The 1985 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise’s 53rd season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League. The Steelers challenged for the AFC Central most of the season, sitting at 7–5 after their first twelve games. However, a season-ending four game losing streak would quash both their division title and playoff hopes, as the Steelers finished with a 7–9 record, their first season with a losing record in fourteen years.
Personnel
Staff
1985 Pittsburgh Steelers staff |
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Front office
- Chairman of the Board – Arthur J. Rooney
- President – Daniel M. Rooney
- Vice President – John R. McGinley
- Vice President – Arthur J. Rooney, Jr.
- Controller – Dennis P. Thimons
- Assistant Controller-Management – Dan Ferens
- Traveling Secretary – James A. Boston
- Publicity Director – Joe Gordon
- Director of Ticket Sales – Geraldine Glenn
- Assistant Controller-Tickets – Jim Ellenberger
- Director of Player Personnel – Dick Haley
- Assistant Director of Player Personnel – William Nunn, Jr.
- Pro Talent Scout – Tom Modrak
- Talent Scout – West Coast – Bob Schmitz
- Talent Scout – Midwest – Mike Butler
- College Talent Scout – Joe Krupa
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Strength and conditioning
- Conditioning Coach – Walt Evans
- Dentist – Dr. George P. Boucek
- Ophthalmologist – Dr. Phillip Buzzelli
- Physician, M.D. – Dr. David S. Huber
- Neurological Surgery Consultant – Dr. Joseph C. Maroon
- Physician, M.D. – Dr. Richard Rydze
- Physician, Orthopedic – Dr. Paul Steele
- Physician, M.D. – Dr. Anthony P. Yates
- Trainer – Ralph Berlin
- Trainer – Gary Stragar
- Equipment Manager – Anthony Parisi
- Field Manager – Rodgers Freyvogel
- Film Director – Bob McCartney
- Photographers – Mike Fabus, Bill Amatucci
[1] |
Roster
1985 Pittsburgh Steelers final roster |
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
Practice squad
[2]
[3]
[4]
Rookies in italics
54 Active, 4 Inactive, Practice squad
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Regular season
Schedule
Week |
Date |
Opponent |
Game Site |
Kickoff (ET) |
TV |
Result |
Record |
1 |
Sunday, September 8 |
Indianapolis Colts |
Three Rivers Stadium |
1:00 p.m. |
NBC |
W 45–3 |
1–0 |
2 |
Monday, September 16 |
at Cleveland Browns |
Cleveland Municipal Stadium |
9:00 p.m. |
ABC |
L 17–7 |
1–1 |
3 |
Sunday, September 22 |
Houston Oilers |
Three Rivers Stadium |
1:00 p.m. |
NBC |
W 20–0 |
2–1 |
4 |
Monday, September 30 |
Cincinnati Bengals |
Three Rivers Stadium |
9:00 p.m. |
ABC |
L 37–24 |
2–2 |
5 |
Sunday, October 6 |
at Miami Dolphins |
Miami Orange Bowl |
1:00 p.m. |
NBC |
L 24–20 |
2–3 |
6 |
Sunday, October 13 |
at Dallas Cowboys |
Texas Stadium |
1:00 p.m. |
NBC |
L 27–13 |
2–4 |
7 |
Sunday, October 20 |
St. Louis Cardinals |
Three Rivers Stadium |
1:00 p.m. |
CBS |
W 23–10 |
3–4 |
8 |
Sunday, October 27 |
at Cincinnati Bengals |
Riverfront Stadium |
4:00 p.m. |
NBC |
L 26–21 |
3–5 |
9 |
Sunday, November 3 |
Cleveland Browns |
Three Rivers Stadium |
1:00 p.m. |
NBC |
W 10–9 |
4–5 |
10 |
Sunday, November 10 |
at Kansas City Chiefs |
Arrowhead Stadium |
1:00 p.m. |
NBC |
W 36–28 |
5–5 |
11 |
Sunday, November 17 |
at Houston Oilers |
Astrodome |
1:00 p.m. |
NBC |
W 30–7 |
6–5 |
12 |
Sunday, November 24 |
Washington Redskins |
Three Rivers Stadium |
1:00 p.m. |
CBS |
L 30–23 |
6–6 |
13 |
Sunday, December 1 |
Denver Broncos |
Three Rivers Stadium |
1:00 p.m. |
NBC |
L 31–23 |
6–7 |
14 |
Sunday, December 8 |
at San Diego Chargers |
Jack Murphy Stadium |
9:00 p.m. |
ABC |
L 54–44 |
6–8 |
15 |
Sunday, December 15 |
Buffalo Bills |
Three Rivers Stadium |
1:00 p.m. |
NBC |
W 30–24 |
7–8 |
16 |
Saturday, December 21 |
at New York Giants |
Giants Stadium |
12:30 p.m. |
NBC |
L 28–10 |
7–9 |
Week 1: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 2: at Cleveland Browns
Week 3: vs. Houston Oilers
Week 4: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 5: at Miami Dolphins
Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami Dolphins
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Steelers |
0 |
17 |
0 | 3 | 20 |
Dolphins |
7 |
7 |
3 | 7 | 24 |
at Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
- Date: October 6, 1985
- Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
- Game weather: 80 °F (26.7 °C), relative humidity 79%, wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
- Game attendance: 72,820
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert (play by play), Bob Griese (color commentator)
- [9]
Week 6: at Dallas Cowboys
Pittsburgh Steelers at Dallas Cowboys
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Steelers |
0 |
3 |
0 | 10 | 13 |
Cowboys |
0 |
10 |
10 | 7 | 27 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
- Date: October 13, 1985
- Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
- Game weather: 79 °F (26.1 °C), relative humidity 68%, wind 15 miles per hour (24 km/h; 13 kn)
- Game attendance: 62,932
- Referee: Tom Dooley
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones (play by play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator)
- [10]
Week 7: vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Week 8: at Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Steelers |
0 |
7 |
0 | 14 | 21 |
Bengals |
3 |
14 |
9 | 0 | 26 |
at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati
- Date: October 27, 1985
- Game time: 4:00 pm EST
- Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), wind 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h; 3.5 kn)
- Game attendance: 55,241
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)
- [12]
Week 9: vs. Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Browns |
0 |
6 |
0 | 3 | 9 |
Steelers |
0 |
0 |
7 | 3 | 10 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 3, 1985
- Game time: 1:00 pm EST
- Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
- Game attendance: 51,976
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV announcers (NBC): Len Berman (play by play), Reggie Rucker (color commentator)
- [13]
Week 10: at Kansas City Chiefs
Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs
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1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Steelers |
10 |
17 |
3 | 6 | 36 |
Chiefs |
7 |
7 |
0 | 14 | 28 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Date: November 10, 1985
- Game time: 1:00 pm EST
- Game weather: 36 °F (2.2 °C), wind 13 miles per hour (21 km/h; 11 kn), wind chill 27 °F or −2.8 °C
- Game attendance: 46,126
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert (play by play), Bob Griese (color commentator)
- [14]
Week 11: at Houston Oilers
Week 12: vs. Washington Redskins
Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos
Week 14: at San Diego Chargers
Scoring summary |
Quarter |
Time |
Drive |
Team |
Scoring information |
Score |
Plays |
Yards |
TOP |
Steelers |
Chargers |
1 |
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Chargers |
Tim Spencer 12-yard touchdown run, Robert R. Thomas kick good |
0 |
7
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1 |
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Steelers |
Walter Abercrombie 15-yard touchdown reception from David Woodley, [Gary Anderson (placekicker) kick good |
7 |
7
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1 |
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Chargers |
Wes Chandler 36-yard touchdown reception from Dan Fouts, Robert R. Thomas kick good |
7 |
14
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1 |
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Chargers |
Pete Holohan 20-yard touchdown reception from Dan Fouts, Robert R. Thomas kick good |
7 |
21
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2 |
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Steelers |
Louis Lipps 8-yard touchdown reception from David Woodley, Gary Anderson kick good |
14 |
21
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2 |
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Steelers |
45-yard field goal by Gary Anderson |
17 |
21
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2 |
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Chargers |
Wes Chandler 75-yard touchdown reception from Dan Fouts, Robert R. Thomas kick good |
17 |
28
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2 |
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Chargers |
Buford McGee 3-yard touchdown run, Robert R. Thomas kick no good |
17 |
34
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2 |
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Steelers |
41-yard field goal by Gary Anderson |
20 |
34
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3 |
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Steelers |
David Woodley 1-yard touchdown run, Gary Anderson kick good |
27 |
34
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3 |
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Steelers |
Walter Abercrombie 25-yard touchdown reception from David Woodley, Gary Anderson kick good |
34 |
34
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3 |
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Chargers |
Buford McGee 7-yard touchdown run, Robert R. Thomas kick good |
34 |
41
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4 |
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Steelers |
Louis Lipps 15-yard touchdown run, Gary Anderson kick good |
41 |
41
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4 |
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Steelers |
Gary Anderson-yard field goal by 26 |
44 |
41
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4 |
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Chargers |
Gary Anderson (Chargers) 2-yard touchdown run, Robert R. Thomas kick no good |
44 |
47
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4 |
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Chargers |
Interception returned 47 yards for touchdown by Jeffery Dale, Robert R. Thomas kick good |
44 |
54
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"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. |
44 |
54 |
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Week 15: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 16: at New York Giants
References
- ↑ 1985 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
- ↑ 1985 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
- ↑ 1986 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
- ↑ "1985 Pittsburgh Steelers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers – September 8th, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns – September 16th, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers – September 22nd, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers – September 30th, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami Dolphins – October 6th, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Pittsburgh Steelers at Dallas Cowboys – October 13th, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers – October 20th, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals – October 27th, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers – November 3rd, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs – November 10th, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Oilers – November 17th, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Washington Redskins at Pittsburgh Steelers – November 24th, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers – December 1st, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Pittsburgh Steelers at San Diego Chargers – December 8th, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers – December 15th, 1985
- ↑ Pro Football Reference; Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Giants – December 21st, 1985
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Franchise | |
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Stadiums | |
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Culture | |
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Lore | |
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Rivalries | |
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Media | |
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Division championships (23) | |
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Conference championships (8) | |
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League championships (6) | |
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Retired numbers | |
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Hall of Fame members | |
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Current league affiliations | |
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Seasons (85) | |
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Championship seasons in bold |