The 1987 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 55th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League. The team improved from a 6–10 record from 1986 and finishing 8–7 record and fail to reach the playoffs for a third straight season. Noll was renowned as a stoic character, but in complete contrast was his reaction to Jerry Glanville, the head coach of the Oilers. After the Steelers second meeting, Noll in the postgame handshake grabbed Glanville and told him he'd better watch out or he'd get jumped on. This was in reaction to Glanville's earlier comments on how the Oilers field was the 'house of pain' and his prediction that his players would intentionally hurt the Steelers.
1987 would also mark a "bridging the eras" moment in Steelers history, as 1987 would mark the final seasons of Hall of Famers John Stallworth and Donnie Shell while also being the rookie season of another future Hall of Famer, Rod Woodson. Alongside fellow Hall of Famer Mike Webster (who would return for 1988), Stallworth and Shell were two of the final three players on the roster that had been part of all four Super Bowl-winning teams of the 1970s, while Woodson alongside fellow rookie Greg Lloyd (who would miss the 1987 season due to injuries) would be key members of the Steelers return to prominence in the 1990s.
Offseason
NFL draft
The Steelers 1987 draft class consisted of six offensive and seven defensive players with Cornerback Rod Woodson being taken first with the team's 10th overall pick. Woodson would go on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the class of 2009
Although the Steelers wanted to draft Rod Woodson to help rebuild their secondary, the team expected Woodson to be drafted before their turn at tenth overall. Head coach Chuck Noll instructed defensive coordinator Tony Dungy not to bother with a scouting report on Woodson due to his expected unavailability. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to draft Woodson after the Cleveland Browns traded for the San Diego Chargers' fifth overall pick and subsequently used selection to draft linebacker Mike Junkin, who was eventually a bust. The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Kelly Stouffer (sixth overall) who ultimately never played for the Cardinals due to a contract dispute. The Buffalo Bills were the last likely team to draft Woodson, but instead used the eighth overall pick to draft linebacker Shane Conlan.
After the team drafted Woodson in the first round, the team would go on to draft cornerback Delton Hall in the second round with their 38th overall pick. Hall would eventually get more playing time than Woodson in the 1987 season, starting in all twelve games. Woodson held out for a bigger contract into the season and would see appearances in eight games, starting in none of them. In addition to Woodson and Lloyd, the team also drafted future Pro Bowlers Thomas Everett and Hardy Nickerson, as well as fullback Merril Hoge, who would be a starter for several seasons and later be an analyst for ESPN. After the draft ended, the team would sign Dwight Stone as an undrafted free agent, who would go on to play 14 years in the NFL including eight in Pittsburgh.
Undrafted free agents
+ 1987 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeLyneal AlstonWide receiverSouthern MissEric AndersonWide receiverUTEPSteve ApkeLinebackerPittsburghWarren BoneDefensive endTexas SouthernDennis BorckyNose tackleMemphis StateRichard BosselmannLinebackerCal PolyRalph BrittTight endNC StateGeorge CimadevillaPunterEast Tennessee StateSpark ClarkRunning BackAkronMike CrowPunterNorthwestern StateMoses FordWide receiverFayetteville StateCorey GilmoreRunning backSan Diego StateJames HansenOffensive tackleUtahJoe PizzoQuarterbackMars HillMike RussoNose tacklePenn StateVernon StewartWide receiverAkronAlbert WilliamsLinebackerUTEP
Personnel
Staff
NFL replacement players After the league decided to use replacement players during the NFLPA strike, the following team was assembled:
1987 Pittsburgh Steelers replacement rosterQuarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
Roster
Preseason
Schedule Week Date Opponent Game Site Kickoff (ET) TV Result Record 1 Fri. Aug. 14 at Washington Redskins RFK Stadium 8:00 p.m. WTAE L 23–17 0–1 2 Sat. Aug. 22 at Chicago Bears Soldier Field 7:00 p.m. WTAE L 50–14 0–2 3 Sat. Aug. 29 at New Orleans Saints Louisiana Superdome 8:00 p.m. WTAE L 31–28 0–3 4 Sat. Sep. 5 New York Giants Three Rivers Stadium 9:00 p.m. CBS L 26–20 0–4
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Game Site Kickoff (ET) TV Result Record 1 Sun. Sep. 13 San Francisco 49ers Three Rivers Stadium 1:00 p.m. CBS W 30–17 1–0 2 Sun. Sep. 20 at Cleveland Browns Cleveland Municipal Stadium 1:00 p.m. NBC L 34–10 1–1 3 Sun. Sep. 27 New York Jets Three Rivers Stadium 4:00 p.m. NBC Cancelled 1–1 4 Sun. Oct. 4 at Atlanta Falcons Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 1:00 p.m. NBC W 28–12 2–1 5 Sun. Oct. 11 at Los Angeles Rams Anaheim Stadium 4:00 p.m. NBC L 31–21 2–2 6 Sun. Oct. 18 Indianapolis Colts Three Rivers Stadium 1:00 p.m. NBC W 21–7 3–2 7 Sun. Oct. 25 Cincinnati Bengals Three Rivers Stadium 1:00 p.m. NBC W 23–20 4–2 8 Sun. Nov. 1 at Miami Dolphins Joe Robbie Stadium 1:00 p.m. NBC L 35–24 4–3 9 Sun. Nov. 8 at Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium 1:00 p.m. NBC W 17–16 5–3 10 Sun. Nov. 15 Houston Oilers Three Rivers Stadium 1:00 p.m. NBC L 23–3 5–4 11 Sun. Nov. 22 at Cincinnati Bengals Riverfront Stadium 1:00 p.m. NBC W 30–16 6–4 12 Sun. Nov. 29 New Orleans Saints Three Rivers Stadium 1:00 p.m. CBS L 20–16 6–5 13 Sun. Dec. 6 Seattle Seahawks Three Rivers Stadium 1:00 p.m. NBC W 13–9 7–5 14 Sun. Dec. 13 at San Diego Chargers Jack Murphy Stadium 4:00 p.m. NBC W 20–16 8–5 15 Sun. Dec. 20 at Houston Oilers Astrodome 1:00 p.m. NBC L 24–16 8–6 16 Sat. Dec. 26 Cleveland Browns Three Rivers Stadium 12:30 p.m. NBC L 19–13 8–7
Game summaries
Week 1 (Sunday September 13, 1987): vs. San Francisco 49ers
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 PM EDT Game weather: (Drizzle) Game attendance: 55,735 Referee: Gordon McCarter TV announcers: (CBS) Jim Lampley (play by play), Ken Stabler (color commentator) Pittsburgh – Hall 50 fumble return (Anderson kick) San Francisco – FG Wersching 43 Pittsburgh – Gothard 2 pass from Malone (Anderson kick) Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 50 Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 41 San Francisco – Frank 1 pass from Montana (Wersching kick) Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 44 Pittsburgh – Abercrombie 28 run (Anderson kick) San Francisco – Rice 3 pass from Montana (Wersching kick)
Week 2 (Sunday September 20, 1987): at Cleveland Browns
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
Game time: 1:00 PM EDT Game weather: Game attendance: 79,543 Referee: Gene Barth TV announcers: (NBC) Marv Albert (play by play), Joe Namath (color commentator) Cleveland – FG Jaeger 29 Cleveland – Mack 1 run (Jaeger kick) Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 27 PIttsburgh – Shell 19 fumble return (Anderson kick) Cleveland – McNeil 11 pass from Kosar (Jaeger kick) Cleveland – FG Jaeger 23 Cleveland – Matthews 26 interception return (Jaeger kick) Cleveland – Weathers 37 pass from Kosar (Jaeger kick)
Week 3 (Sunday September 27, 1987): vs. New York Jets Cancelled due to player's strike.
Week 4 (Sunday October 4, 1987): at Atlanta Falcons
at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Game time: 1:00 PM EDT Game weather: Game attendance: 16,667 Referee: Red Cashion TV announcers: (NBC) Mel Proctor (play by play), Reggie Rucker (color commentator)
This game was played with replacement players.
Atlanta – FG Davis 27 Pittsburgh – Jackson 1 run (Trout kick) Pittsburgh – Hairston 5 pass from Bono (Trout kick) Atlanta – Safety, Bono penalized for intentional grounding in end zone Pittsburgh – Bono 1 run (Trout kick) Pittsburgh – Clinkscales 11 pass from Collier (Trout kick) Atlanta – Barney 19 pass from Van Raaphorst (Davis kick)
Week 5 (Sunday October 11, 1987): at Los Angeles Rams
at Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California
Game time: 4:00 PM EDT Game weather: Game attendance: 20,219 Referee: Bob Frederic TV announcers: (NBC) Fred Roggin (play by play), Dave Lapham (color commentator)
This game was played with replacement players.
Los Angeles Rams – Jackson recovered blocked punt in end zone (Lansford kick) Pittsburgh – Alston 22 pass from Bono (Trout kick) Pittsburgh – Carter 10 pass from Bono (Trout kick) Los Angeles Rams – White 2 run (Lansford kick) Los Angeles Rams – McDonald 1 pass from Dils (Lansford kick) Los Angeles Rams – Moore 11 pass from Dils (Lansford kick) Los Angeles Rams – FG Lansford 29 Pittsburgh – Alston 42 pass from Collier (Trout kick)
Week 6 (Sunday October 18, 1987): vs. Indianapolis Colts
This game was played with replacement players.
Week 7 (Sunday October 25, 1987): vs. Cincinnati Bengals
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 PM EST Game weather: (Mostly Cloudy) Game attendance: 53,692 Referee: Fred Wyant TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator) Cincinnati – Kinnebrew 2 run (Breech kick) Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 45 Cincinnati – Martin 41 pass from Esiason (Breech kick) Pittsburgh – Hall 25 run with lateral after Hinkle interception (Anderson kick) Cincinnati – Jennings 9 pass from Esiason (kick failed) Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 21 Pittsburgh – Stallworth 12 pass from Malone (Anderson kick) Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 20
Week 8 (Sunday November 1, 1987): at Miami Dolphins
at Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida
Game time: 1:00 PM EST Game weather: Game attendance: 52,578 Referee: Bob McElwee TV announcers: (NBC) Sam Nover (play by play), Michael Jackson (color commentator) Pittsburgh – Lockett 10 pass from Malone (Anderson kick) Pittsburgh – Shell 50 interception return (Anderson kick) Miami – Hardy 2 pass from Marino (Reveiz kick) Pittsburgh – Pollard 1 run (Anderson kick) Miami – Clayton 41 pass from Marino (Reveiz kick) Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 43 Miami – Duper 50 pass from Marino (Reveiz kick) Miami – Clayton 33 pass from Marino (Reveiz kick) Miami – Stradford 5 run (Reveiz kick)
Week 9 (Sunday November 8, 1987): at Kansas City Chiefs
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Game time: 1:00 PM EST Game weather: Game attendance: 45,249 Referee: Jim Tunney TV announcers: (NBC) Tom Hammond (play by play), Michael Jackson (color commentator) Kansas City – Maas 6 fumble return (Lowery kick) Pittsburgh – Carter 4 pass from Malone (Anderson kick) Kansas City – FG Lowery 41 Pittsburgh – Carter 26 pass from Malone (Anderson kick) Kansas City – FG Lowery 27 Kansas City – FG Lowery 38 Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 44
Week 10 (Sunday November 15, 1987): vs. Houston Oilers
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 PM EST Game weather: (Partly Cloudy) Game attendance: 56,177 Referee: Jerry Seeman TV announcers: (NBC) Marv Albert (play by play), Joe Namath (color commentator) Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 22 Houston – FG Zendejas 34 Houston – Duncan 14 pass from Moon (Zendejas kick) Houston – D. Hill 42 pass from Moon (Zendejas kick) Houston – FG Zendejas 20 Houston – FG Zendejas 40
Week 11 (Sunday November 22, 1987): at Cincinnati Bengals
at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
Game time: 1:00 PM EST Game weather: Game attendance: 59,910 Referee: Fred Silva TV announcers: (NBC) Mel Proctor (play by play), Sam Rutigliano (color commentator) Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 43 Cincinnati – FG Breech 35 Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 52 Pittsburgh – Woodson 45 interception return (Anderson kick) Cincinnati – FG Breech 38 Cincinnati – FG Breech 41 Pittsburgh – Thompson 14 pass from Malone (Anderson kick) Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 46 CIncinnati – Kinnebrew 2 run (Breech kick)