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1972 Pittsburgh Steelers

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Record: 11-3-0, Finished 1st in AFC Central Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 343 points (24.5/g), 5th of 26 in the NFL.
 Allowed 175 points (12.5/g), 2nd.
 Differential of 168 points (12.0/g), 2nd.
 Expected W-L: 11.6-2.4.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +22 (1.6/g), 1st.

Simple Rating System: Total 10.0, Offense: 3.4, Defense: 6.6, SoS: -2.0, versus averages of 0.0.

Coached by Chuck Noll

 Defensive Coordinator: Bud Carson

Training Camp: St. Vincent College (Latrobe, Pennsylvania)

Team Stats and Rankings

Tot Yds & TO Passing Rushing
Pts Yds Ply Y/P 1stD Cmp Att Yds TD Int NY/A 1stD Att Yds TD Y/A 1stD TO FL 1stPy
Team Offense 343 4231 853 5.0 228 156 324 1711 12 12 4.8 79 497 2520 22 5.1 131 26 14 18
Team Defense 175 3771 896 4.2 228 206 411 2056 9 28 4.6 116 445 1715 6 3.9 88 48 20 24
Lg Rank Offense 5 13 18 19 22 19 3 22 11 2 2 1 3 12
Lg Rank Defense 2 8 13 26 10 2 1 2 10 6 1 7 1 1

Team Games & Schedule

Score Offense Defense
Week Day Date OT Rec Opp Tm Opp 1stD TotYd PassY RushY TO 1stD TotYd PassY RushY TO
1 Sun September 17 boxscore W 1-0 Oakland Raiders 34 28 17 247 106 141 4 20 370 273 97 5
2 Sun September 24 boxscore L 1-1 @ Cincinnati Bengals 10 15 14 205 131 74 3 13 269 148 121 4
3 Sun October 1 boxscore W 2-1 @ St. Louis Cardinals 25 19 20 362 209 153 2 15 248 190 58 4
4 Sun October 8 boxscore L 2-2 @ Dallas Cowboys 13 17 14 272 142 130 2 21 367 176 191 4
5 Sun October 15 boxscore W 3-2 Houston Oilers 24 7 18 295 46 249 7 108 108 1
6 Sun October 22 boxscore W 4-2 New England Patriots 33 3 19 426 183 243 1 17 276 149 127 4
7 Sun October 29 boxscore W 5-2 @ Buffalo Bills 38 21 18 309 93 216 1 24 418 164 254 4
8 Sun November 5 boxscore W 6-2 Cincinnati Bengals 40 17 20 415 185 230 21 366 221 145 3
9 Sun November 12 boxscore W 7-2 Kansas City Chiefs 16 7 15 318 80 238 5 16 183 108 75 3
10 Sun November 19 boxscore L 7-3 @ Cleveland Browns 24 26 15 314 103 211 2 24 389 172 217 2
11 Sun November 26 boxscore W 8-3 Minnesota Vikings 23 10 12 292 86 206 3 16 320 225 95 3
12 Sun December 3 boxscore W 9-3 Cleveland Browns 30 0 19 337 153 184 1 11 126 27 99 3
13 Sun December 10 boxscore W 10-3 @ Houston Oilers 9 3 12 193 63 130 1 11 159 87 72 1
14 Sun December 17 boxscore W 11-3 @ San Diego Chargers 24 2 15 246 131 115 1 12 172 116 56 7
Playoffs
Division Sat December 23 boxscore W 12-3 Oakland Raiders 13 7 13 252 144 108 1 13 216 78 138 4
ConfChamp Sun December 31 boxscore L 12-4 Miami Dolphins 17 21 13 250 122 128 2 19 314 121 193 1

Passing

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
No. Age Pos G GS QBrec Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD TD% Int Int% Lng Y/A AY/A Y/C Y/G Rate QBR Sk Yds NY/A ANY/A Sk% 4QC GWD
12 Terry Bradshaw 24 QB 14 14 11-3-0 147 308 47.7 1887 12 3.9 12 3.9 78 6.1 5.2 12.8 134.8 64.1 29 237 4.90 4.01 8.6 3 4
17 Joe Gilliam 22 2 0 7 11 63.6 48 0 0.0 0 0.0 9 4.4 4.4 6.9 24.0 73.3 2 8 3.08 3.08 15.4
5 Terry Hanratty 24 7 0 2 4 50.0 23 0 0.0 0 0.0 14 5.8 5.8 11.5 3.3 67.7 1 2 4.20 4.20 20.0
39 Bobby Walden 34 P 14 0 0 1 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 39.6 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.0
Team Total 25.3 14 11-3-0 156 324 48.1 1958 12 3.7 12 3.7 78 6.0 5.1 12.6 139.9 64.3 32 247 4.81 3.96 9.0 3 4
Opp Total 14 206 411 50.1 2393 9 2.2 28 6.8 5.8 3.19 11.6 170.9 47.0 40 337 4.6 2.2 8.9

Rushing & Receiving

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
Rushing Receiving
No. Age Pos G GS Att Yds TD Lng Y/A Y/G A/G Rec Yds Y/R TD Lng R/G Y/G YScm RRTD Fmb
32 Franco Harris* 22 RB 14 9 188 1055 10 75 5.6 75.4 13.4 21 180 8.6 1 29 1.5 12.9 1235 11 7
33 John Fuqua 26 FB 13 0 150 665 4 47 4.4 51.2 11.5 18 152 8.4 0 28 1.4 11.7 817 4 1
26 Preston Pearson 27 KR 11 0 67 264 0 21 3.9 24.0 6.1 11 79 7.2 0 15 1.0 7.2 343 0 4
12 Terry Bradshaw 24 QB 14 14 58 346 7 20 6.0 24.7 4.1 346 7 4
35 Steve Davis 24 11 0 20 85 1 28 4.3 7.7 1.8 1 5 5.0 0 5 0.1 0.5 90 1 3
46 Warren Bankston 25 7 0 7 20 0 11 2.9 2.9 1.0 1 5 5.0 0 5 0.1 0.7 25 0 0
43 Frank Lewis 25 WR 13 13 3 68 0 41 22.7 5.2 0.2 27 391 14.5 5 52 2.1 30.1 459 5 1
17 Joe Gilliam 22 2 0 2 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0 0 0
89 John McMakin 22 TE 14 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.1 21 277 13.2 1 78 1.5 19.8 277 1 0
20 Rocky Bleier 26 14 0 1 17 0 17 17.0 1.2 0.1 17 0 1
25 Ron Shanklin 24 WR 14 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 38 669 17.6 3 57 2.7 47.8 669 3 0
88 Dave L. Smith 25 6 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 10 98 9.8 0 25 1.7 16.3 98 0 0
31 Al Young 23 14 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 6 86 14.3 0 33 0.4 6.1 86 0 0
87 Larry Brown 23 9 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 1 13 13.0 1 13 0.1 1.4 13 1 0
72 Gerry Mullins 23 RT 14 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 1 3 3.0 1 3 0.1 0.2 3 1 0
Team Total 25.3 14 497 2520 22 75 5.1 180.0 35.5 156 1958 12.6 12 78 11.1 139.9 4478 34 27
Opp Total 14 445 1715 6 3.9 122.5 31.8 206 2056 10.0 9 14.7 146.9 3771 15 37

Kick & Punt Returns

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
Punt Returns Kick Returns
No. Age Pos G GS Ret Yds TD Lng Y/R Rt Yds TD Lng Y/Rt APYd
27 Glen Edwards 25 PR 12 0 22 202 0 54 9.2 1 18 0 18 18.0 220
26 Preston Pearson 27 KR 11 0 1 3 0 3 3.0 13 292 0 42 22.5 638
32 Franco Harris* 22 RB 14 9 8 183 0 32 22.9 1418
35 Steve Davis 24 11 0 7 207 0 82 29.6 297
43 Frank Lewis 25 WR 13 13 5 56 0 26 11.2 515
20 Rocky Bleier 26 14 0 2 1 0 1 0.5 2 40 0 20 20.0 58
46 Warren Bankston 25 7 0 1 20 0 20 20.0 45
89 John McMakin 22 TE 14 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 277
Team Total 25.3 14 30 262 0 54 8.7 33 760 0 82 23.0 5500
Opp Total 14 37 0 54 1190 0 22.0

Kicking & Punting

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
0-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Tot PAT Punting
No. Age Pos G GS FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FG% XPA XPM XP% Pnt Yds Lng Blck Y/P
10 Roy Gerela* 24 K 14 0 9 9 10 8 12 8 9 3 1 41 28 68.3% 36 35 97.2% 1 29 29 0 29.0
39 Bobby Walden 34 P 14 0 65 2846 72 2 43.8
Team Total 25.3 14 9 9 10 8 12 8 9 3 1 41 28 68.3% 36 35 97.2% 66 2875 72 2 43.6
Opp Total 14 27 16 59.3% 18 17 94.4% 74 2982 40.3

Defense & Fumbles

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
Def Interceptions Fumbles Tackles
No. Age Pos G GS Sk Int Yds TD Lng PD FF Fmb FR Yds TD Tkl Ast Sfty
59 Jack Ham 24 LLB 14 14 7 83 1 32 0 0 1 4 0 0
32 Franco Harris* 22 RB 14 9 0 7 1 -5 0
49 Ralph Anderson 23 FS 14 0 3 68 0 41 0 0 0 3 0 0 1
12 Terry Bradshaw 24 QB 14 14 0 4 2 -9 0
27 Glen Edwards 25 PR 12 0 1 14 0 14 0 0 4 1 0 0
23 Mike Wagner 23 SS 14 0 6 77 0 35 0
47 Mel Blount 24 RCB 14 14 3 75 0 34 0 0 0 2 35 1
26 Preston Pearson 27 KR 11 0 0 4 1 0 0
48 John Rowser 28 LCB 14 0 4 30 0 23 0
34 Andy Russell* 31 RLB 14 0 0 0 4 0 0
35 Steve Davis 24 11 0 0 3 0 0 0
78 Dwight White* 23 RDE 14 0 0 0 3 9 0
37 Chuck Beatty 26 8 0 2 16 0 16 0
53 Henry Davis 30 MLB 14 0 2 32 0 28 0
5 Terry Hanratty 24 7 0 0 1 1 0 0
43 Frank Lewis 25 WR 13 13 0 1 1 0 0
46 Warren Bankston 25 7 0 0 0 1 0 0
20 Rocky Bleier 26 14 0 0 1 0 0 0
87 Larry Brown 23 9 0 0 0 1 0 0
57 Sam Davis 28 LG 11 11 0 0 1 0 0
33 John Fuqua 26 FB 13 0 0 1 0 -2 0
75 Joe Greene*+ 26 LDT 14 14 0 0 1 0 0
63 Ernie Holmes 24 14 0 0 0 1 0 0
77 Mel Holmes 22 14 0 0 0 1 0 0
60 Ben McGee 33 RDT 14 0 0 0 1 0 0
72 Gerry Mullins 23 RT 14 0 0 0 1 0 0
Team Total 25.3 14 28 395 1 41 0 0 27 31 28 1 1
Opp Total 14 32 37 17 1

Scoring Summary

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
No. Age Pos G GS RshTD RecTD PR TD KR TD FblTD IntTD OthTD AllTD 2PM XPM FGM Sfty Pts
10 Roy Gerela* 24 K 14 0 35 28 119
32 Franco Harris* 22 RB 14 9 10 1 11 66
12 Terry Bradshaw 24 QB 14 14 7 7 42
43 Frank Lewis 25 WR 13 13 5 5 30
33 John Fuqua 26 FB 13 0 4 4 24
25 Ron Shanklin 24 WR 14 0 3 3 18
47 Mel Blount 24 RCB 14 14 1 1 6
87 Larry Brown 23 9 0 1 1 6
53 Henry Davis 30 MLB 14 0 1 1 6
35 Steve Davis 24 11 0 1 1 6
59 Jack Ham 24 LLB 14 14 1 1 6
89 John McMakin 22 TE 14 0 1 1 6
72 Gerry Mullins 23 RT 14 0 1 1 6
49 Ralph Anderson 23 FS 14 0 1 2
Team Total 25.3 14 22 12 1 1 1 37 35 28 1 343
Opp Total 14 6 9 17 16 1 175