Steelers Legends Agree Best Team Of 70s Dynasty Era Didn’t Even Win The Super Bowl

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ dynasty run is remembered for the Lombardi trophies brought home in 1974, 1975, 1978, and 1979. The first four championships in franchise history that turned the team from decades-long lovable losers into one of football’s greatest powerhouses. Talk to the media, and they’ll cite those squads as being the best. Talk to the players, and they’ll tell you the best group was one that ended the year in disappointment, not glory.

WTAE’s Andrew Stockey spoke with RB Rocky Bleier and CB Mel Blount to get their take on the greatest group of them all – 1976.

“We were fortunate to play on a lot of great teams in the 70s. But to me, and this is just my opinion, but I feel a lot of guys feel the same way, in 1976, we had an awesome team,” Blount told Stockey in a recent sit-down.

Stockey highlighted the ’76 bunch for its 50th anniversary. A group that didn’t lock down the history books with a trophy but set historical marks with its unparalleled defense. Arguably the greatest single-season defensive performance in NFL history, the Steelers allowed under 10 points per game, pitched five shutouts across 15 games, and once went 22-straight quarters without allowing a touchdown.

“I would have to say the ’76 team was probably the greatest team. Only because of what we had to overcome and what was accomplished.”

Pittsburgh overcame plenty. The Steelers began the year 1-4 and lost QB Terry Bradshaw to injury after a violent tackle by Cleveland Browns DL “Turkey” Joe Jones. Rookie Mike Kruczek was the only healthy quarterback left, putting the onus on the running game and defense to win.

After that 1-4 start, the Steelers won nine straight games to close out the regular season. Pittsburgh rolled the Baltimore Colts in the Divisional round but lost Franco Harris and Bleier to injury for the title game against the Oakland Raiders. Even with Bradshaw back, Pittsburgh’s season came to a halt in a 24-7 loss.

“That team was awesome,” Blount said. “It was probably, to me, the most fun I ever had on defense.”

Blount referred to it as a “lost” season with injuries robbing Pittsburgh the chance to become the first three-peat in Super Bowl history. To date, only the Green Bay Packers in 1929-1931 and 1965-1967 won three straight, the latter 1965 being the final year before the Super Bowl was officially introduced.

Last year, we ranked the 1976 squad as the eighth-best in franchise history and the top unit that didn’t make the Super Bowl, calling it the Steelers’ greatest “what-if.” We even placed it above the 1995 season that made the Super Bowl and the 2004 unit that went 15-1 in the regular season.

Pittsburgh rebounded two years later in 1978 with its third Lombardi. The defense remained strong, but the Steelers’ offense truly began to shine with Bradshaw winning MVP and leading the league in touchdown passes. The Super Bowl was a shootout, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 35-31.

The history books won’t properly reflect how talented the 1976 unit was. For those who watched it, and for those who lived it like Blount and Bleier, it was the best.