2. 1979 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Record: 12-4
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 1st
Def: 5th
1st AFC Central
d. Dolphins Div Rnd 34-14
d. Oilers AFC Title 27-13
d. Rams Super Bowl 31-19
HC Chuck Noll DC Woody Widenhofer
Three Rivers Stadium: 45 degrees
Jack Fleming/Myron Cope
Offense:
QB Terry Bradshaw 31 La Tech
RB Sidney Thornton 25 NW St
FB Franco Harris 29 Penn St
WR John Stallworth 27 All Pro Ala A&M
WR Lynn Swann 27 USC
TE Bennie Cunningham 25 Clemson
LT Jon Kolb 32 Okla St
LG Sam Davis 35 Allen
C Mike Webster 27 All Pro
RG Steve Courson 24 S Carolina
RT Larry Brown 30 Kansas
Defense
LDE LC Greenwood 33 Ark PB
LDT Mean Joe Greene 33 N Tex
RDT Gary Dunn Miami 26
RDE Dwight White 30 Tex A&M Comm
LLB Jack Ham 31 All Pro Penn St
MLB Jack Lambert 27 All Pro Kent St
RLB Dirt Winston 24 Ark
LCB Ron Johnson 23 E Mich
RCB Mel Blount 31 Southern
SS Donnie Shell 27 All Pro S Carolina St
FS JT Thomas 28 Florida St
K Matt Bahr 23 Penn St
P Craig Colquitt 25 Tenn
KR Larry Anderson 23 La Tech
PR Theo Bell 26 Ariz
The '78 Steelers, '75 Steelers have both advanced - the '79 Super Bowl Champs are the 2 seeds in Region 10, meaning they are the 23rd overall seed in the field. 1st in offense, 5th in defense for the end of the great Steeler dynasty. Terry Bradshaw is 31, 26 scores and 25 picks, Franco Harris is 29, rushed for almost 12 yards in 15 games, John Stallworth is an All Pro, 27 years old, nearly 1200 yards receiving. Mike Webster is also an All Pro at 27. On defense, both Hall of Fame LB are All Pro, Jack Lambert's 27, Jack Ham's 31. 27 year old Donnie Shell is also All Pro with 5 picks.
15. 1952 CLEVELAND BROWNS
Record: 8-4
Pythag: 9-3
Off: 3rd
Def: 2nd
1st NFL American Div
lost Lions NFL Title 17-7
HC Paul Brown
Offense
QB Otto Graham 31 Nwestern
FB Marion Motley 32 Nevada
RB Ken Carpenter 26 Ore St
RB Dub Jones 28 LSU
WR Mac Speedie 32 Utah
WR Pete Brewster 22 R Purdue
LT Lou Groza 28 All Pro Ohio St
LG Abe Gibron 27 Purdue
C Frank Gatski 33 All Pro Auburn
RG Lin Houston 31 Ohio St
RT John Sandusky 27 Nova
Defense
LDE George Young 28 UGA
LDT Bob Gain 23-R UK
MG Bill Willis 31 All Pro Ohio St
RDT Derrell Palmer 30 TCU
RDE Len Ford 26 All Pro Michigan
LLB Walt Michaels 23 Wash&Lee
MLB Tommy Thompson 25 Wm&Mary
RLB Hal Herring 28 Auburn
LDH Warren Lahr 29 Case Western
RDH Tommy James 29 Ohio St
S Bert Rechichar 22 R Tenn
K Lou Groza 28 Ohio St
P Horace Gillom 31 Nevada
KR Ken Carpenter 26 Ore St
PR Ray Renfro 23 N Tex
The '87 Browns, '60 Browns, '53 Browns, '55 Browns have all advanced - if Cleveland can pull the 15/2 upset to round out Region 10, they'll join the list of teams with 5 reps moving through in the first ten regions. Cleveland's 2nd in defense, third in offense. 31 year old Bill Willis, 26 year old Len Ford were both All Pros. 31 year old Otto Graham had 24 scores, 24 picks. 28 year old Lou Groza, 33 year old Frank Gatski were both All Pro. Don Shula's a 22 year old DB for these Browns.
It's a chilly day in Pittsburgh, defense might carry the load - winner of this one grabs the last region 10 spot and will face the '73 Cowboys, lets go to Three Rivers for the kick.
1st Qtr
Browns open at the 28.
3 and out - LC Greenwood sacks Otto Graham to end the drive.
Steelers start at the 42.
1/10 - Franco takes the Steelers first play 40 yards all the way to the Browns 18. Three Rivers is shaking.
1/10 - Sidney Thornton gets the carry, 12 yards. First and goal.
1/goal - Incomplete
2/goal - Bill Willis sacks Bradshaw. Steelers at the 9.
3/goal - Draw play - Franco -- Franco slips a tackle -- Franco Harris is going --- Into the Endzone -- TOUCHDOWN STEELERS - it takes Pittsburgh just 5 plays and they are into the endzone. 7-0
Browns at the 25. Another 3 and out.
Steelers at the 25.
1/10 - Terry Bradshaw's first completion is to John Stallworth, 16 yards.
1/10 - Bradshaw back to Stallworth for 12 more, Steelers across midfield.
The drive dies - after the punt, Browns at the 13.
They get a first down on a 14 yard Marion Motley run - but Joe Greene sacks Graham, Cleveland's punt leaves the Steelers starting at their own 31.
1/10 - 5 for Thornton
2/5 - Bradshaw to Lynn Swann - 9 yards.
1/10 - Franco gets 4
2/6 - Thornton gets 2
3/4 -Bradshaw goes to Thornton, 13 yards - Pittsburgh has reached the Cleveland 36 as the qtr ends.
2nd Qtr: Steelers 7 Browns 0
All Pittsburgh so far, Franco has aTD, Steelers have more sacks than Cleveland has first downs. Pittsburgh first down at the Browns 36.
1/10 - Franco for 5.
2/5 - Thornton is stacked up.
3/5 - Bradshaw to Franco - 10 yards to the 21.
That's the end of the drive - Bahr FG makes it 10-0.
Browns at the 20.
1/10 - 6 yard run for Martion Motley
2/4 - Otto Graham's first completion, 16 yards to Dante Lavelli.
1/10 - Nothing for Motley
2/5 - 5 yards for Ken Carpenter
3/5 - Dub Jones picks up the first down, Browns across midfield for the first time.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Motley stacked up.
3/10 - Graham flushed -- Graham running -- it's a 15 yard gain for Graham he is down at the 32.
The drive ends here and when Groza....Misses..the 42 yd kick, it's still 10-0.
Steelers at the 32.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Franco gets 2
3/8 - Bradshaw is Picked Off by the rookie Bert Rechichar -- big play for Cleveland and they needed one, Browns at the Steeler 45. 4 minutes left in the half.
1/10 - Jones stopped at the line.
2/9 - A yard for Motley
3/9 - Graham to Mac Speedie - 14 yards and the Browns are at the Steeler 30.
1/10 - Graham to Jones -- 17 yards - the Browns moving the ball for the first time all day, at the Steeler 13.
1/10 - Graham to Speedie -- just a couple
2/8 - Graham - End Zone -- Pete Brewster -- TOUCHDOWN BROWNS -- Cleveland capitalizes on that Bradshaw pick and with a little more than 2 minutes to go in the half, it's 10-7, Steelers at the 33.
1/10 - Bradshaw to Bennie Cunningham 8 yards and it's the 2 minute warning.
2/2 - Len Ford drops Bradshaw, Steelers stop the clock, third and long.
3/9 - Bradshaw - sidelines to Stallworth - Pittsburgh with the first down at the 47
1/10 - Give to Franco - he's got a hole -- Franco for 16 yards all the way to the Browns 37, Steelers stopping the clock at 1:32.
1/10 - Bradshaw to Franco - he's out of bounds after 5.
2/5 - Bradshaw -- over the middle to Stallworth in space -- Stallworth all the way down to the 5 yard line! Steelers use their final timeout, there's a little over a minute left, Steelers with first and goal, Pittsburgh is out of timeouts.
1/goal - Franco - stopped at the line - Steelers can't stop the clock - that was a gutsy call by Noll, he thought he could get a run play by Brown - he could not - Bradshaw has to quickly get to the line --
2/goal - Bradshaw - EndZone --- Incomplete. That stops the lock, 39 seconds left in the half, Steelers out of timeouts.
3/goal - Bradshaw -- Endzone --- Incomplete.
The half's going to end with the chip shot FG - it's 13-7.
3rd Qtr: Steelers 13 Browns 7
Cleveland's had 1 drive of any substance, but it's enough to keep them within 6 points.
Good Larry Anderson runback - Steelers start at the 45.
1/10 - Bradshaw - going up top on the first play-- Swann -- 41 yard bingo -- The big shot by Bradshaw to swann on first down -- all the way to the Brown 14 yard line -- that's how the 2nd half gets started, the big shot.
But....that's it, and the 2nd Bill Willis sack ends the drive -- Bahr FG makes it 16-7.
Browns at the 28. 3 and out.
Steelers at their own 19, they get a first down, Bradshaw 13 yards to Franco - but Len Ford gets his 2nd sack - it ends the drive - less than 6 minutes left in the third - Browns start at their own 45.
1/10 - Graham to Speedie, 9 yards.
2/1 - Graham to Dub Jones, he's got blocks -- Jones is gonna go all the way to the Pittsburgh 13 yard line! 33 yards from Graham to Jones -- Browns at the 13!
1/10 - Carpenter for 3
2/7 - Carpenter for 6 - just shy of the sticks - Browns with 3rd and 1 at the 4.
3/1- Motley picks it up, getting to the 1 yard line - first and goal for Cleveland
1/goal - Carpenter is into the endzone -- TOUCHDOWN BROWNS - and with just over a minute left in the third -- Cleveland has sliced the deficit to 16-14.
Steelers at the 36. 2 plays net 6 yards and the quarter ends,
4th Qtr: Steelers 16 Browns 14
Possible big upset here to end Region 10 - the 15th seeded Browns, trailing by just 2 points, Steelers have a 3rd and 4 at their own 42.
3/4 - Bradshaw - Swann -- 8 yards, Steelers at midfield and the drive continues.
1/10 - Franco for 1
2/9 - Thornton stopped at the line.
3/9 - Bradshaw - Cunningham -- 13 yards and the Steelers reach the Cleveland 36.
3 plays lose a yard. So - the Steelers have 4th and 11 at the Browns 37 - they could take the shot at the long FG - they could decide to go for it.
They do neither. Steelers punt. Cleveland ball at the 11. 10 and a half minutes left. Pittsburgh by 2.
1/10 - Carpenter gets 1
2/9 - A dozen yards for Motley and after an offsides call on the next play, Browns at the 29.
1/10 - Graham dump to Carpenter, 3 yards.
2/7 - Graham is flushed, gets 1. Big 3rd down.
3/6 - Graham - Speedie - he's got it, 8 yards to the 41, we are halfway through the 4th, Steelers by 2.
1/10 - Jones gets 1
2/9 - Carpenter gets 1 and it's another 3rd and long.
3/8 - Graham - Lavelli - 13 yard pickup -- and the Browns are now at the Steeler 39 yard line with a little more than 5 minutes to go. From here, it's a 56 yard FG for Groza. Browns want one more first down for sure - there's some nervous fans here in Pittsburgh, their second seeded Steelers in danger.
1/10 - Graham, dumps to Speedie, 1 yard.
2/9 - Incomplete and again, again, 3rd and long.
3/9 - Graham - Lavelli for a dozen yards! First down at the 26 yard line! 4 minutes left in the game and Cleveland is in field goal range.
1/10 - Graham, flushed, gets back to the line.
2/10 - Motley gets 5. Another 3rd down.
3/5 - It's a draw - Jones -- Jones is going to be...just short of the 1st down. There's 2 and a half minutes left in the game - Browns with 4th and less than a yard at the Steeler 17.
34 yard Groza FG would give the Browns the lead with 2 and a half to go.
Snap. Kick. AND ITS OFF THE UPRIGHT! Groza's kick is off the upright! And the Steelers will take over, still up 16-14!
Steelers at their own 24.
3 and out. Browns use their remaining timeouts, but they do get the ball back and in great field position at their own 47 yard line, there's 1:24 left to go.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Graham is sacked by Mean Joe Greene -- clock still ticking -- Cleveland's got a 4th and 17 and they have to hurry
4/17 - Incomplete
And that's it. Bradshaw kneel down and the Steelers survive and advance.
Final: Steelers 16 Browns 14
The Steelers needed a Lou Groza missed FG, but they hold onto this one.
Bradshaw: 16 for 21, 199 yds INT
Graham: 15 for 22, 150 yds
Harris: 17 carries, 86 yds, TD
Motley: 12 carries, 49 yds
Stallworth: 4 catches, 66 yds
Lavelli: 4 catches, 55 yds
Greene/Ford/Willis: 2 sacks
Player of the Game: Mean Joe Greene
Region 10, Round 1 MVP: Terrell Davis
When we come back:
1984 49ers v. 2001 Eagles
2014 Seahawks v. 1975 Raiders
1998 Broncos v. 2018 Patriots
1979 Steelers v. 1973 Cowboys
10 Regions Down: 6 franchises have 5 teams who have moved forward.
Packers
Rams
Broncos
Patriots
49ers
Cowboys
