The 1982 Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...

saw the team return to the playoffs after a two-year hiatus. This was also the Steelers 50th Anniversary season. Although the season was shortened as a result of the 1982 strike, the Steelers finished a strong 6–3 record, good enough for fourth in the AFC as a whole. Although division standings were thrown out as a result of the strike, the Steelers unofficially finished second in the AFC Central, one game behind defending AFC

American Football Conference

The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....

 Champion Cincinnati

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...

.

The 1982 season is best remembered as the final seasons for Hall of Famers

Pro Football Hall of Fame

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...

 Lynn Swann

Lynn Swann

-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...

 and Jack Ham and the "unofficial" final season of fellow Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw

Terry Bradshaw

Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...

, who would miss much of the 1983 season

1983 NFL season

The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...

 due to injuries before retiring. On the flip side, it would also be the first year of future Hall of Fame placekicker

Placekicker

Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...

 Gary Anderson and the first year of the team using a 3-4 defense

3-4 defense

In American football, the 3–4 defense is a defensive alignment consisting of three down linemen and four linebackers.The 3–4 defense declined in popularity over the years, but has found renewed use by modern professional and college football teams. The 3–4 defense is so named because it involves 3...

, a style still used by the team as of 2009

2009 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 77th season in the National Football League . They were coming off a season in which they compiled a 12–4 regular season record and capped the season by winning the franchise's record sixth Super Bowl...

.

The Steelers would lose in the first round of the playoffs to the San Diego Chargers

San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

, in what would be the last home playoff game for the Steelers for the next ten years.

Offseason

The 1982 offseason was the start of a slow transition period for the team, as the defensive line was hit with key retirements in "Mean Joe" Greene

Joe Greene (American football)

Charles Edward Greene, known as “Mean Joe” Greene, is a former all-pro American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Throughout the early 1970s he was the one of most dominant defensive players in the National Football League...

 and L. C. Greenwood

L. C. Greenwood

L.C. Henderson Greenwood is a former American football defensive end for the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers.-College career:...

. Partially due to the team losing two key players and partially due to the need to go up against a more wide-open NFL, head coach Chuck Noll

Chuck Noll

Charles Henry "Chuck" Noll is a former professional American football player and coach, and a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. He served most notably as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League from 1969 to 1991...

 switched from the traditional 4–3

4-3 defense

In American football, a 4–3 defense is a defensive alignment consisting of four down linemen and three linebackers. It is probably the most commonly used defense in modern American football and especially in the National Football League. NFL teams that use the 4–3 defense as of 2011 include the...

 defensive alignment (four lineman & three linebackers) to the 3–4

3-4 defense

In American football, the 3–4 defense is a defensive alignment consisting of three down linemen and four linebackers.The 3–4 defense declined in popularity over the years, but has found renewed use by modern professional and college football teams. The 3–4 defense is so named because it involves 3...

 (three lineman & four linebackers). The Steelers would more than make a good transition to the 3–4, as many teams have since tried to copy the Steelers success with the 3–4 alignment, especially since 2001

2001 Pittsburgh Steelers season

In 2001, after 3 mediocre seasons in which they had a combined regular-season record of 22-26, the Steelers returned to the top seed in the AFC, rolling to a 13-3 record in their first season playing at Heinz Field...

, when the Steelers were the only team in the NFL with the alignment but led the league in defense.

1982 did see the Steelers sign a rookie placekicker

Placekicker

Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...

 from Syracuse named Gary Anderson, claiming him off waivers

Waivers (American football)

Waivers is a National Football League labor management procedure by which a team makes an American football player contract or NFL rights available to all other teams...

 from Buffalo

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 just before the start of the season. Anderson would stay in Pittsburgh for the next 13 season and play an additional 10 with four other teams to become the Steelers' all-time leading scorer. He retired after the 2004 season as the NFL's all-time leading scorer, a record since surpassed by Morten Andersen

Morten Andersen

Morten Andersen , nicknamed "The Great Dane", is a former National Football League kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and...

.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Location	Time (ET North American Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... )	TV	Result	Record
1	Monday September 13	at Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...	Texas Stadium Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...	9:00 pm	ABC	W 36–28	1–0
2	Sunday September 19	Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...	Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...	1:00 pm	NBC	W 26–20 (OT)	2–0
3	Sunday November 21	at Houston Oilers	Astrodome	1:00 pm	NBC	W 24–10	3–0
4	Sunday November 28	at Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...	Kingdome Kingdome The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...	4:00 pm	NBC	L 16–0	3–1
5	Sunday December 5	Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...	Three Rivers Stadium	1:00 pm	NBC	W 35–14	4–1
6	Sunday December 12	at Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...	Rich Stadium	1:00 pm	NBC	L 13–0	4–2
7	Sunday December 19	at Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	1:00 pm	NBC	L 10–9	4–3
8	Sunday December 26	New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...	Three Rivers Stadium	1:00 pm	NBC	W 37–14	5–3
9	Sunday January 2	Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...	Three Rivers Stadium	1:00 pm	NBC	W 37–21	6–3

Week 1 (Monday September 13, 1982): at Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...

 

at Texas Stadium

Texas Stadium

Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...

, Irving, Texas

Irving, Texas

Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...

• Game time: 9:00 pm EDT
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 63,431
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
  Pat Haggerty (American football official)
  Patrick "Pat" Haggerty was an American football official in the National Football League from 1965 to 1992. In his 28 seasons in the NFL, he was selected as the referee in three Super Bowls, XIII in 1979, XVI in 1982, and XIX in 1985...
  
  
• TV announcers: (ABC) Frank Gifford
  Frank Gifford
  Francis Newton "Frank" Gifford is a Hall of Fame former American football player and American sportscaster.-Early life:Gifford was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Mae and Weldon Gifford, an oil driller....
  
   (play by play), Don Meredith
  Don Meredith
  Joseph Don "Dandy Don" Meredith was an American football quarterback, sports commentator and actor. He spent all nine seasons of his professional playing career with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League . He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his last three years as a player...
  
   & Howard Cosell
  Howard Cosell
  Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these...
  
   (color commentators)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Stallworth
  John Stallworth
  Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
  
   8 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (kick failed)6–0
• Dallas – Pearson 4 pass from D. White
  Danny White
  Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
  
   (Septien
  Rafael Septien
  Jose Rafael Septien was a Mexican placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1978 through 1986. He was the leading scorer for the Cowboys those nine years...
  
   kick)7–6
• PIttsburgh – Smith
  Jim Smith (American football)
  Jim Smith is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League before starring on the Birmingham Stallions of the rival United States Football League...
  
   7 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)13–7
• Dallas – Cosbie 12 pass from D. White
  Danny White
  Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
  
   (Septien
  Rafael Septien
  Jose Rafael Septien was a Mexican placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1978 through 1986. He was the leading scorer for the Cowboys those nine years...
  
   kick)13–14
• Pittsburgh – Pollard
  Frank Pollard
  Frank Pollard is a former professional American football player who played running back for nine seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers....
  
   1 run (Anderson kick)20–14
• Pittsburgh – Smith
  Jim Smith (American football)
  Jim Smith is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League before starring on the Birmingham Stallions of the rival United States Football League...
  
   15 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)27–14
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 26 30–14
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 43 33–14
• Dallas – T. Hill 45 pass from D. White
  Danny White
  Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
  
   (Septien
  Rafael Septien
  Jose Rafael Septien was a Mexican placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1978 through 1986. He was the leading scorer for the Cowboys those nine years...
  
   kick)33–21
• Dallas – DuPree 5 pass from D. White
  Danny White
  Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
  
   (Septien
  Rafael Septien
  Jose Rafael Septien was a Mexican placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1978 through 1986. He was the leading scorer for the Cowboys those nine years...
  
   kick)33–28
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 40 36–28

Week 2 (Sunday September 19, 1982): vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...

 

at Three Rivers Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...

, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

• Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 59,973
• Referee: Jim Tunney
  Jim Tunney (American football official)
  Dr. Jim Tunney was an American football official in the National Football League from 1960 to 1991. In his 31 years as an NFL official, Jim Tunney received a record 29 post-season assignments, including ten Championship games and Super Bowls VI, XI, and XII and named as an alternate in Super Bowl...
  
  
• TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui
  Don Criqui
  Don Criqui is an American sportscaster, currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports. Criqui's duties include occasional television coverage of National Football League games, women's and men's college basketball, occasional college football and radio play-by-play of ISP Sports'...
  
   (play by play), John Brodie
  John Brodie
  John Riley Brodie is a former professional American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, and had a second career as a Senior PGA Tour professional golfer.-Early years and education:...
  
   (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Stallworth
  John Stallworth
  Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
  
   15 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)
• Cincinnati – FG Breech 50
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 25
• Cincinnati – Johnson 1 run (Breech kick)
• Pittsburgh – Cunningham
  Bennie Cunningham
  Bennie Lee Cunningham, Jr. is a retired American football tight end.Cunningham was drafted out of the Clemson University in the 1976 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played for the Steelers his entire career...
  
   2 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)
• Cincinnati – Johnson 9 run (Breech kick)
• Cincinnati – FG Breech 31
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 42
• Pittsburgh – Stallworth
  John Stallworth
  Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
  
   2 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
  

Week 3 (Sunday November 21, 1982): at Houston Oilers 

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

Houston, Texas

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

• Game time: 1:00 pm EST
• Game weather: Dome
• Game attendance: 42,338
• Referee: Dick Jorgensen
  Dick Jorgensen
  Dick Jorgensen was an American football official in the National Football League for 23 years until the conclusion of the 1989 NFL season. Jorgensen's career was highlighted by being selected to referee Super Bowl XXIV in 1990 and was an alternate official in Super Bowl VIII and Super Bowl XV...
  
  
• TV announcers: (NBC) Jay Randolph
  Jay Randolph
  Jennings "Jay" Randolph, Jr. is an American sportscaster whose career has spanned more than fifty years.-Early life and career:...
  
   (play by play), John Brodie
  John Brodie
  John Riley Brodie is a former professional American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, and had a second career as a Senior PGA Tour professional golfer.-Early years and education:...
  
   (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 48
• Pittsburgh – Hawthorne
  Greg Hawthorne
  Greg Hawthorne is a former American football player with the National Football League. Drafted out of Baylor University, Hawthorne played 9 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as a rookie, he won a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers in Super Bowl XIV, the New England Patriots, played in Super...
  
   17 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)
• Houston – FG Kempf 31
• Houston – Casper
  Dave Casper
  David John Casper , nicknamed "The Ghost." is a former American football player. He was an offensive lineman and tight end.-High school:...
  
   9 pass from Nielsen
  Gifford Nielsen
  Gifford Nielsen is a former NFL quarterback who played for the Houston Oilers. He announced his retirement as the sports director of KHOU-TV in Houston, TX, on March 30, 2009...
  
   (Kempf kick)
• Pittsburgh – Cunningham
  Bennie Cunningham
  Bennie Lee Cunningham, Jr. is a retired American football tight end.Cunningham was drafted out of the Clemson University in the 1976 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played for the Steelers his entire career...
  
   17 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Smith
  Jim Smith (American football)
  Jim Smith is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League before starring on the Birmingham Stallions of the rival United States Football League...
  
   27 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)

Week 4 (Sunday November 28, 1982): at Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...

 

at The Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

• Game time: 4:00 pm EST
• Game weather: Dome
• Game attendance: 55,553
• Referee: Fred Silva
  Fred Silva
  Fred Silva was an American football official in the National Football League for 21 seasons from 1968 to 1988. Silva was widely known for his coolness under fire on the football field and clapping his hand together when signaling a first down...
  
  
• TV announcers: (NBC) Charlie Jones
  Charlie Jones (sportscaster)
  Charlie Jones was an American Emmy Award-winning sportscaster for NBC and ABC.-Education:Born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Jones earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Southern California and a law degree at the University of Arkansas.-American Football League/National Football...
  
   (play by play), Len Dawson
  Len Dawson
  Leonard Ray "Len" "Lenny" Dawson is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who attended Purdue University and went on to play for three professional teams, most notably the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs...
  
   (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Seattle – FG N. Johnson 35
• Seattle – FG N. Johnson 48
• Seattle – FG N. Johnson 29
• Seattle – Johns 11 pass from Zorn (N. Johnson kick)

Week 5 (Sunday December 5, 1982): vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...

 

at Three Rivers Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...

, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

• Game time: 1:00 pm EST
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 52,090
• Referee: Red Cashion
  Red Cashion
  Mason L. "Red" Cashion is a former American football official. He started officiating in 1952 while attending Texas A&M University, and then worked for various high school and college football conferences, most notably the Southwest Conference. From 1972 to 1997, he officiated in the National...
  
  
• TV announcers: (NBC) Jay Randolph
  Jay Randolph
  Jennings "Jay" Randolph, Jr. is an American sportscaster whose career has spanned more than fifty years.-Early life and career:...
  
   (play by play), Bob Griese
  Bob Griese
  Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
  
   (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Stallworth
  John Stallworth
  Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
  
   3 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Stallworth
  John Stallworth
  Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
  
   74 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Hawthorne
  Greg Hawthorne
  Greg Hawthorne is a former American football player with the National Football League. Drafted out of Baylor University, Hawthorne played 9 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as a rookie, he won a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers in Super Bowl XIV, the New England Patriots, played in Super...
  
   5 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)
• Kansas City – B. Jackson 1 run (Lowery kick)
• Pittsburgh – Harris
  Franco Harris
  Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
  
   1 run (Anderson kick)
• Kansas City – Scott 3 pass from Fuller (Lowery kick)
• Pittsburgh – Thornton
  Sidney Thornton
  Sidney Thornton is a former American professional football player who was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2nd round of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 5'11", . running back from Northwestern State University in Louisiana, Thornton played in 6 NFL seasons from 1977-1982 for the Steelers....
  
   2 run (Anderson kick)

Week 6 (Sunday December 12, 1982): at Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 

at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Game time: 1:00 pm EST
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 58,391
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
  Pat Haggerty (American football official)
  Patrick "Pat" Haggerty was an American football official in the National Football League from 1965 to 1992. In his 28 seasons in the NFL, he was selected as the referee in three Super Bowls, XIII in 1979, XVI in 1982, and XIX in 1985...
  
  
• TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui
  Don Criqui
  Don Criqui is an American sportscaster, currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports. Criqui's duties include occasional television coverage of National Football League games, women's and men's college basketball, occasional college football and radio play-by-play of ISP Sports'...
  
   (play by play), John Brodie
  John Brodie
  John Riley Brodie is a former professional American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, and had a second career as a Senior PGA Tour professional golfer.-Early years and education:...
  
   (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Buffalo – Leaks 1 run (Herrera kick)
• Buffalo – FG Herrera 34
• Buffalo – FG Herrera 19

Week 7 (Sunday December 19, 1982): at Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

• Game time: 1:00 pm EST
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 67,139
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
  Jerry Markbreit
  Jerry Markbreit is a former American football referee in the National Football League for 23 seasons and became one of the most recognizable referees in the game. Markbreit officiated football games for 43 seasons. From 1965 to 1975, Markbreit officiated college football games in the Big Ten...
  
  
• TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg
  Dick Enberg
  Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
  
   (play by play), Merlin Olsen
  Merlin Olsen
  Merlin Jay Olsen was an American football player in the National Football League, NFL commentator, and actor. He played his entire 15-year career with the Los Angeles Rams and was elected to the Pro Bowl in 14 of those seasons, a current record shared with Bruce Matthews...
  
   (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Cleveland – FG Bahr 44
• Pittsburgh – Stallworth
  John Stallworth
  Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
  
   6 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)
• Cleveland – Davis 1 run (Bahr kick)
• Pittsburgh – Safety, Cox ran out of end zone

Week 8 (Sunday December 26, 1982): vs. New England Patriots

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

 

at Three Rivers Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...

, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

• Game time: 1:00 pm EST
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 50,515
• Referee: Tom Dooley
  Tom Dooley (American football official)
  Robert Thomas "Tom" Dooley Jr. was an American football official for 32 years with 14 of those years in the National Football League from 1978 to 1992 as a line judge and referee. Dooley was assigned Super Bowl XV in 1981 as line judge...
  
  
• TV announcers: (NBC) Bob Costas
  Bob Costas
  Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
  
   (play by play), Bob Trumpy
  Bob Trumpy
  Bob Trumpy is a former professional American Football tight end who played for the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals from 1968 to 1969, and for the NFL Bengals from 1970 through 1977...
  
   (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 21
• Pittsburgh – Pollard
  Frank Pollard
  Frank Pollard is a former professional American football player who played running back for nine seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers....
  
   1 run (Anderson kick)
• PIttsburgh – Stallworth
  John Stallworth
  Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
  
   9 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 25
• New England – Dawson 23 pass from Cavanaugh (J. Smith
  Jim Smith (American football)
  Jim Smith is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League before starring on the Birmingham Stallions of the rival United States Football League...
  
   kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 44
• New England – Morgan 75 pass from Cavanaugh (J. Smith
  Jim Smith (American football)
  Jim Smith is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League before starring on the Birmingham Stallions of the rival United States Football League...
  
   kick)
• Pittsburgh – Hawthorne
  Greg Hawthorne
  Greg Hawthorne is a former American football player with the National Football League. Drafted out of Baylor University, Hawthorne played 9 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as a rookie, he won a Super Bowl ring with the Steelers in Super Bowl XIV, the New England Patriots, played in Super...
  
   46 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Abercrombie
  Walter Abercrombie
  Walter Augustus Abercrombie is a former professional American football running back and kick returner in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1982 to 1987 and then for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1988....
  
   1 run (Anderson kick)

Week 9 (Sunday January 2, 1983): vs. Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 

at Three Rivers Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...

, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

• Game time: 1:00 pm EST
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 53,312
• Referee: Ben Dreith
  Ben Dreith
  Ben Dreith is a former American professional football on-field official who worked from 1960 to 1969 in the American Football League and from 1970 to 1990 in the NFL. Prior to his teaching and officiating career, he was a three-sport athlete at the University of Northern Colorado.Dreith developed...
  
  
• TV announcers: (NBC) Bob Costas
  Bob Costas
  Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
  
   (play by play), Bob Trumpy
  Bob Trumpy
  Bob Trumpy is a former professional American Football tight end who played for the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals from 1968 to 1969, and for the NFL Bengals from 1970 through 1977...
  
   (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Pinney
  Ray Pinney
  Raymond Earl Pinney is a former NFL offensive tackle and guard who played seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 1976 NFL Draft. Was the Steelers Starting Right Tackle in Super Bowl XIII. He played in the USFL. Won the 1983 USFL...
  
   3 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)
• Cleveland – Feacher 1 pass from McDonald (Bahr kick)
• Pittsburgh – Rodgers 18 blocked punt return (run failed)
• Pittsburgh – Harris
  Franco Harris
  Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
  
   6 run (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Smith
  Jim Smith (American football)
  Jim Smith is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League before starring on the Birmingham Stallions of the rival United States Football League...
  
   38 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)
• Cleveland – Logan 8 pass from McDonald (Bahr kick)
• Cleveland – Feacher 12 pass from McDonald (Bahr kick)
• Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 34
• Pittsburgh – Abercrombie
  Walter Abercrombie
  Walter Augustus Abercrombie is a former professional American football running back and kick returner in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1982 to 1987 and then for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1988....
  
   1 run (Anderson kick)

Standings

AFC American Football Conference The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA
Los Angeles Raiders 1982 Los Angeles Raiders season The 1982 Los Angeles Raiders season began with the team trying to improve on their 7–9 record from 1981. This is the first of thirteen seasons for the Raiders in Los Angeles.-Offseason:-Schedule:-Standings: -Post season:-See also:...	8	1	0	.889	260	200
Miami Dolphins 1982 Miami Dolphins season -NFL Draft:-Regular season:The Dolphins finished the strike-shortened regular season with a 7–2 record, ranking them second in the AFC.The Dolphins' main strength was their defense, nicknamed the "Killer Bees" because 6 of their 11 starters had last names that began with the letter "B"...	7	2	0	.778	198	131
Cincinnati Bengals 1982 Cincinnati Bengals season The 1982 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 15th year in professional football and its 13th with the National Football League.The Bengals posted a 7–2 record in a strike-shortened season to earn a postseason berth, but lost to the Jets in the first round of the playoffs, 44–17...	7	2	0	.778	232	177
Pittsburgh Steelers	6	3	0	.667	204	146
San Diego Chargers 1982 San Diego Chargers season The 1982 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 10–6 record in 1981. It was a strike-shorten season so the league was divided up into two conferences instead of its normal divisional alignment. It ended with a second round loss to the...	6	3	0	.667	288	221
New York Jets 1982 New York Jets season The 1982 New York Jets season was the 23rd season for the team and the 13th in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 10–5–1 record from 1981 and return to the playoffs under head coach Walt Michaels...	6	3	0	.667	245	166
New England Patriots 1982 New England Patriots season The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's strike-shortened 1982 season with a record of five wins and four losses, and finished seventh in the American Football Conference....	5	4	0	.556	143	157
Cleveland Browns 1982 Cleveland Browns season The 1982 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 33rd season with the National Football League.The Browns were among 8 teams that qualified for the playoffs during this strike shorted season, and became one of only three teams to ever qualify for the playoffs despite having a losing record...	4	5	0	.444	140	182
Buffalo Bills 1982 Buffalo Bills season The 1982 Buffalo Bills season was the 23rd season for the club and its 13th in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings: -References:* * *...	4	5	0	.444	150	154
Seattle Seahawks 1982 Seattle Seahawks season The 1982 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's seventh season with the National Football League. Head coach Jack Patera was fired after the first two games of the season, which were followed by a 57-day players strike...	4	5	0	.444	127	147
Kansas City Chiefs 1982 Kansas City Chiefs season The 1982 Kansas City Chiefs season ended in a 3–6 record that resulted from the NFL Players Association strike that shortened the season.In May 1982, running back Joe Delaney underwent surgery to repair a detached retina in his eye, a radical procedure at the time...	3	6	0	.333	176	184
Denver Broncos 1982 Denver Broncos season The 1982 Denver Broncos season was the team's 23rd year in professional football and its 13th with the National Football League.-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-External links:* *...	2	7	0	.222	148	226
Houston Oilers 1982 Houston Oilers season -NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings: -Roster:-References:* *...	1	8	0	.111	136	245
Baltimore Colts 1982 Baltimore Colts season The 1982 Baltimore Colts season was the 30th season for the team in the National Football League, and the Colts' penultimate season in Baltimore. The Baltimore Colts finished the National Football League's 1982 season with a record of 0 wins, 8 losses and 1 tie. They finished fifth in the AFC East...	0	8	1	.056	113	236

Qualified for playoffs

Super Bowl Tournament: Round 1 (Sunday January 9, 1983): vs. San Diego Chargers

San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 

at Three Rivers Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...

, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

• Game time: 12:30 pm EST
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 53,546
• Referee: Bob Frederic
• TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg
  Dick Enberg
  Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
  
   (play by play), Merlin Olsen
  Merlin Olsen
  Merlin Jay Olsen was an American football player in the National Football League, NFL commentator, and actor. He played his entire 15-year career with the Los Angeles Rams and was elected to the Pro Bowl in 14 of those seasons, a current record shared with Bruce Matthews...
  
   (color commentator)

Scoring Drives:

• Pittsburgh – Ruff fumble recovery in end zone (Anderson kick)
• San Diego – FG Benirschke 25
• Pittsburgh – Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   1 run (Anderson kick)
• San Diego – Brooks 18 run (Benirschke kick)
• San Diego – Sievers 10 pass from Fouts
  Dan Fouts
  Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
  
   (Benirschke kick)
• Pittsburgh – Cunningham
  Bennie Cunningham
  Bennie Lee Cunningham, Jr. is a retired American football tight end.Cunningham was drafted out of the Clemson University in the 1976 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played for the Steelers his entire career...
  
   2 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)
• Pittsburgh – Stallworth
  John Stallworth
  Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
  
   14 pass from Bradshaw
  Terry Bradshaw
  Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
  
   (Anderson kick)
• San Diego – Winslow
  Kellen Winslow
  Kellen Boswell Winslow is a former American football tight end with the Missouri Tigers and the San Diego Chargers. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the game. He is currently the athletic director at Central State University.Winslow did not play high...
  
   8 pass from Fouts
  Dan Fouts
  Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
  
   (Benirschke kick)
• San Diego – Winslow
  Kellen Winslow
  Kellen Boswell Winslow is a former American football tight end with the Missouri Tigers and the San Diego Chargers. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the game. He is currently the athletic director at Central State University.Winslow did not play high...
  
   12 pass from Fouts
  Dan Fouts
  Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
  
  (Benirschke kick)