Rocky Bleier Spearheads a 17-Point 4th Quarter Comeback

To me, there's only one Steelers/Cardinals game of real significance; it's a BIG one, and we all know what it is. But in 1979 vs. the then-St. Louis Cardinals, Rocky Bleier came off the bench to deliver a FANTASTIC performance after Franco goes down, spearheading a furious 17-point 4th quarter comeback. The game itself was pure ugly... but Rocky's performance was a thing of beauty. Enjoy!

[@markbeauseigneur5947]

I miss the glory years. Rocky Belier was tough and hard. Vietnam vet👍

[@1USACitizen192]

Rocky Blier should be in the hall of fame.

[@jamy8575]

Andy Russell, Ray MansField, GreenWood & Sam Davis too

[@nickhalden9220]

If he was black he would

[@voltzy.4680]

Hes my grandpa!!

[@jamy8575]

@@voltzy.4680 Which one? Bleier?

[@vince065us.2]

It would be nice.He doesn't have the stats.If there was a HOF for perseverance,he would be a first ballot selection.

[@dberdes]

There has never been an NFL player with more grit, determination, and heart than Rocky Bleier.

[@mcmillenandwife]

Agreed. 🎯 The Rock is a legend.

[@bobfuller3824]

He was a great player yes but what about Walter Payton

[@johnlipinski2395]

I met him when I was 14. Kind, humble, polite and a true gentleman.

[@chrishensley6745]

20 .....Heart like a Lion!

[@aarondigby5054]

Steelers trap blockjng was awesome

[@GNXXRAY]

I had breakfast with him when I was 9. It was so amazing.

[@robertanderson8537]

i was able to watch this game on tv at the time im in my 60s and this is still my team

[@brendanbugala8774]

ROCKY BLEIER IS A BEAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@a1aprospects470]

As a kid growing up in Pittsburgh in the 1970s, there was a meet the Steelers event for my school, or sports, something. Players were sitting at tables and you got in line to meet and get autographs. The kids were all lined up for Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, and Terry Bradshaw but the longest line was for Rocky Bleir... and it was almost all moms.

[@aarondigby5054]

Damn I saw this game, it was a 4pm telecast on the east coast. That's when I was really surprised at Rocky's workhorse skills

[@stevecowder4774]

Wow, Rocky had practically become a one man, offensive show in this game. Just proves what a truly, valuable player he was for us back in the day.

[@scottweisel3640]

I think Noll changed the game plan because he knew Bleier wouldn’t fumble the ball away. Everyone else was a turnover machine in this game.

[@timburr4453]

What a beauty of a uniform matchup too Rocky Bleier is one of the great contemporary American heroes. Notre Dame. Nam. Dynasty Steelere. He did it all

[@Ezees23]

Rocky Bleier: I wore his #20 jersey playing varsity football in HS. I was also small - but like him I was a li'l spark plug that kept on working ⚒ ⚒. BTW, nothing like the 2-back Veer and trap-blocking type of O the Steelers ran - it was almost guaranteed to pick up ~5yds if everyone did their assignment. The ONLY team that would give the Steelers trouble with their O scheme was Dallas and their 4-3 "Flex" defense - but good ol' double-team/gap blocking took care of that, LOL.....

[@chrishussar7729]

A true NFL hero. Bless u Rocky

[@williamhetrick1550]

I love going back in time. Hallelujah!

[@brucep9729]

Jaylen Warren, the Rocky Blier of today!

[@koolaid117]

Love Jalen Warren. He'd start on other teams. I hope they keep him.

[@petergomez7490]

That astroturf hurts...😢

[@geebeeinga]

Watching these guys play on what is really just concrete, covered with a very thin layer of carpet. No wonder there were so many knee injuries, etc.

[@klavss76]

Great video from the glory days, I was 3 back then, thanks for sharing!

[@user-pr9sf8wg6b]

Rock was awesome

[@Bigchet1223]

Steelers were not known as a comeback team in the 70s like the cowboys. Usually they dominated most games and if they lost,they lost. One of the rare comebacks of the 70s Steelers.

[@jamiehale2136]

They came from behind in SBs X, XIII, and XIV

[@Bigchet1223]

@@jamiehale2136 but not insurmountable leads.

[@jamiehale2136]

True... But behind is behind

[@Bigchet1223]

@jamiehale2136 what's your point? The steelers were not known as a comeback team. Staubach with Dallas, Tom Brady even big Ben were comeback qbs. Steelers usually dominated in the 70s.

[@jamiehale2136]

@@Bigchet1223 They came from behind with Bradshaw, who I respect, many times. Sometimes they didn't dominate, whether it was injuries or bad breaks or whatever. Yes, the Steelers usually dominated. But not always, sometimes the ball doesn't bounce your way. It's hard to win every game on your schedule. NFL is pretty tough

[@bradgeffers1080]

Hey Tim it’s Brad I have sent you some games in past but reason I’m commenting is I actually got to meet Rocky a few years ago as he was back in Appleton Wi. for a play he did. Great to meet him and boy was I nervous. Was like a little boy seeing one of his childhood heroes. Actually watching the 78 Steelers,Browns game in Cleveland from your site with radio broadcast at same time as I type this! Take care.

[@MrLARGENINCHARGE]

The 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers were the greatest team in NFL history, PERIOD! People talk about Tom Brady being the GOAT, HA!!! That’s a joke. If Brady played back in the 70’s he wouldn’t last one season, they would have crippled him!!!

[@p.j.4738]

Sometimes you just have to turn it into a battle of attrition.

[@johnmatzye6633]

I'm a lifetime Browns fan. I thing I respect about the Steelers. They don't buy their championships. Everybody on the 1979 team were all drafted.

[@pubhawk79]

I grew up in St. Louis and watched this game. The Cardinals were wearing black arm bands for the unexpected death of their up and coming TE J.V. Cain during training camp. The Big Red as they were called still had many very good players and some great ones but lacked depth. Good teams would take advantage of this and wear them down in the 2nd half. The thing I remember most about this game though is when NBC news interrupted the broadcast to show that our embassy in Iran had been overrun!

[@RandyTaylor_1969]

Love it!! Thank you for posting and sharing this with us!!!

[@jackkitchen737]

Bradshaw pulled a LeBron lol. Seriously, I remember this game. The Cardinals were actually off to a decent start that year. The Super Steelers showed up in the 4th quarter, as was their custom.

[@mcmillenandwife]

LOL @ LeBron. 😂

[@Bigchet1223]

Great acting job by Bradshaw.

[@MikeyD22]

He was best flopper of the 70s.

[@stevefowler2112]

I remember Csonka saying when they watched tape of the steelers before the '72 AFC Championship game which was at Three Rivers (even though the Dolphins had not lost a game and had the better record, the AFC rules at the time called for the championship game to rotate) that it was like looking in the mirror...we ended up beating them in three rivers and went to the SB and completed the perfect season.

[@ericweiseronline6800]

I remember this game. It was a 4 p.m. (Eastern) regional game on NBC, meaning that unless you lived in Pittsburgh or St. Louis, you didn't get it on TV (CBS had the doubleheader that day, and their big 4 p.m. game was Bears vs. Cowboys). Living in the midwest at the time. the only way I could follow the score was thru updates in the Bears/Cowboys game, and CBS was horrible in those days at posting scores, esp. in the late window and especially for games involving AFC teams. Would have been great to have Iphones back then to track the score. Anyway, when I saw that the Steelers were down 15-7 at halftime, then later 21-7, I went outside to ride my bike or something, both disgusted and mystified that the Steelers appeared destined lose to such a bad team (barring Dallas, the AFC East was a very weak division in those days).. I didn't even find out the Steelers won until the next morning. I still remember how delighted I was that next morning when I read about this comeback in the paper before school. Truly amazing game in Steelers history.

[@jiujitsujackson9831]

20 play Drive!!! Featuring number 20

[@frankfischer1281]

The running back tandem that the Steelers have today, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, are very similar to the tandem of Franco Harris and Rocky Bleir of the great Steelers’ ‘79s’ teams

[@christopherkohl6511]

I sub this channel because I don't want to be reminded of current NFL players. Who are mostly greedy, selfish, arrogant, egotistical, clownish, racist, politically motivated, thuggish, criminally prone, and basically unwatchable.

[@steelersjourney11111]

The Steel Curtain Defense Was So Damn Good Back Then They Can Turn The Ball Over 4 Or Even 5 Times On Offense And Still Find A Way To Win Incredible !!!!

[@tonymach]

I believe Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen were the announcers

[@nolaanderson8770]

Lean on me When you're not strong And I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on... For it won't be long Till I'm gonna need somebody to lean on...

[@haygood9]

These new type running backs don’t compare to those old school backs that could carry the WHOLE team on their backs and win the game.. TRUE GRIT.

[@user-ud7ko4cq1n]

Terry and Big Ben were both the type of QB's to literally be stretchered off the field apparently needing their leg amputated...then come back in the game 20 minutes later lol.

[@jpb1231000]

Merlin Olsen calling!!! Big Jonathan Garvey too!

[@redmustangredmustang]

The amazing thing is the Steelers had the most turnovers in the NFL and STILL won the Super Bowl. Bradshaw threw 3 interceptions in the Super Bowl and they STILL WON.

[@Lewis9700]

RIP Merlin Olsen

[@ChrisSmith-lo2kp]

RIP Mike Webster Pittsburgh 52 OC

[@Lewis9700]

I really believe the '79 Steelers was the best team of the dynasty

[@mcmillenandwife]

I agree. The strong postseason of the '78 team makes them hard to top. But the 1979 Steelers remain one of the most strangely underrated and underappreciated teams in NFL history, despite bringing home Pittsburgh's 4th Lombardi in 6 years (still unmatched, obviously). Coming off a dominant '78 season, they faced what at the time was the toughest schedule the league had ever seen. This was by design, by the way, courtesy of Pete Roselle, but that's a discussion for another time. In addition to their grueling schedule, the Steelers faced three main challenges in 1979: turnovers, injuries and age. But re-watching the games and examining the various ways they were able to overcome these obstacles, I believe a legitimate case can be made for the '79 squad as the most talented, explosive and dangerous team in Steelers history (and therefore, NFL history).

[@don62snodgrass]

Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen were great together in the booth.

[@frankfischer1281]

That should be the ‘70s.

[@koolaid117]

If you get drafted or traded to the Steelers, there should be an hour long video you have to watch that highlights Steeler football. They shouyld all know what they are expected to represent, whose shoulders they stand on, hallowed ground in Pittsburgh.

[@edwinclark5041]

He stood. For US

[@EricK-ym4vp]

Am I watching Mitch Trubisky and the recent Steelers?

[@mcarlkv53]

on offense rocky belier, gerry mullins and larry brown belong in the hall of fame....on defense LC Greenewood and mike wagner should be in the hall of fame....i like donnie shell but you cant have him in the hall of fame but not at least bleir or greenewood

[@massey3129]

I know the color commentator was Merlin Olsen. Was the pbp man Lindsay Nelson or was that Vin Scully?

[@mcmillenandwife]

The great Dick Enberg is doing the play-by-play. Full game here: www.mcmillenandwife.com/1979_steelers_24_at_Cardinals_21.html

[@massey3129]

@@mcmillenandwife Of course. Cant believe i didnt recognize his voice.

[@mcmillenandwife]

@@massey3129 You just needed to hear an “Oh, my!” 😁

[@kobra6335]

I miss Merlin Olsen.

[@mcmillenandwife]

Agreed. He and Dick Enberg are my favorite booth duo ever.

[@jimstevenson424]

I felt the Steelers should have let him be the lead back a few games a year. One defender said he was the RB that hurt the most on initial contact. Why not use him to wear down a defense? Rarely lost yards. Almost seemed like his lack of ego hurt him, getting fewer touches. Never understood why he retired so early.

[@josephmilton1878]

Ran like Emmitt Smith

[@SteelerSteve]

You meant Emmitt Smith ran like Rocky. Rocky was way before Emmitt.

[@josephmilton1878]

@@SteelerSteve yes. You're right.

[@edwardbright9434]

drive safe

[@jpb1231000]

FRANCO was a BAD ASS but I do remember a little bit of a WEAK THUMB! Seems like he fumbled a lot at bad times! I was only 8-15 then so 4 give me if wrong!

[@stepinfetchit9394]

The correct spelling is:"disastrous". FYI

[@Biggdoom344]

The 79 Steelers could turn the ball over in bunches. However they held St. Louis to 7 FGs. Otherwise this would have been ugly.

[@mcmillenandwife]

Yes, bunches indeed! The Steelers had the most turnovers in the league in 1979 with 52. FWIW, the Cards did score 2 TDs in this game, but surprisingly missed the PAT both times.

[@Biggdoom344]

@@mcmillenandwife yeah that’s right..OJ Anderson ran one or two in.

[@Biggdoom344]

@@mcmillenandwife five turnovers this game..I think they had 8 v Cincinnati and 6 v San Diego. The chargers only had like 185 yards of total offense..but won by 28 SMH. That SD game was very frustrating to watch.

[@mcmillenandwife]

@@Biggdoom344 The San Diego game was SHOCKING. And completely unexpected, because the Steelers were coming off such a dominant 4-game stretch.

[@maryprince9469]

21-7 is 14 points.

[@thebambino4728]

Merlin Olsen was a very UNDERRATED color man for YEARS ! He was ASTUTE and very KNOWLEDGABLE - PROBABLY THE BEST along with John Madden I've ever heard !

[@mcmillenandwife]

Agreed, he was a gem. Olsen and Enberg are my top TV duo ever.