NFL game summary for 01/07/1979:
The Steelers, striking through a cold, steady rain for 31 first half points, won their third AFC championship in five years behind their usual solid defense and spectacular performances by Terry Bradshaw and Lynn Swann. Seventeen of the points, breaking open the game, came during a 48-second span in the last minute of the half as Pittsburgh capitalized on two fumbles by Ronnie Coleman and one by Johnnie Dirden.
Despite the playing conditions that contributed to a postseason record 12 fumbles, Bradshaw completed 11 of 19 passes for 200 yards and touchdowns to John Stallworth and Swann, who caught four for 98 yards. Both touchdown passes and one of Roy Gerela's two field goals made up the 17-point burst between 14:08 and 14:56 of the second quarter after Pittsburgh had built a 14-3 lead on scoring runs by Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier. The Steelers' defense -- combined with the elements -- limited Houston's offense to 142 yards and intercepted Dan Pastorini five times. Rookie Earl Campbell gained only 26 yards in 15 first half carries and finished with 62 yards on 22 carries.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OFFENSE | 154.8 (6) | 146.1 (18) | 300.9 (16) | 38 |
| DEFENSE | 129.5 (9) | 177.6 (24) | 307.1 (17) | 34 | |
 | OFFENSE | 143.6 (14) | 168.7 (12) | 312.2 (8) | 39 |
| DEFENSE | 110.9 (2) | 149.6 (12) | 260.5 (3) | 48 |
Line: Steelers by 7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Oilers (12-7-0) | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers (16-2-0) | 14 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 34 |
( 0- 7) PIT Franco Harris 7 yard rush (Roy Gerela kick) ( 0-14) PIT Rocky Bleier 15 yard rush (Roy Gerela kick) ( 3-14) HOU Toni Fritsch 19 yard field goal ( 3-21) PIT Lynn Swann 29 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) ( 3-28) PIT John Stallworth 17 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw (Roy Gerela kick) ( 3-31) PIT Roy Gerela 37 yard field goal ( 3-34) PIT Roy Gerela 22 yard field goal ( 5-34) HOU Safety, Rocky Bleier tackled in end zone by Ted Washington
HOU PIT
First Downs: 10 21
Rushes-yards: 26-72 47-179
Yards/rush: 2.8 3.8
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 12-26-96-5 11-19-200-2
Sacked-yards: 4-26 0-0
Net pass yards: 70 200
Net yards/pass: 2.3 10.5
Total net yards: 142 379
Total plays: 56 (46% run) 66 (71% run)
Yards/play: 2.5 5.7
Fumbles-lost: 6-4 6-3
Turnovers: 9 5
Penalties-yards: 5-48 4-32
Attendance: 49,417
HOU: Dan Pastorini, 12 of 26 for 96 yards (5 int) PIT: Terry Bradshaw, 11 of 19 for 200 yards and 2 TDs (2 int)
Rushing:
HOU: Earl Campbell, 22 for 62 yards; Tim Wilson, 2 for 6 yards; Robert Woods, 1 for 9 yards; Ronnie Coleman, 1 for -5 yards PIT: Franco Harris, 20 for 51 yards and 1 TD; Rocky Bleier, 10 for 45 yards and 1 TD; Terry Bradshaw, 7 for 29 yards; Jack Deloplaine, 3 for 28 yards; Sidney Thornton, 3 for 22 yards; Rick Moser, 3 for 7 yards; Mike Kruczek, 1 for -3 yards
Receiving:
HOU: Rich Caster, 5 for 44 yards; Tim Wilson, 5 for 33 yards; Ronnie Coleman, 1 for 15 yards; Earl Campbell, 1 for 4 yards PIT: Lynn Swann, 4 for 98 yards and 1 TD; Rocky Bleier, 4 for 42 yards; Randy Grossman, 2 for 43 yards; John Stallworth, 1 for 17 yards and 1 TD
Kick returns:
HOU: Johnnie Dirden, 3 for 72 yards; Guido Merkens, 2 for 57 yards; Robert Woods, 2 for 33 yards; Brian Duncan, 1 for 17 yards PIT: Jack Deloplaine, 1 for 21 yards; Larry Anderson, 1 for 15 yards
Punt returns:
PIT: Theo Bell, 6 for 91 yards
Interceptions:
HOU: Willie Alexander, 1 for 0 yards; Greg Stemrick, 1 for 0 yards PIT: Loren Toews, 1 for 35 yards; Ron Johnson, 1 for 34 yards; Mel Blount, 1 for 16 yards; Donnie Shell, 1 for 5 yards; Jack Ham, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
HOU: Cliff Parsley, 6 for 237 yards PIT: Craig Colquitt, 1 for 53 yards
Field Goals:
HOU: Toni Fritsch, 1/1 PIT: Roy Gerela, 2/4