That's awesome, I saw all of those games live but should go back and take a
trip down memory lane. Plus, I think we only had a black and white TV in
1974, or our first color set wasn't very good, I can't quite remember.
Side note, the 21 and Done 2004 Steelers/Patriots game is replaying on NFLN
at least once more in the coming days, set your DVRs, that was a CLASSIC!
Streetr
On Fri, Apr 8, 2022 at 12:10 PM Steve Rhoton <sprhoto@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
So, I went down a rabbit hole on Youtube over the last couple of days
watching the 1974 postseason games, all the way through Super Bowl 9. I
never saw this stuff live (I wasn't alive for it), so all I had known about
this stuff was the lore that had been created, and things like America's
Game. In no particular order, this is the stuff that stuck out to me:
1) Bradshaw was bad. I mean, really, really bad. He looked like the 70's
version of Mark Sanchez. Just embarrassing stuff from him repeatedly in
those games - in the 1974 AFCC, he tried to give the game away multiple
times, including fumbling the ball off his leg with like 4 minutes left and
the Steelers up by 4. It absolutely blows my mind that he went from that to
the hall of fame.
2) That trapping run game they had with the split backs was an absolute
trip to watch. In those years, almost all their offense came off Harris and
Bleier. I also don't think I appreciated how good that oline was before
Mike Webster even was on the scene.
3) Everyone talks about Harris, but in those early years Bleier was no
slouch. A lot of games their yardage totals were within 20 yards of each
other.
4) I grew up with the mythology of the Steel Curtain, so I went into those
games thinking I would come away disappointed and they wouldn't live up to
what I had in my head about them. If anything, I came away more impressed.
They absolutely destroyed teams that are pretty much legends in their own
right. Just absolutely stuffing OJ Simpson and the Electric Company, then
just decimating that Raiders team where half of their line was hall of
famers (Otto, Upshaw, Shell), and finishing it off making Chuck Foreman and
Fran Tartenton look silly. It was astounding to watch.
5) Lambert was an absolute badass right from the jump. Just amazing the
kind of plays he was making all over the field as a rookie in 74. I didn't
realize he led the team in tackles his rookie year.
6) Ham seemed to almost be playing an LB/Safety hybrid at times. I guess
that's what happens when the front 4 doesn't really need you.
Anyway, I now get why people love those teams so much. :)
