| 1972 Pittsburgh Steelers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Art Rooney |
| Head coach | Chuck Noll |
| Home field | Three Rivers Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–3 |
| Division place | 1st AFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Raiders) 13–7 Lost AFC Championship (vs. Dolphins) 17–21 |
| Pro Bowlers | 6
|
| AP All-Pros | 4
|
| Team MVP | Franco Harris |
The 1972 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 40th in the National Football League.
Pittsburgh finished with an 11–3 record in 1972, their first winning season in 9 years (1963), and won their first-ever AFC Central Division title. It was the Steelers' third-ever postseason appearance, first in ten seasons (the Playoff Bowl for third place in the league), and only its second playoff game since 1947. This season is famous for the Immaculate Reception, where the Steelers beat the Oakland Raiders 13–7 in the playoffs on a last second touchdown by rookie running back Franco Harris. But the momentum would not be enough to beat the Dolphins in the AFC Championship despite a strong season.
The rebuilding of the franchise that began in 1969 with the hiring of head coach Chuck Noll finally came to fruition in his fourth year. After winning only once in that first season, the Steelers then showed steady improvement. They broke through in 1972 and made the playoffs for the first time since 1947; their three losses were by a combined eleven points. The division title was the first in team history, as was the appearance in the AFC Championship game which they lost to the undefeated Miami Dolphins 21–17. It was the first of eight consecutive playoff appearances for the Steelers that led to four Super Bowl championships.