Houston vs Pittsburgh in 1978 AFC Championship Game Was Filled with Turnovers

Published on January 11th, 2025 11:07 am EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


It's almost impossible to consider.

Imagine the two best teams in the AFC squaring off in the AFC Championship Game and a total of 14 turnovers being committed between the two teams.

These aren't bottom feeding teams - these are two of the best teams in the league.

This is exactly what happened on January 7th, 1979, when the Houston Oilers and Pittsburgh Steelers squared off in the AFC Championship game.

The Pittsburgh Steelers had the best offense in the league that season, as well as one of the best defenses.

The Oilers, however, were a middle-of-the-road defense and a top ten offense.

It was a very cold day on January 7th, 1979, with the weather sitting at just 18 degrees and the wind blowing up to 18 miles per hour. There was also a freezing rain falling and this created absolute havoc for both teams.

The Pittsburgh Steelers would win by a score of 34-5, as the Oilers absolutely could not contend with the conditions.

The Oilers committed nine turnovers that day, including five interceptions by Houston QB Dan Pastorini.

The Oilers also fumbled the ball a total of four times, with Earl Campbell giving up the ball three times.

The Steelers had their own issues on that rainy day in Pittsburgh, as they committed a total of five turnovers, including two interceptions by Terry Bradshaw and a couple of fumbles.

The Steelers, however, managed to make due, as they totalled 379 offensive yards on the day, while the Oilers managed just 142, including 70 pass yards.

This was truly one of the most miserable games that a team has ever played in an AFC Championship game, as the Houston Oilers were utterly humiliated.

To make matters worse for Houston QB Dan Pastorini, the Steelers also managed to sack him four times.