1973 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 1973 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 41st season in the National Football League. The team finished second in the AFC Central division, but qualified for the postseason for the second consecutive season. The Steelers got off to a terrific start winning eight of their first nine games. However, a costly three game losing streak would put their playoff hopes in jeopardy. The Steelers would recover to win their last two games, but had to settle for a Wild Card berth with a 10–4 record. The Steelers would lose in the playoffs to the Oakland Raiders 33–14 in Oakland.
| 1973 Pittsburgh Steelers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Chuck Noll |
| Owner | Art Rooney |
| Home field | Three Rivers Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–4 |
| Division place | 2nd AFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Raiders) 33–14 |
| Pro Bowlers | 8
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| AP All-Pros | 3
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| Team MVP | Ron Shanklin |
The 1973 Steelers' pass defense is arguably the greatest in the history of the NFL. Their defensive passer rating—the quarterback passer rating of all opposing quarterbacks throughout the season—was 33.1, an NFL record for the Super Bowl era.
According to Cold Hard Football Facts:[1]
Pittsburgh's pass-defense numbers that year were stunning. Opposing passers compiled the following stat-line:
- 164 of 359 (45.7%) for 1,923 yards, 5.36 [yards-per-attempt], 11 [touchdowns] and 37 [interceptions]
The figure that leaps screaming off the sheet is the amazing 37 picks in 14 games. The 2009 Jets, by comparison, allowed a puny 8 TDs in 16 games, but hauled in just 17 picks.
Pittsburgh's all-time best pass defense was an equal-opportunity unit: Mike Wagner led the team with 8 INT, but 10 other guys recorded at least one pick. Amazing. Eleven defenders boasted at least one INT for Pittsburgh that season. The entire starting secondary recorded 24 picks alone, and Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount was last on the list: Wagner (8), safety Glen Edwards (6), cornerback John Rowser (6) and Blount (4).
Personnel
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Roster
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
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Offseason
NFL Draft
| Team | Rd | Pick | Name | Pos | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIT | 1 | 24 | J.T. Thomas | DB | Florida St. |
| PIT | 2 | 50 | Ken Phares | DB | Mississippi St. |
| PIT | 3 | 76 | Roger Bernhardt | G | Kansas |
| PIT | 4 | 102 | Gail Clark | LB | Michigan St. |
| PIT | 5 | 106 | Dave Reavis | T | Arkansas |
| PIT | 5 | 128 | Larry Clark | LB | Northern Illinois |
| PIT | 6 | 140 | Ron Bell | RB | Illinois St. |
| PIT | 6 | 154 | Glenn Scolnik | WR | Indiana |
| PIT | 7 | 180 | Nate Dorsey | WR | Miss Valley St. |
| PIT | 8 | 192 | Loren Toews | LB | California |
| PIT | 8 | 206 | Bill Janssen | T | Nebraska |
| PIT | 9 | 232 | Bracey Bonham | G | North Carolina Central |
| PIT | 10 | 258 | Don Wunderly | DT | Arkansas |
| PIT | 11 | 284 | Bob White | DB | Arizona |
| PIT | 12 | 310 | Willie Lee | RB | Indiana St. |
| PIT | 13 | 336 | Rick Fergerson | WR | Kansas St. |
| PIT | 14 | 362 | Roger Cowan | DE | Stanford |
| PIT | 15 | 388 | Charles Cross | DB | Iowa |
| PIT | 16 | 414 | Glen Nardi | DT | Navy |
| PIT | 17 | 440 | Mike Shannon | DT | Oregon St. |
Preseason
Game summaries
Regular season
Game summaries
Week 1
Detroit Lions (0–0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (0–0)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Steelers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
- Date: September 16
- Game time: 4:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 64°F; wind 11
- Game attendance: 48,913
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 2
Cleveland Browns (1–0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1–0)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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| Browns | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Steelers | 10 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 33 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: September 23
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 68°F; wind 14
- Game attendance: 49,396
- Referee: Tommy Bell
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 3
Pittsburgh Steelers (2–0) at Houston Oilers (0–2)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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| Steelers | 3 | 3 | 13 | 17 | 36 |
| Oilers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
- Date: September 30
- Game time: 2:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Indoors (dome)
- Game attendance: 39,331
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 4
San Diego Chargers (1–2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3–0)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 21 |
| Steelers | 17 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 38 |
at Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: October 7
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 60°F • Wind 7
- Game attendance: 48,795
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- Pro-Football-Reference
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Johnny Unitas playing for San Diego is knocked out of the game after completing only 3 of 15 passes for 24 yards and three interceptions.
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Week 5
Pittsburgh Steelers (4–0) at Cincinnati Bengals (2–2)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Bengals | 6 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 19 |
at Riverfront Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio
- Date: October 14
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 59°F • Wind 8
- Game attendance: 55,819
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 6
New York Jets (2–3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4–1)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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| Jets | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Steelers | 0 | 9 | 3 | 14 | 26 |
at Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: October 21
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C) • Wind 9
- Game attendance: 48,682
- Referee: John McDonough
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 7 vs Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals (4–2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5–1)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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| Bengals | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Steelers | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
at Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: October 28
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C) • Wind 12 miles per hour (19 km/h; 10 kn)
- Game attendance: 45,761
- Referee: Norm Schachter
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 8 vs Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins (5–2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6–1)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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| Redskins | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
| Steelers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: Monday, November 5
- Game time: 9:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C) • Wind 13 miles per hour (21 km/h; 11 kn)
- Game attendance: 49,220
- Referee: Tommy Bell
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Joe Gilliam makes Monday Night Football debut
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Week 9 at Raiders
Pittsburgh Steelers (7–1) at Oakland Raiders (5–2–1)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
| Raiders | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum • Oakland, California
- Date: November 11
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C) • Wind 16 miles per hour (26 km/h; 14 kn)
- Game attendance: 47,535
- Referee: Bernie Ulman
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 10
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
- Denver – FG Turner 32 – Broncos 3–0
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 15 – Tie 3–3
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 13 – Steelers 6–3
- Denver – FG Turner 11 – Tie 6–6
- Denver – Little 10 run (Turner kick) – Broncos 13–6
- Pittsburgh – Shanklin 42 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick) – Tie 13–13
- Denver – FG Turner 46 – Broncos 16–13
- Denver – Odoms 2 pass from Johnson (Turner kick) – Broncos 23–13
Week 11
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
- Pittsburgh – Shanklin 9 pass from Gilliam (Gerela kick) – Steelers 7–0
- Cleveland – Phipps 1 run (Cockroft kick) – Tie 7–7
- Cleveland – Pruitt 15 pass from Phipps (Cockroft kick) – Browns 14-7
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 24 – Browns 14-10
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 14 – Browns 14-13
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 20 – Steelers 16–14
- Cleveland – Pruitt 19 run (Cockroft kick) – Browns 21–16
Week 12 (Monday December 3, 1973): at Miami Dolphins
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
- Miami – Anderson 27 interception return (Yepremian kick) – Dolphins 7–0
- Miami – FG Yepremian 28 – Dolphins 10–0
- Miami – FG Yepremian 46 – Dolphins 13–0
- Miami – Mandich 2 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick) – Dolphins 20–0
- Miami – Anderson 38 interception return (Yepremian kick) – Dolphins 27–0
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 37 – Dolphins 27–3
- Miami – FG Yepremian 14 – Dolphins 30–3
- Pittsburgh – P. Pearson 5 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) – Dolphins 30–10
- Pittsburgh – Harris 21 run (Gerela kick) – Dolphins 30–17
- Pittsburgh – B. Pearson 17 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) – Dolphins 30–24
- Pittsburgh – Safety, White tackled Griese in end zone – Dolphins 30–26
Week 13
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 49 – Steelers 3–0
- Houston – Alston 11 pass from Pastorini (Butler kick) – Oilers 7–3
- Pittsburgh – B. Pearson 15 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) – Steelers 10–7
- Pittsburgh – Steve Davis 3 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) – Steelers 17–7
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 31 – Steelers 20–7
- Pittsburgh – Ham recovered fumble in end zone (Gerela kick) – Steelers 27–7
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 20 – Steelers 30–7
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 42 – Steelers 33–7
Week 14
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Game summary
John Brodie's number 12 was retired prior to game.
Scoring Drives:
- Pittsburgh – Rowser 71 interception return (Gerela kick) – Steelers 7–0
- San Francisco – Hall recovered blocked punt in end zone (Gossett kick) – Tie 7–7
- Pittsburgh – P. Pearson 1 run (Gerela kick) – Steelers 14–7
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 27 – Steelers 17–7
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 27 – Steelers 20–7
- Pittsburgh – Lewis 50 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) – Steelers 27–7
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 35 – Steelers 30–7
- Pittsburgh – Steve Davis 1 run (Gerela kick) – Steelers 37–7
- San Francisco – Atkins 3 run (Gossett kick) – Steelers 37–14
Standings
| AFC Central | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 4–2 | 8–3 | 286 | 231 | W6 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 4–2 | 7–4 | 347 | 210 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 7 | 5 | 2 | .571 | 4–2 | 6–3–2 | 234 | 255 | L2 |
| Houston Oilers | 1 | 13 | 0 | .071 | 0–6 | 1–10 | 199 | 447 | L6 |
Postseason
AFC Divisional: @ Oakland Raiders
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Scoring Drives
- Oakland – Hubbard 1 run (Blanda kick) – Raiders 7–0
- Oakland – FG Blanda 25 – Raiders 10–0
- Pittsburgh – B. Pearson 4 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) – Raiders 10–7
- Oakland – FG Blanda 31 – Raiders 13–7
- Oakland – FG Blanda 22 – Raiders 16–7
- Oakland – Brown 54 interception return (Blanda kick) – Raiders 23–7
- Oakland – FG Blanda 10 – Raiders 26–7
- Pittsburgh – Lewis 26 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) – Raiders 26–14
- Oakland – Hubbard 1 run (Blanda kick) – Raiders 33–14
References
- Cold Hard Football Facts: Shutdown! The greatest pass defenses in history
- 1973 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
- 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
- About Three Bricks Shy... and the Load Filled Up.
- "1973 Pittsburgh Steelers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
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