Visitor: Denver Broncos

Home: Pittsburgh Steelers

Date: December 30, 1978

AFC Divisional Playoff

Scoring:

Team 1 2 3 4 Final

DEN 3 7 0 0 10

PIT 6 13 0 14 33

Visitor playmakers:

Preston

Home playmakers:

RB Franco Harris, LB Dennis Winston, WR Lynn Swann, WR John Stallworth

Network: NBC

Announcers: Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen

Pregame: Yes

Halftime:

Postgame:

Commercials:

Grade:

Notes: The Steelers moved into the AFC Championship Game for the fourth time in the last five seasons by eliminating the defending champion Broncos. Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw completed 16 of 29 passes for a personal postseason career-high 272 yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers broke open the 19-10 game with two touchdowns 14 seconds apart in the fourth quarter. Wide receiver John Stallworth, who set an NFL Divisional Playoff record with a career-high 10 catches for 156 yards, caught a 45-yard touchdown pass with 3:49 elapsed in the final period. Denver’s Rick Upchurch fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Pittsburgh linebacker Dennis Winston recovered at the Broncos’ 29-yard line. After an incomplete pass and a penalty, Bradshaw connected with wide receiver Lynn Swann on the goal line for a 38-yard score and a 33-10 lead. Running back Franco Harris gained 105 yards on 24 carries, his fifth 100-yard postseason game (an NFL record), and his two first-half touchdown runs (1 and 18 yards) raised his career total to 12, the most by any player in NFL postseason history. Pittsburgh’s “Steel Curtain” defense, which permitted an NFL low 195 points during the regular season, held its opponent to under 100 yards rushing for the sixth straight game. The Steelers sacked Denver’s starting quarterback Craig Morton and backup Norris Weese, who relieved Morton in the second quarter, six times overall and shut out the Broncos with 97 total yards in the final 30 minutes.

Thanks Rick!

Running time: 3:01