The metropolis Steelers and metropolis Bills impact met thrice in the NFL playoffs, every threesome encounters occurring in the disjunctive round.
In 1992, the metropolis Bills were in the interior of digit of the super stretches of success and continuation in NFL history. En distinction to 10 serial victories in the AFC playoffs and quaternary straightforward title mettlesome berths, back-up backwards Frank psychoanalyst led metropolis to a high 24-3 intend in the Steel City. It was manifest that the strength from their artist comeback digit hebdomad earlier, in which they rallied from a 35-3 inadequacy at bag against the Oilers, gave them a certainty they would not relinquish...at least, not for a pair of weeks.
The expiration ended nous railcar Bill Cowher's speech campaign. The Steelers were a aggroup on the rise, but they weren't quite "there" yet. Weeks later, Steelers fans watched as the Cowboys destroyed Jim buffoon and crew, 52-17.
In both of the added digit postseason matches between the digit squads, the teams played meet as though they were battling on Super Bowl Sunday.
For the Negroid and Gold, this instruction evidenced successful. After all, the concern boasts a 6-2 achievement in the bounteous game.
And, as the snake-bitten Bills would establish in the primeval 90's, the descriptor "as though it were the Super Bowl" does not circularize the aforementioned coefficient of success. Just aforementioned the unforgettable memories of quaternary serial bounteous games, Buffalo's digit added trips to the Steel City impact proven to be dicey...and icy...at best.
The prototypal do-or-die effort between metropolis and the 'Burgh was on Dec. 22, 1974.
O.J. Simpson's exclusive playoff mettlesome would be over before it began when the astonishing Bills lapse individual to a tidal gesture of metropolis strength early.
In retrospect, it's hornlike to envisage the oppose having absent whatever added way. The Steel City had reached a feverishness pitch, fans' screams ringing aforementioned a unceasing crescendo ended Three Rivers Stadium. After all, this was a instance before Steelers Country was a locate glorified by the proximity of modify digit Lombardi Trophy, saint six. The stormy gathering was famished for success.
After eventually success a playoff mettlesome mass the '72 season, the Steelers had prefabricated the playoffs for a ordinal straightforward season, a accomplishment that had not ease occurred in aggroup annals. A stellar 1974 plan collection would establish to alter the absent pieces of a dynastic puzzle: Lynn Swann and Evangelist Stallworth became a impulsive receiving corp, Mike playwright anchored the title distinction and Jack Lambert...well, what added needs to be said most "Count character in Cleats?"
The Bills were sure not regarded as the most precocious or dignified playoff team, and most fans viewed their proximity in the postseason as more of an distortion than justification of greatness. Few of the players on their listing warranted more than a glance.
Quarterback Joe Ferguson would develop into a dustlike official during the mid-70's and distinction up low edifice into the 80's, but he was ease reaching into his own. Receiving his passes were J.D. Hill and, during a one-year continuance in Buffalo, Ahmad Rashad, who led the aggroup with 36 receptions. Rashad would impact farther more arable seasons after in his occupation with Minnesota, but his contributions sure helped advance metropolis to a thin playoff appearance.
Corner parliamentarian saint and country Tony author were standouts on an rising unit, though not nearly in the aforementioned collection as the vaunted Steel Curtain.
Indeed, patch metropolis was effort better, they their listing paled to Pittsburgh's who's-who shack of eventual superstardom...with digit exception.
O.J. doc was had meet complete his ordinal serial 1,000-yard streaming season, and the heralded backwards was digit assemblage distant from a awesome 2,003 streaming yards in 1973. He was the important accelerator to threesome serial success seasons in metropolis from 1973-75, closing with fivesome straightforward 1,000-yard campaigns.
Beating the Bills was not a Byzantine formula: Stop "the Juice," and you could easily tweet the Bills.
In their exclusive preceding meeting, doc hurried for 189 yards in 1972, though metropolis managed to win.
Further showcasing his talent was Simpson's state against metropolis in 1975, a 30-21 punish intend in the Steel City in which O.J. hurried for 221 yards for the Bills.
Thankfully, during the teams' most grave bout, O.J. had ought as substantially been the prototypal digit letters of O.J.G.I.O.W., decrypted to read, "Oh, meet intend it over with!"
Simpson ended with 15 rushes for 49 yards. Putting this into appearance was Terry Bradshaw, the oft-maligned metropolis backwards who had the super period of his occupation to that point. Throwing poised and accurate, the footer also became a runner, production up 48 grave yards on his best salutation to-date, exclusive digit less than Simpson.
In a flavour that began with Joe Gilliam as the entrenched starter, the "Blonde Bomber" had to withstand the peaks and valleys that typically coexist with primeval life in the NFL. Eventually, Bradshaw took curb low center, then got the balloting of the compartment room. His poverty to attain beatific on his domain took shape.
After the prototypal quarter, metropolis led 7-3, manner of a 22-yard scoring transfer from Ferguson to Apostle Seymour.
By halftime, the mettlesome would be discover of reach.
To unstoppered scoring in the ordinal quarter, Terry Bradshaw dropped back, institute instance to analyse the earth from a brawny pocket, stepped absent from eventual push and patterned Rocky Bleier streaming downbound the earth in an manifest mismatch with backwards Doug Allen.
An cushy touchdown assail from "the Bomber" himself gave metropolis the lead, 9-7. It was a bonny lob, added assured transfer from the budding Bradshaw.
As Buffalo's offense, unable to institute streaming shack or unstoppered receivers, unsuccessful to acquire yardage or primed the accumulation soured the field, the Steel Curtain beamed proudly from the sidelines throughout a ordinal lodge of statistical ascendency by the Negroid and Gold offense.
The organisation kept the chains moving, manner of Bradshaw's limb and legs, specially on key ordinal downs. Likewise, they prefabricated bounteous plays at the most ripe moments.
A bonny 25-yard alter by earpiece Lynn Swann ordered up Pittsburgh's ordinal touchdown, a bruising one-yarder from dictator Harris. Throughout the quarter, dictator burrowed correct downbound the throat of the Bills accumulation for sextet points.
On the incoming opprobrious possession, Terry Bradshaw fired a unfathomable laser downbound the region of the field, and a swim Lynn Swann ordered the Steelers up in a goal-to-go situation.
Ahead 16-7, diplomatist daylong the plus with a four-yard burst.
Next, mass added "Buffa-low" possession, the Steelers took curb again, and a superior movement and grownup from Bradshaw to Larry emancipationist ordered up the cinching score.
Franco's ordinal touchdown of the lodge gave metropolis a dominating 29-7 lead. As O.J. doc sat on the distinction in his flavour jacket, cowl up and blowing in the algid breeze, digit could nearly significance an surroundings of act from the Bills sideline.
Buffalo prefabricated no battleful rally, dropping 32-14.
One hebdomad later, the Steelers attained their prototypal AFC Championship, defeating Evangelist Madden and the Super Bowl-favorite Raiders, 24-13. The distinction to their prototypal title—and eventual dynasty—was laid.
Pittsburgh's incoming intend over metropolis came against a farther more precocious cast.
After absent the playoffs in 1994, the Bills were famished to intend backwards to the success ways, specially in January, that led them to quaternary straightforward Super Bowls.
As awful as their success was, metropolis sadly became the direct of mockery, imperfectness to intend in whatever of their quaternary opportunities.
The study BILLS became an acronym that fans translated to mean, "Boy, I Love Losing Super Bowls!"
For every follower humored at Buffalo's fate was added decent unforbearing with their locate in the spotlight. Prior to Pittsburgh's playoff mettlesome in '92, I vividly request my tending locution emphatically, "I wish we squawk Buffalo's (insert expletive). I'm so bushed of sight them in the Super Bowl."
Years later, that aforementioned view was echoed by many, exclusive magnified. For the record, metropolis didn't care, and their 10-0 achievement against the AFC in the playoffs in the 90's demonstrated this point.
With a patch of characters that ease included Jim Kelly, Thurman saint and doc Smith, digit could not verify conclusion over metropolis for granted, a actuality that the Bills cemented in a 37-22 conclusion over Dan Marino and the Dolphins in the '96 Wild Card Playoffs. In the contest, Thurman saint hurried for 158 yards.
Adding to the oppose for metropolis was Buffalo's fat antitank front, which included profit masters Smith, Bryce Paup and Phil Hansen, who compounded for 38 sacks.
After having forfeited to metropolis in 1992, Bill Cowher's Steelers were hoping that Jan. 6, 1996 would be more reminiscent of their most time contests against Marv Levy's bunch. In 1993 and '94, the Steelers hosted the Bills on weekday Night Football, defeating them in what was regarded as a aggroup litmus effort by scores of 23-0 and 23-10.
Like the '74 playoff game, in which an contradictory choler showed flashes of title greatness, the '95 Steelers rallied from a 3-4 move in super conception cod to an opprobrious raise that featured descending streaming by Bam moneyman and big-play expiration by Neil O'Donnell. It was the prototypal instance during the Cowher epoch that "Blitzburgh" was healthy to jactitation an choler anywhere nearby as confident as its discouraging "Steel Trap" defense.
Instead of Kevin Greene, Greg Lloyd, Afroasiatic emancipationist and Rod Woodson carrying the load, playmakers much as O'Donnell himself, Yancey Thigpen, Ernie designer and Kordell histrion gave the Steel City an opprobrious groove. This characteristic of the aggroup was prefabricated more aware whenever Rod Woodson lapse on inaugural period with a disrespectful articulatio injury.
Weeks later, he would embellish the prototypal contestant to impact earth constructive articulatio surgery and convey to endeavor in the aforementioned season.
Cowher showed the eventual attitude for the All-Pro antitank back, attractive a venture by leaving an astir interval unstoppered for Woodson (just in the housing of a Super Sun return). Any quantity of a fortunate convey by "Hot Rod" depended on digit wins in the AFC playoffs.
The ratio of conclusion accumulated when it was declared that doc adventurer would woman the mettlesome cod to nonindulgent flu.
To move the contest, the Steelers accumulation apace got Jim buffoon and consort soured the field.
Without the investment of Smith, Bryce Paup and Phil Hansen were not nearly as effective, and the Steelers choler totally submissive the whole prototypal half. The opprobrious distinction kept push soured of Neil O'Donnell, and an trenchant combining of exclusive and correct streaming kept the metropolis antitank face off-balance.
On their inaugural intend against the Bills, the choler started soured hot.
Then, O'Donnell went to work, touch Yancey Thigpen on a 13-yard accomplish on 3rd-and-9. Next, Thigpen was the acquirer of a hurried bias that awninged 43 yards, and the Steelers choler was exciting the gathering early.
After imperfectness to think a azygos touchdown in their preceding playoff meeting, the Steelers struck paydirt in the prototypal quarter. Evangelist L. Williams' gained the azygos earth necessary for sextet points, and metropolis led 7-0.
In added similarity to the '74 playoff game, a heralded metropolis streaming backwards was stuffed. This time, primeval efforts to intend Thurman saint into the mettlesome unsuccessful miserably, feat a dull move for the Bills offense. saint would closing with a plain 46 yards, over 100 less yards that he had gained digit hebdomad primeval against the 'Phins.
Adding to his frustration, saint tweaked his ankle New in the prototypal quarter, and the Bills sworn their ordinal primeval turnover, this instance empty from the blazonry of the scraped back. This was after Carnell Lake destroyed the metropolis backwards in the backfield for a 13-yard expiration on 2nd-and-6.
With saint earth position, the Steelers gathering the the Bills' 10-yard line, then O'Donnell dropped backwards and impact Ernie designer over the middle. Mills' swim grownup overawed the Three Rivers Stadium crowd, but his strength ostensibly carried him discover of bounds. However, the officials ruled that he was "pushed" discover of the backwards of the modify zone, where he landed conservativist against the content post to modify a endeavor that was every action.
The Bills adamantly argued the call, to no avail.
Another Jim buffoon interception, also disputed by metropolis for possibleness "pass interference" by Jerry Olsavsky, continuing a frustrating prototypal half for the Hesperian university native. East Brady's best ended completing 14-of-29 attempts for a plain 135 yards with threesome picks. His ordinal mass helped Pittsburgh's departed juggernaut choler to process its lead.
Before long, the Steelers led 20-0. All strength was in Pittsburgh's favor.
Still, it was impracticable in the mid-90's to study the Bills departed in the water. After all...there was "that comeback," the aeonian reminder that metropolis was never discover of whatever contest...right?
Quickly, the Bills gathering downbound earth before halftime, reaffirming their liking for communication and selection the think to 20-7.
Then, meet as fast, O'Donnell rallied the Steelers offense, which gathering in the test seconds to added earth goal, and Norm Johnson's genuine squawk prefabricated the think 23-7 at intermission.
If the prototypal half was a warning in extreme performance, the ordinal lodge was the "valley" to that peak. The Steelers choler managed a earth content to modify the lead, but their timing was off, and they were unable to capitalize, modify on beatific earth position.
Conversely, the Bills seemed primed to vantage added typical "rabbit" discover of their helmets.
Failing to primed a intend aware from midfield, metropolis dispatched Kordell "Slash" histrion onto the earth to modify his role, and he gained his newest title: punter. His 41-yard barker hardback the metropolis choler unfathomable in its possess territory. Sadly, it didn't matter.
After Jim buffoon temporarily lapse to injury, patronage Alex Van Pelt led the Bills to a momentum-changing score, uncovering Jim geneticist for a two-yard touchdown. The Steelers ease led, 26-14.
Then, magic up more images of "past comebacks," Jim buffoon returned, ostensibly rejuvenated after his compartment shack visit, and engineered an awesome drive, capped by a nine-yard touchdown transfer to Thurman saint (himself returned from injury) to move the ordinal quarter.
Suddenly, exclusive aweigh by fivesome points, ghosts of the AFC Championship Game entered the minds of Steelers fans everywhere. In that game, they led the Chargers by a calculate of 13-3, exclusive to expiration the plus after gift up digit unfathomable touchdown bombs late.
Neil O'Donnell, who quarterbacked the Steelers during that hurting loss, had every think to be as concerned by time demons as anyone. Instead, he gave assistance to his teammates.
"Was I scared? Personally, no, but I was hunting at whatever of our guys and their eyes were a lowercase big. I was meet informing everybody to relax."
Yancey Thigpen understandably took state of his quarterback's calmness, as substantially as his message. Answering Kelly's think with a figure play, 76-yard drive, O'Donnell showed aplomb, and Bam moneyman continuing his hard-running during a 108-yard performance.
From their possess 41-yard distinction and in danger of backward the ball to Buffalo, as substantially as continuing their momentum, O'Donnell threw a bonny backwards margin lob downbound the correct distinction to Thigpen, who prefabricated a dramatic, bound clutch in Bills territory.
The stupid Bills accumulation never recollected itself, and Bam Morris' 13-yard touchdown effectively capped the combative form of the contest. The Steelers led 33-21 with exclusive a some transactions remaining.
Officially swing absent the observed Bills rally, Levon Kirkland intercepted a fearless Jim buffoon pass, environment up added moneyman touchdown from digit yards out.
A argumentative ordinal lodge disappeared, then the laugher that initially seemed to be on touch represented itself.
Many Bills' players criticized the officiating, referencing uncomprehensible opportunities to call transfer trouble and Mills' disputable second-quarter touchdown.
Defensive modify Brentson Buckner didn't poverty to center whatever excuses.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, excuses, man. The officials. The gathering noise. The weather. doc adventurer didn't play. Great teams overcome adversity. We impact every year. Tell the Bills they meet got their butts kicked."With the win, metropolis attained the correct to patron the city's ordinal straightforward AFC Championship Game. Rod Woodson's astir listing blot paying off! The Steelers helped to assuage the discompose of losing to San Diego with a hammy 20-16 conclusion over Jim Harbaugh and the Colts, earning a activate to Super Bowl XXX.
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The metropolis Steelers impact favored their fans with an quantity of exciting games. The "Catalog of the Classics" runs deeper for the Negroid and Gold than most added NFL teams, especially in the recent era. For that reason, whatever of the team's super games are easily forfeited within its flush history, a long intensity that spans sextet Lombardi Trophies and an nonsense of spoils!
Every hebdomad of the team's 2012 offseason, we module countenance backwards at digit of the enthusiastic Steelers' games that whatever fans haw not remember. In this way, the poem bouts module no individual be...
The Forgotten Classics!
Please savor these preceding installments:
Vol. 1: The Immaculate Interception; 1997, at New England Patriots
Vol. 2: Streak Busters; 1982, at metropolis Cowboys
Vol. 3: Rookie Quarterbacks Collide; 2004, at New royalty Giants
Vol. 4: The Jinx Survives Sudden Death; 1978 and 1979, vs. metropolis Browns
Vol. 5: A Rivalry Remembered; 2000, vs. metropolis Raiders
Vol. 6: Wild Win in the Windy City; 1995, at metropolis Bears
Vol. 7: Eighteen Wins, One Loss; 1984, at San Francisco 49ers
Vol. 8: Falling Giants; 1964, vs. New royalty Giants and at metropolis Browns
Vol. 9: Elvis (Grbac) Has Left the Building; 2002, vs. metropolis Ravens
Vol. 10: Jerry and the Emperor; 1988 and 1989, at metropolis Oilers
Vol. 11: "We Dey!"; 2006, at metropolis Bengals
Read more metropolis Steelers programme on BleacherReport.com
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