1979 Steelers 33 vs Browns 30 OT

[mcmillenandwife]

> 1979 Steelers 33 vs Browns 30 OT



> 1979 Steelers 33 vs Browns 30 OT

This amazing game is easily the most prized regular season game in my collection. In addition to being one of the most epic Steelers/Browns contests ever (and perhaps the most important regular season win in Steelers history), the video quality is outstanding with all commercials and the complete halftime show intact. Add in some vivid personal memories (as discussed in the comments section) and it's truly a game for the ages.

The Steelers pile up over 600 yards of offense in this thriller, overcoming a 27-13 fourth quarter deficit by jamming 20 points into the final period/OT to preserve the Three Rivers "Jinx" on rookie Matt Bahr's winning 37-yard field goal with only 9 seconds left in overtime.

Despite being booed at times by the home crowd (!!!???), Bradshaw sets career highs for attempts, completions and yardage (30 of 44 for 364 yards) and also runs for 43 yards for a total of 407 yards as he and Sipe combine for over 700 yards through the air. With all the footballs flying, it's actually Terry's 28-yard scramble with less than two minutes remaining in OT that turns out to be the key play of the game.

Bradshaw's heroics notwithstanding, Franco Harris is the real MVP of the game. Franco scores 3 TDs and leads the team in both rushing and receiving, grinding out 151 yards on 32 carries and snagging 11 passes for 81 yards. Amazingly, Franco's longest run in this relentless, workman-like effort is just 11 yards.

The Steeler defense ultimately comes up big as well. Despite giving up all those passing yards, the defense allows only 62 yds rushing. As a result, Cleveland is unable to muscle down the clock which ultimately allows Pittsburgh's comeback. The Steel Curtain slams the door on Sipe late in the game when it matters most, sacking him 5 times in the 4th quarter and overtime.

This is certainly the most pivotal game of the '79 campaign and perhaps the most meanful regular season win in franchise history. The standings entering the game were Houston 10-3, Pittsburgh 9-3 and Cleveland 8-4. Pittsburgh was coming off a stunning defeat in San Diego and a loss to Cleveland would've given Houston sole possession of first place in the AFC Central, leaving the Steelers in a tie for second with Cleveland.

Instead, the Steelers remain atop the division, the Browns are knocked from contention and the rest, as they say, is history.

Among many interesting moments in this game, the incomparable Lynn Swann actually jumps over a car (that's right, a car) on an overthrown pass in the back of the end zone. One of my all-time favorite games.

[mcmillenandwife]

I never get tired of watching this win over Cleveland. It's got everything. Drama. A comeback. Playoff implications. Moments of great offense. Moments of great defense. Strong performances by both teams. Huge mistakes... and then overcoming. Great quarterback play on both sides. Stars playing like stars. Next to Super Bowl XIII, this is my absolute favorite game. I still vividly remember watching it as a kid.

We lived in Ohio growing up, so I didn't get to see every Steelers game... but I DID get to see every Steelers/Browns game. My older brother was a die-hard Browns fan; I was a die hard Steelers fan. It made for some colossal post-game fights twice a year.

One of the things about this game that bothered me then and still bothers me today is that even after 3 Super Bowl wins, a league MVP and a Super Bowl MVP (and on his way to a 4th Lombardi and 2nd Super Bowl MVP), Pittsburgh fans were still not shy about loudly, lustily booing Bradshaw (122:18). It boggles the mind. Where I come from, you can give the opposing team all the $#!t you want but you don't boo your own players... especially ones headed for Canton.

But what do I know? Perhaps the boos energized Bradshaw because from that point on, the Steelers just LIT UP the Browns on their way to a much-needed victory.

Enjoy the game and please feel free to COMMENT BELOW! We'd love to hear your thoughts.

[Guest]

My all-time favorite NFL rivalry and this was one of the best & more memorable games in the series. Could be because I also grew up in Ohio and most of the kids at school were of course Browns fans. My most memorable game personally was the very next year when Bradshaw rolled left in the final seconds and hit Swann with a perfect lob at the side of the endzone. Years ago before I started collecting these games I didn't know which year it happened, but always remembered that play. Darn near 60 minutes of intense nervousness & frustration turned to absolute jubilation for this 13 year old at the time.

I was always confused by the booing of Bradshaw. He was at times prone to making some awful decisions/throws, but he usually led them right back and if the game was on the line i'm not sure there was anyone else at the time i'd rather of had. (Staubach & Stabler would be up there as well) IMO he is way underrated in discussions of the greatest QBs. Not sure Tom Brady would have lasted a quarter of a season in the 70's with all the grabbing and clutching of receivers and big shots these guys took well after the throw. They played a different game for sure.

Russell (AKA SteelBuck)

[mcmillenandwife]

My most memorable game personally was the very next year when Bradshaw rolled left in the final seconds and hit Swann with a perfect lob at the side of the endzone. Years ago before I started collecting these games I didn't know which year it happened, but always remembered that play. Darn near 60 minutes of intense nervousness & frustration turned to absolute jubilation for this 13 year old at the time.

Russell, that's amazing! The '80 win over Cleveland is perhaps my most memorable game as well! My older brother and I got into a HORRIFIC fight at the end of that game (blood, bruises and broken furniture) and were officially banned from ever watching games together again by our mom. It didn't end up being the last game we ever watched together, but it WAS the last Browns/Steelers game we ever watched together. Good times.   I'll post that one after I finish the '79 season.

[Guest]

I found it fascinating that the Browns/Steelers games at Three Rivers in 1978-1979 were closer than the games at Cleveland Stadium.

Logistically, you'd think it would be the other way around from a Browns point of view considering how awesome the Steelers were at home (Of course, they were awesome on the road, but point taken.)

In the games at Cleveland for comparison, PIT had a lead of at least 20 points both times.

[mcmillenandwife]

I found it fascinating that the Browns/Steelers games at Three Rivers in 1978-1979 were closer than the games at Cleveland Stadium.

Logistically, you'd think it would be the other way around from a Browns point of view considering how awesome the Steelers were at home (Of course, they were awesome on the road, but point taken.)

In the games at Cleveland for comparison, PIT had a lead of at least 20 points both times.

That's a really interesting observation! The same held somewhat true in '77 as well (not the 20 point margin, but the final of the away game was 28-14 and the game at Three Rivers was much closer at 35-31). 

Kinda makes the Three Rivers Jinx even better, dont'cha think? 

Games at Three Rivers:
1977: 35-31
1978: 15-9 OT
1979: 33-30 OT 
1980: 16-13 (Bradshaw hits Swann for game winner with 8 seconds left)
1981: 13-7 (Browns at Steeler 10, JT Thomas gets end zone interception w/less than 2 minutes left)

Even though Pittsburgh dominated the series during the 70's in terms of W/L, the rivalry was still fantastic because there were so many close and controversial games.

[richardwaldrup@yahoo.com]

I love the television effect as it takes this classic game back in time. This was one of the great Steelers/Browns games in their historic rivalry. Thank you for posting this game Tim.

[mcmillenandwife]

I love the television effect as it takes this classic game back in time. This was one of the great Steelers/Browns games in their historic rivalry. Thank you for posting this game Tim.

Glad you enjoyed it, my friend!    Yes, truly a great game.

[Crash]

1980: 16-13 (Bradshaw hits Swann for game winner with 8 seconds left)

A friend of my Dad's was moving to North Carolina that weekend, so of course that Saturday night this guy gets loaded with his buddy's at the VFW down the hill from our house.  

Saturday night about 3:00 AM I hear this loud snoring from our living room and I can see someone's shadow sleeping on the couch as I'm looking from the top of our stairs.  

My brother asks me "Who IS that?"  

I go, "I think that's Bob."

I mean this fucking guy, as funny as he was, kept all of us up all night.  I'm talking snoring the shutters off the house loud.  The loudest snoring I ever heard, real or made up.  

So we all get up, my Mom makes us all breakfast, we watch the Steelers win this game.  

Bob says his goodbye's to us and he leaves for NC, we never saw him again.  

The five of us in the house, all went back to bed.  I think it was the first time since I began watching football that we didn't watch the Cowboys game that was usually on CBS at 4 PM in Pittsburgh.  

My brother and I have labeled this game "The Bob Game" in his honor.

[mcmillenandwife]

1980: 16-13 (Bradshaw hits Swann for game winner with 8 seconds left)

My brother and I have labeled this game "The Bob Game" in his honor.

 

I had an epic fight with my older brother (who was/is a Browns fan) at the end of that '80 Browns game. Broken furniture, bruises, blood. Mom didn't allow us to watch another football game together until we were adults (and even then, never Steelers/Browns).

[Crash]

Furniture?  Now that's a sibling rivalty.

[thespiritof1976]

1980: 16-13 (Bradshaw hits Swann for game winner with 8 seconds left)

My brother and I have labeled this game "The Bob Game" in his honor.

 

I had an epic fight with my older brother (who was/is a Browns fan) at the end of that '80 Browns game. Broken furniture, bruises, blood. Mom didn't allow us to watch another football game together until we were adults (and even then, never Steelers/Browns).

Reminds me of myself when I was a kid back in the 80's.

When I was about 8 years old some obnoxious jackass who was, I reckon, about 35-40 years old, started questioning my, ahem, "manliness" since I was a Bucs fan. (I mean, really, a grown man trying to start crap with a little kid ?)

I told him to go eff off (I had a mouth as a little kid) and he told me he would go tell my mom what I said. I said, "Why ? So she can tell you to eff off too ?"

The guy laughed his ass off and told me I was "alright" in his book. Although I was still pissed at pretty much being called a sissy just b/c the Bucs were coming off a 6-10 year.

[thespiritof1976]

Furniture?  Now that's a sibling rivalty.

Speaking of throwing stuff, I have a good story to relate.

Yeah, yeah, another Bucs story - but this is a funny one.

Bucs-Packers. Christmas Eve, 1994. Packers winning big at the half. I leave to go to the mall across the street from Tampa Stadium and by the time I got back it is well into the 3rd quarter.

I walk through the parking lot and two guys are sitting on the bed of a pick up truck eating friend chicken, listening to the game. The Bucs throw another interception and one of them takes a big chicke bone, yells out "Eff it!", and throws it at a really nice Mercedes, putting a really big and nasty dent in the side. He said, "Eff it!" again and proceeding to throw another bone, and put another dent in the hood.

Yeah, Bucs fans were pretty trashy back then. As a Bucs fan myself I was pretty ashamed at that.

[Crash]

I was at the Broncos/Steelers playoff game in 1984-85.  

I was 14, had people yelling at me all day.  Second half I switch sections with my brother and my view was second deck, 10 yard line, right where Eric Williams picked off Elway (which had me dodging pizza slices) and then Pollard scores the game winner.  

Pollard scores, I turn around and give them the finger, and then after Elway's 4th down pass was incomplete the next series I then gave them the cross arm when I left.  

Denver fans are vile.  By far the worst fans I've ever dealt with and I've been to a ton of road stadiums for the Steelers over the years.

[Crash]

A good story. I believe Cincy at Pittsburgh 2006.

Our tailgate's were pretty big back then, probably 50-75 people every week. So for this game we are in our regular spot, but on the other side of the end railing was Louis Lipps and his crew from New Orleans who come up to Pittsburgh once a year to tailgate and catch a game, etc.

The uniformed police tell Lipps that they have to move their propane grill because it's on the "media's side" of the private parking lot. We wait for the cops to leave, and our OUT of uniform cops in our crew, simple move the railing out farther, so Lipps and his guys can slide in next to our spot. So we combined two tailgates.

Ours was more food than booze (not that we didn't have plenty on hand), but their's was more booze than food. So when you combined the two we should have needed a liquor license. They also as a show of gratitude made sure we all sampled Cajun delicacies like fried catfish, fried frog legs, homemade shrimp gumbo, Cajun jungle juice, etc. We lost that game but all of those guys and Louis were cool as shit. I thanked Louis for his performance in that 1984 playoff game and he laughed. But he was still pissed off about losing that game out here in 1989. I told him that makes two of us.

Probably the most fun I ever had at a tailgate of all the one I was at over the years.

[mcmillenandwife]

There's a great article leftover from the Pittsburgh Press from the "old" Mac 'n Wife site about this game. I'd completely forgotten about it. 

Excellent read.

The Ultimate Thriller, Bahr None, For Steelers
By Jim O'Brien, The Pittsburgh Press 

[Vaughn_Doofus]

Great win! The defense wasn't handling the Browns that day, so the offense took over.

[mcmillenandwife]

The older I get, the more I appreciate this game.   Especially the video quality and having all of the old commercials and complete halftime show included. Plus, Lynn Swann jumps over a car, so how can you go wrong? 

[Noll and Cowher teams no more]

The older I get, the more I appreciate this game.   Especially the video quality and having all of the old commercials and complete halftime show included. Plus, Lynn Swann jumps over a car, so how can you go wrong? 

I was 13 years old and honestly remember this game. Me, my brothers and a couple friends in our old neighborhood sitting on the floor in front of the old cabinet tv that had the stereo and record player in it also. 

[mcmillenandwife]

I was 13 years old and honestly remember this game. Me, my brothers and a couple friends in our old neighborhood sitting on the floor in front of the old cabinet tv that had the stereo and record player in it also. 

Ah, yes... I can feel the POWER of the '70s all-in-one entertainment center. So fancy. So hi-tech. So state-of-the-art. 

Seeing this really makes me wish I was still able to frame the Steelers videos in the old TV set. That was so much cooler IMO. It was flippin' perfect. The constant nonsense from the NFL forced me into hosting videos differently, so there's no way to do it anymore. 

[Noll and Cowher teams no more]

Ah, yes... I can feel the POWER of the '70s all-in-one entertainment center. So fancy. So hi-tech. So state-of-the-art. 

Seeing this really makes me wish I was still able to frame the Steelers videos in the old TV set. That was so much cooler IMO. It was flippin' perfect. The constant nonsense from the NFL forced me into hosting videos differently, so there's no way to do it anymore. 

Looks like by the new topic on the message board page that you got it on the old television again. 

[mcmillenandwife]

Looks like by the new topic on the message board page that you got it on the old television again. 

Yep! You motivated me to dig deeper and I figured out a work-around, at least for now. 

Not sure how long it will last, so let's enjoy it while we can. 

[Chucktownsteeler]

Great game to watch. Good seeing all the old names again. Loved the commercials.