Steelers History: Coach Noll’s Steelers Set a New High

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The Chargers were founding members of the American Football League when they were originally based in Los Angeles. In 1961 they moved to San Diego to increase their fan base. When the two leagues merged in 1970, they would begin to meet the Steelers.

In the games played between the teams, the Steelers dominate 24-11, but since their move to Los Angeles in 2016 it is the Chargers who lead the series 2-1, edging the last game played there 41-37.

The one blemish on the Steelers record is the 1982 wildcard defeat in Three Rivers Stadium. After a strike hit season when the Steelers finished 6-3, they played host to the Chargers who had the same record. The Steelers led after 12 seconds only to relinquish their lead with a minute left in the final quarter, losing 31-28.

The Steelers began the 1984 season without the retired Terry Bradshaw. David Woodley, acquired from the Dolphins in a trade, won the quarterback competition with Mark Malone and began the season as the starter.

When the Steelers faced the Chargers, they had the same 6-6 record. Both of Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks had won three games each. Despite Malone leading the team to back-to-back losses, he would start against San Diego.

In that year’s draft, the Steelers had taken wide receivers Louis Lipps and Weegie Thompson in the first three rounds. Their running game was led by four-year veteran Frank Pollard and Walter Abercrombie.

Although on top of the AFC Central, two games in front of the Bengals, the Steelers were looking to get their season back on track after defeats in Cincinnati and New Orleans.

The (6-6) Steelers vs the (6-6) Chargers; November 25, 1984

Six minutes into the first quarter, the Steelers put the first points on the board when Gary Anderson kicked a 55-yard field goal.

The second quarter saw Mark Malone and the Steelers take command while keeping their opponents running game quiet.

Louis Lipps began the scoring catching a 15-yard touchdown pass. After Frank Pollard added a 2-yard touchdown run, Malone found John Stallworth with a touchdown catch of 30 yards. The Steelers dominance in this spell was only broken by a Rolf Benirschke field goal from 29 yards.

As the Chargers reeled under the Steelers onslaught, they lost their quarterback Dan Fouts to a groin injury. A punt returned 59 yards by San Diego’s Lionel James for a touchdown reduced the Chargers deficit to 24-10 at the half.

Just over a minute into the second half, San Diego further reduced their deficit when backup quarterback Ed Luther found Wes Chandler with a touchdown pass of 63 yards. The lift the Chargers obtained from the score was only temporary.

Another offensive assault from the Steelers began with Pollard on the ground complimented by a catch by Lipps for 41 yards to move the chains. The 74-yard drive was finished by a 2-yard touchdown run from Pollard.

Following a Chargers missed field goal, Pittsburgh added to their misery with a 5-yard touchdown catch by John Stallworth.

Late in the third quarter, Malone was seeking to move the Steelers into field goal range with a run when Stallworth made it clear to his quarterback that he could beat the Chargers coverage. Malone changed the play and watched Stallworth leave the defense behind to catch a 45-yard touchdown pass.

In the final period, Malone added to his exceptional aerial stats with a 1-yard touchdown run. The Chargers closed out the scoring when Joiner caught a 25-yard touchdown pass, but it was the Steelers romp that took them closer to another division crown.

The Pittsburgh Steelers 52 vs the San Diego Chargers 24

For the first time in the season, the Steelers played an almost perfect offensive game, not losing a fumble or interception.

Mark Malone broke Terry Bradshaw’s Steelers passing efficiency record completing 18 of 22 for 81.8%.

At 32, John Stallworth produced a masterful performance. His eleventh touchdown on the season was a personal high. His 116 receiving yards was his sixth 100-yard game of the season and gave him 1,206 yards, a total 89 short of Buddy Dial’s Steelers record. Stallworth would break the record the following week and finish with 1,395 for the season setting a new franchise high.

The record would be broken thirteen years later by Yancey Thigpen with 1,398 and is currently held by Antonio Brown with 1,834.

The Chargers Charlie Joiner caught six passes for 70 yards to become the NFL’s all-time career reception leader.

Gary Anderson’s 55-yard field goal broke his previous Steelers record of 53 yards that he kicked five weeks previously against the Colts.

The 52 points set a new record for a Coach Noll team.

“It was no contest today,” said the Chargers coach Don Coryell. “The Steelers could have beaten anybody today.”

The Steelers finished the regular season 9-7. They would beat the Broncos in Denver in the divisional game before falling in Miami to Danny Marino’s Dolphins 45-28 in the AFC Championship game.

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