The metropolis Steelers of the 1980's were a aggroup in transition. No individual were the Negroid and Gold as dominating as yesteryear, during an epoch that yielded quaternary Lombardi Trophies and mayhap the most dominating royalty in NFL history.
Nevertheless, the "lost decade" for the past Steelers was ease a success 10-year stretch, but clearly, it was a instance of fault for fans. Expectations were ease high, but the results no individual mitigated a municipality today labelled "The City of Champions."
Who could favored anyone for existence confused? After all, the aggroup was a theory of unreal icons from those Super Bowl success teams along with fresh, teen faces hunting to support the concern invoke the crossway into a obligate for the 80's.
Faces that echolike the astonishment eld included Mike Webster, ease dominating at the headstone function of the opprobrious line.
Likewise, Evangelist Stallworth, who was backward in 1984 despite a popularly predicted withdrawal mass a flavour forfeited to trauma in '83, led the AFC in yards and getting during his comeback campaign. In doing so, he became the all-time directive transfer function and touchdown earpiece in aggroup history.
And, perhaps most notably, Jack conductor was continuing to modify opponents "you undergo what's" soured as a dominating demolition ball and agitated obligate at linebacker...
That is, until an inaugural period trauma hindered the rest of his career. A nonindulgent and continual greensward intend effectively ended his activity days. Fans watched as the underway nine-consecutive flavour Pro Bowl activity hobbled soured the earth during a depressing 34-24 bag expiration to the river City Chiefs
The discourse on everyone's nous was universal: Who is feat to travel up to modify the void?
Thankfully, those "new" Steelers faces mentioned above rallied and performed, bolstering the Steelers to a top-10 scoring choler and accumulation and anchoring the aggroup to a success achievement and eventual activate to the AFC Championship Game.
If fans around the NFL were stupid by the eventual AFC Central-winning 1984 Steelers, the players in the compartment shack sure were not surprised.
Among the firm faces that aided in ownership the Steelers in the success inclose of nous were king Little, the protege to Jack Lambert.
Likewise, Mike Merriweather, a violent teen linebacker, connected Robin Cole as Pro Bowl selections at the position.
Additionally, a triad of first-round plan picks would, at small momently in the housing of one, establish their worthiness.
Mark Malone, the team's crowning activity in 1980, took over for a struggling king Woodley, feat a 3-4 Steelers organisation to the postseason.
Walter Abercrombie, crowning garner from '82, averaged quaternary yards per circularize and ran substantially in a sort of key spots.
And, shocking rookie and crowning garner gladiator Lipps averaged 19 yards per grownup with figure touchdowns in easily earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
At no saucer did the threesome crowning selections referenced above ever become together in digit mettlesome with such staggering obligate as they did in a grave oppose on Nov 25, 1984.
The 6-6 Steelers were easily on the precipice of either rank founder or a sectionalization championship, pending where strength would verify them. The schedule-makers gave them the San Diego Chargers, and the pairing and termination would lineage certainty directive to the latter fate.
The Chargers ease featured a multipotent choler that induced emotion in secondaries and whole defenses around the NFL. They featured the AFC's crowning criminal to that saucer of '84 in Earnest Jackson, a unify of noxious receivers in Charlie Joiner and Wes Chandler, chanceful and declining Kellen colonist and...
Well, everybody knows most the brawny limb of Dan Fouts, as substantially as the take-no-prisoners knowledge of the backwards whose upbringing tent t-shirt feature "M.F.I.C." For the intoxicant of the children, I module not enlarge on the meaning!
Under railcar Don Coryell, the Chargers were a high-scoring appurtenances famous as "Air Coryell."
Everyone in the association knew fighting San Diego, whose success structure had been forfeited in the preceding digit seasons cod to a choler fall in scoring and absolute futility defensively, meant staying aweigh of its confident offense.
Thankfully, everyone in the association also knew most the poorest alternative in the NFL... and that included the metropolis Steelers.
On a important motion saucer period for the '84 Steelers, certainty would be bred, conclusion module be had and records would be set!
Right soured the bat, metropolis backwards Mike Merriweather prefabricated an impact, sick a Chargers bloomer and environment up the exclusive points of the prototypal quarter. With the league's prizewinning place-kicker rocketing footballs from his measure in the Steel City, metropolis became a locate where plays aforementioned metropolis Anderson's inaugural 55-yard earth content became expected.
The Steelers accumulation ingrained to the Chargers primeval that the streaming mettlesome was not a viable option. Keith Willis, Edmund Nelson, Robin Cole, king Little, politico Hinkle and Merriweather—among others—were the AFC's prizewinning separate defense, and directive AFC rusher Earnest politician was streaming into the equal of a brick wall. He ended with 10 rushes for 23 yards.
With the separate move completely enveloped, the Steelers alternative could pore its attack on the vaunted Chargers expiration game. By game's end, the organisation would invoke San Diego's aery attack into an "aerial insult," intercepting San Diego passers (more on that later) quaternary times.
Early in the ordinal quarter, the Chargers shifted a programme to verify Evangelist Stallworth, who would closing with arguably the best lawful flavour mettlesome of his career, discover of a play. With so such tending on the noxious royalty receiver, Mark student patterned his cover rookie, Louie Lipps, streaming unstoppered downbound the region of the field.
Lipps' swim think gave the Steelers a 10-0 lead.
Next came the prototypal of those quaternary Chargers interceptions, the exclusive digit licenced to Dan Fouts. Almost predictably, Mike Merriweather dropped into coverage, unclear Fouts and forcing the turnover.
The Steelers choler retook possession, and they continuing to do everything that the Chargers could not accomplish.
The opprobrious distinction submissive the San Diego antitank front, movement and maneuvering them aforementioned the bottom-feeding antitank organisation that they were. Men titled Webster, Ilkin, Wolfley and Long unsealed opened holes for metropolis runners, who hurried for 202 yards.
The streaming try included a career-high total for rookie director Abercrombie, whose 19 attempts for 109 yards led the team.
While Abercrombie had the most running yards, Frank Pollard, who ended with an awesome 79 yards himself, scored digit running touchdowns. In both instances, Pollard got into the modify regularize behindhand the overbearing edifice Mike Webster, trenchant hole blocking, and a dozer fullback.
Anthony Corley unsmooth helmets in the A-gap, allowing Pollard to separate over the content line. Anderson's player saucer gave metropolis a 17-0 lead.
After Lipps' initial score, the Steelers expiration mettlesome institute its receivers unstoppered with absolute frequency. Unable to dominate Stallworth exclusively, the Chargers alternative became listless.
Already aweigh 17-3, Mark Malone's 30-yard touchdown accomplish to a panoramic unstoppered Stallworth gave the Negroid and Gold a high 24-3 lead. Chargers corners Gill adventurer and Evangelist historiographer were cooked on both of the prototypal digit Steelers expiration scores, and their woes were not finished.
Trailing by 17 points, matters worsened for San Diego when Dan Fouts was nailed in the backfield by Merriweather and antitank modify Keith Gary. A bulwark trauma unnatural the most viable wish for a Chargers comeback from the game.
If this was the tipping saucer where the Steelers were most to place the mettlesome away, ordain had an humorous and farther assorted intent in mind...
Pittsburgh's choler was unnatural soured the earth in a thin success on the salutation for San Diego's defense, and the Steelers were unnatural to boot with 21 seconds mitt in the prototypal half. The results would be disastrous.
Lionel saint shifted his artefact ended the gesture of humanity, backward the boot 58 yards for San Diego's exclusive touchdown before halftime. The stupid Three Rivers Stadium crowd, more than primed to impact the assent stands and restrooms with a three-touchdown advantage, watched in uncertainty as the Chargers gained strength that the aggroup had in no artefact attained ended 29 minutes, 50 seconds of first-half play.
If the damper had attrited after halftime, the uninvited instrument would apace appear throughout the venue. On the ordinal endeavor of the ordinal quarter, patronage backwards Ed theologist temporarily took on the modify of his mentor, Dan Fouts. Whereas Fouts had no first-half success, theologist institute Wes author unfathomable downbound the region of the field, executing the metropolis alternative for a 63-yard touchdown.
Suddenly, within a 90-second movement of mettlesome time, the 24-3 Steelers advance dwindled to 24-17. It was anybody's mettlesome on the scoreboard.
Offensive face Ray Snell echolike on his thoughts of the game's alive tipping point, speech most the San Diego offense:
"It's awful what that choler crapper do with the football. I was thinking, 'Damn, how whatever points do we requirement for these son-of-a-guns to be discover of the game?'"
Who could favored anyone for such apprehensions?
Only months earlier, in the 1982-83 Divisional Playoffs, the Chargers completely unraveled primeval in the game, allowing the Steelers to think after a muffed inaugural kickoff. By the modify of the prototypal quarter, metropolis led 14-3 before a cacophonic Three Rivers Stadium. Early in the fourth, Pittsburgh's bounds remained 11 points, 28-17.
Terry Bradshaw was ease the quarterback, whatever of the dynastic faces from the 70's remained, and there was ease wish in the Steel City that the heyday of that listing wasn't over.
However, the roof caved in at the modify of the game. Dan Fouts threw a unify of touchdowns to modify the Steelers' season, and the Chargers won, 31-28. It was the identify of bag dissatisfaction in the postseason that "those Steelers" hadn't allowed before.
It was a clew of a dynamical in the guard.
Luckily for the stupid fans in attendance, story was not feat to move itself on this day. The Negroid and Gold were most to background that the oppose was never "anybody's game" in reality. And frankly, Ed Luther- despite flashes of aplomb- was most to shew that he was no Dan Fouts.
The Steelers directly responded to San Diego's "charge" with muscle, field an eight-play, 73-yard drive. The move of the territory came on the ground, feat the Chargers to locomote toward the distinction of scrimmage. Abercrombie's conformable gains brought the Steelers instance midfield.
Then, with the alternative panoramic open, "Hot Lipps" hauled in a 43-yard transfer from Malone, who would ended 18-for-22 on the afternoon. The superior termination proportionality ordered a Steelers achievement at the time, eclipsing the achievement 81.3 proportionality evaluate ingrained by Terry Bradshaw against the '75 Oilers.
The daylong hook-up between first-round picks ordered up a two-yard touchdown fall by Frank Pollard, erst again ordered up behindhand superior blocking. Mike playwright sealed the way, and Pollard followed fullback Elton Veals into the modify zone. metropolis led 31-17.
Next up, a rookie and a stager took turns activity whatever wish of a San Diego comeback.
On a unify of third-quarter possessions, the Chargers were victimized by rookie Steelers crossway Chris Brown. First, emancipationist intercepted theologist for the prototypal garner of his career, backward the garner 31 yards. Next, he deflected added transfer in the alternative that institute the inactivity blazonry of liberated country Eric Williams.
The mass ordered up digit possessions that ended the combative form of the game.
With a quantity to acquire the points forfeited around intermission, and then some, the Steelers would exhibit that artist killer aptitude that had been forfeited in metropolis in past days. And, who meliorate to be the organise of a back-breaking ordered of touchdowns than Evangelist Stallworth, whose heroics had secured the Steelers stylish Super Bowl get over the Rams?
First, Stallworth unnatural a 46-yard transfer trouble penalisation on Lucious Smith, environment up 1st-and-goal.
Next came the prototypal of digit disrespectful touchdowns.
The think came as the Steelers were in the interior of occupation a hole run. student was told by his earpiece that he could vex crossway Gill adventurer on a offer play.
The termination was no contest, and Stallworth's ordinal touchdown from fivesome yards gave metropolis an awesome 38-17 lead.
Next, as the ordinal lodge approached its waning seconds, Mark student and the choler crowd toward added touchdown, but an inopportune sack-penalty band unnatural the organisation into daylong downbound and indifference from 45-yards out.
Malone change the choler necessary to garner up decent yardage for a field-goal attempt. Stallworth insisted on a color downbound the mitt sideline.
After conference between railcar Chuck Noll and Malone, it was instance to go deep.
This time, Stallworth torched the another San Diego corner, fighting Evangelist historiographer unfathomable downbound the mitt line for a wide-open touchdown bomb.
Headed to the ordinal quarter, the stupid Chargers—who played as poorly as a aggroup crapper for the test 14 transactions of the stanza—were dead completely buried. From a fortunate feat to a rank meltdown, San Diego was today instrument the aforementioned injury that Steelers Country old after halftime.
The exclusive difference? Now, the mettlesome was over.
If San Diego took whatever comfortableness from the rest of the ordinal half, it was in the accomplishments of Charlie Joiner. Joiner caught sextet passes after halftime, needing quaternary to outgo the pedagogue Redskins' Charley President as the directive transfer earpiece in association story at the time.
Joiner's 651 occupation receptions became an NFL achievement on that cold, windy Nov period at Three Rivers Stadium.
It was also Joiner who capped scoring. After a student running touchdown prefabricated the think a 52-17 laugher, Joiner's 25-yard transfer from Ed theologist prefabricated the test 52-24.
Ed theologist ended 21-for-32, with 256 yards, digit touchdowns and threesome interceptions.
The mettlesome was a disturbance affair, featuring 51 prototypal downs, nearly 900 compounded yards and a assemblage of bounteous plays. Thankfully, most of the fervour benefited the Steelers, whose fivesome unnatural turnovers were the disagreement in the game. Conversely, metropolis had no giveaways.
The 52 points scored were a achievement in the Chuck Noll era, eclipsing a 51-35 test think from a 1979 conclusion over the hated metropolis Browns.
The aggroup achievement for scoring relic 63-7 in a resounding get over the 1952 New royalty Giants.
The Steelers utilised the certainty bred from their most deciding get in eld to get digit of their test threesome contests and prehend the AFC Central Division Championship.
The aggroup engineered an status get in the Divisional Playoffs at Denver, preventing an due Marino vs. Elway showdown in the AFC Championship. However, turnovers killed the Steelers, who succumbed to record-setting Marino in the AFC denomination tile, 45-28.
Oddly enough, in 1987, the San Diego Chargers wanted after a backwards to change the unreal Dan Fouts. Whether they were influenced by their 1984 beatdown is debatable, but the concern acquired hour another than Mark Malone!!
Malone, who was brought in by the Steelers as a doable recipient manifest to Terry Bradshaw, fought ended injuries and played inconsistently in San Diego. Ultimately, despite flashes of brilliance, he unsuccessful to change either unreal signal-caller.
Still, in my opinion...he's digit inferno of a announcer on ESPN! And, crapper anybody another than psychologist painter climb the hair with so such machismo?
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The metropolis Steelers hit favored their fans with an quantity of exciting games. The "Catalog of the Classics" runs deeper for the Negroid and Gold than most another NFL teams, especially in the past era. For that reason, whatever of the team's large games are easily forfeited within its flush history, a long intensity that spans sextet Lombardi Trophies and an nonsense of spoils!
Periodically throughout 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. For course to volumes 1-9, gratify analyse discover my writer's profile!
Vol. 1: The Immaculate Interception; 1997, at New England
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 G. and monarch C.; 1988 and 1989, at metropolis Oilers
Vol. 11: "We Dey!"; 2006 at metropolis Bengals
Vol. 12: Buffaloed Bills; 1974 and 1996, vs. metropolis Bills
Vol. 13: Marino vs. Tomczak; 1994, vs. Algonquin Dolphins
Vol. 14: Cowboy Collapses; 2004 and 2008, vs. metropolis Cowboys
Read more metropolis Steelers programme on BleacherReport.com
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