December 29, 1974: Pittsburgh Steelers 24, Oakland Raiders 13
“We’ve been striving to find out who we were all season long. Now we know we are a good football team, because we beat a good football team.”
That’s what Steelers all-time defensive tackle Joe Greene said after a 24-13 conference championship win over the favored Raiders — a win that sent Pittsburgh to it first of four Super Bowl wins in the 1970s. This was a defensive battle all the way. Ken Stabler threw three interceptions, and Terry Bradshaw completed just eight of 17 passes for 95 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. In the end, it was the Steel Curtain defense, and the 50 rushing attempts by the Steelers for a total of 224 yards and two touchdowns that swung things in Pittsburgh’s direction. It was the start of something big for Chuck Noll’s team, and yet another conference championship frustration for John Madden’s squad. From 1970 through 1977, the Raiders lost five conference championship games.