1972 AFC Championship Game

This was the first-ever title game contested by the Steelers in their then-40 year history, and only their third-ever championship playoff game.[lower-alpha 2] Pittsburgh won the AFC Central with a 11-3 regular season record and, in their first-ever postseason victory,[lower-alpha 3] defeated the AFC West champion Oakland Raiders 13–7 at Three Rivers Stadium in the Divisional Round to advance to the AFC Championship game. The Steelers became the first Central Division team from either conference to play in a post-merger conference championship game.

This was the second consecutive AFC Championship Game (and second title game overall) contested by the Dolphins. Miami won the AFC East with a perfect 14-0 regular season record and defeated the AFC Central runner-up Cleveland Browns 20–14 at the Miami Orange Bowl in the Divisional Round to reach the AFC title game. At the time, home field advantage in the NFL playoffs rotated between divisions from season. This format meant that the Dolphins, despite being undefeated, had to travel to Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship Game since they had hosted the wild card team in the Divisional Round.

These teams did not play each other during the 1972 regular season. This was not only the Dolphins' first-ever postseason game against the Steelers, but their first-ever game (regular season or playoffs) in Pittsburgh. The teams' only previous meeting had been on November 14 during the 1971 regular season at the Orange Bowl, and was a 24–21 victory for Miami.

The Dolphins continued their unbeaten streak as quarterback Bob Griese, who had not started a game since week 5, took over the starting spot and led the team to two touchdowns in the second half.

Things started well for Pittsburgh as safety Glen Edwards intercepted a pass from Earl Morrall on the opening drive and returned it 28 yards to the Dolphins 48. Steelers running back Franco Harris subsequently gained 35 yards on 7 carries as the team drove to a third and 2 on the Miami 3-yard line. On the next play, Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw fumbled the ball as he tried to run into the end zone, but offensive lineman Gerry Mullins recovered it for a touchdown, giving the Steelers an early 7–0 lead. Unfortunately for the Steelers, Bradshaw was injured on the play and did not return until the fourth quarter. The Dolphins tied the game after punter Larry Seiple's 37-yard run on a fake punt set up Morrall's 9-yard touchdown pass to fullback Larry Csonka. The score would remain tied 7–7 at the end of the first half.

On the opening drive of the third quarter, Steelers quarterback Terry Hanratty completed passes to John McMakin and Ron Shanklin for gains of 22 and 24 yards, while John Fuqua added 24 yards on a draw play as the team drove to a 14-yard field goal by Roy Gerela, putting them up 10–7. At this point, Bob Griese, who had been sidelined with a broken leg for 10 weeks, replaced Morrall and threw a 52-yard completion to Paul Warfield on his first pass attempt. Miami also caught a break on the drive when an offsides penalty against Pittsburgh wiped out an interception by linebacker Jack Ham. Eventually, Jim Kiick finished the 11-play, 80-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, giving the Dolphins their first lead at 14–10. Near the end of the third quarter, Seiple's 33-yard punt gave Pittsburgh a first down on the Miami 48. Harris ran for 7 yards on the first play, but this was followed by two incompletions and Gerela's 48-yard field goal attempt was blocked.

Taking over on the Steelers' 49 after the blocked field goal, the Dolphins drove 49 yards on an 11-play drive that only had one pass play. Kiick finished it off with a 3-yard touchdown run, giving Miami a 21-10 fourth quarter lead. However, Bradshaw returned to the game for the Steelers' next drive and quickly led them to a score. He started the drive with a 9-yard pass to tight end Larry Brown, and followed it up with consecutive 25-yard completions to Al Young and Shanklin. On the fourth play of the possession, he threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Young, cutting the score to 21–17. But on Pittsburgh's last two drives, he threw interceptions to Miami linebackers Nick Buoniconti and Mike Kolen, enabling the Dolphins to run out the rest of the clock.

• First quarter
  • PIT – Mullins recovered fumble in end zone (Gerela kick) PIT 7–0
• Second quarter
  • MIA – Csonka 9 pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick) 7–7
• Third quarter
  • PIT – field goal Gerela 14 PIT 10–7
  • MIA – Kiick 2 run (Yepremian kick) MIA 14–10
• Fourth quarter
  • MIA – Kiick 3 run (Yepremian kick) MIA 21–10
  • PIT – Young 12 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick) MIA 21–17

The AFC champion Dolphins made their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. Miami defeated the Washington Redskins of the National Football Conference 14–7 in Super Bowl VII to win their first Super Bowl and complete (as of 2021) the only perfect NFL season in the modern era.[lower-alpha 4]

The Dolphins would repeat as AFC and Super Bowl champions the following year. The Steelers would return to the AFC Championship Game the year after that, and go on to win Super Bowl IX. In time, Pittsburgh would become one of the most successful NFL teams of the modern era, in contrast to their status as perennial also-rans in the pre-merger NFL.

This was the only AFC title game between division champions hosted by the team with the inferior record. The rules were changed prior to the 1975 NFL season to ensure the highest remaining seed, after tiebreakers if necessary, would always host the conference championship games.

• 1972 NFC Championship Game
• AFC Championship Game
• 1972-73 NFL playoffs
• 1972 NFL season
• American Football Conference
• National Football League