The 1977 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 45th in the National Football League. The 1977 Pittsburgh Steelers failed to improve on their 10–4 record from 1976 and finished with a 9–5 record; however, they appeared in the playoffs for their 6th straight season and won the AFC Central again. They had a hard time for most of the season as their record hovered around .500. Even the Steel Curtain seemed to have a little wear and tear allowing 243 points on the season, more than 100 more than the previous season. The sloppy plays would catch up with them in the Divisional Playoffs when they were knocked off by the Broncos 34–21 in Denver. The 1977 season is remembered as one of the most turbulent in franchise history, as numerous players were involved with off-the-field issues. Defensive tackle Ernie Holmes was arrested for cocaine possession, and despite being found not guilty, lawsuits followed. Head coach Chuck Noll was also subject to a defamation lawsuit, as Oakland Raiders safety George Atkinson sued Noll and the Steelers for a disparaging comment in which Noll called Atkinson part of the "criminal element" in football. Though Atkinson lost the lawsuit, Noll was forced to bring Steelers cornerback Mel Blount into the suit, which upset Blount as he was one of many Steelers players engaged in a contract holdout, with others including linebacker Jack Lambert and safety Glen Edwards. Disputes between these players and Steelers owner Art Rooney were often publicized, and the overall drama played a significant part in the regression of the Steel Curtain defense. This was also the first season that the Steelers wore black face masks on their helmets.

Personnel

Staff

Roster

The Pittsburgh Steelers began the 1977 season looking to improve upon their 10–4 record in 1976; when they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders. While the Steelers once again won the AFC Central crown, they finished with one fewer win; going 9–5 and losing to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional playoff game at Denver.

Regular season

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 1 (Monday September 19, 1977): vs. San Francisco 49ers

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Scoring drives:

Week 2 (Sunday September 25, 1977): vs. Oakland Raiders

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Scoring drives:

Week 3 at Browns

Week 4 (Sunday October 9, 1977): at Houston Oilers

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas Scoring drives:

Week 5 (Monday October 17, 1977): vs. Cincinnati Bengals

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Scoring drives:

Week 6 (Sunday October 23, 1977): vs. Houston Oilers

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Scoring drives:

Week 7 (Sunday October 30, 1977): at Baltimore Colts

at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland Scoring drives:

Week 8 (Sunday November 6, 1977): at Denver Broncos

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado Scoring drives:

Week 9 (Sunday November 13, 1977): vs. Cleveland Browns

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Scoring drives:

Week 10 (Sunday November 20, 1977): vs. Dallas Cowboys

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Scoring drives:

Week 11 at Jets

Week 12 (Sunday December 4, 1977): vs. Seattle Seahawks

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Scoring drives:

Week 13 (Saturday December 10, 1977): at Cincinnati Bengals

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati Scoring drives:

Week 14 (Sunday December 18, 1977): at San Diego Chargers

at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California Scoring drives:

Standings

Postseason

Game summary

AFC Divisional Playoff (Saturday December 24, 1977): at Denver Broncos

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado