The sun shone brightly with a 67° high and wind gusting to 30 mph from the northeast. However, the turf was still slippery from rains during the week.

Quarter 1

Matt Bahr kicked off for Pittsburgh to Jim Jodat, who returned 16y to the 29. The Rams started conservatively, running Wendell Tyler twice for a gain of 1, then a loss of 4 when he slipped down in the backfield. On 3rd-and-13, QB Vince Ferragamo hit RB Cullen Bryant for 8y. So Ken Clark punted 41y to Theo Bell, who returned it 11y. However, a clipping penalty set the Steelers back to their 21.
Pittsburgh had never lost a postseason game in which Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier both started at RB. So QB Terry Bradshaw began with six straight runs to gain two first downs. Harris for two, Bleier for nine, Harris one, Bleier eight, Harris two, and Bleier -1. On 2nd-and-11 from the 42, Bradshaw threw his first pass, to Harris who moved closer to the line just before the snap and sneaked up the middle, snagging the ball at midfield and streaking to the Ram 26, where LB Jim Youngblood tackled him from behind. Then it was Bleier for no gain and Harris for two on a sweep right. So Terry went to the air again. Instead of going for the first down, he went for it all but overthrew ace WR Lynn Swann in the end zone. So Bahr booted a 41y FG. Steelers 3 Rams 0 (7:31)

Pitt tried a sky kick to the right sideline that LB George Andrews leaped and caught between two Steelers at the LA 41. Ferragamo passed on first down, tossing to Tyler in the right flat for a gain of six just before DT Steve Furness leveled the QB. Then the Rams started running right at the Steel Curtain D behind their young, aggressive offensive line. Wendell, who gained 1109y during the season, took a handoff and slipped through a big hole at LT to start a meandering run, following his blockers beautifully and sidestepping tacklers all the way to the 14, where SS Donnie Shell made the tackle. Lawrence McCutcheon replaced Tyler and ran up the middle to the 8, then gained another three to set up 3rd-and 1 at the 5. McCutcheon pushed to the two for first-and-goal. Tyler returned and was stopped at the 1. On the next snap, he tried to jump into the end zone but was pushed back at the 1' line. After a break to attend to Tyler, Bryant plunged over LG for the score. Frank Corral kicked the PAT. Rams 7 Steelers 3 (2:44) Kick return specialist Larry Anderson took Corral's kick on the 2, raced through a gap in the right side of the coverage, and streaked down the sideline to the 45 before LB Joe Harris pulled him out of bounds from behind. Franco Harris moved through LT for 12y. After Bleier gained a yard, Bradshaw threw to TE Bennie Cunningham, who made a diving catch over the middle. On 3rd-and-2, Bleier got just enough to move the chains. Terry's pass to a button-hooking Swann to the 18 ended the period. END Q1: Rams 7 Steelers 3

Quarter 2

The Steelers rode their momentum to a go-ahead TD. First, Bradshaw, rolling right to avoid the rush but keeping his eyes downfield, threw on the run to Cunningham who caught the low ball between two defenders at the 5. Harris was tripped up at the line of scrimmage but fell forward for a yard. Terry then threw to WR John Stallworth who made a leaping catch just short of the goal line, but CB Rod Perry drove him back to prevent the TD. From inside the one, Harris followed Bleier untouched around RE to pay dirt. Bahr kicked the point. Steelers 10 Rams 7 (12:52) LA started from their 19 after Jodat's 9y return. Tyler took a pitch running right, dipped his shoulders as if to cut inside before turning the corner for seven. After Bryant gained two, Tyler repeated the first down play, gaining a new series of downs at the 33. Ferragamo threw a swing pass to Wendell in the left flat for a gain of 11 before Lambert made an ankle tackle on the sideline that sent Wendell out of the game again. Bryant gained 4 before Ferragamo found McCutcheon a half-step behind a LB downfield for a gain of 16 to the Pitt 36. LB Robin Cole dumped McCutcheon for a loss of two. Then Ferragamo flipped a pass over the head of WR Billy Waddy streaking down the right sideline. Shell was called for hooking the receiver with his elbow to make it first down at the 18. Bryant found running room at LT for 8. But on the next snap, the Steel Curtain grabbed Tyler at RT. When Wendell broke loose and tried to scamper around RE, LB Dennis Winston dropped him for a 4y loss. On 3rd-and-6, Ferragamo looped a pass toward WR Ron Smith who couldn't hold the ball at the back of the EZ. So Corral, who had missed his last nine attempts from beyond the 30, kicked a 31y FG. Rams 10 Steelers 10 (7:21)
Anderson made another excellent return, this one for 38y to the Pitt 46. But the Steelers couldn't take advantage of the excellent field position. Harris tried to sweep LE but gained only a yard thanks to an excellent low tackle by Perry. Seeing no defender over the C, Bradshaw took the snap and moved forward for 6. Then DT Mike Fanning knocked down Harris a yard short of the first down. Following a delay of game penalty, Craig Colquitt punted into the EZ.
The Rams went three-and-out after McCutcheon gained nothing and Bryant one before Ferragamo connected with TE Terry Nelson for only 6y. So Clark punted 42y to Bell, who returned six to the Pitt 37.
In a battle of the two NFL teams with the most turnovers, the Rams got the first one when Bradshaw threw toward Swann cutting over the middle to the left. But S Dave Elmendorf, playing with a collar on his neck because of a pinched nerve, came over from the left to catch the ball in his midsection. The former Texas Aggie ran 10y to the Pitt 39.
LA capitalized on the break to tie the game although the drive did not start promisingly. Cole broke through and sacked Ferragamo for a loss of 10. Then Bryant dropped a swing pass to bring up 3rd-and-20. The Rams got 12 of that when Vince, with no blitzers bothering him, hit McCutcheon streaking across the middle. After the two-minute warning, LA went for the first down and got it on a 10y pass to Waddy in front of Shell, whom the Rams appeared to be targeting. Then Nelson leapt and snagged a pass just before S J. T. Thomas got there for a 14y gain to the 13. After calling a timeout, Ferragamo threw two more passes that failed to connect to WR Preston Dennard and Waddy in the EZ. On 3rd down, the Steelers unleashed an all-out blitz they called "chaos." DT John Banaszak's sack put the pigskin back 14y to the 27. But Corral, who had not kicked well down the stretch, boomed a 45y FG that just cleared the crossbar. Rams 13 Steelers 13 (0:14)
Anderson got loose again up the left side, returning 37y. But an illegal use of the hands penalty set Pitt back to the 24. Bradshaw's 10y swing pass to Swann ended the half.
RAMS 13 STEELERS 10

The performance event group Up with People performed during the halftime show titled "A Salute to the Big Band Era."