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Post by NFL Historian on Jun 25, 2024 21:10:00 GMT 10
Sunday Dec 22, 1974 Start Time: 1:00pm |
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Post by NFL Historian on Jun 25, 2024 21:11:00 GMT 10
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Post by NFL Historian on Jun 25, 2024 21:12:41 GMT 10
 Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw looks for his target as he gets off a pass before the Buffalo Bills defense can move in to stop him during first quarter. |
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Post by NFL Historian on Nov 19, 2024 19:13:28 GMT 10
Game information
Running back Franco Harris led the Steelers to the victory by scoring 3 touchdowns in the second quarter. Pittsburgh outgained the Bills in total yards, 438–264, and first downs, 29–14.
Pittsburgh scored on their first possession with Roy Gerela's 21-yard field goal, but later on, a poor punt from Bobby Walden gave the Bills a first down on their own 44, where they proceeded to drive 56 yards to a 7–3 lead on Joe Ferguson's 27-yard touchdown pass to tight end Paul Seymour.
The Steelers took over the game in the second quarter, scoring 26 unanswered points with an NFL playoff single quarter record 4 touchdowns. Early in the period, Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw rushed for 8 yards on 3rd and 7 and later picked another 12 yards on a scramble before finishing the drive with a 27-yard scoring pass to running back Rocky Bleier, giving the team a 9–7 lead after Gerela's extra point was blocked. Following a Bills punt, the team increased their lead to 16–7 with a 66-yard drive that concluded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Harris. Then Buffalo running back Jim Braxton lost a fumble on a combined tackle by Mel Blount and Mike Wagner, which linebacker Jack Ham recovered for Pittsburgh on their 42. Bradshaw subsequently completed a 19-yard pass to Bleier and 35-yard pass to Lynn Swann as the team drove to a 22–7 lead (due to another blocked extra point) on Harris' 4-yard score. With 16 seconds left before halftime, Harris scored his 3rd rushing touchdown to cap a 56-yard drive, upping his team's lead to 29–7.
Buffalo cut the score to 29–14 in the third quarter with Ferguson's 3-yard touchdown pass to running back O. J. Simpson, but Gerela's 22-yard field goal in the final period would be the only other score of the game.
In the only playoff game of his 11-season Hall of Fame career, Simpson was held to 49 rushing yards, 3 receptions for 37 yards, and a touchdown. Ferguson threw for 164 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions, but completed just 11 of 26 passes. Bradshaw completed 12 of 19 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Bills and Steelers.
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