1971 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 1971 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 39th in the National Football League. The Steelers showed improvement finishing in second Place with a 6-8 record. But Terry Bradshaw struggled with turnovers in his second season throwing 22 interceptions to 13 touchdown passes. The Steelers that year drafted wide receiver Frank Lewis, Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Ham, guard Gerry Mullins, defensive end Dwight White, tight end/tackle Larry Brown, defensive tackle Ernie Holmes, and safety Mike Wagner, all key contributors during the Steelers Super Bowl teams of the 1970s.
Offseason
NFL Draft
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Regular season
Schedule
Game summaries
Week 1 at Bears
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:
- Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 33 – Bengals 3–0
- Pittsburgh – Smity 16 pass from Bradshaw – Steelers 7–3
- Cincinnati – Parrish 14 fumble return – Bengals 10–7
- Pittsburgh – Staggers 67 punt return – Steelers 14–10
- Pittsburgh – Pearson 13 pass from Bradshaw – Steelers 21–10
Week 3 (Sunday October 3, 1971): [San Diego Chargers]
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 44,339
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- TV announcers:
- San Diego – FG Partee 21 – Chargers 3–0
- Pittsburgh – Fuqua 5 run – Steelers 7–3
- San Diego – Parks 16 pass from Hadl – Chargers 10–7
- Pittsburgh – Fuqua 1 run – Steelers 14–10
- San Diego – Garrett 4 run – Chargers 17–14
- Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 5 run – Steelers 21–17
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:
- Cleveland – FG Cockroft 25 – Browns 3–0
- Cleveland – Morin 19 pass from Nelsen – Browns 10–0
- Cleveland – Scott 18 run – Browns 17–0
- Pittsburgh – D. Smith 22 pass from Bradshaw – Browns 17–7
- Cleveland – FG Cockroft 20 – Browns 20–7
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 33 – Browns 20–10
- Pittsburgh – Shanklin 11 pass from Bradshaw – Browns 20–17
- Cleveland – Kelly 7 run – Browns 27–17
Week 5 (Monday October 18, 1971): [Kansas City Chiefs]
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 49,533
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers:ABC Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, Don Meredith
- 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 – Steelers 9–7
- Kansas City – Taylor 27 pass from Dawson – Chiefs 14–9
- Kansas City – Wright 5 pass from Dawson – Chiefs 21–9
- Kansas City – Podolak 1 run – Chiefs 28–9
- Kansas City – FG Stenerud 11 – Chiefs 31–9
- Pittsburgh – Fuqua 1 run – Chiefs 31–16
- Kansas City – Thomas 32 interception return – Chiefs 38–16
Week 6 (Sunday October 24, 1971): [Houston Oilers]
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 45,872
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers:
- Houston – Dawkins 1 run – 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 – Oilers 16-6
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela – Oilers 16-9
- Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run – Tie 16–16
- Pittsburgh – Fuqua 30 run – Steelers 23–16
Week 7 (Sunday October 31, 1971): [Baltimore Colts]
- Game time:
- Game weather: 60,238
- Game attendance:
- Referee: Jack Reader
- TV announcers:
- Baltimore – Bulaich 1 run – Colts 7–0
- Baltimore – FG O'Brien 20 – Colts 10–0
- Baltimore – FG O'Brien 9 – Colts 13–0
- Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 3 run – Colts 13–7
- Baltimore – Richardson 19 pass from Morrall – Colts 20–7
- Baltimore – Richardson 49 pass from Morrall – Colts 27–7
- Baltimore – Perkins 60 pass from Morrall – Colts 34–7
- Pittsburgh – Shanklin 31 pass from Bradshaw – Colts 34–14
- Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run – Colts 34–21
Week 8 (Sunday November 7, 1971): [Cleveland Browns]
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 50,202
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- TV announcers:
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 45 – Steelers 3–0
- Pittsburgh – Bradshaw 1 run – 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 – Steelers 16–9
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 13 – Steelers 19–9
- Pittsburgh – Smith 40 pass from Hanratty – Steelers 26–9
Week 9 (Sunday November 14, 1971): [Miami Dolphins]
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 66,435
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV announcers:
- Miami – FG Yepremian 43 – Dolphins 3–0
- Pittsburgh – Smith 30 pass from Bradshaw – Steelers 7–3
- Pittsburgh – Shanklin 28 pass from Bradshaw – Steelers 14–3
- Pittsburgh – Smith 16 pass from Bradshaw – Steelers 21–3
- Miami – Warfield 12 pass from Griese – Steelers 21–10
- Miami – Warfield 86 pass from Griese – Steelers 21–17
- Miami – Warfield 60 pass from Griese – Dolphins 24–21
Week 10 (Sunday November 21, 1971): [New York Giants]
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 50,008
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV announcers:
- New York Giants – Houston 26 pass from Tarkenton – Giants 7–0
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 25 – Giants 7–3
- New York Giants – FG Gogolak 25 – Giants 10–3
- Pittsburgh – Rowser 70 interception return – Tie 10–10
- New York Giants – FG Gogolak 29 – Giants 13–10
- Pittsburgh – Shanklin 4 pass from Bradshaw – Steelers 17–13
Week 11 (Sunday November 28, 1971): [Denver Broncos]
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 39,710
- Referee: Tommy Bell
- TV announcers:
- Denver – Little 3 run – Broncos 7–0
- Denver – FG J. Turner 32 – Broncos 10–0
- Pittsburgh – Pearson 8 pass from Hanratty – Broncos 10–7
- Pittsburgh – FG Gerela 19 – Tie 10–10
- Denver – Little 16 run – 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]
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 37,778
- Referee: Fred Swearingen
- TV announcers:
- Houston – Reed 27 pass from Pastorini – Oilers 7–0
- Houston – FG Moseley 25 – Oilers 10–0
- Houston – Campbell 8 run – 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 – Oilers 29–3
Week 13 (Sunday December 12, 1971): [Cincinnati Bengals]
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 60,022
- Referee: Jack Vest
- TV announcers:
- Pittsburgh – Hanratty 3 run – Steelers 7–0
- Cincinnati – Coslet 43 pass from Carter – Tie 7–7
- Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 22 – Bengals 10–7
- Cincinnati – FG Muhlmann 18 – Bengals 13–7
- Pittsburgh – Fuqua 40 pass from Bradshaw – Steelers 14–13
- Pittsburgh – Shanklin 5 pass from Bradshaw – Steelers 21–13
Week 14 (Sunday December 19, 1971): [Los Angeles Rams]
- Game time:
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 45,233
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers:
- Los Angeles – FG Ray 15 – Rams 3–0
- Los Angeles – FG Ray 15 – Rams 6–0
- Los Angeles – Snow 20 pass from Gabriel – Rams 13–0
- Pittsburgh – L. Brown 3 pass from Bradshaw – Rams 13–7
- Los Angeles – FG Ray 15 – Rams 16–7
- Pittsburgh – Shanklin 2 pass from Bradshaw – Rams 16–14
- Los Angeles – L. Smith 1 run – Rams 23–14
Standings