The 1984 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 52nd season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the
National Football League.
Most of the stars from the 1970s had departed, but the Steelers showed signs of their past glory by amassing a 9–7 record to capture the AFC Central Title again. The highlight of the season was an October 14 win over the 49ers in San Francisco. It was the only loss the 49ers suffered all season. Also serving up highlights that season was WR Louis Lipps, who won the Offensive Rookie of the Year. In the playoffs, the Steelers stunned the Broncos 24–17 in Denver to earn a trip to the AFC Championship. However, the Steelers' season would end with a 45–28 thrashing at the hands of the Dolphins in Miami. This season was the last time the Steelers appeared in a playoff game until 1989, marking the end of the powerhouse
Steel Curtain defense.
1984 would prove to be somewhat of a transition year for the Steelers, as it would mark the final season of several key members of their 1970s dynasty—most notably
Jack Lambert (who missed several games during the season due to a recurring
turf toe injury), but also
Larry Brown and
Craig Colquitt—as well as the retirement of
Mel Blount in mid-March and the unexpected[2] retirement of
Terry Bradshaw in late July.
Additionally,
Cliff Stoudt, the starting quarterback in 1983 while Bradshaw was injured, departed for the
United States Football League, leaving the Steelers thin at the position after Bradshaw's retirement on the eve of
training camp. The team would trade for former
Miami Dolphins starter
David Woodley, who had been supplanted on his former team by
Oakland native and former
Pitt quarterback
Dan Marino. The Steelers infamously passed over Marino in the first round of the
previous year's draft in favor of
Gabriel Rivera, who by 1984 was already out of football; he suffered a spinal cord injury in a drunk driving crash that permanently left him a
quadriplegic. Woodley would split time with
Mark Malone under center.
In addition to Bradshaw, 1984 would also mark another unexpected departure:
Franco Harris. Unlike Bradshaw, this would be due to a pay dispute. As Harris was closing in on
Jim Brown's rushing record alongside Chicago's
Walter Payton, Harris felt that he deserved a pay raise. The
Rooney family, feeling that Harris was near the end of his career, felt otherwise, and it led to Harris's release during training camp. Harris would sign with the
Seattle Seahawks and play eight games for that team before retiring 192 yards short of Brown's record, which would be surpassed by Payton that season.
On a positive note, 1984 would mark the first year of wide receiver
Louis Lipps, who would set many team records during his career and would retire in second place on the Steelers all-time receiving list behind teammate
John Stallworth; Lipps is currently fourth behind
Hines Ward, Stallworth and
Antonio Brown.
Mark Malone and
David Woodley combined for 419 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions, while the Chiefs won despite putting up just 264 yards of total offense.
After coughing up four turnovers to the Chiefs, the Steelers picked off
Pat Ryan three times and forced a fumble; they also bullied the Jets into eleven penalties for 115 yards.
TV announcers (
NBC Game only aired in the Pittsburgh markets due to NBC airing Game 5 of the
World Series):
Jay Randolph (play by play) and
Bob Trumpy (color commentator)
This game was not on many NBC stations, since game 5 of the
World Series was being broadcast at the same time. However, that game would prove the last Sunday afternoon World Series game. This was the solitary game the eventual Super Bowl champion 49ers lost during the 1984 season.
This game was particularly frustrating to Steeler fans. One week previously, the Steelers beat the 49ers in San Francisco – becoming the solitary team to achieve this as the 49ers finished 15-1 on the way to winning the Super Bowl. Then coming back east to play one of the worst teams of the season, the Indianapolis Colts – who had only two wins at that point and were to win just four games for the season – they lost on a last minute improbable play after leading throughout the game. The Colts’ third-string quarterback, Mike Pagel, came off the bench in the third quarter and was leading a final minute drive from their 20. On the Colts 40 with 34 seconds left, Pagel avoided a near sack, scrambled right and threw down the middle of the field to WR Bernard Henry. The ball however went directly to the hands of Steeler CB Sam Washington who bobbled the ball. Between Washington and a few other Steeler defenders, WR Ray Butler burst through the gap, snatched the ball in the air and ran untouched 54 yards for the touchdown. The extra point sealed the game.[14]
The Saints won their first Monday Night game in seven tries, and also avenged a 1974 Monday Night loss to the Steelers at
Tulane Stadium. It was Pittsburgh's first loss to New Orleans since 1969 in what was the Steelers’ final game in the NFL before moving to the AFC as part of the
AFL-NFL merger.
Former Steelers linebacker
Dennis Winston played for the Saints in this game. It was also a homecoming for Lipps, who played at nearby
East St. John High School.