The Pittsburgh Steelers won four Super Bowls during their 1970s dynasty: 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979. But for CBS Sports, the ’78 squad ranked above the rest. In a Thursday list of the top teams in NFL history, the 1978 Steelers ranked third overall.
“A who’s who of all-timers, the ’78 Steelers featured a whopping 10 future Hall of Famers, including Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, John Stallworth and “Steel Curtain” defensive icons like “Mean” Joe Greene, Jack Lambert and Mel Blount,” wrote author Cody Benjamin. “Bradshaw was electric, tossing 28 scores to win MVP, but Pittsburgh’s nasty physicality – which still defines the franchise to this day – led to Super Bowl XIII triumph.”
The ’78 Steelers were dominant during the regular season, the first as the NFL switched to a 16-game slate. Pittsburgh looked no worse for wear making the adjustment, winning their first seven and final five games. The team routinely won in blowout fashion, beating the Cincinnati Bengals by 25, the Atlanta Falcons by 24 and Baltimore Colts by 22 throughout the season.
Their only losses came to the Houston Oilers in Week 8, getting revenge with a Week 14 win, and a narrow Week 11 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams who would finish as one of the NFL’s top squads. As a team, Pittsburgh’s offense ranked fifth in points. Defensively, no unit allowed less. RB Franco Harris crossed the 1,000-yard mark while receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth combined for 20 scores, including a wild 70-yard score from Bradshaw to Stallworth.
Earning a first round bye, Pittsburgh breezed through the AFC side of the postseason. The Steelers beat the Denver Broncos 33-10 in the Divisional Round, nearly doubling the opposition in total yards as the Broncos barely completed half of their passes. The conference championship turned into even more of a runaway. Facing the Houston Oilers, Pittsburgh led 31-3 at halftime and won 34-5. The 29-point margin of victory remains the third-largest in AFC Championship Game history.
The Super Bowl was far closer. Pittsburgh and Dallas traded first half blows before a Rocky Bleier touchdown gave the Steelers a 21-14 lead before the break. Pittsburgh held the lead the rest of the way, staving off a Cowboys’ comeback attempt in a 35-31 win. Bradshaw fired four touchdowns to be named Super Bowl MVP, making him one of 11 players in history to win both in the same season.
Of Benjamin’s list, the only team the Steelers trailed were the 1985 Chicago Bears at No. 2 and undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins at No. 1. It’s a fair slot and accurate to place the ’78 team above the other championship Pittsburgh squads, though all will go down in history.
