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.
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:
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.
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 5 128 Larry Clark LB Northern Illinois PIT 5 106 Dave Reavis T Arkansas PIT 6 154 Glenn Scolnik WR Indiana PIT 6 140 Ron Bell RB Illinois St. PIT 7 180 Nate Dorsey WR Miss. Valley St. PIT 8 206 Bill Janssen T Nebraska PIT 8 192 Loren Toews LB California 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.
Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 11 - Steelers 3–0
Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run (Gerela kick) - Steelers 10–0
Detroit – Jessie 84 pass from Landry (Mann kick) - Steelers 10–7
Detroit – FG Mann 40 - Tie 10–10
Pittsburgh – McMakin 24 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) - Steelers 17–10
Pittsburgh – Shanklin 6 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) - Steelers 24–10
Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 12 - Steelers 3–0
Cleveland – FG Cockroft 43 - Tie 3–3
Pittsburgh – Fuqua 4 run (Gerela kick) - Steelers 10–3
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 40 - Steelers 13–3
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 26 - Steelers 16–3
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 44 - Steelers 19–3
Pittsburgh – Lewis 8 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) - Steelers 26–3
Cleveland – FG Cockroft 28 - Steelers 26–6
Pittsburgh – Lewis 53 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick) - Steelers 33–6
Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 20 - Steelers 3–0
Houston – Alston 7 pass from Pastorini (Butler kick) - Oilers 7–3
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 47 - Oilers 7–6
Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run (kick failed) - Steelers 12–7
Pittsburgh – Russell 45 interception return (Gerela kick) - Steelers 19–7
Pittsburgh – Shanklin 26 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) - Steelers 26–7
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 26 - Steelers 29–7
Pittsburgh – Edwards 86 interception return (Gerela kick) - Steelers 36–7
Game summary
Johnny Unitas playing for San Diego is knocked out of the game after completing only 3 of 15 passes for 24 yards and 3 interceptions.
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – Shanklin 12 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) - Steelers 7–0
Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run (Gerela kick) - Steelers 14–0
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 38 - Steelers 17–0
Pittsburgh – Steve Davis 1 run (Gerela kick) - Steelers 24–0
Pittsburgh – Wagner recovered blocked punt in end zone (Gerela kick) - Steelers 31–0
Pittsburgh – Shanklin 37 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick) - Steelers 38–0
San Diego – LeVias 13 pass from Fouts (Wersching kick) - Steelers 38–7
San Diego – Jones 3 run (Wersching kick) - Steelers 38–14
San Diego – Holmes 1 run (Wersching kick) - Steelers 38–21
Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 20 - Bengals 3–0
Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 19 - Bengals 6–0
Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 20 - Bengals 9–0
Cincinnati – Clark 3 run (Muhlmann kick) - Bengals 16–0
Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 41 - Bengals 19–0
Pittsburgh – P. Pearson 1 run (Gerela kick) - Bengals 19–7
Game summary
Scoring Drives:
New York Jets – Riggins 1 run (Howfield kick) - Jets 7–0
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 27 - Jets 7–3
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 29 - Jets 7–6
New York Jets – Caster 28 pass from Demory (Howfield kick) - Jets 14–6
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 36 - Jets 14–9
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 13 - Jets 14–12
Pittsburgh – Shanklin 16 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick) - Steelers 19–14
Pittsburgh – Harris 2 run (Gerela kick) - Steelers 26–14
Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 15 - Steelers 3–0
Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 17 - Tie 3–3
Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 41 - Bengals 6–3
Pittsburgh – Shanklin 51 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick) - Steelers 10–6
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 18 - Steelers 13–6
Pittsburgh – Fuqua 1 run (Gerela kick) - Steelers 20–6
Cincinnati – E. Johnson 16 pass from Anderson (Muhlmann kick) - Steelers 20–13
Game summary
Joe Gilliam makes his Monday night debut.
Scoring Drives:
Washington – FG Knight 30 - Redskins 3–0
Pittsburgh – P. Pearson 7 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick) - Steelers 7–3
Washington – FG Knight 12 - Steelers 7–6
Pittsburgh – Shanklin 24 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick) - Steelers 14–6
Washington – FG Knight 16 - Steelers 14–9
Pittsburgh – B. Pearson 46 pass from Gilliam (Gerela kick) - Steelers 21–9
Washington – Brown 17 pass from Kilmer (Knight kick) - Steelers 21–16
Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – Shanklin 14 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick) - Steelers 7–0
Oakland – FG Blanda 40 - Steelers 7–3
Pittsburgh – Harris 1 run (Gerela kick) - Steelers 14–3
Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 17 - Steelers 17–3
Oakland – Biletnikoff 27 pass from Lamonica (snap fumbled) - Steelers 17–9
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
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
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
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
Game summary
John Brodie's number 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
Game summary
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
