remembering possible 3 peat in 1976

I know this goes back a long time, but people remember the 1976 for the chance to win 3 straight super bowls. people have mentioned that we didn't win in 76 because we didn't have franco and bleier in the AFC championship game. but looking back, i think it was the season opener against the raiders that caused us to miss the 3 peat. i remember watching that game and in the 4th qtr, we were up by 28-14 and we had the ball in the redzone with about 6min left in the game. Franco than fumble the ball and the raiders rallied to beat us 31-28. that game ripped our heart out and we started the season 1-4. we did make a remarkable comeback and almost did it, but if franco didn't fumble, we win and don't start out at 1-4.

that season opener had everything from hard hitting (swann getting knockout and blount spearing branch to the turf). I think Jack Tatum had 3 personal fouls. i couldn't believe that the steelers could lose that way. to some degree, i think we lost our confidence in the season opener and were intimidated by the freakin raiders.

 

Do you mean we lost our confidence against the Raiders (which messed us up in the AFCCG)? Because you'd have a hard time convincing me the first game of the season mattered more than the end stretch for overall team confidence.

But those 70s match ups against the Raiders were definitely the thing of legend...

 

are you saying KNOLL could not prepare his team for the start of the season

 

Yeah, and he could only win with Cowher's players.

Oh, wait...

 

There is no "K" in Noll.

I can't understand why the Chuck Noll/Chuck Knox thing has confused so many people for so long.

 

THANKS FOR POINTING THAT OUT

 

Tell that to the JFK conspiracists!

 

I doubt the Steelers were intimidated by the Raiders in the AFCCG, it had more to do with the Steelers were a running team and Franco and Bleier were hurt. Give the Raiders credit they were great that year, as much as I hate to admit it.

 

ah yes 58. brings back such memories. I had to watch all those highlights again. LOL they will never be duplicated. those were some of the best years of my life sitting in 3 rivers and watching them. we knew we were good and proved it then. offense and defense. I don't ever remember a game I thought we would lose back then, at any point in the game. I guess that's why I'm so concerned over what we are putting on the field now. that was championship caliber, not this. I've been spoiled ever since I guess. good stuff 58 thanks for the replay.

 

That 76 team was possibly one of the better ones. We lost the AFC Championship for one reason, RB injuries. That is all it was, period.