16. 1977 MIAMI DOLPHINS at 1. 1975 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION PITTSBURGH STEELERS
1. 1975 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Record: 12-2
Pythag: 12-2
Off: 5th
Def: 2nd
1st AFC Central
d. Colts Div Rnd 28-10
d. Raiders AFC Title 16-10
d. Cowboys Super Bowl 21-17
HC Chuck Noll, DC Bud Carson
Three Rivers Stadium: 40 degrees
Jack Fleming/Myron Cope
Offense
QB Terry Bradshaw (27 La Tech)
RB Rocky Bleier (29 N Dame)
RB Franco Harris (25 Penn St)
WR Lynn Swann (23 USC)
WR John Stallworth (23 Alabama A&M)
TE Larry Brown (26 Kansas)
LT Jon Kolb (28 Ok St)
LG Jim Clack (28 Wake)
C Ray Mansfield (34 Wash)
RG Gerry Mullins (26 USC)
RT Gordon Gravelle (26 BYU)
Defense
LDE LC Greenwood (29 Ark PB) All Pro
LDT Mean Joe Greene (29 N Tex)
RDT Ernie Holmes (27 Tex So.)
RDE Dwight White (26 Tex A&M-Comm)
LLB Jack Ham (27 Penn St) All Pro
MLB Jack Lambert (23 Kent St)
RLB Andy Russell (34 Missouri)
LCB JT Thomas (24 Florida St)
RCB Mel Blount (27 Southern) All Pro
SS Mike Wagner (26 W Illinois)
FS Glen Edwards (28 Florida A&M)
K Roy Gerela (27 N Mex St)
P Bobby Walden (37 UGA)
KR Mike Collier (22 Morg St)
PR Dave Brown (22 Mich)
The top ranked Steelers team in the field is the '75 Super Bowl Champs. 2nd in defense, 5th in offense. 3 All Pros on defense led by 27 year old Mel Blount with his 11 picks. 27 year old Jack Ham and 29 year old LC Greenwood round out that trio. Lambert's 23, Mean Joe 29, both Pro Bowlers. On the other side of the ball, Bradshaw is 27, 21 total scores and 9 picks. 11 scores for 25 year old Franco and 23 year old Swann. Each of the number one seeds in the first 6 regions have advanced. Gonna be cold in Pittsburgh for that Miami squad.
16. 1977 MIAMI DOLPHINS
Record: 10-4
Pythag: 11-3
Off: 3rd
Def: 5th
2nd AFC East
Did not make playoffs
d. '76 Patriots 38-19
HC Don Shula, OC Howard Schnellenberger DC John Sandusky
Offense
QB Bob Griese (32 Purdue) All Pro
RB Benny Malone (25 Ariz St)
FB Norm Bulach (31 TCU)
WR Nat Moore (26 Florida) All Pro
WR Duriel Harris (23 N Mex St)
TE Andre Tillman (25 TTech)
LT Wayne Moore (32 Lamar)
LG Bob Kuechenberg (30 N Dame)
C Jim Langer (29 S Dak St) All Pro
RG Larry Little (32 Beth Cook)
RT Mike Current (32 Ohio St)
Defense
LDE Vern Den Herder (29 Cent Coll)
NT Bob Baumhower (22 Alabama)
RDE AJ Duhe (23-R LSU)
LOLB Kim Bokamper (23-R S Jose St)
LILB Steve Towle (24 Kansas)
RILB Bob Matheson (33 Duke)
ROLB Larry Gordon (23 Ariz St)
LCB Norris Thomas (23-R So Miss)
RCB Curtis Johnson (29 Toledo)
SS Tim Foley (29 Purdue)
FS Vern Robinson (25-R Grambling)
K Garo Yepremian (33 None)
P Mike Michel (23 Stanford)
KR Gary Davis (23 C Poly San Luis Obisp)
PR Freddie Solomon (24 Tampa)
Winners of the Region 7 Play In Game - the '77 Dolphins missed the playoffs, but they were 3rd in offense and 5th in defense which is a pretty good resume for the Play in Game. Bob Griese is 32, All Pro, 22 scores and 13 picks. Nat Moore's 26, also an All Pro, scored 13 times in a 14 game season. 29 year old Jim Langer is also an All Pro. 5 rookie starters on that fifth best defense in football. The '75 Dolphins and '82 Dolphins are already into the next round.
We're off to Three Rivers to see the top seeds in the region in a 1970s showdown.
1st Qtr
Miami at the 20.
1/10 - Benny Malone is stopped at the line. This sure shapes up as a grind it out 70s style game.
2/10 - Gary Davis gets 4.
3/6 - Bob Griese picks it up - 13 to Nat Moore, Moore scores twice in the play in, he's facing Mel Blount today.
1/10 - Griese to Davis - breaks a tackle and he's got open field for 19 yards, big Miami gain into Steeler territory.
But the next 3 plays net 5 yards. After the punt, Steelers at the 11.
3 and out. Freddie Solomon with the nice return - Miami all the way to the Steeler 38 yard line.
1/10 - Griese goes to Solomon - 10 yards, Miami is at the 28.
But....the next 3 plays net a yard....and then Garo misses the FG and the Steelers take over at the 34.
1/10 - Franco Harris right up the gut, 11 yards.
1/10 - Frenchy Fuqua gets 7.
2/3 - Rocky Bleier picks it up, Steelers at the Dolphin 44.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Terry Bradshaw's first completion is to Bleier - 14 yards to the 30.
1/10 - Franco stopped at the line.
2/10 - Bradshaw screen to Franco - he picks his way forward all the way to the Miami 20.
1/10 - Give to Bleier - he's met at the line by Bob Baumhower -- Fumble -- Fumble --Miami recovers, big play by the Dolphin defense.
1/10 - Griese to Moore, 6 yards out to the Miami 21.
2/4 - Benny Malone finds a seam, 18 yards - to the 39.
1/10 - Davis gets 7, the quarter ends with Miami at their own 46.
2nd Qtr
Defense in the first quarter - Miami's best drive ends in a missed kick, Steelers ended in a Bleier fumble. Miami has second and 3 near midfield.
2/3 Norm Bulaich gets a yard and it's third and 2.
3/2 - Bulaich is Thumped at the line by Lambert -- Fumble -- Fumble -- and the Steelers take over.
3 and out.
Miami will start at their own 18. 12:35 left in the half.
1/10 - Bulaich nothing.
2/10 - Griese to Duriel Harris for 14.
1/10 - Malone gets 2.
2/8 - Incomplete
3/8 - Griese goes back to Harris - with Moore covered by Blount, you knew you'd see a heavy dose of Duriel Harris and he has 15 and the first down to the 49.
But it stops here, 3 plays go nowhere at all. Steelers start at the 22.
They get just one play - Bleier fumbles again - Rocky Bleier loses his second fumble of the day - and that's a big, big play, the Dolphins at the Steeler 32....a holding penalty will knock them back 10 however, back to the 42 --- and from then it's 3 and out.
Steelers at their own 13. Less than 7 minutes left in a scoreless first half.
1/10 - Noll unafraid to go back to Bleier, he gets 7.
2/3 - Franco loses 2.
3/5 - Bradshaw under heat, but he slips it and gains 14.
1/10 - Franco gets 4.
2/6 - Incomplete
3/6 - Franco picks it up and the Steelers reach midfield.
1/10 - Bleier gets 2.
2/8 - Bleier gets 5 - it's a 3rd and 3 at the 2 minute warning.
3/3 - Frenchy Fuqua picks it up - Pittsburgh at the Miami 40
1/10 - Bradshaw first completion is to Frank Lewis for four.
2/6 - Bradshaw is running -- Bradshaw is running - Bradshaw scrambles all the way to the Miami 14 yard line.
The drive ends here - Gerela kicks a short FG, with less than a minute left in the half, Steelers are on the scoreboard.
Miami's drive goes nowhere and it's halftime.
Third Qtr
3-0 Steelers, all defense in the first half - Miami still in this one, we could see a 16/1 upset.
Steelers at the 28.
1/10 - Bleier is stuffed in the backfield for a 5 yard loss.
2/15 - Franco gets 8.
3/7 - Swann's first reception - a dozen yards and the first down.
1/10 - Bleier gets 11 and Pittsburgh's in the Miami side of the field.
But it ends here and a 5 yard AJ Duhe sack of Bradshaw sends Pittsburgh backward.
Dolphins at the 16.
1/10 - Davis gets 2
2/8 - Griese finds Davis out of the backfield for 11.
1/10 - Malone is stopped.
2/10 - Maline gets a yard.
3/9 - Griese to Moore -- NO - Mel Blount Steps in front of the Pass -- And Mel Blount is Gone! Blount down the Sideline -- Blount to the House -- TOUCHDOWN STEELERS - Mel Blount 37 yards to the House -- TOUCHDOWN STEELERS -- Blount takes a Griese pick back 37 yards and it's 10-0 Steelers.
Miami at the 29. A 8 yard Bulaich run will give Miami a first down - but the drive ends at the 40, after the punt, it's Pittsburgh at their own 26.
1/10 - Franco for 4.
2/6 - Franco for 2.
3/4 - Franco for 7 and the first down.
1/10 - Fuqua busts one -- Frenchy Fuqua 46 yards all the way to the Miami 15.
1/10 - Bradshaw to Randy Grossman - 9 yards.
2/1 - Franco picks it up as the quarter ends.
4th Qtr
Blount's pick 6 makes it 10-0, Steelers now have a first and goal and are looking to salt this away.
1/goal - Bleier gets right to the goal line
2/goal - Bradshaw sneak -- TOUCHDOWN STEELERS - Pittsburgh goes up 17-0 and it seems really unlikely Miami's making its way back from this.
Miami at the 17.
1/10 - Davis gets 11.
1/10 - Malone gets a yard.
2/9 - Davis busts one -- Gary Davis home run - 55 yards all the way to the Steeler 16.
1/10 - Bulaich through the line -- Bulaich breaking tackles -- TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS - In 2 minutes Miami scores its first points of the game and the deficit is cut 17-7 on the 16 yard Bulaich TD run.
Steelers at the 25. Under 12 to play. Can Miami get the quick stop?
The Steelers get 1 first down, Bradshaw to Stallworth, his first catch, 10 yards - but the drive ends around midfield and Miami gets the ball back, 7:33 left, at their own 30 yard line, trailing 17-7.
That last TD drive was all running plays - what does Miami do here?
Miami at the 30.
1/10 - Bulaich gets 3.
2/7 - Incomplete.
3/7 - Griese picks it up. 9 to Nat Moore. Miami is at their own 42, little more than 6 left, they need 10 pts.
1/10 - Malone gets 4.
2/6 - Incomplete
3/6 - Incomplete
Shula's going for it - 5 minutes and change left, down 10 - this makes sense.
4/10 - Incomplete.
Steelers take over on downs and that is probably that.
The Steelers run on every play, picking up one first down - with 2:26 left, Gerela....misses a FG...Miami regains at the 32. 2:22 to go. 17-7
Sacks by Donnie Shell and Jack Lambert sandwich a 20 yard completion to Duriel Harris - with under a minute left Pittsburgh regains possession on downs - they kill the rest of the clock and it's over.
Final: Steelers 17 Dolphins 7
All defense on this one - the Steel Curtain, riding the Blount Pick 6, takes it and moves on.
Bradshaw: 9 for 20, 90 yds, 1 TD
Griese: 10 for 27, 116 yds, 1 INT
Franco: 22 for 70
Davis: 10 for 87
Swann: 2 for 17
Harris: 3 for 49
Blount: INT/TD
Lambert: 10 tackles/sack
Player of the Game: Mel Blount
