not even close to the best game ever but yes, a huge road playoff victory and i miss it as well. We had a game a year earlier in Miami, remember? This was the last year they would be really good. We had such a gem in Brooks. Shame we let him go. Chandler was amazing, and to think we thought we lost John Jefferson and we were doomed. I was 12 during this game and i remember it well.
The final uprising of Air Coryell (at least as far as playoff success). In 79, SD had the #1 overall seed but lost at home to a wild card team. In 80, SD had the #1 overall seed, got by Buf at home, but lost at home to a wild card team in the AFC Championship Game. In 81, SD won its division, pulled out a miracle in Mia, but lost to Cin in the AFC Championship Game. In 82, SD bested Pit, but somehow lost handily in Mia. That was it. SD faded away the rest of the 80s.
The reason Coryel didn't win the big one but his protoge Gibbs won 3, Gibbs had a mean streak that caused him to want to run the ball down a defenses throat and physically beat them rather than just outscore them
San Diego would only win 3 playoff games 79-82. Buffalo-80, Miami-81, Pittsburgh-82. Next week they would loose to David Woodley. What,s a David Woodley? Pittsburgh would have cloobered the Dolphins the following week.
Wow, great game. I don't remember this one. Nice Chargers redemption (Brooks, too). The Steelers HOF nucleus lasted a long time, on their last legs here.
it was also the final game of the Tartan Turf surface at Three Rivers Stadium. They switched to AstroTurf in the offseason between Steelers vs. Chargers January 9, 1983 and the 1983 Pirates Home Opener vs. the St. Louis Cardinals April 12, 1983
@George Washington How could anyone be disappointed by this collection of Hall of Famers? It sucks to lose in the playoffs, obviously. But, this group went on the greatest run in league history. This game officially ended that run. Applause, and many encores at the final bow, (The final Curtain😉) for the greatest team in history. The 1970's Steel Curtain Steelers!
Oh yeah...the 82 playoffs were set up for the Steelers had they just won this game... great qbs gave pitt problems but the dolphins and jets and Redskins did not have fouts or kenny Andersen
This season was crazy the Steelers got in the playoffs kinda by default it was not a full season it was a 16 team tournament. The chargers beat an aged steeler team a lot of players they had were leftovers from the glory years. Majority of the Steelers retired after this game Mel Blount was not the same player and the Chargers did play well however and it was a great comeback win for San Diego.
It was also the final game for the 1970 Three Rivers Stadium Scoreboard. It was replaced by a DiamondVision Scoreboard in the offseason between the Steelers vs. Chargers January 9, 1983 and the Pirates Home Opener vs. the St. Louis Cardinals April 12, 1983.
I believe this may have been the final post-season game covered in the old NFL Game of the Week series, which had previously covered post-season games, including both conference championships and the Super Bowl through the 1981 season. But after this, I believe they only did the regular season and didn't do any more post-season games for the remainder of the Game of the Week series, which lasted through the 1986 season.
I've recently discovered that another user has the GOTW version of the 1982 NFC Divisional Playoff game between the Packers and Cowboys, which for that one season was the second round of the Super Bowl Tournament, meaning that this was not the final post-season game shown on the old NFL GOTW series.
Last of 3 only playoff wins for Don Coryell going back to St. Louis. The San Diego Chokers 1979-82. Under that Cheapskate Gene Klein who gave up so much talent. Chargers would never go anywhere.
Painful loss. This was pretty much the last chance for those left from the super bowl era Steelers to win it again. Unfortunate that the Chargers crapped the bed the following week. Makes the loss hurt that much more.
What a crushing defeat for the Steelers, who just couldn’t stop the SD offense. Poor drafting led to the secondary being below average and there was no pass rush. It is no wonder why Rivera was drafted over Marino. Bradshaw was still playing at a high level and the organization had no idea he would have a Louisiana backwoods doctor perform elbow surgery, thus ruining his career. What a shame because Terry could have played until 1986 and was finally throwing short and cutting down on his INTs.
If it helps any not many teams was stopping the chargers offense in those years usually the chargers had to outscore it opponents though because the defense rarely had a good game as a Steelers fan this was a tough ending and people say that Noll lost his touch but he lost players to the new league and to retirement and injury also when you win for that many years you dont get top draft choices it's a cycle the 9ers and cowboys and others did the same free agency is a good thing for the Patriots as Bill will get guys that buy in give them shot contracts to assure they stay bought in r he can show them the door and not lose much talk all you want about how tough he is on his players in camp and such but they usually end up with rings and so does he
I remember having to get updates on this game while watching the Bengals-Jets game. The 82' strike season format resulted in playoff games being played simultaneously with only regional coverage (that would never fly today) It was deflating thinking the Steelers were going to win most of the afternoon only to hear with an NBC update that they lost in the last minute. To me, that game really was the final curtain on the dynasty.
Terry Bradshaw's final playoff game and the last time he would play more than just a few snaps in any game (he missed all of 1983 except the early part of 1 game). The final home playoff game for Chuck Noll even though he would coach 9 more seasons. Jack Ham's final game of his career.
and man was it glorious! spotted you a lead to when James Brooks coughed up the opening kick. I remember like it was yesterday. the best was to end it on Winslow blowing up Mel Blount for the winning score
George Washington he ran him over bud. Does the tape lie? Drop the bias and just watch it. I’m not disrespecting the Steelers of that era if that what you are trying to defend. Have the utmost respect for that era’s Steelers teams and all they embodied. Hell, they were the blueprint.
Bradshaw played a quarter and a half in week 15 in what was his last game and the last game ever at Shea Stadium for the Jets. That was his only action of all of 83 and retired after the year.
@harold mccoy jesus..this isnt arguable. Watch the last touchdown by winslow..did he get the better of Blount? Well of course he did, he ran him over at the goal line...whats so hard for this Steeler fan to figure out here? I don't get it
@harold mccoy sorry buddy, they met at the goal line late in the 4th, and you know who won that battle, not #49..he went sideways and acted like a road cone. and that was ballgame...jeez we own you guys at home in the playoffs now dont we?
1982 season, este partido fue transmitido aqui en mexico por TELEVISA MEXICO,.......y yo lo vi en toluca Estado de Mexico......... uf.......antes de bress, manning, marino .... fue dan fouts...
Sounds like a good coward to me, ask fout did he win the Superbowl standing in that pocket passer BS and ask Dan Marino as well , see you been lied to for so long that you will believe anything the lying white media tell you, your history is based on the lie that Americans tell and you believe it, don't blame me OK !
@shane h so if you feel that way, let me put it in better words overall, the game wouldn't be shit without the black players, Never being credited to the contribution that is far more the greatest reasons !
@shane h Peyton Manning Tom Brady let me correct you, you mean kellan Winslow John Jefferson Wes Chandler Charlie Joiner Dwight Scales Kevin Duckworth James Brooks Lionel little train James and defense win championship you dumbless clueless skip Payless HaHa ! How do you forget ! Maggot brain !
Believe it was the Charger's new format of offensive of the new age of spreading around the balls in passes as the game was at the end of the Run Based Defensive Format of offenses which the Steelers reign supreme thru out 70s. The Steelers based unti was declining due to age and changes of offenses, the Defenses slowly started to give way as the 80s was one of the worst decades for Steelers until mid 90s. The new Offensive schemes forced defenses into more Nickel and Dime coverage as those terms were made due to Charger's new offensive scheme of passing first and often.
yes it was a rough go during their decline. that offense would never be the same. We would get traces of it, but nothing like 1979-1982. It was a great time in my life ages 9-12 and with a family that had season tickets since before my birth. They were so close. The back to back playoff losses at home to Houston in the divisional round, who had no Pastorini, Burrough, or Campbell playing, and then the next year at home vs Oakland in the AFC title game. Had that game been 4 minutes longer....I'm still bitter obviously
@@kch7051 That would have been special to see them play at Jack Murphy stadium during that era. Growing up my favorite player was James Brooks and the Chargers gave him up for Pete Johnson. That was one of the worst trades they ever made. Either way they were an entertaining group of players. Have you seen the "Missing Rings" documentary on them?
@@brianbachmeier34 Of course i've seen it. Agreed, it was a mind numbing trade. The Bengals would reap the rewards of that trade for years to come. Brooks could do it all. He was a true all purpose back. We would later get another Auburn back a few years later in lionel Little train james, who wasn't the same type of back, but he could also do it all. Why was Brooks your favorite player back then? ties to Auburn, the bengals, the chargers?
@@kch7051 I started watching the NFL in 1986 and liked him immediately. He was so tough for his size and could block and catch well. I liked the Bengals back then too. I wrote him a letter in 1991 and he responded with a personal letter of his own back to me. I still have it framed.
The defense gets a lot (all) of the blame for Air Coryell never winning it all, but those Charger teams were just as undisciplined as they were talented. Fumbles, INTs, and untimely penalties were key characteristics of all their games. "It seemed like, once again, the Chargers might find a way to lose the big one." - 18:19 ... Such a good game.
The NFL tend to hide some of the games lies that the NFL hide I call it the hidden NFL annd and it's how racist the NFL is towards the black players. The NFL don't want you to see their corruption scandals revealing some envy of the NFL black players, it's shocking for the eyes to see. The major cover-up in sports, white media don't report the truth but continue to oppress it !
Yes I still have nightmares about this game Pittsburgh goes up early then loses their lead then goes up later again and then loses their lead...🤕😞🤦🏽♂️ The woulda coulda shoulda of the Steelers Pretty sure if they would have beat these guys they would have made it to the Super Bowl...
Their best chance was probably 1979. They had an outstanding defense that year (led by pass rusher Fred Dean), and pummeled the Steelers during the regular season. In fact, they had home-field advantage and would have hosted the Steelers in the AFC Championship, but... they lost to the Oilers in the divisional round! That loss was mind-numbing, as the Oilers were missing some of their best players including Earl Campbell. Later we learned that the Oilers had figured out the Chargers' play-calling signals, and were able to anticipate their passing plays (Vernon Perry had 2 or 3 interceptions). Too bad.
The Steelers should had won this game if it wasn't for Bradshaw's 2 INTs passes. Imagine how the Steelers would had done in the 1982 playoffs had they beaten the Chargers.
And they were at home as well. Swann was absent though not Stallworth and Benny Cunningham, but yeah those 4th quarter interceptions, especially how the game started with a quick touchdown and then pinning them at their own one. And number 90 sucked! Robin Cole was there but Loren Toews and Dirk Winston seemed invisible and Mike Wagner looked like he only played special teams in that playoff game. No saftey blitz/interception that day from that four ringer. The beginning of the end for the Steelers from 72' onwards, until this
@@jeffsteptoe9416 then everyday would be Christmas 😊. Forgot about Wes Chandler because I always think of John Jefferson with Joiner ( ex Bengal ) and Winslow. Muncie didn't last but Fouts was the best quarterback to see light up a game with an aerial attack. Nice win for Air Coryell. Wonder if Glen Edwards played saftey against his ex Steelers but might've retired by this game, but I am curious if he actually did ( Noll labelled him a criminal long will Atkinson, Tatum and Fats Holmes before the 77 season began so he traded )
.....Or for the 2nd year in a row.....SD - Miami had a playoff game in the Orange Bowl and one team went up 24-3.....but this time the team way out and front didn’t choke away it’s lead. The year before Miami had no business losing to SD 41-38 in OT. They put themselves in such a whole by playing a horrible 1st Qtr. The proof is that they came back and took the lead 38-31. SD just had Lady Luck on their side that night. But Miami was the better team. I guess it really doesn’t matter though because Miami wasn’t beating Cincinnati the next week in the freezing cold either.
@@SS-th9wz The '81 Chargers were better than the '81 Dolphins they just got over confident when they jumped out to a 24-0 first quarter lead against sorry ass David Woodley. Obviously San Diego's defense didn't properly prepare for back up extrodinaire Don Strock otherwise Air Coryell wins 45-10 or 45-14 as they should've. In the rematch in the '82 Super Bowl Tournament the Dolphins caught Air Coryell on an uncharacteristic bad day offensively after the Chargers in their previous 7 games averaged 37.7ppg & 505ypg shit happens such as your explosive '84 Miami Dolphins & my boy Dan Marino & the Marks Brothers (Clayton & Duper) who went 14-2 scored the 2nd most points in NFL history at that point in time 513 which equals out to 32.1pp & 433ypg going scoreless in the second half of Super Bowl XIX or 19 & getting eviscerated by the '84 San Francisco 49ers 38-16 ijs🤷.
NIKO SAMUELS - As someone who lived in Miami in 1981 and went to Dolphins games that season, I knew that team well. Woolley was perhaps the worst QB in the team’s Shula era (1970-95). In 4 years (42 games) with Miami he completed just 52.9% of his passes / had just 34 TD passes / and 42 INTs. Think about that. He averaged 1 INT per game and 0.07 TD passes per game. Yet Miami won two AFC East Division Titles and made it to a Super Bowl with him at QB. Strock wasn’t much better. He only completed 56% of his passes and had 39 TDs and 37 INTs In 163 games (14 seasons). So when Miami fell behind to SD 24-0 by uncharacteristically giving up a punt return for a TD / not recovering the ensuing kick off / and then Woodley getting picked off by Glenn Edwards down 17-0. Miami was shell shocked. They had to pull Woodley because there was no way he could bring Miami back. Strock could though....but the reason Strock was never a starter in the NFL during his career was because he took to many chances. In this playoff game down 24-0, Miami needed him too. San Diego didn’t really earn their big 24-0 lead. They got very fortunate. They proved they weren’t worthy of it by blowing their 24-0 lead in less than 2 quarters as Miami tied at 31-31 late in the 3rd Quarter. Miami eventually took the lead 38-31. Fumble prone Andra Franklin (14 fumbles in 42 games = 33% of every game he played in....he fumbled......horrible)....fumbled on SD’s 18 yard line with 4 min remaining. Miami was just trying to run some clock and kick a chip shot FG to go up 10. The rest is history. Miami was the better team in 1981. You don’t win playoff games with a back up down 24-0. They almost did. Why? San Diego was that flawed. Again....it’s all meaningless because Cincinnati was the best team in the AFC that year. They beat SD twice that season handily 40-17 (in SD) and then 27-7. One could make the argument Miami was better suited for the Freezer Bowl AFC title game - being a running team with a very solid D. But they were a poor cold weather team and that likely would’ve been enough for Cincy to win vs Miami. Miami certainly wouldn’t have gotten blown out by 3 TDs like SD did though. There is a reason SD and Fouts never made a Super Bowl and Miami made it under Woodley the following year. Miami was better in more phases of the game. SD was excellent at passing. That was it. Dumb way to build a team.
NIKO SAMUELS - Fair enough. But You don’t make your case IMO other than just your opinion. You provide no facts or stats to prove why SD was the better team in 1981. If they were...why were they on the road for that famous playoff game vs Miami? Lol.
The reason why the Steelers lost this game was Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw, Noll playing his less talented players over his talented black players and Bradshaw throwing to the wrong receivers and bad reads and the interceptions he threw, Noll had a habit of favoring his white players over the more talented black players in the 1980 and it showed when bill cowher took over that team. The organization was just as envy of the black players in the 1970s as well and I can prove it !
football goodies prove it, tell us what you’re going for here. All Noll ever did was draft talent and manage it well. The real reason why Pittsburgh didn’t do well for the majority of the 80s was due to all those great players retiring and not having had high draft choices from the years they were winning Super Bowls and deep playoff runs. Also, they didn’t have a hall of fame caliber QB waiting to take over when Bradshaw was clearly nearing the end of the line. They could’ve drafted Marino but decided to rebuild the way they did when Noll first became head coach by drafting a DT and building around that position so they went with Gabe Rivera. Rivera had the car accident and his career didn’t pan out so to rebuild that way was ruined. Noll drafted talent his last few years when they weren’t making the playoffs, which was evident when Cowher took over, a lot of that was comprised of players drafted by Noll. It had nothing to do with this racist BS that you’ve decided to insinuate.
@@DynomyteDewd91 if you really did some real research you would know. But you are white and will never believe what a black man has to say and you don't have to do no research for that. The white media is always right !
@@DynomyteDewd91 if it were not for the black players past present & future yesterday today & tomorrow the NFL would be garbage ! I don't watch the NFL I've been boycotting since 2002 Tom Brady BS and that Terry Bradshaw excuse you are talking about !
The steelers let their best linebacker get away dirt Winston and kept playing jack ham Loren toew and Bob khors big mistake, dirt Winston even came back to haunt the steelers while playing for the new Orleans Saints, with a interception to help beat the steelers. And so crazy the steelers resigned Winston when they never should have let him go. The steelers organizations did this to a lot of great players , like Jim Smith Greg Hawthorne Louis lipps Mike merriweather Ernie Holmes Preston Pearson Frenchy Fuqua glen Edwards Frank Lewis even Franco Harris. All these players were black. They never let any of white players go. And Greg garrity and Paul Sandi were not good anyway. This is why the teams of the 1980s suffered. Keeping players like weggie Thompson Gary Dunn merle hoage. And noll hiring Joe Walton another big mistake. Keeping his talented players on the bench or letting them go. That's why the 80s teams sucked, oh and terrible quarterbacks. One more thing Bradshaw didn't play to well himself.
