1971 Pittsburgh Steelers season

Offseason

NFL draft

Personnel

Staff

• President – Arthur J. Rooney
• Vice president – John R. McGinley
• Vice president – Daniel M. Rooney
• Vice president – Arthur J. Rooney, Jr.
• Public relations director – Ed Kiely
• Ticket manager – Joseph H. Carr
• Traveling secretary – James A. Boston
• Publicity director – Joe Gordon
• Office manager – Terrence Jacobs
• Ticket office assistant – Arthur Laughlin
• Director of player personnel – Dick Haley
• Assistant director of player personnel – Bill Nunn
• Head coach – Chuck Noll
• Offensive backfield – Max Coley
• Offensive line – Bob Fry
• Quarterbacks – Babe Parilli
• Receivers – Lionel Taylor
• Defensive line – Walter Hackett
• Defensive backfield – Charlie Sumner
• Strength coach – Louis Riecke
• Team physician, orthopedic – Dr. John Best
• Team Physician, M.D. – Dr. David S. Huber
• Team dentist – Dr. Robert Gray
• Trainer – Ralph Berlin
• Equipment manager – Anthony Parisi, Jack Hart

Roster

Regular season

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 1 at Bears

Second quarter

• PIT – Preston Pearson fumble recovery in end zone (kick failed). ''Steelers 6–0. '''Drive:'''''
• CHI – Mac Percival 33-yard field goal. ''Steelers 6–3. '''Drive:''''' Third quarter
• PIT – Roy Gerela 32-yard field goal. ''Steelers 9–3. '''Drive:'''''
• PIT – Roy Gerela 29-yard field goal. ''Steelers 12–3. '''Drive:''''' Fourth quarter
• PIT – Roy Gerela 42-yard field goal. ''Steelers 15–3. '''Drive:'''''
• CHI – Ross Brupbacher 30-yard fumble return (Mac Percival kick). Steelers 15–10.
• CHI – George Farmer 8-yard pass from Kent Nix (Mac Percival kick). ''Bears 17–15. '''Drive:''''' ;Top passers
• PIT – Terry Bradshaw – 10/24, 129 yards, 4 INT
• CHI – Jack Concannon – 15/26, 116 yards, INT ;Top rushers
• PIT – John Fuqua – 17 rushes, 114 yards
• CHI – Don Shy – 9 rushes, 19 yards ;Top receivers
• PIT – Ron Shanklin – 6 receptions, 113 yards
• CHI – George Farmer – 4 receptions, 59 yards, TD

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

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

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

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 – Chargers 3–0
• Pittsburgh – Fuqua 5 run (Gerela kick) – Steelers 7–3
• San Diego – Parks 16 pass from Hadl (Partee kick) – Chargers 10–7
• Pittsburgh – Fuqua 1 run (Gerela kick) – Steelers 14–10
• San Diego – Garrett 4 run (Partee kick) – Chargers 17–14
• Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 5 run (Gerela kick) – Steelers 21–17 Steelers stop San Diego with a goal line stand preserving the 21–17 win.

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

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

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

at the Municipal Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Game time:
• Game weather:
• Game attendance: 49,533
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• TV announcers:ABC Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, Don Meredith

Scoring drives:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

at Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

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

Scoring drives:

• Miami – FG Yepremian 43 – Dolphins 3–0
• Pittsburgh – Smith 30 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) – Steelers 7–3
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 28 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) – Steelers 14–3
• Pittsburgh – Smith 16 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) – Steelers 21–3
• Miami – Warfield 12 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick) – Steelers 21–10
• Miami – Warfield 86 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick) – Steelers 21–17
• Miami – Warfield 60 pass from Griese (Yepremian kick) – Dolphins 24–21

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

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) – Giants 7–0
• Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 25 – Giants 7–3
• New York Giants – FG Gogolak 25 – Giants 10–3
• Pittsburgh – Rowser 70 interception return (Gerela kick) – Tie 10–10
• New York Giants – FG Gogolak 29 – Giants 13–10
• Pittsburgh – Shanklin 4 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) – Steelers 17–13 The Steelers ended a 15-game losing streak to NFC member teams.

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

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

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

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

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

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati

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

Scoring drives:

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

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

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

Standings

References

References

1. "1971 Pittsburgh Steelers Preseason Prospectus".