Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jack Lambert pursues Cleveland Browns running back Greg Pruitt in a 1975 game between the teams.
The1975Pittsburgh Steelersseason was the franchise's 43rd in theNational Football League (NFL). The Steelers weredefending champions for the first time in theirforty-year history and repeated as league champions. The team was led by a dominating defense and a quick offense, and wonSuper Bowl X over theDallas Cowboys, 21–17. The 1975 Steelers had one of the greatest defensive teams of all time. The team posted their best defensive numbers since1946, and scored more points than any other Steelers team, later surpassed by two points in2010.
In 2007, the 1975 Steelers were ranked as the seventh greatest Super Bowl champions on theNFL Network's documentary seriesAmerica's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, with team commentary fromLynn Swann,Dwight White, andMike Wagner, and narrated byBruce Willis. More than a decade later, the team ranked #10 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.[1][2] The 1975 Steelers' +211 point differential stands as the best in franchise history. They won by at least 21 points six times, with their season superlative 37–0 shutout atSan Diego in the opener on September 21.[3][4]
During the preseason, the Steelers acquiredundrafted free-agent,John Banaszak. The defensive tackle from Eastern Michigan played in three games and later became the 1975 Team ROY (Rookie of the Year).
In Week 2, the Steelers, coming off a crushing defeat of the Chargers in Week 1, came to play revenge eager Buffalo in Pittsburgh. The Bills had been beaten the previous year by the Steelers in the playoffs, 32-14. Chuck Noll had warned the team the previous week that the team did not play very well, however, the players ignored him and were beaten by futureHall of Fame RB O.J. Simpson, 30-21. He rushed for 227 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter. (1-1)
In this Week 3 matchup, the Steelers would be hosted by the Cleveland Browns. These two teams had already been established as one of the league's best rivalries by this time, and Joe Greene's infamous kicking of the Browns linemanBob McKay only fueled the rivalry. The fight that broke out afterwards caught it on fire. Greene was later fined $500 while the Steelers beat the Browns, 42-6. (2-1) This was the first of eleven consecutive victories for the Steelers.
In Week 5, the Steelers crushed Chicago, 34-3. Three weeks after the Steelers were beaten by Buffalo, the team was 4-1, and had allowed only 18 points during the last three weeks while scoring 96. (4-1)
John Stallworth 21-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick)
Steelers 24–17
In this heated Week 8 battle, the Steelers would play host to the Houston Oilers. Pittsburgh sealed the win with a 4th quarter touchdown pass from #12 Terry Bradshaw to #82 John Stallworth that placed them at the top of the division. (7-1)
