1976 Pittsburgh Steelers season

Pittsburgh Steelers 44th US football season August 2023 March 2026 Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 10–4 1st in AFC Central Chuck Noll Art Rooney Three Rivers Stadium Won Divisional Playoffs(at Colts) 40–14Lost AFC Championship(at Raiders) 7–24 border:none; padding:0; 12 CB Mel Blount QB Terry Bradshaw S Glen Edwards DT Joe Greene DE L. C. Greenwood LB Jack Ham RB Franco Harris LB Jack Lambert LB Andy Russell WR Lynn Swann S Mike Wagner CB J.T. Thomas border:none; padding:0; 5 Jack Ham (1st team) Jack Lambert (1st team) Glen Edwards (2nd team) Joe Greene (2nd team) Mike Wagner (2nd team) Jack Lambert Steelers seasons The 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 44th in the National Football League. The team attempted to win their third consecutive Super Bowl championship but ultimately lost to their bitter rivals, the Oakland Raiders 24–7 in the AFC Championship Game. Despite failing to reach the Super Bowl, the 1976 Steelers are fondly remembered as one of the franchise's most dominant teams, thanks to a record-setting defense and running game. The Steelers' strong defense finished the season with just 9.9 points allowed per game, the fewest in the NFL, and a franchise record that still stands. 3 Offseason 1976 expansion draft 1976 NFL expansion draft + Pittsburgh Steelers selected during the expansion draft Round Overall Name Position Expansion team00Ed BradleyLinebackerSeattle Seahawks00Dave BrownCornerbackSeattle Seahawks00Dave ReavisOffensive tackleTampa Bay Buccaneers NFL draft 1976 NFL draft 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers 1 28 Bennie Cunningham Tight end Clemson yes 2 37 Ray Pinney Guard Washington yes 2 47 Mike Kruczek Quarterback Boston College yes 2 56 James Files Center McNeese State no 3 70 Ron Coder Defensive tackle Penn State no 3 88 Ernie Pough Wide receiver Texas Southern yes 4 112 Wonder Monds Safety Nebraska no 4 120 Theo Bell Wide receiver Arizona yes 5 152 Rodney Norton Linebacker Rice no 5 159 Gary Dunn Defensive tackle Miami (FL) 1984 second-team All-Pro yes 6 182 Jack Deloplaine Running back Salem yes 7 209 Barry Burton Tight end Vanderbilt no 8 237 Ed McAleney Defensive tackle UMass no 9 265 Wentford Gaines Cornerback Cincinnati yes 10 291 Gary Campbell Linebacker Colorado no 11 319 Rolland Fuchs Running back Arkansas no 12 347 Bill Carroll Wide receiver East Texas State no 13 375 Larry Kain Tight end Ohio State no 14 403 Wayne Field Defensive back Florida no 15 431 Mel Davis Defensive end North Texas State no 16 459 Randy Butts Running back Kearney State no 17 487 Kelvin Kirk Wide receiver Dayton Mr. Irrelevant no no no Season summary The Steelers started the season looking to become the first team in the Super Bowl era to win three-straight league championships (and first since the 1929–1931 and 1965–1967 Green Bay Packers). However, many thought that would be in doubt after the team started 1–4 and saw quarterback Terry Bradshaw injured in the week 5 loss to the Cleveland Browns after a vicious sack by Joe "Turkey" Jones that has since become immortalized in NFL Films as part of the Browns-Steelers rivalry. Despite the setbacks, behind the strength of the Steel Curtain defense and the dual threat of Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier at running back, the Steelers ended the season on a nine-game winning streak to finish 10-4 and win the AFC Central. Harris rushed for 1,128 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Bleier had the best season of his career with 1,036 rushing yards and five touchdowns. With both running backs rushing for over 1,000 yards, the Steelers became the second team in NFL history to have a 1,000 yard rushing duo (the first being the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins, the 1976 Steelers and the 1972 Dolphins are the only teams to accomplish this in a 14-game schedule). Meanwhile, led by linebacker Jack Lambert, the 1976 Defensive Player of the Year, the Steel Curtain had its most dominant season. The defense posted five shutouts, the most in a single season in the Super Bowl era; all five shutouts came during the team's nine-game winning streak. This included three consecutive shutouts (from Weeks 7-9), a 15-quarter shutout streak, and five consecutive games where the team did not allow a touchdown (Weeks 6-10). During the winning streak, the team did not allow a touchdown in eight games. During Weeks 6-10, the Steelers scored 112 consecutive points. Overall, the defense allowed just 138 points (including only 28 during the winning streak), forced 46 turnovers, and sent eight starting defensive players to the Pro Bowl, including the entire starting secondary. Rookie quarterback Mike Kruczek wound up going 6–0 starting in place of Bradshaw, largely due to the strength of the ground game and defense. This would also stand as an NFL record for best start for a rookie quarterback until 2004—when the Steelers' own Ben Roethlisberger more than doubled that record and went 13–0 as a starter his rookie season. However, injuries to both Bleier and Harris in the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Baltimore Colts sidelined them both for the following week's AFC Championship game against the Oakland Raiders. Without both of their 1,000-yard rushers, the Steelers lost to the Raiders by a score of 24–7. Even with Pittsburgh coming up short, many Steelers fans—including the Rooney family themselves—consider the 1976 Steelers the best team in franchise history, even better than all six world championship teams.August 2013 Jack Lambert, who won 4 Super Bowls with the Steelers between 1974 and 1979, claimed that the 1976 Steelers team was the best team that he ever played for, and subsequently, the loss to the Raiders in the AFC Championship game was the most painful loss of his career. Lambert is convinced that they would have beaten the Raiders and gone on to win that season's Super Bowl had Harris and Bleier both been healthy and available for said AFC Championship game. Despite their opinions, the 1976 Steelers were not on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.NFL Top 100 Teams https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nfl-top-100-teams.htm Pro Football Reference100 Greatest Teams: Numbers 100-1 SUPERCUT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qzU600OwVc NFL.com In 2007, ESPN.com named the 1976 Steelers the greatest defense in NFL history,The List: Best NFL defense of all-time, 2007 noting, "the 1976 unit was the best (slightly better than the '75 squad). Here's why: 28. That's how many points the Steel Curtain surrendered in the last nine games of the season. That's a total. As a result, Pittsburgh, which started the season 1–4, made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game. Only one of the seven teams the Steelers played during the streak finished the season with a winning record (Cincinnati) and none made the playoffs. However the defensive dominance did extend to the Divisional playoff with a resounding 40–14 defeat of the AFC East Champion Baltimore Colts. The Steelers' defense had Hall of Famers Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham and Mel Blount. And eight Steelers defensive players made the 1976 Pro Bowl team: cornerback J.T. Thomas, defensive end L. C. Greenwood, Greene, Ham, Lambert, defensive back Glen Edwards, safety Mike Wagner, and Blount." Personnel Staff / Coaches 1976 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 Ticket manager — Joseph H. Carr Director of player personnel — Dick Haley Assistant director of player personnel — Bill Nunn Director of professional scouting — V. Timothy Rooney Head coach — Chuck Noll Offensive backfield — Dick Hoak Offensive line — Dan Radakovich Offensive assistant — John Spezzaferro Receivers — Lionel Taylor Defensive coordinator — Bud Carson Defensive line — George Perles Linebackers — Woody Widenhofer Strength — Louis Riecke Flexibility — Paul Uram Team Physician, M.D. — Dr. David S. Huber Team physician, orthopedic — Dr. Paul B. Steele, Jr. Team 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 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide Roster 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers 43 8 12 Terry Bradshaw 16 Neil Graff 15 Mike Kruczek y 20 Rocky Bleier 35 Jack Deloplaine y 33 John Fuqua 32 Franco Harris 46 Reggie Harrison 83 Theo Bell y 43 Frank Lewis American football 22 Ernie Pough y 82 John Stallworth 88 Lynn Swann 87 Larry Brown tight end, born 1949 89 Bennie Cunningham y 84 Randy Grossman 50 Jim Clack G 57 Sam Davis American football G 55 Jon Kolb T 56 Ray Mansfield C 72 Gerry Mullins T 74 Ray Pinney y T 52 Mike Webster C/G 76 John Banaszak DE 64 Steve Furness DE 75 Joe Greene DT 68 L. C. Greenwood DE 63 Ernie Holmes DT 78 Dwight White DE 53 Greg Blankenship OLB 59 Jack Ham OLB 54 Marv Kellum MLB 58 Jack Lambert American football MLB 34 Andy Russell American football OLB 51 Loren Toews OLB 45 Jimmy Allen American football CB 47 Mel Blount CB 27 Glen Edwards safety FS 31 Donnie Shell SS 24 J. T. Thomas defensive back CB 23 Mike Wagner SS 10 Roy Gerela K 39 Bobby Walden P 44 Mike Collier American football RB IR 67 Gary Dunn y DT IR 73 Jim Files b. 1953 y G IR 36 Wentford Gaines y CB IR 86 Reggie Garrett WR IR 71 Gordon Gravelle T IR 11 Allen Hooker S IR 29 Brent Sexton American football CB IR 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide 1977 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/pit/1976_roster.htm 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers Pro-Football-Reference.com 2014-12-17 Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue 1 September 12 at Oakland Raiders L 28–31 0–1 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 2 September 19 Cleveland Browns W 31–14 1–1 Three Rivers Stadium 3 September 26 New England Patriots L 27–30 1–2 Three Rivers Stadium 4 October 4, 1976 at Minnesota Vikings L 6–17 1–3 Metropolitan Stadium 5 October 10 at Cleveland Browns L 16–18 1–4 Cleveland Stadium 6 October 17 Cincinnati Bengals W 23–6 2–4 Three Rivers Stadium 7 October 24 at New York Giants W 27–0 3–4 Giants Stadium 8 October 31 San Diego Chargers W 23–0 4–4 Three Rivers Stadium 9 November 7 at Kansas City Chiefs W 45–0 5–4 Arrowhead Stadium 10 November 14 Miami Dolphins W 14–3 6–4 Three Rivers Stadium 11 November 21 Houston Oilers W 32–16 7–4 Three Rivers Stadium 12 November 28 at Cincinnati Bengals W 7–3 8–4 Riverfront Stadium 13 December 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 42–0 9–4 Three Rivers Stadium 14 December 11, 1976 at Houston Oilers W 21–0 10–4 Houston AstrodomeNote: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: at Oakland Raiders Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2; text-align:center collapsed Week One: Pittsburgh Steelers (0–0) at Oakland Raiders (0–0) September 12, 1976 4:00 pm EDT Steelers 0 7 7 14 Raiders 7 0 0 24 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California 51,371 62 F C 1 or, wind 8 mph km/h knots Jim Tunney NBC Curt Gowdy & Don Meredith First quarter No Scoring Plays Second quarter OAK — Casper 30-yard pass from Stabler (Steinfort kick). Raiders 7–0 PIT — Bleier 2-yard-yard run (Gerela kick). 7–7 Third quarter PIT — Stallworth 47-yard lateral from Harris after 25-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 14–7 Fourth quarter PIT — Bell 11-yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick). Steelers 21–7 OAK — Biletnikoff 21-yard pass from Stabler (Steinfort kick). Steelers 21–14 PIT — Harris 3-yard-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 28–14 OAK — Casper 10-yard pass from Stabler (Steinfort kick). Steelers 28–21 OAK — Stabler 2-yard-yard run (Steinfort kick). 28–28 OAK — Steinfort 21-yard field goal. Raiders 31–28 Additional Notes The game was cited by the Sacramento Bee as one of the "great games of the past" and was described as a shootout.1978 Great Games of the Past The Sacramento Bee web https://www.newspapers.com/image/620943761/?terms=Michael%20Droese%20sprinter 13 March 2023 Week 2: vs. Cleveland Browns Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Two: Cleveland Browns (1–0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (0–1) Sunday, September 19, 1976 1:00 pm EDT Browns 0 14 0 0 Steelers 0 0 17 14 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 49,169 63 F C 1 or, wind 9 mph km/h knots Tommy Bell NBC Jack Buck & Paul Maguire First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter CLE — Rucker 14-yard pass from Sipe (Cockroft kick). Browns 7–0 CLE — Roan 17-yard pass from Sipe (Cockroft kick). Browns 14–0 Third quarter PIT — Stallworth 14-yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick). Browns 14–7 PIT — Gerela 47-yard field goal. Browns 14–10 PIT — Harris 2-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 17–14 PIT — Stallworth 5-yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick). Steelers 24–14 PIT — Bradshaw 7-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 31–14 Week 3: vs. New England Patriots Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Three: New England Patriots (1–1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1–1) Sunday, September 26, 1976 1:00 pm EDT Patriots 6 3 14 7 Steelers 7 6 7 7 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 47,379 56 F C 1 or, wind 8 mph km/h knots Dick Jorgensen NBC First quarter PIT — Harris 3-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 7–0 NWE — Smith 42-yard field goal. Steelers 7–3 NWE — Smith 40-yard field goal. Steelers 7–6 Second quarter PIT — Gerela 32-yard field goal. Steelers 10–6 NWE — Smith 26-yard field goal. Steelers 10–9 PIT — Gerela 41-yard field goal. Steelers 13–9 Third quarter PIT — Harris 2-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 20–9 NWE — Francis 38-yard pass from Grogan (Smith kick). Steelers 20–16 NWE — Stingley 58-yard pass from Grogan (Smith kick). Patriots 23–20 Fourth quarter NWE — Grogan 6-yard run (Smith kick). Patriots 30–20 PIT — Grossman 11-yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick). Patriots 30–27 Week 4: at Minnesota Vikings Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Four: Pittsburgh Steelers (1–2) at Minnesota Vikings (2–0–1) Monday, October 4, 1976 9:00 pm EDT Steelers 6 0 0 0 Vikings 0 7 0 10 Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota 47,809 65 F C 1 or, wind 13 mph km/h knots Pat Haggerty ABC Frank Gifford (play by play)Alex Karras and Howard Cosell (color commentators) First quarter PIT — Cunningham 1-yard pass from Bradshaw (kick blocked). Steelers 6–0 Second quarter MIN — Foreman 8-yard run (Cox kick). Vikings 7–6 Fourth quarter MIN — Foreman 4-yard run (Cox kick). Vikings 14–6 MIN — Cox 43-yard field goal. Vikings 17–6 Week 5: at Cleveland Browns Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Five: Pittsburgh Steelers (1–3) at Cleveland Browns (1–3) Sunday, October 10, 1976 1:00 p.m. EST Steelers 7 3 0 6 Browns 3 3 9 3 Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 76,411 48 F C 1 or, wind 13 mph km/h knots Bernie Ulman NBC Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter CLE — Don Cockroft 43-yard field goal. Browns 3–0 PIT — Franco Harris 1-yard-yard run (Roy Gerela kick). Steelers 7–3 Second quarter CLE — Don Cockroft 28-yard field goal .Steelers 7–6 PIT — Roy Gerela 30-yard field goal. Steelers 10–6 Third quarter CLE — Cleo Miller 1-yard-yard run (kick failed) .Browns 12–10 CLE — Don Cockroft 50-yard field goal. Browns 15–10 Fourth quarter CLE — Don Cockroft 40-yard field goal. Browns 18–10 PIT — Mike Kruczek 22-yard-yard run (kick blocked). Browns 18–16 Top-yard passers PIT — Terry Bradshaw — 10/18, 75 yards, INT CLE — Brian Sipe — 4/14, 80 yards Top rushers PIT — Franco Harris — 13 rushes, 39 yards, TD CLE — Greg Pruitt — 22 rushes, 76 yards Top receivers PIT — Lynn Swann — 3 receptions, 74 yards CLE — Reggie Rucker — 3 receptions, 77 yards Terry Bradshaw was injured on a sack by Turkey Jones and missed six weeks. Week 6: vs. Cincinnati Bengals Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Six: Cincinnati Bengals (4–1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1–4) Sunday, October 17, 1976 1:00 pm EDT Bengals 3 0 3 0 Steelers 0 13 0 10 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 48,311 41 F C or, wind 9 mph km/h knots Cal Lepore NBC Curt Gowdy and John Brodie https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197610170pit.htm Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers — October 17th, 1976 Pro Football Reference First quarter CIN — Bahr 22-yard field goal. 0–3 Second quarter PIT — Gerela 42-yard field goal. 3–3 PIT — Harris 1-yard run (Gerela kick). 10–3 PIT — Gerela 40-yard field goal. 13–3 Third quarter CIN — Bahr 19-yard field goal. 13–6 Fourth quarter PIT — Harris 1-yard run (Gerela kick). 20–6 PIT — Gerela 30-yard field goal. 23–6 Week 7: at New York Giants Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Seven: Pittsburgh Steelers (2–4) at New York Giants (0–6) Sunday, October 24, 1976 1:00 pm EDT Steelers 0 10 0 17 Giants 0 0 0 0 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 69,783 51 F C 1 or, wind 10 mph km/h knots Gordon McCarter NBC https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197610240nyg.htm Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Giants — October 24th, 1976 Pro Football Reference First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter PIT — Harris 1-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 7–0 PIT — Gerela 21-yard field goal. Steelers 10–0 Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter PIT — Harris 1-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 17–0 PIT — Gerela 28-yard field goal. Steelers 20–0 PIT — Lewis 16-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 27–0 This was the first of five shoutout victories, and the second of a sequence of nine games conceding just two touchdowns. Week 8: vs. San Diego Chargers Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Eight: San Diego Chargers (4–3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3–4) Sunday, October 31, 1976 1:00 pm EST Chargers 0 0 0 0 Steelers 0 3 0 20 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 45,484 44 F C 1 or, wind 14 mph km/h knots Tommy Bell NBC Jim Simpson and Len Dawson https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197610310pit.htm San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers — October 31st, 1976 Pro Football Reference First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter PIT — Gerela 36-yard field goal. Steelers 3–0 Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter PIT — Bradshaw 1-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 10–0 PIT — Pough 11-yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick). Steelers 17–0 PIT — Fuqua 3-yard run (kick failed). Steelers 23–0 Week 9: at Kansas City Chiefs Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Nine: Pittsburgh Steelers (4–4) at Kansas City Chiefs (3–5) Sunday, November 7, 1976 2:00 pm EST Steelers 7 3 21 14 Chiefs 0 0 0 0 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 71,516 41 F C or, wind 14 mph km/h knots Fred Silva NBC Ross Porter and Lionel Aldridge https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197611070kan.htm Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs — November 7th, 1976 Pro Football Reference First quarter PIT — Harrison 4-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 7–0 Second quarter PIT — Gerela 28-yard field goal. Steelers 10–0 Third quarter PIT — Harris 25-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 17–0 PIT — Harris 5-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 24–0 PIT — Lewis 19-yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick). Steelers 31–0 Fourth quarter PIT — Deloplaine 15-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 38–0 PIT — Deloplaine 7-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 45–0 Week 10: vs. Miami Dolphins Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Ten: Miami Dolphins (5–4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5–4) Sunday, November 14, 1976 4:00 pm EST Dolphins 0 0 3 0 Steelers 0 7 0 7 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 48,945 29 F C 1 or, wind 10 mph km/h knots Bob Frederic NBC Curt Gowdy and Don Meredith https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197611140pit.htm Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers — November 14th, 1976 Pro Football Reference First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter PIT — Harris 21-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 7–0 Third quarter MIA — Yepremian 45-yard field goal. Steelers 7–3 Fourth quarter PIT — Harrison 1-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 14–3 Week 11: vs. Houston Oilers Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Eleven: Houston Oilers (4–6) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6–4) Sunday, November 21, 1976 1:00 pm EST Oilers 0 10 0 6 Steelers 10 5 10 7 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 47,947 32 F C or, wind 11 mph km/h knots Ben Dreith NBC Curt Gowdy and John Brodie https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197611210pit.htm Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers — November 21st, 1976 Pro Football Reference First quarter PIT — Bleier 10-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 7–0 PIT — Gerela 37-yard field goal. Steelers 10–0 Second quarter PIT — Safety, Toews blocked punt out of end zone. Steelers 12–0 HOU — Burrough 69-yard pass from Hadl (Butler kick). Steelers 12–7 PIT — Gerela 35-yard field goal. Steelers 15–7 HOU — Butler 43-yard field goal. Steelers 15–10 Third quarter PIT — Harrison 1-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 22–10 PIT — Gerela 18-yard field goal. Steelers 25–10 Fourth quarter PIT — Harrison 1-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 32–10 HOU — Sawyer 2-yard pass from Hadl (kick failed). Steelers 32–16 Week 12: at Cincinnati Bengals Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Twelve: Pittsburgh Steelers (7–4) at Cincinnati Bengals (9–2) Sunday, November 28, 1976 4:00 pm EST Steelers 0 0 7 0 Bengals 3 0 0 0 Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati 55,142 32 F C or, wind 12 mph km/h knots Jim Tunney NBC Curt Gowdy and Don Meredith https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197611280cin.htm Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals — November 28th, 1976 Pro Football reference First quarter CIN — Bahr 40-yard field goal. Bengals 3–0 Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter PIT — Harris 4-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 7–3 Fourth quarter No scoring plays Week 13: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Thirteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, December 5, 1976 1:00 p.m. EST Buccaneers 0 0 0 0 Steelers 7 21 14 0 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 43,385 23 F C or, wind 5 mph km/h knots Cal Lepore NBC Box score First quarter PIT – Rocky Bleier 7-yard run (Roy Gerela kick). Steelers 7–0 Second quarter PIT – Rocky Bleier 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick). Steelers 14–0 PIT – Mike Kruczek 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick). Steelers 21–0 PIT – Rocky Bleier 3-yard run (Roy Gerela kick). Steelers 28–0 Third quarter PIT – Lynn Swann 35-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick). Steelers 35–0 PIT – Lynn Swann 23-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick). Steelers 42–0 Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers PIT – Mike Kruczek – 6/7, 84 yards TAM – Steve Spurrier – 4/10, 58 yards, INT Top rushers PIT – Rocky Bleier – 29 rushes, 118 yards, 3 TD TAM – Jimmy DuBose – 5 rushes, 32 yards Top receivers PIT – Lynn Swann – 5 receptions, 92 yards, 2 TD TAM – Jack Novak – 2 receptions, 30 yards Week 14: at Houston Oilers Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Fourteen: Pittsburgh Steelers (9–4) at Houston Oilers (5–8) Saturday, December 11, 1976 4:00 pm EST Steelers 0 7 7 7 Oilers 0 0 0 0 Astrodome, Houston, Texas 44,743 Played indoors (domed stadium) Fred Silva NBC Curt Gowdy and John Brodie https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197612110oti.htm Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Oilers — December 11th, 1976 Pro Football Reference First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter PIT — Swann 21-yard pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick). Steelers 7–0 Third quarter PIT — Harris 11-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 14–0 Fourth quarter PIT — Bradshaw 1-yard run (Gerela kick). Steelers 21–0 With this win the Steelers record the most NFL shutouts in a season in 50 years with their fifth and set a new NFL record forcing 71 punts in a season. Standings Postseason Schedule Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Attendance Divisional December 19 at Baltimore Colts (2) W 40–14 1–0 Memorial Stadium 59,296 AFC Championship December 26 at Oakland Raiders (1) L 7–24 1–1 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 53,821 Game summaries AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (2) Baltimore Colts Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2;text-align:center; autocollapse AFC Divisional Playoffs: (3) Pittsburgh Steelers at (2) Baltimore Colts December 19 2:00 p.m. EST Steelers 9 17 0 14 Colts 7 0 0 7 Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland 59,296 36 F C, wind 6 MPH Pat Haggerty NBC Jim Simpson & John Brodie Box score First quarter PIT – Frank Lewis 76-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (kick failed). Steelers 6–0. PIT – Roy Gerela 45-yard field goal. Steelers 9–0. BAL – Roger Carr 17-yard pass from Bert Jones (Toni Linhart kick). Steelers 9–7. Second quarter PIT – Reggie Harrison 1-yard run (Roy Gerela kick). Steelers 16–7. PIT – Lynn Swann 29-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick). Steelers 23–7. PIT – Roy Gerela 25-yard field goal. Steelers 26–7. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter PIT – Lynn Swann 11-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick). Steelers 33–7. BAL – Roosevelt Leaks 1-yard run (Toni Linhart kick). Steelers 33–14. PIT – Reggie Harrison 10-yard run (Ray Mansfield kick). Steelers 40–14. Top passers PIT – Terry Bradshaw – 14/18, 264 yards, 3 TD BAL – Bert Jones – 11/25, 144 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers PIT – Franco Harris – 18 rushes, 132 yards BAL – Lydell Mitchell – 16 rushes, 55 yards Top receivers PIT – Frank Lewis – 2 receptions, 103 yards, TD BAL – Raymond Chester – 3 receptions, 42 yards Pittsburgh gained a then-NFL record 524 total yards, but Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier were lost to injuries. AFC Championship: at (1) Oakland Raiders Pittsburgh Steelers 1976 2;text-align:center; autocollapse AFC Championship: (3) Pittsburgh Steelers at (1) Oakland Raiders December 26 4:00 p.m. EST / 1:00 p.m. PST Steelers 0 7 0 0 Raiders 3 14 7 0 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California 53,821 47 F C, wind 7 MPH Tommy Bell NBC Curt Gowdy & Don Meredith Box score First quarter OAK – Errol Mann 39-yard field goal. Raiders 3–0. Second quarter OAK – Clarence Davis 1-yard run (Errol Mann kick). Raiders 10–0. PIT – Reggie Harrison 3-yard run (Ray Mansfield kick). Raiders 10–7. OAK – Warren Bankston 4-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Errol Mann kick). Raiders 17–7. Third quarter OAK – Pete Banaszak 5-yard pass from Ken Stabler (Errol Mann kick). Raiders 24–7. Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers PIT – Terry Bradshaw – 14/35, 176 yards, INT OAK – Ken Stabler – 10/16, 88 yards, 2 TD Top rushers PIT – Reggie Harrison – 11 rushes, 44 yards, TD OAK – Mark van Eeghen – 22 rushes, 66 yards Top receivers PIT – Lynn Swann – 3 receptions, 58 yards OAK – Cliff Branch – 3 receptions, 46 yards References 35em Further reading Anthony Balbo, Gimme a Six-Pack: The Story of the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers. Denver, CO: Outskirts Press, 2020. External links 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers season at Profootballreference.com 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers season statistics at jt-sw.com Category:Pittsburgh Steelers seasons Pittsburgh Steelers Category:AFC Central championship seasons Pittsburgh Steel Category:1976 in Pittsburgh