On January 4, 1976, the Oakland Raiders traveled into Three Rivers Stadium to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers for the championship of the American Football Conference.
This game would mark the fourth of what would be five straight seasons where both teams met each other in the AFC playoffs. This particular contest would decide which team would advance to play in Super Bowl X.
1975 Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh was the defending world champion going into this meeting with Oakland. The Steelers had one of their bests seasons ever in 1975, as they posted an impressive 12-2 record.
Their offense ranked as the fifth best in the league, and their defense was formidable as usual, as they surrendered just 162 points, which was the second least number of points given up in the NFL.
Pittsburgh defeated all three of their AFC Central Division opponents in both home and away games in 1975, and amid that, they posted 11 straight victories en route to another division title.
1975 Oakland Raiders
Oakland was still smarting from their loss to the Steelers in the previous year’s AFC Title Game. In this contest, they hoped to make amends for that failure.
The Raiders’ offense was the fourth best in the league in 1975, and their defense was the seventh best in the NFL.
Oakland earned an 11-3 record in 1975, largely due to their ability to make big plays in crucial situations. That ability would be tested in the 1975 AFC Championship Game.
Turnovers Tell The Tale
The biggest factor when looking back at this struggle was the turnovers for both teams. The Steelers committed seven turnovers in the game, while the Raiders turned the ball over five times in the game. Hard hitting was the main cause for all those turnovers, but the slippery and rock hard artificial surface at Three Rivers Stadium did not help matters when it came to securing the football.
There were stories just prior to this contest that Pittsburgh’s grounds crew did not fasten the field tarp properly the night before the game. According to what the Raiders personnel claimed, the field tarp split sometime during the night, and the frost and moisture added to the icy surface, especially along the sidelines.
The Steelers naturally denied that there were any nefarious doings when it came to the tarp, but the Raiders (and their fans) to this day believe that the tarp split on purpose, in order to freeze sections of the field where Oakland’s wide receivers would have the most difficulty in traversing.
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Poor Quarterback Play
Whatever you believe regarding that bone of contention, the quarterback play from both teams was not the best. Given that both Kenny Stabler of the Raiders and Terry Bradshaw of the Steelers are both Hall of Famers, fans might have expected more out of them.
Stabler finished the game with 18 completions in 42 attempts worth 246 yards and one touchdown. Bradshaw ended up completing 15 passes in 15 attempts worth 215 yards and one touchdown.
Despite Bradshaw’s three interceptions in the game, he completed key passes when they were most needed. With his arm, Bradshaw helped to lead Pittsburgh to a 16-7 fourth quarter advantage.
Oakland responded late in the contest, as Stabler maneuvered his offense deep enough into Pittsburgh territory to get a 41-yard field goal from George Blanda, who was playing in what would be the final game of his extraordinary 26-year pro career.
With just seconds remaining on the clock, the Raiders incredibly recovered an onside kick, which gave them one last chance to somehow score again. Ken Stabler’s last-gasp bomb to wide receiver Cliff Branch was completed for 37 yards. But Branch was tackled 15 yards short of the Pittsburgh goal line. The Steelers prevailed, 16-10.
The 1975 AFC Championship Game will not be remembered for its outstanding play on either side. But it will be remembered as one of the hardest-hitting games of the 1970s in the NFL.
If you would like to learn more about pro football during the 1970s, please check out my Facebook page, The NFL in the 1970s. And if you would like to learn more about sports history in general, check out the Sports History Network online.
There are many different podcasters on the Sports History Network, and they discuss numerous sports and their histories. I promise that you won’t be disappointed if you check out the Sports History network online.
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Trivia Question:
Two different Pittsburgh Steelers players scored touchdowns in the 1975 AFC Championship Game. Who were they?
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Host of Pro Football in the 1970s - Joe Zagorski
Throughout his days, Joe spent some time as a sportswriter and has been a member of the Pro Football Researchers Association since the mid-1980s. Joe is also a proud member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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