1980 Pittsburgh Steelers season

Sports season

1980 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Owner	Art Rooney
General manager	Dick Haley
Head coach	Chuck Noll
Home field	Three Rivers Stadium
Results
Record	9–7
Division place	3rd AFC Central
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	5 LB Jack Ham RB Franco Harris LB Jack Lambert S Donnie Shell C Mike Webster
AP All-Pros	3 Jack Lambert (1st team) Donnie Shell (1st team) Mike Webster (1st team)
Team MVP	Donnie Shell
← 1979 Steelers seasons 1981 →

The 1980 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 48th season in the National Football League.

The Steelers struggled for the first time in many years. The aging defense was not as effective as it had been in the 1978 and '79 seasons, falling from 2nd to 15th in yards allowed. The Steelers also surrendered 313 points, ranked 15th in the league, compared to 262 points (5th in the league) the previous season. The Pittsburgh defense only garnered 18 quarterback sacks.

The offense was still plagued with 42 total turnovers,^[1] but ranking 6th in total offense, and scoring 352 points.^[2]

Despite the team's troubles, the Steelers could have again obtained home-field advantage throughout the playoffs had they not lost several close games, including games against Cincinnati and Cleveland in which they lost despite having large leads in the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh remained in the playoff hunt until a 28–13 loss to Buffalo in week 12 and then a 6–0 loss to Houston effectively eliminated Pittsburgh from the postseason.

To many, these two losses marked the end of the Steeler Dynasty. Several key players retired after the 1980 season and the team was never the same again. The 1980 season was the first in which the Steelers did not qualify for the playoffs since 1971.

Offseason

NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1980 Pittsburgh Steelers draft
1	28	Mark Malone	Quarterback	Arizona State
2	35	Bob Kohrs	Linebacker	Arizona State	Played with Steelers from 1981–1985
2	56	John Goodman	Defensive end	Oklahoma
3	83	Ray Sydnor	Tight end	Wisconsin
4	110	Bill Hurley	Defensive back	Syracus
5	138	Craig Wolfley	Guard	Syracuse
6	165	Tunch Ilkin *	Tackle	Indiana State
7	193	Nate Johnson	Wide receiver	Hillsdale
8	221	Ted Walton	Defensive back	UConn
9	249	Ron McCall	Wide receiver	Arkansas–Pine Bluff
10	250	Woodrow Wilson	Defensive back	NC State
10	277	Ken Fritz	Guard	Ohio State
11	305	Frank Pollard	Running back	Baylor
12	306	Charles Vaclavik	Defensive back	Texas
12	333	Tyrone McGriff	Guard	Florida A&M
Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

^[3]

Personnel

Staff

**1980 Pittsburgh Steelers staff**
	Front office Chairman of the Board – Arthur J. Rooney President – Daniel M. Rooney Vice President – John R. McGinley Vice President – Arthur J. Rooney, Jr. Public Relations Director – Ed Kiely Traveling Secretary – James A. Boston Publicity Director – Joe Gordon Assistant Publicity Director – John Evenson Controller – Dennis P. Thimons Assistant Controller – James S. Maund Director of Ticket Sales – Geraldine Glenn Director of Player Personnel – Dick Haley Assistant Director of Player Personnel – William Nunn, Jr. Pro Talent Scout – Tom Modrak Talent Scout – West Coast – Bob Schmitz College Talent Scout – Joe Krupa Head coaches Head Coach – Chuck Noll Assistant Head Coach – George Perles Offensive coaches Offensive Line – Rollie Dotsch Offensive Backfield – Dick Hoak Receivers – Tom Moore			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Woody Widenhofer Defensive Backfield – Dick Walker Strength and conditioning Paul Uram Mike Walker Physician, M.D. – Dr. David S. Huber Physician, M.D. – Dr. Anthony P. Yates Physician, Orthopedic – Dr. Paul B. Steele, Jr. Dentist – Dr. George P. Boucek Ophthalmologist – Dr. Phillip Buzzelli Trainer – Ralph Berlin Assistant Trainer – Robert Osborne Equipment Manager – Anthony Parisi Field Manager – Bruce J. Lowry Film Director – Bob McCartney Photographer – Harry Homa ^[4]

Roster

**1980 Pittsburgh Steelers final roster**

	Quarterbacks 12 Terry Bradshaw 16 Mark Malone WR 18 Cliff Stoudt Running backs 20 Rocky Bleier 45 Russell Davis 32 Franco Harris 27 Greg Hawthorne 44 Frank Pollard KR 38 Sidney Thornton Wide receivers 83 Theo Bell PR 86 Jim Smith 88 Lynn Swann 85 Calvin Sweeney Tight ends 89 Bennie Cunningham 84 Randy Grossman		Offensive linemen 79 Larry Brown T 77 Steve Courson G 62 Tunch Ilkin C/T 55 Jon Kolb T 61 Tyrone McGriff G 66 Ted Petersen T 74 Ray Pinney G/T 52 Mike Webster C 73 Craig Wolfley G Defensive linemen 76 John Banaszak DE 65 Tom Beasley DE 67 Gary Dunn DT 64 Steve Furness DT 75 Joe Greene DT 68 L. C. Greenwood DE 78 Dwight White DE		Linebackers 56 Robin Cole LB 59 Jack Ham LB 58 Jack Lambert MLB 51 Loren Toews LB 54 Zack Valentine LB 53 Dennis Winston MLB Defensive backs 30 Larry Anderson CB/KR 47 Mel Blount CB 25 Marvin Cobb DB 29 Ron Johnson CB 41 Tom Moriarty S 31 Donnie Shell SS 24 J. T. Thomas FS 23 Mike Wagner FS 49 Dwayne Woodruff DB Special teams 52 Mike Webster LS 9 Matt Bahr K 5 Craig Colquitt P/H		Reserve lists 57 Sam Davis G (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 87 Jim Ferranti WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 95 John Goodman DE (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 22 Bill Hurley FS (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 90 Bob Kohrs MLB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 82 John Stallworth WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 36 Ted Walton S (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 40 Bill Riehl CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad ^[4] ^[5] ^[6] Rookies in italics 48 active, 7 inactive

Preseason

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue
1	August 9	at New York Giants	W 13–0	1–0	Giants Stadium
2	August 15	at Atlanta Falcons	W 17–14	2–0	Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium
3	August 23	New York Jets	L 13–20	2–1	Three Rivers Stadium
4	August 30	at Dallas Cowboys	W 31–10	3–1	Texas Stadium

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue
1	September 7	Houston Oilers	W 31–17	1–0	Three Rivers Stadium
2	Sun. Sep. 14	at Baltimore Colts	W 20–17	2–0	Memorial Stadium
3	September 21	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 28–30	2–1	Riverfront Stadium
4	September 28	Chicago Bears	W 38–3	3–1	Three Rivers Stadium
5	October 5	at Minnesota Vikings	W 23–17	4–1	Metropolitan Stadium
6	October 12	Cincinnati Bengals	L 16–17	4–2	Three Rivers Stadium
7	October 20	Oakland Raiders	L 34–45	4–3	Three Rivers Stadium
8	October 26	at Cleveland Browns	L 26–27	4–4	Cleveland Municipal Stadium
9	November 2	Green Bay Packers	W 22–20	5–4	Three Rivers Stadium
10	November 9	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 24–21	6–4	Tampa Stadium
11	November 16	Cleveland Browns	W 16–13	7–4	Three Rivers Stadium
12	November 23	at Buffalo Bills	L 13–28	7–5	Rich Stadium
13	November 30	Miami Dolphins	W 23–10	8–5	Three Rivers Stadium
14	December 4	at Houston Oilers	L 0–6	8–6	Astrodome
15	December 14	Kansas City Chiefs	W 21–16	9–6	Three Rivers Stadium
16	December 22	at San Diego Chargers	L 17–26	9–7	San Diego Stadium

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Houston Oilers

The Steelers sat on a 17-0 first quarter lead and then had to score twice in the final 13 minutes to fight off a Houston comeback as Terry Bradshaw accounted for three of the Steelers four touchdowns. Larry Anderson provided the early fireworks when he returned the opening kickoff for 63 yards. The Steelers went on to score three of the four possessions but realized only three points as a result of four interceptions by Ken Stabler passes the first six times Houston has the ball. The Oilers got the 17 points back in the third quarter. Trailing 17-3, they scored two touchdowns in a span of 97 seconds. Earl Campbell's first pass, a sidearm wobbler, got the first score and when Theo Bell fumbled the next kickoff, Houston tied the game six plays later. Four Bradshaw passes ate up 72 of the 80-yard drive to get the Steelers back on top. A broken play on which John Stallworth outfought two defenders for a high Bradshaw lob was the final score of the game. Franco Harris passes Jim Taylor to become the third leading rusher in NFL history with 8,609 yards. Mel Blount and Donnie Shell had two interceptions each and Mike Wagner got the fifth.

Houston Oilers at Pittsburgh Steelers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	0	0	17	0	17
• Steelers	17	0	0	14	31

Date: Sunday, September 7
Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 54,386
Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), wind 8 mph (13 km/h)
Referee: Dick Jorgensen
TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen

Scoring summary

1	Steelers	Sidney Thornton 29-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 7–0

1	Steelers	Franco Harris 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 14–0

1	Steelers	Matt Bahr 27-yard field goal	Steelers 17–0

3	Oilers	Toni Fritsch 31-yard field goal	Steelers 17–3

3	Oilers	Billy Johnson 57-yard pass from Earl Campbell (Toni Fritsch kick)	Steelers 17–10

3	Oilers	Earl Campbell 1-yard run (Toni Fritsch kick)	Tie 17–17

4	Steelers	Terry Bradshaw 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 24–17

4	Steelers	John Stallworth 50-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 31–17

Week 2: at Baltimore Colts

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Colts

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Steelers	3	10	0	7	20
Colts	0	7	10	0	17

Date: Sunday, September 14
Location: Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 54,914
Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), wind 7 mph (11 km/h)
Referee: Ben Dreith
TV announcers: (NBC) Charlie Jones and Len Dawson

Scoring summary

1	Steelers	Matt Bahr 25-yard field goal	Steelers 3–0

2	Steelers	Matt Bahr 29-yard field goal	Steelers 6–0

2	Colts	Sanders Shiver 34-yard interception return (Steve Mike-Mayer kick)	Colts 7–6

2	Steelers	Franco Harris 10-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 13–7

3	Colts	Ray Butler 15-yard pass from Bert Jones (Steve Mike-Mayer kick)	Colts 14–13

3	Colts	Steve Mike-Mayer 20-yard field goal	Colts 17–13

4	Steelers	Jim Smith 24-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 20–17

Week 3: at Cincinnati Bengals

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	14	7	7	28
• Bengals	10	3	0	17	30

Date: Sunday, September 21
Location: Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 52,490
Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C), wind 12 mph (19 km/h)
Referee: Red Cashion
TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and John Brodie

Scoring summary

1	Bengals	Ray Griffin 28-yard interception return (Ian Sunter kick)	Bengals 7–0

1	Bengals	Ian Sunter 27-yard field goal	Bengals 10–0

2	Steelers	Jim Smith 45-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Bengals 10–7

2	Steelers	Lynn Swann 14-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 14–10

2	Bengals	Ian Sunter 42-yard field goal	Steelers 14–13

3	Steelers	Lynn Swann 68-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 21–13

4	Bengals	Isaac Curtis 18-yard pass from Jack Thompson (Ian Sunter kick)	Steelers 21–20

4	Steelers	Greg Hawthorne 4-yard run (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 28–20

4	Bengals	Don Bass 22-yard pass from Jack Thompson (Ian Sunter kick)	Steelers 28–27

4	Bengals	Ian Sunter 21-yard field goal	Bengals 30–28

Week 4: vs. Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears at Pittsburgh Steelers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	3	0	0	0	3
• Steelers	7	17	7	7	38

Date: Sunday, September 28
Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 53,987
Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), wind 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
Referee: Jerry Seeman
TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Roger Staubach

Scoring summary

1	Bears	Bob Thomas 28-yard field goal	Bears 3–0

1	Steelers	Jim Smith 21-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 7–3

2	Steelers	Matt Bahr 20-yard field goal	Steelers 10–3

2	Steelers	Jim Smith 29-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 17–3

2	Steelers	Jim Smith 23-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 24–3

3	Steelers	Bennie Cunningham 2-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 31–3

4	Steelers	Franco Harris 9-yard pass from Cliff Stoudt (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 38–3

Week 5: at Minnesota Vikings

Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Steelers	6	10	7	0	23
Vikings	3	0	0	14	17

Date: Sunday, October 5
Location: Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 47,583
Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), wind 11 mph (18 km/h)
Referee: Cal Lepore
TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen

Scoring summary

1	Steelers	Calvin Sweeney 21-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (kick failed)	Steelers 6–0

1	Vikings	Rick Danmeier 35-yard field goal	Steelers 6–3

2	Steelers	Franco Harris 4-yard run (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 13–3

2	Steelers	Matt Bahr 28-yard field goal	Steelers 16–3

3	Steelers	Terry Bradshaw 2-yard run (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 23–3

4	Vikings	Sammy White 21-yard pass from Tommy Kramer (Rick Danmeier kick)	Steelers 23–10

4	Vikings	Tommy Kramer 4-yard run (Rick Danmeier kick)	Steelers 23–17

Week 6: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Bengals	10	7	0	0	17
Steelers	0	0	16	0	16

Date: Sunday, October 12
Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 53,668
Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C), wind 13 mph (21 km/h)
Referee: Fred Silva
TV announcers (NBC): Sam Nover and Bob Trumpy

Scoring summary

1	Bengals	Charles Alexander (Ian Sunter kick)	Bengals 7–0

1	Bengals	Ian Sunter 24-yard field goal	Bengals 10–0

2	Bengals	Pete Johnson 28-yard pass from Ken Anderson (Ian Sunter kick)	Bengals 17–0

3	Steelers	Russell Davis 1-yard run (kick blocked)	Bengals 17–6

3	Steelers	Jim Smith 13-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Bengals 17–13

3	Steelers	Matt Bahr 35-yard field goal	Bengals 17–16

Week 7 : vs. Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Raiders	7	21	7	10	45
Steelers	10	14	10	0	34

Date: Monday, October 20
Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game start: 9:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 53,940
Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), wind 12 mph (19 km/h)
Referee: Pat Haggerty
TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith

Scoring summary

1	11:59	Steelers	Jim Smith 19-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 7–0

1	9:27	Steelers	Matt Bahr 18-yard field goal	Steelers 10–0

1	7:22	Raiders	Kenny King 27-yard run (Chris Bahr kick)	Steelers 10–7

2		Steelers	Terry Hawthorne 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 17–7

2	5:22	Raiders	Mark van Eeghen 1-yard run (Chris Bahr kick)	Steelers 17–14

2	3:05	Raiders	Rod Martin 34-yard fumble return (Chris Bahr kick)	Raiders 21–17

2	1:22	Raiders	Morris Bradshaw 45-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick)	Raiders 28–17

2	0:10	Steelers	Jim Smith 13-yard pass from Cliff Stoudt (Matt Bahr kick)	Raiders 28–24

3	12:36	Raiders	Cliff Branch 56-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick)	Raiders 35–24

3		Steelers	Theo Bell 36-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Raiders 35–31

3		Steelers	Matt Bahr 32-yard field goal	Raiders 35–34

4		Raiders	Cliff Branch 34-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Chris Bahr kick)	OAK 42–34

4	0:58	Raiders	Chris Bahr 36-yard field goal	Raiders 45–34

Week 8: at Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	10	3	13	0	26
• Browns	0	7	7	13	27

Date: Sunday, October 26
Location: Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 79,095
Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), wind 25 mph (40 km/h)
Referee: Bob Frederic
TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and John Brodie

Scoring summary

1	Steelers	Greg Hawthorne 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 7–0

1	Steelers	Matt Bahr 27-yard field goal	Steelers 10–0

2	Browns	Calvin Hill 5-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick)	Steelers 10–7

2	Steelers	Matt Bahr 22-yard field goal	Steelers 13–7

3	Steelers	Greg Hawthorne 2-yard run (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 20–7

3	Browns	Greg Pruitt 6-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick)	Steelers 20–14

3	Steelers	Sidney Thornton 2-yard run (kick failed)	Steelers 26–14

4	Browns	Greg Pruitt 7-yard pass from Brian Sipe (kick failed)	Steelers 26–20

4	Browns	Ozzie Newsome 18-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick)	Browns 27–26

Week 9: vs. Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	7	7	0	6	20
• Steelers	2	7	6	7	22

Date: Sunday, November 2
Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 52,165
Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C), wind 7 mph (11 km/h)
Referee: Ben Dreith
TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier

Scoring summary

1	Steelers	Safety, ball snapped out of end zone	Steelers 2–0

1	Packers	Gerry Ellis 7-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Thomas Birney kick)	Packers 7–2

2	Steelers	Lynn Swann 7-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 9–7

2	Packers	Gerry Ellis 69-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Thomas Birney kick)	Packers 14–9

3	Steelers	Matt Bahr 27-yard field goal	Packers 14–12

3	Steelers	Matt Bahr 18-yard field goal	Steelers 15–14

4	Steelers	Rocky Bleier 4-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 22–14

4	Packers	Aundra Thompson 14-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (kick blocked)	Steelers 22–20

Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Steelers	10	14	0	0	24
Buccaneers	7	7	7	0	21

Date: Sunday, November 9
Location: Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 71,636
Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), wind 7 mph (11 km/h)
Referee: Fred Wyant
TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen

Scoring summary

1	Steelers	Matt Bahr 48-yard field goal	Steelers 3–0

1	Steelers	Dennis Winston recovered blocked punt in end zone (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 10–0

1	Buccaneers	Kevin House 26-yard pass from Doug Williams (Garo Yepremian kick)	Steelers 10–7

2	Steelers	Sidney Thornton 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 17–7

2	Buccaneers	Jimmie Giles 12-yard pass from Doug Williams (Garo Yepremian kick)	Steelers 17–14

2	Steelers	Lynn Swann 20-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 24–14

3	Buccaneers	Ricky Bell 8-yard pass from Doug Williams (Garo Yepremian kick)	Steelers 24–21

Week 11: vs. Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	13	0	0	13
• Steelers	0	7	0	9	16

Date: Sunday, November 16
Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 54,563
Game weather: 36 °F (2 °C), wind 8 mph (13 km/h)
Referee: Jerry Markbreit
TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen

Scoring summary

1	Steelers	Jim Smith 10-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 7–0

1	Browns	Ozzie Newsome 4-yard pass from Brian Sipe (kick failed)	Steelers 7–6

1	Browns	Dave Logan 15-yard pass from Brian Sipe (Don Cockroft kick)	Browns 13–7

4	Steelers	Safety, Johnny Evans tackled by Loren Toews in end zone	Browns 13–9

4	Steelers	Lynn Swan 3-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 16–13

Week 12: at Buffalo Bills

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	7	3	0	3	13
• Bills	7	7	7	7	28

Date: Sunday, November 23
Location: Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 79,659
Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C), wind 10 mph (16 km/h)
Referee: Dick Jorgensen
TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and John Brodie

Scoring summary

1	Steelers	Franco Harris 2-yard run (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 7–0

1	Bills	Jerry Butler 29-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick)	Tie 7–7

2	Bills	Jerry Butler 10-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick)	Bills 14–7

2	Steelers	Matt Bahr 36-yard field goal	Bills 14–10

3	Bills	Curtis Brown 34-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick)	Bills 21–10

4	Bills	Reuben Gant 2-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick)	Bills 28–10

4	Steelers	Matt Bahr 42-yard field goal	Bills 28–13

Week 13: vs. Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	0	3	0	7	10
• Steelers	0	13	3	7	23

Date: Sunday, November 30
Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 51,384
Game weather: 36 °F (2 °C), wind 14 mph (23 km/h)
Referee: Cal Lepore
TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and John Brodie

Scoring summary

2	Steelers	Matt Bahr 32-yard field goal	Steelers 3–0

2	Steelers	Lynn Swann 30-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 10–0

2	Dolphins	Uwe von Schamann 42-yard field goal	Steelers 10–3

2	Steelers	Matt Bahr 33-yard field goal	Steelers 13–3

3	Steelers	Matt Bahr 30-yard field goal	Steelers 16–3

4	Dolphins	Nat Moore 31-yard pass from David Woodley (Uwe von Schamann kick)	Steelers 16–10

4	Steelers	Franco Harris 9-yard run (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 23–10

Week 14 : at Houston Oilers

Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Oilers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	0	0	0	0
• Oilers	0	0	3	3	6

Date: Thursday, December 4
Location: Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Game start: 8:30 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 53,960
Game weather: Indoors (dome)
Referee: Ben Dreith
TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith

Scoring summary

3	Oilers	Toni Fritsch 37-yard field goal	Oilers 3–0

4	Oilers	Toni Fritsch 33-yard field goal	Oilers 6–0

Week 15: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	0	3	13	0	16
• Steelers	7	0	0	14	21

Date: Sunday, December 14
Location: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 50,013
Game weather: 26 °F (−3 °C), wind 17 mph (27 km/h)
Referee: Fred Silva
TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Mike Haffner

Scoring summary

1	Steelers	Lynn Swann 9-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 7–0

2	Chiefs	Nick Lowery 36-yard field goal	Steelers 7–3

3	Chiefs	James Hadnot 3-yard run (Nick Lowery kick)	Chiefs 10–7

3	Chiefs	Nick Lowery 22-yard field goal	Chiefs 13–7

3	Chiefs	Nick Lowery 50-yard field goal	Chiefs 16–7

4	Steelers	Theo Bell 13-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Chiefs 16–14

4	Steelers	Rocky Bleier 11-yard run (Matt Bahr kick)	Steelers 21–16

Week 16: at San Diego Chargers

Pittsburgh Steelers at San Diego Chargers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	3	7	7	17
• Chargers	3	6	10	7	26

Date: Monday, December 22
Location: San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California
Game start: 9:00 p.m. EST
Game attendance: 51,785
Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), wind 7 mph (11 km/h)
Referee: Jim Tunney
TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith

Scoring summary

1	Chargers	Rolf Benirschke 33-yard field goal	Chargers 3–0

2	Steelers	Matt Bahr 32-yard field goal	Tie 3–3

2	Chargers	Rolf Benirschke 26-yard field goal	Chargers 6–3

2	Chargers	Rolf Benirschke 26-yard field goal	Chagers 9–3

3	Chargers	Dan Fouts 1-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick)	Chargers 16–3

3	Steelers	Sidney Thornton 2-yard run (Matt Bahr kick)	Chargers 16–10

3	Chargers	Rolf Benirschke 33-yard field goal	Chargers 19–10

4	Chargers	Chuck Muncie 10-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick)	Chargers 26–10

4	Steelers	Bennie Cunningham 16-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Matt Bahr kick)	Chargers 26–17

Standings

AFC Central
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Cleveland Browns⁽²⁾	11	5	0	.688	4–2	8–4	357	310	W1
Houston Oilers⁽⁵⁾	11	5	0	.688	4–2	7–5	295	251	W3
Pittsburgh Steelers	9	7	0	.563	2–4	5–7	352	313	L1
Cincinnati Bengals	6	10	0	.375	2–4	4–8	244	312	L1

References

^ ranked 23rd in the league in 1980
^ Ranked 10th in the NFL
^ "1980 Pittsburgh Steelers Draftees". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
^ ^a ^b 1980 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
^ 1981 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
^ "1980 Pittsburgh Steelers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 19, 2014.

External links

1980 Pittsburgh Steelers season at ProFootballReference.com
1980 Pittsburgh Steelers at jt-sw.com

v t e Pittsburgh Steelers seasons
Formerly the Pittsburgh Pirates (1933–1939)
1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Bold indicates Super Bowl victory Italics indicates Super Bowl appearance

v t e Pittsburgh Steelers
Founded in 1933 Formerly the Pittsburgh Pirates (1933–1939) Based and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Franchise	History All-Time Team Seasons Logos and uniforms Coaches Players Starting quarterbacks First-round draft picks Records
Stadiums	Home fields: Forbes Field Pitt Stadium Three Rivers Stadium Acrisure Stadium Training facilities: Rooney Field Point Stadium UPMC Rooney Sports Complex Chuck Noll Field
Culture	Football in Western Pennsylvania Rooney family Myron Cope Steelmark Steeler Nation Terrible Towel Steel Curtain Black Sunday Fighting Back: The Rocky Bleier Story Evening Shade The Chief "Renegade" "Here We Go" "Black and Yellow" YinzCam This Is Us Steel Curtain Roller Coaster
Lore	Steelers lore J.P. Rooneys Pennsylvania Keystoners "Pennsylvania Polka" Steagles Card-Pitt Steelerettes Immaculate Reception 1995 AFC Championship Game Jerome Bettis trade Immaculate Redemption/The Tackle 3:16 game
Rivalries	Baltimore Ravens Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Las Vegas Raiders New England Patriots Philadelphia Eagles Tennessee Titans
Media	Broadcasters KDKA-TV WPKD-TV AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh Charlie Batch Chris Hoke Bob Pompeani Radio Network WDVE-FM WBGG-AM Bill Hillgrove Tunch Ilkin Craig Wolfley Steelers figures in broadcasting
Division championships (24)	1972 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1983 1984 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 2001 2002 2004 2007 2008 2010 2014 2016 2017 2020
Conference championships (8)	1974 1975 1978 1979 1995 2005 2008 2010
League championships (6)	1974 (IX) 1975 (X) 1978 (XIII) 1979 (XIV) 2005 (XL) 2008 (XLIII)
Retired numbers	32 70 75
Hall of Fame members	Players: Bettis Blount Bradshaw Butler Dawson Dudley Faneca Greene Ham Harris Johnson Lambert Layne Polamalu Shell Stallworth Stautner Swann Webster Woodson Coaches and administration: Bell Cowher Kiesling Noll Art Rooney Dan Rooney
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: American Football Conference Division: North Division

1980 NFL season

East	Central	West	East	Central	West
Baltimore	Cincinnati	Denver	Dallas	Chicago	Atlanta
Buffalo	Cleveland	Kansas City	NY Giants	Detroit	Los Angeles
Miami	Houston	Oakland	Philadelphia	Green Bay	New Orleans
New England	Pittsburgh	San Diego	St. Louis	Minnesota	San Francisco
NY Jets		Seattle	Washington	Tampa Bay