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More Important Play in Steeler History

Immaculate Reception or Holmes SB43


  • Total voters
    59
Uhh, first it was Northern California.

Second, my dad was attending Steelers games when he and maybe 10,000 others were. He is Pittsburgh born-and-raised, and a Duquesne graduate (1948). Art Rooney used to come to the campus on Fridays and hand out tickets to try and boost attendance and generate interest.

I knew a ****-ton about the Steelers as of 1970. I knew how bad they had been. I knew their new coach was improving the team. I knew that they had two Terry's battling for the QB position.

So if you want to question how much I knew about the Steelers, go right ahead.
What was Nolls record vs teams with losing records?
 
While Holme's catch is not only one of the greatest catches in Steeler history but also in Super Bowl history as well. With that said, the Immaculate Reception has already been deemed not only the GREATEST play in Steeler history but in NFL history as well! Sure, Holmes's catch did ultimately lead the Steelers to a SB victory, however it probably would never happen if it wasn't for Harrison's pick 6 (a greater play than Holmes's catch).
You're right, Franco's catch did not result in a SB victory directly. It is the foundation in which the DYNASTY was built upon. Sure, the hiring of Noll and the draft picks are part of it too, but that play was a start of something great, something special. We wouldn't be talking about dynasties without it. It's kind of like the tuck rule but not NEARLY as great and without all the cheating.
It would have been a very different 40+ years without it!
 
While Holme's catch is not only one of the greatest catches in Steeler history but also in Super Bowl history as well. With that said, the Immaculate Reception has already been deemed not only the GREATEST play in Steeler history but in NFL history as well! Sure, Holmes's catch did ultimately lead the Steelers to a SB victory, however it probably would never happen if it wasn't for Harrison's pick 6 (a greater play than Holmes's catch).
You're right, Franco's catch did not result in a SB victory directly. It is the foundation in which the DYNASTY was built upon. Sure, the hiring of Noll and the draft picks are part of it too, but that play was a start of something great, something special. We wouldn't be talking about dynasties without it. It's kind of like the tuck rule but not NEARLY as great and without all the cheating.
It would have been a very different 40+ years without it!

The foundation was the Noll and the players. Not a catch. Do you really think they would not have gone on to greatness without the IR? They were loaded with HOFers. Unless you feel they would have not been HOFers without the IR.
 
If Harrison doesn't pick that off and just knocks it down, maybe Arizona kicks a FG and it's 10-10. The Harrison play was a better play, but the Td pass/catch was far more important.
 
What was Nolls record vs teams with losing records?

Fifty-bajillion and zero.

But all losses until 1972.

After that?

Fifty-nine bajillion and zero to the good.

Thinking back, I will say that after the Steelers became a good-then-great NFL team, they walloped bad teams - humiliated them. That defense dominated good offenses, like the Cowgirls, and obliterated mediocre-to-bad offenses.
 
You're right, Franco's catch did not result in a SB victory directly.

This is from memory, and memories of a game 44 years ago, but I recall that the Steelers were dominating the Dolphins until Bradshaw got his bell rung, and then later, Larry ******* Seiple runs a fake punt for a million yards.

And that IS from memory.
 
This ^^

Watching it live, I could not believe that Swanny caught the pass. Bradshaw threw a freaking fastball, high, and Swann snags the ball to end the game.

Yeah, yeah, some time remained but the Steelers were up 35-17 and the Cryboys were down to relying on onside kicks. For those that did not see the game - the Girls scored a meaningless TD, recovered the 1st onside kick, and scored another TD, as otherwise the final is 35-24 and shows that the Steelers kicked the Girls' ***. (Noll on the sideline was screaming about the onside kick ... Steelers got the second one.)

A gif of the Swann catch:

terry-bradshaw-to-lynn-swann-super-bowl-xiii.gif


Oh, and as to the poll question ... not close. The Immaculate Reception. I was living in Northern California at the time, and was 11 years old. EVERYBODY in school but me was a Raiders fan. That play was so monumental in so many ways, not the least of which was me not having to take **** from classmates for the next several years. Quite the opposite - I was the ****-giver.

Give me the 64 yard bomb to Swann in SB10 over that one. Bradshaw got destroyed by the Cowboys right after the ball left his hand. Maybe the prettiest pass he ever threw.
 
Sorry if someone already posted.. But I think, if (and I know this is a big "if") we go on to win #7 this year, then "The Reach" deserves some consideration with the IR, the Holmes catch, and the Harrison INT, maybe as a distant 4th


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I picked the Holmes catch because it put a trophy on the mantle. What Franco did was unbelievable but I think we still go on to be the dynasty we became even if he didn't make that play... Plus the pass and catch from Ben to Holmes was truly a thing of beauty..
 
The thread says Most Important play in Steeler history. What did it mean to the Franchise? It is more than SB's.....The mere fact that the Steelers had lost for so long puts the Immaculate Reception in a league of its own as well. It is a defining moment for the Steel City. It is an iconic moment that set the tone for the 70's Steelers & simply cannot be topped. It is their identity. The two cannot be separated. The play is the Steelers logo as much as Jerry West is the NBA logo. Hands down it is THE MOST IMPORTANT PLAY IN STEELER HISTORY.
 
The Immaculate Reception of course! Its in the name!

Otherwise it would have been simply called " Franco's catch".


There is currently a statue in Pittsburgh of Franco Harris making that catch in the exact same spot it occurred.

Holmes aint getting no statue.


The Immaculate Reception stands alone.

I would put Holmes catch as the #1 play in Steeler Super Bowl history though...
Above Stallworths game sealing TD catch over the Rams...
Above Fast Willies record breaking 75 yd. run for a TD
 
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The Immaculate Reception of course. Its in the name!

Otherwise it would have been simply called " Franco's catch".


There is currently a statue in Pittsburgh of Franco Harris making that catch in the exact same spot it occurred.

Holmes aint getting no statue.

Keep in mind that Holmes catch was a second down play with plenty of time on the clock. How do we know that Ben wouldn't have hit Heath over the middle on the next play? It wasn't quite do or die yet.
 
I'm surprised Holmes' catch has gotten any votes. There must be a lot of young money posting here.
 
I guess it depends on how the question. Is asked but again the homes catch may have been the last chance to win that game. Who knows would have happened after that but it was the end of the game and it was a catch that may have been the best superbowl catch by a Steelers player ever especially when you consider the magnitude of that play and what it meant. That catch won the SB for them plain and simple. Franco's catch was amazing g and wild but it wasn't even the AFC championship game for God's sake. I don't even know why people think k this is even close. Relevance? They won a playoff game ...Big deal. The Lombardi's are everything
 
Didn't The Immaculate Reception result in the first ever playoff win for a team that had sucked pretty much forever? Holmes catch was great, but in terms of historical significance to this franchise pales greatly in comparison. That's my opinion.
 
Keep in mind that Holmes catch was a second down play with plenty of time on the clock. How do we know that Ben wouldn't have hit Heath over the middle on the next play? It wasn't quite do or die yet.

How do we know that we don't complete the third down play? Again we KNOW we completed that pass and we KNOW it won a super bowl.
 
Wasn't Noll something like 50-1 against .500 or less teams...



Salute the nation

From 1972-1980 he was 59-1 vs sub .500 teams. 29-26-1 against winning teams in the regular season. 13-4 in the post season
 
As much as I hate the Pats, the tuck rule wasn't cheating. It was benefitting from a rule in the books. Brady didn't intentionally throw the ball against his own body when he brought it down. He lost possession going from a throwing stance to tucking the ball to protect it. It was a terrible rule that took another 8 years from that moment, to get rid of. It's as much of a luck play as the immaculate reception for them, that they got an extra chance to beat the Raiders, which they did.
 
I give the yinzers another classic Steelers gif - a gif to show why I had 2 Steelers jerseys when I was growing up: #32 (Franco) and #58. Lambert.

Cliff Harris, meet your daddy:

jack-lambert-throws-cliff-harris-to-the-ground-super-bowl-x.gif

oh Lambert.


I just jizzed in my pants.

(not really but that moment was worthy of it lol)
 
Sorry if someone already posted.. But I think, if (and I know this is a big "if") we go on to win #7 this year, then "The Reach" deserves some consideration with the IR, the Holmes catch, and the Harrison INT, maybe as a distant 4th


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reah?

prefer to call it the immaculate extention
 
How about the bet Art Rooney made at the horse track that gave him the money to start the team. Or is that urban legend?
 
How about the bet Art Rooney made at the horse track that gave him the money to start the team. Or is that urban legend?

That is true from what I understand.
 
Harrisons play was much more impressive than Ben to Holmes. It was more than likely a 10-14 point swing. Also how many times do you see a slow LB return an int 100 yards let alone in the SB. As for most important that is a tough one. The immaculate reception is one of the best known plays in the history of the NFL. It is extremely difficult to vote against it.
 
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