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1971 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Head Coach Chuck Noll
Home Field Three Rivers Stadium
Results
Record 6–8
Place 2nd AFC Central
Playoff Finish did not qualify
Pro Bowlers
Team MVP Andy Russell
Timeline
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1970 1972

Offseason[]

NFL Draft[]

Preseason[]

Schedule[]

Game summaries[]

Regular season[]

Schedule[]

Week Date Opponent Result
1 September 19, 1971 at Chicago Bears L 17–15
2 September 26, 1971 Cincinnati Bengals W 21–10
3 October 3, 1971 San Diego Chargers W 21–17
4 October 10, 1971 at Cleveland Browns L 27–17
5 October 18, 1971 at Kansas City Chiefs L 38–16
6 October 24, 1971 Houston Oilers W 23–16
7 October 31, 1971 at Baltimore Colts L 34–21
8 November 7, 1971 Cleveland Browns W 26–9
9 November 14, 1971 at Miami Dolphins L 24–21
10 November 21, 1971 New York Giants W 17–13
11 November 28, 1971 Denver Broncos L 22–10
12 December 5, 1971 at Houston Oilers L 29–3
13 December 12, 1971 at Cincinnati Bengals W 21–13
14 December 19, 1971 Los Angeles Rams L 23–14

Game summaries[]

Week 1 (Sunday September 19, 1971): Chicago Bears[]

1 2 3 4 OT
Steelers 0 6 6 3 15
Bears 0 3 14 0 17



at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 55,049
  • Referee: Bernie Ulman
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Pittsburgh – Pearson fumble recovery in end zone (kick failed)6–0
  • Chicago – FG Percival 33 6–3
  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 32 9–3
  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 29 12–3
  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 42 15–3
  • Chicago – Brupbacher 30 fumble return (Percival kick)15–10
  • Chicago – Farmer 8 pass from Nix (Percival kick)17–15

Week 2 (Sunday September 26, 1971): Cincinnati Bengals[]

1 2 3 4 OT
Bengals 3 0 7 0 10
Steelers 7 0 7 7 21



at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 48,448
  • Referee: Norm Schachter
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 33 3–0
  • Pittsburgh – Smity 16 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)7–3
  • Cincinnati – Parrish 14 fumble return (Muhlmann kick)10–7
  • Pittsburgh – Staggers 67 punt return (Gerela kick)14–10
  • Pittsburgh – Pearson 13 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)21–10

Week 3 (Sunday October 3, 1971): San Diego Chargers[]

1 2 3 4 OT
Chargers 3 7 7 0 17
Steelers 7 0 7 7 21



at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 44,339
  • Referee: Jim Tunney
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • San Diego – FG Partee 21 3–0
  • Pittsburgh – Fuqua 5 run (Gerela kick)7–3
  • San Diego – Parks 16 pass from Hadl (Partee kick)10–7
  • Pittsburgh – Fuqua 1 run (Gerela kick)14–10
  • San Diego – Garrett 4 run (Partee kick)17–14
  • Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 5 run (Gerela kick)21–17

Week 4 (Sunday October 10, 1971): Cleveland Browns[]

1 2 3 4 OT
Steelers 0 7 3 7 17
Browns 10 10 0 7 27



at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 83,391
  • Referee: Jack Vest
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Cleveland – FG Cockroft 25 3–0
  • Cleveland – Morin 19 pass from Nelsen (Cockroft kick)10–0
  • Cleveland – Scott 18 run (Cockroft kick)17–0
  • Pittsburgh – D. Smith 22 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)17–7
  • Cleveland – FG Cockroft 20 20–7
  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 33 20–10
  • Pittsburgh – Shanklin 11 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)20–17
  • Cleveland – Kelly 7 run (Cockroft kick)27–17

Week 5 (Monday October 18, 1971): Kansas City Chiefs[]

1 2 3 4 OT
Steelers 9 0 0 7 16
Chiefs 0 28 0 10 38



at the Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Scoring Drives:

  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 32 3–0
  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 40 6–0
  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 35 9–0
  • Kansas City – Taylor 5 pass from Dawson (Stenerud kick)9–7
  • Kansas City – Taylor 27 pass from Dawson (Stenerud kick)14–9
  • Kansas City – Wright 5 pass from Dawson (Stenerud kick) 21–9
  • Kansas City – Podolak 1 run (Stenerud kick)28–9
  • Kansas City – FG Stenerud 11 31–9
  • Pittsburgh – Fuqua 1 run (Gerela kick)31–16
  • Kansas City – Thomas 32 interception return (Stenerud kick)38–16

Week 6 (Sunday October 24, 1971): Houston Oilers[]

1 2 3 4 OT
Oilers 7 3 6 0 16
Steelers 3 3 3 14 23



at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 45,872
  • Referee: Ben Dreith
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Houston – Dawkins 1 run (Moseley kick)7–0
  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 28 3–7
  • Houston – FG Moseley 24 3–10* Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 22 6–10 Houston – Dawkins 1 run (kick failed) 6–16
  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 9–16
  • Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run (Gerela kick)16–16
  • Pittsburgh – Fuqua 30 run (Gerela kick)23–16

Week 7 (Sunday October 31, 1971): Baltimore Colts[]

1 2 3 4 OT
Steelers 0 7 7 7 21
Colts 7 20 7 0 34



at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

  • Game time:
  • Game weather: 60,238
  • Game attendance:
  • Referee: Jack Reader
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Baltimore – Bulaich 1 run (O'Brien kick)7–0
  • Baltimore – FG O'Brien 20 10–0
  • Baltimore – FG O'Brien 9 13–0
  • Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 3 run (Gerela kick)13–7
  • Baltimore – Richardson 19 pass from Morrall (O'Brien kick)20–7
  • Baltimore – Richardson 49 pass from Morrall (O'Brien kick)27–7
  • Baltimore – Perkins 60 pass from Morrall (O'Brien kick)34–7
  • Pittsburgh – Shanklin 31 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)34–14
  • Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run (Gerela kick)34–21

Week 8 (Sunday November 7, 1971): Cleveland Browns[]

1 2 3 4 OT
Browns 0 2 7 0 9
Steelers 10 6 0 10 26



at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 50,202
  • Referee: Fred Wyant
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 45 3–0
  • Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run (Gerela kick)10–0
  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 23 13–0
  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 17 16–0
  • Cleveland – Safety, Houston tackled Walden in end zone 16–2
  • Cleveland – Scott 1 run (Cockroft kick)16–9
  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 13 19–9
  • Pittsburgh – Smith 40 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick)26–9

Week 9 (Sunday November 14, 1971): Miami Dolphins[]

1 2 3 4 OT
Steelers 14 7 0 0 21
Dolphins 3 14 7 0 24



at Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 66,435
  • Referee: Bob Frederic
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

Week 10 (Sunday November 21, 1971): New York Giants[]

1 2 3 4 OT
Giants 7 6 0 0 13
Steelers 3 7 7 0 17



at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 50,008
  • Referee: Fred Silva
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • New York Giants – Houston 26 pass from Tarkenton (Gogolak kick)7–0
  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 25 7–3
  • New York Giants – FG Gogolak 25 10–3
  • Pittsburgh – Rowser 70 interception return (Gerela kick)10–10
  • New York Giants – FG Gogolak 29 13–10
  • Pittsburgh – Shanklin 4 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)17–13

Week 11 (Sunday November 28, 1971): Denver Broncos[]

1 2 3 4 OT
Broncos 0 10 0 12 22
Steelers 0 0 10 0 10



at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 39,710
  • Referee: Tommy Bell
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Denver – Little 3 run (J. Turner kick)7–0
  • Denver – FG J. Turner 32 10–0
  • Pittsburgh – Pearson 8 pass from Hanratty (Gerela kick) 10–7
  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 19 10–10
  • Denver – Little 16 run (Turner kick) 17–10
  • Denver – Safety, Lynch tackled Walden in end zone 19–10
  • Denver – FG J. Turner 12 22–10

Week 12 (Sunday December 5, 1971): Houston Oilers[]

1 2 3 4 OT
Steelers 0 3 0 0 3
Oilers 16 6 0 7 29



at the Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 37,778
  • Referee: Fred Swearingen
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Houston – Reed 27 pass from Pastorini (Moseley kick)7–0
  • Houston – FG Moseley 25 10–0
  • Houston – Campbell 8 run (kick blocked) 16–0
  • Houston – FG Moseley 37 19–0
  • Houston – FG Moseley 25 22–0
  • Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 15 22–3
  • Houston – Holmes 4 run (Moselely kick)29–3

Week 13 (Sunday December 12, 1971): Cincinnati Bengals[]

1 2 3 4 OT
Steelers 7 0 14 0 21
Bengals 0 7 6 0 13



at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 60,022
  • Referee: Jack Vest
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Pittsburgh – Hanratty 3 run (Gerela kick)7–0
  • Cincinnati – Coslet 43 pass from Carter (Muhlmann kick)7–7
  • Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 22 10–7
  • Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 18 13–7
  • Pittsburgh – Fuqua 40 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)14–13
  • Pittsburgh – Shanklin 5 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)21–13

Week 14 (Sunday December 19, 1971): Los Angeles Rams[]

1 2 3 4 OT
Rams 13 3 7 0 23
Steelers 0 7 7 0 14



at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time:
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 45,233
  • Referee: Pat Haggerty
  • TV announcers:

Scoring Drives:

  • Los Angeles – FG Ray 15 3–0
  • Los Angeles – FG Ray 15 6–0
  • Los Angeles – Snow 20 pass from Gabriel (Ray kick)13–0
  • Pittsburgh – L. Brown 3 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)13–7
  • Los Angeles – FG Ray 15 16–7
  • Pittsburgh – Shanklin 2 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)16–14
  • Los Angeles – L. Smith 1 run (Ray kick)23–14

Standings[]

AFC Central
W L T PCT PF PA STK
Cleveland Browns 9 5 0 .643 285 273 W-5
Pittsburgh Steelers 6 8 0 .429 246 292 L-1
Houston Oilers 4 9 1 .308 251 330 W-3
Cincinnati Bengals 4 10 0 .286 284 265 L-3

References[]

AFC East Central West NFC East Central West
Baltimore Cincinnati Denver Dallas Chicago Atlanta
Buffalo Cleveland Kansas City NY Giants Detroit Los Angeles
Miami Houston Oakland Philadelphia Green Bay New Orleans
New England Pittsburgh San Diego St. Louis Minnesota San Francisco
NY Jets Washington
1971 NFL DraftNFL PlayoffsPro BowlSuper Bowl VI
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