The Pittsburgh Steelers were the at the top of the NFL food chain back in the 1970s. After selecting Terry Bradshaw with the first overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft, the Steelers found quick success. Pittsburgh won back-to-back Super Bowls twice during the decade in the 1974 and 1975 seasons and the 1978 and 1979 seasons. These years ignited the strong rivalries the Steelers had with the Dallas Cowboys and the then-Oakland Raiders. Pittsburgh beat Dallas in the Super Bowl twice in the 70s, and met with the Raiders in the AFC playoffs five times during that timeframe.
The constant high-stakes battle the Steelers had with the Raiders created a strong distain for one another. In their five postseason matchups during the 70s, the Steelers won three times and the Raiders won twice. The eventual Super Bowl champion came out of these games three times, with the Steelers going on to win two after taking down the Raiders and the Raiders winning the Super Bowl in 1976 after beating the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.
Former Raiders quarterback, Ken Stabler, spoke about the AFC Championship Game victory over the Steelers during the 1977 offseason with Robert F. Jones in his article, Gettin' Nowhere Fast.
"We give Pittsburgh a whuppin' 24-7. That felt good. Don't let no one tell you that the Pittsburgh-Oakland rivalry is press hype. We hate them; they hate us. Beating them that bad in the playoffs was sweet indeed. People who'd been saying we couldn't win the big ones had to eat crow. Pittsburgh couldn't say we'd been lucky- the they were in '72 when Franco [Harris] picked up the ricochet and won in the final seconds. No, we blew them away."
The Raiders' victory over the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game at the end of the 1976 NFL season was the second time the two franchise met in the AFCCG in under a year. The Steelers won the season before when the game was played on January 4th, while the Raiders won on December 26th the following season. Stabler and the Raiders blew the Steelers away in Oakland 24-7.
Bradshaw struggled for Pittsburgh in the loss, completing just 14 passes in 35 attempts while throwing an interception and getting sacked three times. Stabler had a very good game, throwing 2 touchdowns and completing 10 out of 16 passes. The game was never really close, as the Raiders had a 17-7 lead going into halftime. The Steelers were unable to get anything going on offense in the second half and were scoreless, while the Raiders were able to add another touchdown.
Oakland went on to win Super Bowl XI, destroying the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 32-14. This was the Raiders first Super Bowl victory, as they were finally able to get over the hump after being one of the best teams in the league for the majority of the 70s. The Steelers would be able to get back on top two seasons later, as they won their second string of back-to-back Super Bowls in 1978 and 1979.
Steelers Were Considered "Lucky" By Stabler In Their Constant Defeats Of The Raiders
Stabler joined the Raiders in 1968 before taking a short hiatus in 1969, he returned to the team in 1970 and took over the starting role in 1973. It's understandable as to why he had so much hatred for Pittsburgh, as Pittsburgh beat the Raiders in the Divisional Round in 1972 and in the AFC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons in 1974 and 1975.
Stabler felt as though the Steelers got lucky in 1972 due to Franco Harris' immaculate reception in the final seconds to give Pittsburgh a 13-7 victory. The ball bounced off of a Raiders defenders helmet, and Harris caught it right before it hit the ground before running down the sideline for a touchdown. The play is considered the start of the heated rivalry between the two organizations, especially since it occurred in the first postseason matchup between the two franchises.
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