he play was 66 Option, or maybe 66 Circle Post, the details lost to time and endless retellings. The idea never changed, though. Franco Harris, the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie fullback, was to stay in and block along with the tight end, similar to max protection, while the halfback, Frenchy Fuqua, was to run a seam route and try to occupy the opposing safety. If that safety bit, quarterback Terry Bradshaw would try to hit his first read, rookie receiver Barry Pearson.
In the sterile environment of a game plan, this was the perfect play for the occasion, and blocking would be especially important. It was fourth-and-10 from the Steelers' 40-yard line with just 22 seconds left in a divisional playoff game at home. And the Steelers had just lost the lead in a defensive slugfest when the nimble Oakland Raiders quarterback Kenny Stabler scrambled 30 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with little more than a minute remaining. The Steelers needed this play to go as it was drawn up to get close enough to attempt a game-winning field goal and end the franchise's long history of futility.
It did not go as it was drawn up.
