Vintage Steelers: @ Miami, 1973

Submitted for your approval (and keeping with a theme this week) as you while away the final offseason hours away until players report to Saint Vincent tomorrow and practices begin in earnest on Thursday, another vintage YouTube gem.

This is a Monday Night Football game in Miami from December 1973. A rematch of the previous year's AFC Championship game, it was the first career start for Joe Gilliam, who took over for an injured Terry Bradshaw and primary backup Terry Hanratty. Gilliam's start was notable because he was black, and black quarterbacks were rare as hen's teeth in that era.

Gilliam would end up being yanked in favor of a gimpy Bradshaw after starting a dreadful 0 for 7 with 3 picks. Bradshaw was abel to get Pittsburgh back into the ballgame, but Steelers lost a tight one, 30-26.

This is worth watching if for no other reason that to see the old Monday Night Football intro and hear the golden-throated pitch of Howard Cosell say "JEFF-UH-SON STREET JOE GILL-YAM" ...

First quarter:

Second quarter:

Third quarter:

Fourth quarter:

Here is the game's box score.

Here is the Post-Gazette's game story: 

"Dolphins hang on to top Steelers, 30-26"(with jump page)

and a sidebar:

"As Steelers, Dolphins held ground, Shula's gem caught fans napping"