W 34–14 1–0 Three Rivers Stadium 50,214 Recap AFC Championship January 6 Houston Oilers (4) 1:00 p.m. EST NBC W 27–13 2–0 Three Rivers Stadium 50,475 Recap Super Bowl XIV January 20 Los Angeles Rams (N3) 6:00 p.m. EST CBS W 31–19 3–0 Rose Bowl 103,985 Recap Notes: time a a All times are EASTERN time. Game summaries AFC Divisional Playoff: vs. Miami Dolphins 1979 Miami Dolphins season Dolphins 0 0 7 7 Steelers 20 0 7 7 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Sunday, December 30 12:30 pm EST 28 F (Fog) 50,214 Cal Lepore NBC Don Criqui (play by play), John Brodie (color commentator) Box Score #eee First quarter PIT – Sidney Thornton 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – John Stallworth 17-yard pass from Bradshaw (kick blocked) PIT – Lynn Swann 20-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) Third quarter MIA – Duriel Harris 7-yard pass from Bob Griese (Uwe von Schamann kick) PIT – Rocky Bleier 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Fourth quarter PIT – Franco Harris 5-yard run (Bahr kick) MIA – Larry Csonka 1-yard run (Uwe von Schamann kick) Passing MIA – Don Strock 8/14, 125 yards, INT PIT – Terry Bradshaw 21/31, 230 yards, 2 TD Rushing MIA – Larry Csonka 10 att, 20 yards, TD PIT – Franco Harris 21 att, 83 yards, TD Receiving MIA – Nat Moore 5 rec, 93 yards PIT – John Stallworth 6 rec, 86 yards, TD AFC Championship: vs. Houston Oilers 1979 Houston Oilers season Oilers 7 3 0 3 Steelers 3 14 0 10 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Sunday, January 6 1:00 pm EST 27 F, (Light Freezing Rain) wind 18 mph on 50,475 Jim Tunney NBC Dick Enberg (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentators) Box Score #eee First quarter HOU – Vernon Perry 75-yard interception return (Toni Fritsch kick) PIT – Matt Bahr 21-yard field goal Second quarter HOU – Toni Fritsch 21-yard field goal PIT – Bennie Cunningham 16-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – John Stallworth 20-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) Fourth quarter HOU – Toni Fritsch 23-yard field goal PIT – Matt Bahr 39-yard field goal PIT – Rocky Bleier 4-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Passing HOU – Dan Pastorini 19/28, 203 yards, INT PIT – Terry Bradshaw 18/30, 219 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing HOU – Earl Campbell 17 att, 15 yards PIT – Franco Harris 21 att, 85 yards Receiving HOU – Tim Wilson 7 rec, 60 yards PIT – Lynn Swann 4 rec, 64 yards Super Bowl XIV: vs. Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl XIV 1979 Los Angeles Rams season Rams 7 6 6 0 Steelers 3 7 7 14 Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California Sunday, January 20 6:15 pm EST 67 F (Sunny), wind 17 mph on 103,985 Fred Silva CBS Pat Summerall (play by play), Tom Brookshier (color commentator) Box Score #eee First quarter PIT – Matt Bahr 41-yard field goal LA – Cullen Bryant 1-yard run (Frank Corral kick) Second quarter PIT – Franco Harris 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) LA – Frank Corral 31-yard field goal LA – Frank Corral 45-yard field goal Third quarter PIT – Lynn Swann 47-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) LA – Ron Smith 24-yard pass from Lawrence McCutcheon (kick failed) Fourth quarter PIT – John Stallworth 73-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick) PIT – Franco Harris 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Passing LA – Vince Ferragamo 15/25, 212 yards, INT PIT – Terry Bradshaw 14/21, 309 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT Rushing LA – Wendell Tyler 17 att, 60 yards PIT – Franco Harris 20 att, 46 yards, 2 TD Receiving LA – Billy Waddy 3 rec, 75 yards PIT – John Stallworth 3 rec, 121 yards, TD Statistics Passing Player Comp Att Yards TD INT Terry Bradshaw 259 472 3,724 26 25 Rushing Player Att Yards TD Franco Harris 267 1,186 11 Sidney Thornton 118 585 6 Rocky Bleier 92 434 4 Terry Bradshaw 21 83 Lynn Swann 1 9 Receiving Player Rec Yards TD John Stallworth 70 1,183 8 Lynn Swann 41 808 5 Bennie Cunningham 36 512 4 Franco Harris 36 291 1 Rocky Bleier 31 277 Sidney Thornton 16 231 4 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/pit/1979.htm 2025-03-08 Pro-Football-Reference.com en Honors and awards Terry Bradshaw, Super Bowl MVP References External links 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers season at Profootballreference.com 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers season statistics at jt-sw.com Category:Pittsburgh Steelers seasons Category:American Football Conference championship seasons Category:Super Bowl champion seasons Pittsburgh Steelers Category:AFC Central championship seasons Pittsburgh Steel