There is no doubt that the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most important franchises in NFL history. After all, the Steelers are tied for the most Super Bowl titles in league history at six with the New England Patriots.
However, when it comes to the most important teams, or influential as Sports Illustrated calls it, where do specific seasons rank? That’s what SI has set out to do with its list of “The NFL’s 50 Most Influential Teams” series. SI unveiled its list of the 41-50 teams on Monday, and a Steelers team made the list.
Per a panel consisting of members such as former NFL general manager Ernie Accorsi, NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell, analyst Dave Dameshek, and other analysts and Hall of Fame voters, the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers are the 41st-most influential team in NFL history. If that year doesn’t stick out to you, it might have fallen by the wayside in comparison to any of the six championship teams. However, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t an impactful team.
“The 1976 Steelers might be the biggest reason we have the wide-open game of today,” wrote Matt Verderame. “After winning consecutive Super Bowls the two years before, Pittsburgh struggled early, going 1-4 and with quarterback Terry Bradshaw suffering a concussion and neck injury in Week 5. The defense then put forth one of the most spectacular efforts ever seen, allowing only 28 total points across their final nine games, all resulting in wins. The Steelers also notched five shutouts during this stretch, including three straight.”
Even among the era of Steelers football defined by the Steel Curtain defense, that stretch is incredible. This was a defense featuring Mean Joe Greene on the defensive line, the fearsome duo of Jack Lambert and Jack Ham at linebacker, and Donnie Shell at safety. However, it was CB Mel Blount who made the 1976 Steelers truly an influential team worthy of this list.
“Pittsburgh was so defensively dominant in this stretch, it eventually helped rewrite the rule book, making this particular Steelers team so noteworthy,” Verderame wrote. “While the star-studded front seven (four Hall of Famers) was largely responsible for Pittsburgh’s dominance, corner Mel Blount literally inspired a rule change before the 1978 season. From then on, receivers were no longer allowed to be hit more than five yards downfield, whereas previously they could be chucked until the ball was in the air. Blount, who was 6’3″ and 205 pounds, became the namesake of the rule.”
So if you ever get frustrated with NFL officials calling pass-interference penalties, remember it is thanks in large part to Blount’s physical play style during this insane nine-game stretch by Pittsburgh that got us here.
However, the 1976 Steelers should be remembered as simply one of the best defenses since the AFL-NFL merger per Dameshek: “Bottom line: This team may not have reached the top of the mountain, but it still stands conservatively as one the five best defenses of the Super Bowl era,” he said.
Oh, and if you’ve ever wondered how the rule change affected Blount, he was not happy at the time but he remained a dominant force, making three Pro Bowls in the first four seasons after the rule took effect. He even hauled in 17 interceptions during those same four seasons. The Steelers also won the Super Bowl in 1978 and 1979. So while the rule may have changed the NFL, it certainly didn’t change the impact Blount and the Steelers had.
