The Chargers began life in Los Angeles as part of the AFL, but in a bid to reach a wider fan base, the team moved to San Diego. They moved back to Los Angeles after the 2016 season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers began playing the Chargers in 1970 when the NFL merged with the AFL. Unfortunately for the Chargers it was the beginning of the Steelers Super Seventies and Pittsburgh won the first three contests including a 38-21 victory in 1974 when the Steelers won their first Super Bowl.
The Steelers began the defense of their first championship title with a trip to San Diego for the 1975 season opener.
Although they finished 5-9 the previous season, the Chargers had an offense ranked seventh in the league. The bookmakers made the Steelers a solid 13-point favourites, but Coach Noll was as cautious as always when he offered, “San Diego is an improving young team.” The Pittsburgh Press joked that the Steelers coach was always looking under his bed for things that go bump in the night.
For Coach Noll, he would be facing the team that he learned his coaching skills with as their defensive coach from 1960 to 1965.
The Steelers were in a stable position. The Steelers entered the season with the quarterback role settled as Terry Bradshaw cemented his position at the helm. The exceptional draft class of ’74 had a year’s experience behind them. Only one starter from Super Bowl IX did not return, but Ron Shanklin had a capable replacement in Lynn Swann.
Another Steelers-Raiders AFC Championship game was forecast by many. The Raiders were touting their team as Al Davis’s best. No change there from the usual hyperbole that emanated from California.
The Steelers poor performances in the preseason saw some pundits talking the team down. They went 2-4 against NFL opponents, including a 21-24 defeat in Oakland. They did beat the College All-Stars 21-14 in the annual charity game that opened preseason.
The Steelers at the Chargers; September 21, 1975
Terry Bradshaw began the new season as he finished the last. In style. He led the Steelers on four straight scoring drives. He scrambled 11 yards for a key first down in the Steelers first series which finished with a Roy Gerela field goal from 29 yards.
Starting their next possession from the 41, Bradshaw completed a pass of 19 yards to Franco Harris before Frank Lewis collected one he took 40 yards for a touchdown.
The defense played their part when J.T. Thomas returned his interception to the Chargers 26. Six plays later Frenchy Fuqua collected a flare pass from Bradshaw before he fumbled at the goal line. Gerry Mullins collected the loose ball to score the Steelers second touchdown.
Gerela kicked a 25-yard field goal which saw Pittsburgh go into the locker room at the half 20-0 ahead.
Despite Rocky Bleier fumbling on the Steelers first two possessions of the second half, the defense kept their opponents from capitalizing on the turnovers. The Chargers could not put any running game together. The Steelers added a 38-yard field goal to their score before the game went into the final period.
Bradshaw continued to show his excellence by completing five straight passes, the last one to John Stallworth for a 38-yard touchdown.
The final score was the result of kicker Bobby Walden’s decision to pass when the team was in punt formation. Walden pitched a pass to Donnie Shell keeping the drive alive. Mike Collier with his first NFL carry scored a touchdown to finish the drive with a run of 7 yards.
The Pittsburgh Steelers 37 at the San Diego Chargers 0
The only inexplicable thing Coach Noll found under his bed was a third shutout for his team and one by the biggest margin.
“They switched it on today and boy was I glad to see it,” Coach Noll acknowledged.
Terry Bradshaw completed 75%of his passes to nine different receivers.
A shell-shocked Chargers coach Tommy Prothro admitted, “I don’t know what to say. They were impressive. We were terrible.”
“We were fortunate this time,” was Joe Greene’s sober appraisal. “It looks like we were fooling around during the exhibition season, but we weren’t. We just didn’t have the right combinations of people.”
Apart from a hiccup against O.J. Simpson and the Bills, the Steelers romped through the season. They went into the playoffs as the number one seed. As many had predicted, they met the Raiders in the AFC Championship game where they rolled over Oakland 16-10.
A 21-17 Super Bowl X victory over the Cowboys was then added to the record books.
The Steelers will go into this Sunday’s game dominating the contests 25-11. On the road, they hold a 9-7 advantage. Since the second Chargers move, the Steelers are 2-1 in Los Angeles.
