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 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).
The Steelers lost to the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Divisional Playoffs.
Personnel
Staff
colspan="7" style="background: black; color:white; border: 2px solid #FFB612" text-align: center;" | 1973 Pittsburgh Steelers staff |
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Front office
- President – Arthur J. Rooney
- Vice President – John R. McGinley
- Vice President – Daniel M. Rooney
- Vice President – Arthur J. Rooney, Jr.
- Public Relations Director – Ed Kiely
- Traveling Secretary – James A. Boston
- Controller – Robert P. Quinn
- Publicity Director – Joe Gordon
- Ticket Manager – Joseph H. Carr
- Director of Player Personnel – Dick Haley
- Assistant Director of Player Personnel – Bill Nunn
- Director of Professional Scouting – V. Timothy Rooney
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Strength and conditioning
- Strength – Louis Riecke
- Flexibility – Paul Uram
- Team Physician, Orthopedic – Dr. John Best
- Team Physician, M.D. – Dr. David S. Huber
- Team Dentist – Dr. Robert Gray
- Trainer – Ralph Berlin
- Assistant Trainer – Robert Milie
- Equipment Manager – Anthony Parisi
- Field Manager – Jack Hart
[2] |
Roster
colspan="10" style="background: black; color:white; border: 2px solid #FFB612" text-align: center;" | 1973 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
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
Rookies in italics
46 Active, 1 Inactive, 1 Practice squad
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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 5 128 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.
Regular season
Game summaries
Week 1
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Lions |
0 |
0 | 10 | 0 |
10 |
• Steelers |
0 |
3 | 7 | 14 |
24 |
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Week 2
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Browns |
3 |
0 | 0 | 3 |
6 |
• Steelers |
10 |
6 | 10 | 7 |
33 |
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Week 3
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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• Steelers |
3 |
3 | 13 | 17 |
36 |
Oilers |
0 |
7 | 0 | 0 |
7 |
- Date: September 30
- Location: Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas
- Game attendance: 39,331
- Game weather: Indoors (dome)
- Referee: Jim Tunney
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Week 4
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Chargers |
0 |
0 | 0 | 21 |
21 |
• Steelers |
17 |
21 | 0 | 0 |
38 |
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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:
Week 5
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Steelers |
0 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
7 |
• Bengals |
6 |
3 | 7 | 3 |
19 |
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Week 6
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Jets |
7 |
7 | 0 | 0 |
14 |
• Steelers |
0 |
9 | 3 | 14 |
26 |
- Date: October 21
- Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game attendance: 48,682
- Referee: John McDonough
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Week 7
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bengals |
0 |
6 | 0 | 7 |
13 |
• Steelers |
3 |
7 | 10 | 0 |
20 |
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Redskins |
3 |
3 | 3 | 7 |
16 |
• Steelers |
7 |
7 | 0 | 7 |
21 |
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Game summary
Joe Gilliam makes his Monday night debut.
Scoring Drives:
Week 9
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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• Steelers |
0 |
7 | 7 | 3 |
17 |
Raiders |
0 |
3 | 0 | 6 |
9 |
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Week 10
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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• Broncos |
3 |
3 | 7 | 10 |
23 |
Steelers |
3 |
3 | 0 | 7 |
13 |
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Week 11
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Steelers |
7 |
3 | 3 | 3 |
16 |
• Browns |
7 |
7 | 0 | 7 |
21 |
- Date: November 25
- Location: Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Game attendance: 67,773
- Referee: Jim Tunney
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Week 12 (Monday December 3, 1973): Miami Dolphins
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Steelers |
0 |
3 | 7 | 16 |
26 |
• Dolphins |
20 |
10 | 0 | 0 |
30 |
- Date: December 3
- Location: Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
- Game attendance: 68,901
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Week 13
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Oilers |
7 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
7 |
• Steelers |
3 |
14 | 10 | 6 |
33 |
- Date: December 9
- Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game attendance: 38,004
- Referee: Bob Frederic
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
Week 14
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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• Steelers |
7 |
7 | 13 | 10 |
37 |
49ers |
0 |
7 | 0 | 7 |
14 |
- Date: December 15
- Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
- Game attendance: 52,252
- Referee: Tommy Bell
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Game summary
John Brodie's number was retired prior to game
Scoring Drives:
Standings
Postseason
Game summaries
Divisional
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Steelers |
0 |
7 | 0 | 7 |
14 |
• Raiders |
7 |
3 | 13 | 10 |
33 |
- Date: December 23
- Location: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Game attendance: 50,094
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
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Game summary
Scoring Drives:
References
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