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January 20th marks the 36th anniversary of the Steelers final Super Bowl win of the 70s era

It was 36-years ago today the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams for their fourth, and final, Super Bowl win of the 1970s era.

By Dani Bostick
Garrett Reid-USA TODAY Sports

Thirty-six years ago today, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XIV, securing their fourth Super Bowl victory. This triumph established the team as a football dynasty and positioned them as the first team to win four Super Bowls in six years. The game unfolded at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California in front of 103, 985 fans, a record at that time. The Rams managed to make the Super Bowl after finishing their the season 9-7. The Steelers, having finished the season with a respectable record of 12-4, were favored to win by 10.5 points. Unexpectedly, however, the Rams put up a valiant fight, leading 13-10 at halftime.

The formidable Steel Curtain had some successful stops, but was surprised by the success of the Rams offense, led by quarterback Vince Ferragamo. One of the biggest plays of the first half saw the Steel Curtain morph into tissue paper, giving up a 39-yard run to running back Wendell Tyler. The third quarter was equally difficult for the Steelers as the underdog Rams continued to contend fiercely for the championship title. A series of brilliant plays by Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw and penalties by the Los Angeles Rams enabled the Steelers to score 14 points in the final quarter, while the Steel Curtain found a way to keep the Rams scoreless. One of the most iconic plays of the game was a 73-yard Terry Bradshaw play to John Stallworth.

The final score of 19-31 did not reflect how close the game actually was and how hard the Steelers had to fight to avoid an upset.

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