2009: Steelers Come Back to Defeat Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII

That the Pittsburgh Steelers were representing the AFC in Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009 was of little surprise. That their NFC opponent was the Arizona Cardinals came as a shock to many pro football fans. The club had not appeared in a league title game since 1948 and hardly seemed likely to do so in 2008.

The Cardinals, coached by Ken Whisenhunt, had won the AFC West in ‘08, but with a lackluster 9-7 record. Moreover, after taking command of the division at 7-3 midway through November, the team went 2-4 the rest of the way and looked especially bad when blown out at Philadelphia and New England. But in the postseason, where it was greatly anticipated that they would be eliminated quickly, they defeated Atlanta at home in the Wild Card round, dominated the 12-4 Carolina Panthers at Charlotte, and then returned to University of Phoenix Stadium and held off the Eagles to win the NFC title.

37-year-old QB Kurt Warner revived his career in Arizona and had the outstanding wide receiver corps of Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston to throw to. The defense ranked 28th in the league in points surrendered during the regular season, but stepped up in the playoffs. DT Darnell Dockett, linebackers Karlos Dansby and Gerald Hayes, FS Antrel Rolle, and Pro Bowl SS Adrian Wilson were the featured players on the unit.

The Steelers, under Head Coach Mike Tomlin, were far more formidable in winning the AFC North at 12-4. They beat the Chargers in the Divisional playoff round and then won a hard-hitting battle with division-rival Baltimore for the AFC Championship. QB Ben Roethlisberger’s statistics dropped in 2008, primarily as a result of suffering a shoulder separation in the season-opening game, but he still was able to lift the offense in clutch situations – he guided the Steelers to six game-winning drives during the regular season, either in the fourth quarter or in overtime. The running game was hindered by injuries to veteran RB Willie Parker and rookie Rashard Mendenhall. But WR Santonio Holmes had come on strong late in the regular season and playoffs. The defense was outstanding and included NT Casey Hampton, SS Troy Polamalu, and an excellent group of linebackers led by the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison.

There were 70,774 fans in attendance at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for what was expected to be a classic mismatch. Pittsburgh got the ball first and drove 72 yards in nine plays. Roethlisberger completed passes of 38 yards to WR Hines Ward and 21 yards to TE Heath Miller along the way. The big quarterback (6’5”, 240 pounds) attempted to cap the drive himself by running the final yard on a third-and-goal play, and it initially appeared that he had been successful when a TD was signaled. However, the Cardinals successfully challenged the play and the Steelers settled for an 18-yard Jeff Reed field goal instead.

Arizona punted following its first possession of the game and once again the Steelers put together a long drive that started off with a 25-yard pass completion from Roethlisberger to Holmes. Pittsburgh went 69 yards in 11 plays and, on the second play of the second quarter, scored a touchdown on a one-yard carry by RB Gary Russell to take a 10-0 lead.

The Cardinals came back as Warner completed five short passes and then threw long to Boldin for a 45-yard gain down to the Pittsburgh one yard line. Warner tossed a pass to TE Ben Patrick for the final yard and a TD to again make it a three-point game.

The teams traded punts, until a tipped pass by Roethlisberger was intercepted by Dansby to give Arizona the ball at the Pittsburgh 34 with two minutes remaining in the half. Again Warner completed short passes to move the Cardinals along, and they once more faced a first-and-goal situation at the one yard line. But Warner’s pass that was intended for Boldin was instead intercepted by Harrison at the goal line, who proceeded to return it 100 yards for a touchdown (pictured below), just barely falling across the goal line at the end with no time remaining. The longest (and arguably most thrilling) play in Super Bowl history made the score 17-7 as the teams went into halftime.


Following a punt by the Cardinals, Pittsburgh put together yet another long drive in its first possession of the second half. Moving from their 18 yard line (the Steelers had nearly gotten the ball in Arizona territory upon recovering what was initially ruled a fumble by Warner, but the play was overturned upon challenge), they reached the Cardinals’ nine yard line and kicked a field goal. However, an unnecessary roughness penalty on Adrian Wilson gave Pittsburgh a first down at the Arizona four instead. Parker ran for two yards, but then Roethlisberger threw an incomplete pass and was dropped for the loss of a yard on third down. They ended up settling for a 21-yard field goal by Reed.

The game entered the fourth quarter with the Steelers ahead by 20-7, and the clubs traded punts as time appeared to be running out for the Cardinals. Arizona had not been able to move the ball effectively thus far, and Larry Fitzgerald had been particularly quiet, but that all changed as the Cardinals went into a no-huddle offense and put together a scoring drive. Warner passed on every down and was successful on all eight of his throws, including four to Fitzgerald. A one-yard touchdown pass from Warner to Fitzgerald brought the Cardinals to within six points of the Steelers.

Pittsburgh went three-and-out on the following possession, with the key play being Darnell Dockett’s sack of Roethlisberger for an eight-yard loss. The Cardinals had to punt as well, but pinned the Steelers back at their one yard line. On a third-and-ten play, it appeared that Roethlisberger had completed a 19-yard pass to Holmes to get out of trouble, but a holding penalty in the end zone not only nullified the first down but gave Arizona two more points on a safety.


The Cardinals received the ensuing free kick and, after an incompletion on the first play, Warner fired a short pass to Fitzgerald that resulted in a 64-yard touchdown (pictured at right). With the extra point, Arizona was in the lead at 23-20 and there were just under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. They had scored 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, and seemed on the verge of a stunning upset.

Following the kickoff, Pittsburgh took over at its 22 yard line. A holding penalty backed the Steelers up to the 12, but Roethlisberger hit Holmes twice with passes covering 14 and 13 yards, and an 11-yard completion to WR Nate Washington got them to midfield. After a four-yard run by Roethlisberger, he again threw to Holmes on a play that covered 40 yards to the Arizona six. On second-and-goal, Roethlisberger went to Holmes once more, throwing high into the end zone at the right corner. Holmes stretched just high enough to catch the ball, kept his toes barely in bounds, and scored the six-yard touchdown that put the Steelers back in front (pictured at top).

The Cardinals had one last chance, taking over with 35 seconds on the clock. Warner threw to Fitzgerald for 20 yards and RB J.J. Arrington for 13, but with the ball now at the Pittsburgh 44, Warner fumbled while being sacked by LB LaMarr Woodley and DE Brett Keisel recovered for the Steelers to end the threat. The Steelers won their sixth Super Bowl by a score of 27-23.

The Cardinals significantly outgained Pittsburgh (407 yards to 292) and had the edge in first downs (23 to 20). The also suffered 11 penalties, at the expense of 106 yards, to 7 flags thrown on the Steelers and gave up two turnovers to Pittsburgh’s one. Neither team mounted much of a running attack, with the Steelers gaining just 58 yard on 26 carries while Arizona ran the ball 12 times for 33 yards.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards, including a touchdown and an interception, and was at his best in the game-winning drive. Santonio Holmes, the game’s MVP, caught 9 passes for 131 yards and the TD. Willie Parker was the leading rusher with 53 yards on 19 carries.

For the Cardinals, Kurt Warner (pictured below) went to the air 43 times and completed 31 of those passes for 377 yards, three for touchdowns while one was picked off. Anquan Boldin caught 8 passes for 84 yards and Larry Fitzgerald gained 127 yards on 7 receptions that included two TDs, while Steve Breaston contributed 6 catches for 71 yards. RB Edgerrin James accounted for all 33 rushing yards on 9 attempts.

“Was that a 60-minute game, or what?” exclaimed Steelers LB James Farrior. “It came down to the last play, and we made it.”

The sixth Super Bowl victory for the Pittsburgh franchise pulled it ahead of Dallas and San Francisco, although the Steelers were still short of Green Bay’s total of 12 league titles.

The Steelers slumped to 9-7 in 2009 and missed the playoffs. Kurt Warner came back for one last season in ’09 and led the Cardinals to another NFC West title, but after winning a high-scoring thriller in the Wild Card round of the postseason, they were thrashed by New Orleans in the Divisional round.

2006: Steelers Beat Broncos for AFC Title with Third Straight Road Win

The AFC Championship game on January 22, 2006 at INVESCO Field at Mile High featured the host Denver Broncos, champions of the AFC West with a 13-3 record, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, an 11-5 wild card team that had finished second to the Bengals in the AFC North.

The Broncos, under Head Coach Mike Shanahan, did well in 2005 with veteran Jake Plummer at quarterback, who in his third year with the club had thrown for 3366 yards and 18 touchdowns and, most notably for the often-erratic passer, tied his career low with just seven interceptions (he had led the NFL with 20 in ’04). Denver had become best known for its ground game during the Shanahan era, and running backs Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell combined for a total of 1935 yards and 20 touchdowns. 35-year-old Pro Bowl WR Rod Smith caught 85 passes for 1105 yards. MLB Al Wilson, CB Champ Bailey, and FS John Lynch were among the best in the league at their positions.

Pittsburgh, led by Head Coach Bill Cowher for the 14th year, had dropped from 15-1 in 2004, suffering during the ’05 season when second-year QB Ben Roethlisberger (pictured above) missed time due to injury. But they won their last four games to close out the regular season and then went on the road to beat division-rival Cincinnati in the Wild Card round and the Colts at the Divisional level, thus eliminating the third and first seeds, respectively, in the AFC postseason. While 33-year-old RB Jerome Bettis was fading in his last year, RB Willie Parker ran for 1202 yards. Reliable WR Hines Ward caught 69 passes for 975 yards and 11 TDs. C Jeff Hartings and G Alan Faneca were Pro Bowlers on the offensive line, and NT Casey Hampton, LB Joey Porter, and SS Troy Polamalu were feature players on the tough defense.

The Broncos had the game’s first possession and punted. Pittsburgh put together a long, 12-play drive that included a Roethlisberger pass to WR Antwaan Randle-El for 20 yards, a pass to Ward on a third-and-three play that was nearly intercepted by Bailey but picked up seven yards instead, and a successful challenge of what was initially ruled a fumble by Parker to keep the drive going. After all that, Jeff Reed kicked a 47-yard field goal to give the Steelers the early 3-0 lead.

On the third play of Denver’s next possession, Plummer fumbled when sacked by Porter and Hampton recovered for Pittsburgh at the Broncos’ 39 yard line. On the first play of the second quarter, Roethlisberger threw to WR Cedrick Wilson in the back of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown.

Reed kicked out of bounds on the ensuing kickoff to give the Broncos the ball on their own 40 and they moved 55 yards in 12 plays that resulted in a 23-yard field goal by Jason Elam to cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 10-3.

However, the Steelers again put together a long drive of 80 yards in 14 plays, converting three third downs along the way. Bettis finished it with a three-yard touchdown run with two minutes remaining in the half. Plummer was immediately intercepted on their next play from scrimmage by CB Ike Taylor to give Pittsburgh another possession at the Denver 38. The Steelers made the most of it with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Ward and had a formidable 24-3 lead at halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, the Broncos put together a scoring drive of 80 yards in five plays, featuring a Plummer pass to Smith for 32 yards. Plummer completed a 30-yard touchdown throw to WR Ashley Lelie and the Pittsburgh lead was cut to 24-10.

The Steelers drove to a 42-yard Reed field goal early in the fourth quarter, and once again Plummer was intercepted on Denver’s next play following a 47-yard kickoff return by WR Charlie Adams. Pittsburgh went three-and-out and this time the Broncos drove 80 yards, with Plummer completing a pass to Lelie for 38 of that total, and RB Mike Anderson ran for a three-yard touchdown. Denver was down by ten at 27-17 with under eight minutes to play.

Pittsburgh again went three-and-out, but the Broncos couldn’t move when they got the ball back and on a fourth-and-ten play, Plummer fumbled when sacked and DE Travis Kirschke recovered for the Steelers at the Denver 17. Five plays later, Roethlisberger ran the ball in himself for a four yard touchdown that provided the final score of 34-17.

The statistics seemed closer than the score as the Steelers led in total yardage (358 yards to 308) and first downs (20 to 16). However, while Pittsburgh didn’t turn the ball over, the Broncos did four times, and all directly attributable to Plummer, who fumbled twice and was intercepted twice - three of those turnovers directly led to scores by the Steelers.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 29 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and of course wasn’t intercepted. Cedrick Wilson caught 5 passes for 92 yards and a TD and Hines Ward also had 5 receptions, for 59 yards and a score. Jerome Bettis gained 39 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown and Willie Parker contributed 35 yards on 14 attempts.


For Denver, Jake Plummer (pictured at left), beyond the turnovers, was successful on 18 of 30 passes for 223 yards and a TD against the two interceptions; he also ran for 30 yards on 7 attempts. Rod Smith and TE Jeb Putzier caught 4 passes apiece, for 61 and 55 yards respectively, while Ashley Lelie gained 68 yards on his two receptions. Mike Anderson was the team’s leading rusher, gaining 36 yards on 9 carries that included a TD, and Tatum Bell added 31 yards on five attempts.

“We did not complete the mission and it's frustrating,” said Denver LB Ian Gold. “But anytime you make it to the AFC championship game and you lose, you hope to lose to a team like that.”

In beating the Broncos in Denver, the Steelers became the first team to win three playoff games on the road since the New England Patriots in 1985, and defeated each of the top three seeded clubs in the conference in doing so.

“If you look at our ownership, Mr. (Dan) Rooney is a football guy and he understands how hard it is to do this,” Bill Cowher said. “Nothing would be more satisfying to me than to hand him the Vince Lombardi trophy in two weeks.”

Coach Cowher got his wish as the Steelers went on to beat Seattle in the Super Bowl, which also gave them a fifth Super Bowl victory (still well short of Green Bay’s record of 12 NFL championships, going back to 1920).

For Jake Plummer, the turnover-filled loss in the AFC title game was the beginning of the end for both his tenure in Denver and career. He was benched in favor of rookie Jay Cutler during the 2006 season and was dealt to Tampa Bay, choosing to retire instead. While he could be an exciting performer, his erratic tendencies ultimately curtailed his effectiveness.

1975: Steelers Beat Vikings in Super Bowl IX for First Title

From the time they joined the NFL in 1933 through the 1973 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers had not won a championship or even played in a title game. They had been in the postseason on three occasions in 39 years, and two of those were in 1972 and ’73. But in 1974, the Steelers went 10-3-1 to top the AFC Central, triumphed easily in the Divisional playoff round over Buffalo, and then defeated the Raiders in the AFC Championship game to advance to Super Bowl IX at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans on January 12, 1975.

The heart of the Steelers, coached by Chuck Noll, was the strong defense. The “Steel Curtain” line of ends L.C. Greenwood and Dwight White and tackles Joe Greene and Ernie Holmes was outstanding. Outside linebackers Andy Russell and Jack Ham were joined by rookie MLB Jack Lambert, and the backfield led by FS Glen Edwards was talented as well. The ground-oriented offense featured FB Franco Harris (pictured above), who was paired with HB Rocky Bleier. Fifth-year QB Terry Bradshaw was still a work in progress, lost the starting job at the beginning of the season to Joe Gilliam, but regained it halfway through the schedule and showed improvement.

Facing Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl were the Minnesota Vikings, coached by Bud Grant. They had been participants the previous year, losing to the Miami Dolphins, and finished the ’74 season with a 10-4 record to again top the NFC Central. From there, the Vikings had soundly beaten the Cardinals in the Divisional playoff game and then just got past the Rams for the conference title. 34-year-old QB Fran Tarkenton was the key to the offense that also included Pro Bowl WR John Gilliam and multitalented FB Chuck Foreman, who ran for 777 yards and caught 53 passes for 586 more. The veteran defense was sound and featured DE Carl Eller, DT Alan Page, and FS Paul Krause.

There were 80,997 fans in attendance on a chilly and windy day in New Orleans, and they saw a game that featured defense and ball control – especially by the Steelers. The Pittsburgh defense kept the Vikings in poor field position, particularly in the first half. However, the Steelers offense controlled the ball well but couldn’t score points. A possession midway through the first quarter resulted in a missed 37-yard field goal attempt by Roy Gerela, and the next time the Steelers had the ball they put together an eight-play drive to the Minnesota 16 that came up empty when, on another field goal attempt, holder Bobby Walden fumbled a bad snap and had to fall on the ball.

The Vikings got a break in the second quarter when Bleier fumbled the ball away at the Pittsburgh 24 yard line. But they went nowhere in three plays and Fred Cox was wide to the right on a 39-yard field goal attempt.

Late in the second quarter, a pitchout to HB Dave Osborn was fumbled and rolled into the end zone. Tarkenton recovered and was pounced upon by the Pittsburgh defense for a safety (pictured below) - the first in Super Bowl history, and the first points of the game.


After a short possession by the Steelers, the Vikings responded with a good drive, but a pass from Tarkenton intended for Gilliam was batted away from the receiver by Edwards and intercepted by CB Mel Blount. The score remained 2-0 in favor of Pittsburgh at the half.

The first touchdown for the Steelers came four plays after FB Bill Brown fumbled the squibbed second half kickoff, which was recovered by LB Marv Kellum at the Minnesota 30. Bleier was stopped for no gain, but then Harris ran for 24 yards. After being thrown for a loss on his next carry, Harris ran nine yards around end for a touchdown.

On the ensuing series, the Vikings picked up nine yards, six on a pass to Foreman, and faced a fourth-and-one situation at their own 37. The offense stayed on the field and Tarkenton went into a long count to try and draw the defense offside. There were indeed flags thrown, but both teams were ruled offside, resulting in offsetting penalties; Bud Grant elected to take no further chances and punted.

On the next series, Tarkenton threw a pass that was batted back to him. Startled, he then tossed to Gilliam for what would have been a 41-yard gain, but drew a penalty for an illegal second forward pass on the play. While Tarkenton later connected with TE Stu Voigt for 28 yards, the drive ended at midfield when another batted pass was intercepted by Greene. The tally remained 9-0 after three periods.

Early in the fourth quarter, after Krause recovered a fumble by Pittsburgh’s Harris near midfield, an interference call on SS Mike Wagner gave the Vikings a first down and goal at the Pittsburgh five. However, on the next play Foreman fumbled and Greene recovered for the Steelers.

The Steelers were unable to get a first down and had to punt from their own end zone. The resulting kick by Walden was blocked by LB Matt Blair and recovered by DB Terry Brown for a Vikings touchdown, although Cox missed the extra point when it struck the left upright. Still, Pittsburgh’s lead was narrowed to 9-6.

With ten minutes to play, the Steelers launched a 12-play, 66-yard drive that resulted in a four-yard TD pass from Bradshaw to TE Larry Brown. The key play along the way was a pass to Brown for 30 yards to the Pittsburgh 42 in which it appeared that the receiver fumbled the ball away to the Vikings when hit, but the officials ruled that he was down before losing the ball.

Tarkenton was immediately intercepted by Wagner, and the Steelers were able to run the clock down to 37 seconds before Minnesota’s offense got the ball back, by which time it was too late. The Steelers had won their first championship by a score of 16-6.

Pittsburgh dominated the Vikings statistically, outgaining them by 333 yards to 119. In particular, the Steelers gained 249 yards on the ground to a mere 17, on 21 carries, for Minnesota.

While Pittsburgh’s front four didn’t sack Tarkenton, they harassed him all game, forcing him to throw on the run and blocking four passes as well as intercepting three. Dwight White played despite being down with viral pneumonia during the week preceding the game.

Franco Harris was the game’s MVP, keying Pittsburgh’s strong running game with 158 yards on 34 carries with one TD. Rocky Bleier added another 65 yards on 17 attempts, and even Terry Bradshaw outrushed the Vikings with 33 yards on five runs. Bradshaw (pictured below) didn’t throw often but was effective when he did, completing 9 of 14 passes for 96 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Larry Brown caught three passes for 49 yards and a TD and WR John Stallworth also caught three, gaining 24 yards.


For Minnesota, Fran Tarkenton was successful on only 11 of 26 passes for 102 yards with three picked off. Chuck Foreman caught 5 passes for 50 yards and led the club’s anemic running game with 18 yards on 12 attempts. Only one completion was made to a wide receiver, and that was to John Gilliam for 16 yards.

It was an especially sweet win for the long-time owner of the Steelers, Art Rooney, on the cusp of his 74th birthday. “I'm grateful to the players, to Chuck Noll and all the coaches, and to our entire organization,” said an emotional Rooney afterward. “It is great for me and for Pittsburgh. Our players are a great bunch of fellows. I'm not surprised they won.”

“I'm really proud of this football team,” said Chuck Noll. “We came in with the idea of getting the job done and let nothing stand in our way. It's especially fitting that in a championship game our defense shut out the champions of the National Football Conference. 1 can't think of anything more fitting.”

“It wasn't a very good football game,” summed up Bud Grant from the Minnesota perspective. “There were enough chances for both teams to win a number of times with all the penalties, interceptions and official fumbles.”

“We lost to a better team,” admitted Tarkenton. “We had our chances. Pittsburgh has a super defensive team. They controlled the game. We're not frustrated or dejected. We came to win and we couldn't do it.”

The Steelers went on to repeat as NFL champions in 1975, and won twice more before the decade was over. Minnesota continued to dominate the NFC Central, returning to the Super Bowl following the ’76 season but losing once again.

1994: Montana Leads Chiefs to Win Over Steelers in Overtime

From 1990 to ’92, the Kansas City Chiefs had made it to the postseason, only to win one playoff game over the course of the three years. For the 1993 season, Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer’s team had obtained QB Joe Montana (pictured at right) in a trade from the 49ers – the 37-year-old all-time great was injury-prone and past his prime, but still a masterful performer. Another veteran addition, RB Marcus Allen, also paid dividends. Both Montana and Allen had Pro Bowl seasons. So did DE Neil Smith, who led the NFL with 15 sacks, and LB Derrick Thomas. The team went 11-5 in 1993 to win the AFC West.

The Chiefs hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card playoff game on January 8, 1994 at Arrowhead Stadium. Pittsburgh had been in the postseason in the first two years under Head Coach Bill Cowher, but had struggled at times in ’93, going 9-7 to finish second in the AFC Central and claim a wild card spot. RB Barry Foster, who had run for 1690 yards in ’92, went down with an injury that cost him half the season and hindered the offense. With QB Neil O’Donnell, they ran a ball-control offense and leaned on an outstanding defense that included LB Greg Lloyd and CB Rod Woodson.

There were 74,515 in attendance on a cold day with temperatures in the teens. The Steelers struck first, following a Kansas City punt on the game’s opening possession. Pittsburgh drove 66 yards in nine plays, highlighted by an O’Donnell pass to RB Merrill Hoge that covered 32 yards. O’Donnell connected with TE Adrian Cooper for a 10-yard touchdown and early 7-0 lead.

Later in the period, after the teams traded punts, the Chiefs put together a seven-play, 75-yard drive in which Montana was briefly knocked out of the game with a rib injury. Veteran backup QB Dave Krieg threw just one pass, but it was complete to WR J.J. Birden for a 23-yard touchdown. The score was 7-7 after one quarter.

Pittsburgh responded with a long, 15-play drive that led to a 30-yard field goal by Gary Anderson. Following a Kansas City punt, the Steelers advanced to the Chiefs’ 35 at the two-minute warning, but O’Donnell threw an incompletion on a fourth-and-seven play. Montana completed three passes and Kansas City made it to the Pittsburgh 42, but on fourth-and-one DE Gerald Williams sacked the veteran quarterback for a seven-yard loss and the Steelers got the ball back at their 49 with just under a minute remaining in the half. They made the most of it, as O’Donnell completed a 26-yard TD pass to WR Ernie Mills. Pittsburgh took a 17-7 lead into halftime.

The teams continued to trade punts in the third quarter until Kansas City went on a 49-yard drive that culminated in a 23-yard Nick Lowery field goal. Now behind by seven entering the fourth quarter, the Chiefs put together another scoring drive. Montana hit on passes of 22 yards to WR Willie Davis and 19 yards to Birden and Allen ran two yards for a touchdown. With Lowery’s extra point, the score was tied at 17-17.


The Steelers came right back, however, as O’Donnell got Pittsburgh into Kansas City territory with a 26-yard pass to WR Dwight Stone, and seven plays later he tossed a 22-yard scoring pass to TE Eric Green. The Chiefs went three-and-out in their subsequent possession, but Pittsburgh couldn’t move the ball. In a pivotal play, Kansas City TE Keith Cash blocked Mark Royals’ punt, which WR Fred Jones returned 31 yards to the Steelers’ nine yard line. Montana threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to WR Tim Barnett on a fourth-down play and the score was again tied at 24-24 with 1:43 left on the clock.

The Chiefs got another opportunity to win the game in regulation when the Steelers went three-and-out, using up just 29 seconds on three pass plays (one a completion). Following a 50-yard punt by Royals, Montana drove the offense from the Kansas City 28 to the Pittsburgh 25, but Lowery’s 43-yard field goal attempt was wide to the right and the game went into overtime.

The Chiefs had the first possession in the sudden death period but had to punt, and the Steelers were able to advance to midfield before having to do likewise. Three passes got Kansas City to midfield, and then Montana completed an 18-yard throw to Cash to the Pittsburgh 32. Six plays later, at just over 11 minutes into overtime, Lowery kicked a 32-yard field goal to give the Chiefs the 27-24 win.

Kansas City outgained the Steelers (401 yards to 369) and had the edge in first downs (28 to 21). Neither team suffered a turnover and each was penalized five times. Pittsburgh had a four-to-three advantage in sacks.


Joe Montana completed 28 of 43 passes for 276 yards with a touchdown; Dave Krieg’s one pass produced the 23-yard TD. Keith Cash caught 7 passes for 56 yards while J.J. Birden gained 72 yards on 6 receptions that included a touchdown. Marcus Allen (pictured at right) led the Kansas City running attack with 67 yards on 21 carries, scoring once, and also caught four passes for 29 yards.

For the Steelers, Neil O’Donnell went to the air 42 times with 23 completions for 286 yards and three TDs. WR Jeff Graham caught 7 passes for 96 yards to lead the club. RB Leroy Thompson gained 60 yards on 25 attempts.

“Part of the fun of the game is having to deal with pressure,” said Montana afterward, as one who, in the twilight of his career, had once again delivered a clutch performance in the postseason.

Montana and the Chiefs continued their heroics the next week, defeating Houston in the Divisional playoff, but came up short in the AFC Championship game at Buffalo.

1963: Lions Beat Steelers in Playoff Bowl as Layne Plays for Last Time

The Detroit Lions were appearing in the Playoff Bowl for the third straight year on January 6, 1963. While it was a meaningless postseason exhibition game, it still attested to the fact that they had placed second in the NFL’s Western Conference from 1960-62. Detroit did so again in ’62 with an 11-3 record, third best in the NFL.

Representing the Eastern Conference were the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had gone 9-5 in their sixth season under Head Coach Buddy Parker – the same coach who had led the Lions to back-to-back NFL titles in 1952 and ’53. The Steelers had won six of their last seven games and were largely a veteran club. QB Bobby Layne was nearing the end of his Hall of Fame career, and it was 34-year-old Ed Brown, formerly of the Bears, who would be starting against the Lions. Ninth-year FB John Henry Johnson had the finest season of his distinguished career, rushing for 1141 yards. Split end Buddy Dial was a potent deep threat, while TE Preston Carpenter was chosen for the Pro Bowl. Savvy veterans, center Buzz Nutter and DT Gene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb, were also picked for the Pro Bowl, and other key contributors over 30 were DT/DE Ernie Stautner and LB George Tarasovic. Lou Michaels, a placekicker as well as defensive end, set a new NFL record with 26 field goals.

Detroit had demolished the Steelers during the regular season by a 45-7 margin, but that was at the beginning of the year and before they began to reel off wins. Coached by Parker’s successor, George Wilson, the Lions were renowned for their defense that included tackles Roger Brown and Alex Karras, MLB Joe Schmidt, and the league’s best secondary with cornerbacks Dick “Night Train” Lane and Dick LeBeau and safeties Yale Lary and Gary Lowe. The offense continued to be a problem, and the acquisition of QB Milt Plum (pictured above) from Cleveland during the previous offseason, although an improvement, did not fully resolve the issue.

There were 36,284 fans for the nationally-telecast game at Miami’s Orange Bowl, the game’s best attendance to date (and exceeding the 35,000 threshold that NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle stated was necessary for Miami to continue hosting the event). The Steelers were also debuting a new (and now familiar) black helmet design, having worn gold helmets previously.

The Detroit offense looked good in the first quarter, twice driving into field goal range. The first possession included passes by Plum of 20 yards to split end Gail Cogdill and 14 to flanker Pat Studstill. However, Wayne Walker missed a 29-yard field goal attempt. The second drive began just before the end of the scoreless opening period as FB Ken Webb ran for 32 yards (the longest carry of the day) to just past midfield. Plum passed the team down to the 18, and this time Walker was successful on a field goal attempt from 27 yards.

The Steelers couldn’t get beyond their 40 yard line until midway through the second quarter when they put together an 11-play drive for a touchdown. A pass interference call on a third-and-16 play got the drive moving, and a 19-yard pass from Ed Brown to Carpenter gained 19 yards, followed by a 26-yard throw to Dial for another 26 down to the Detroit 19. HB Dick Hoak scored on a six-yard run and the Steelers led by 7-3.

The Lions again drove into Pittsburgh territory, but LB Tom Bettis intercepted a pass by Plum at the goal line. However, Detroit LB Carl Brettschneider returned the favor by intercepting a Brown pass and returning it 32 yards to the Pittsburgh 34; the Lions capitalized with a 20-yard TD pass from Plum to Webb in the last minute of the half. It was 10-7 in favor of Detroit at the intermission.

In the third quarter, Pittsburgh’s Michaels tied the score at 10-10 with a 40-yard field goal. Following an interception of Plum by safety Clendon Thomas, Michaels tried another field goal but missed from 38 yards.

The Lions came back as Plum connected with HB Dan Lewis on a 74-yard pass play to the Pittsburgh five. Webb scored his second TD shortly thereafter on a two-yard run, and Detroit was ahead to stay.

In the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh DB Glenn Glass intercepted a pass and returned it 28 yards to the Detroit 35. However, blitzes by the Lions defense resulted in sacks that pushed the ball back to the 47 and the Steelers came up empty.

Brown was replaced at quarterback for Pittsburgh midway through the fourth quarter by Layne, appearing in the last game of his illustrious career, and ironically against the team that he had quarterbacked so successfully from 1950 through the second game of the ’58 season. Having just turned 36, the old pro might have been broken down physically, but still had competitive fire and provided some excitement as he sought to bring the Steelers from behind. He completed three passes to get Pittsburgh to the Detroit 21 yard line. However, two long throws by Layne fell incomplete as the Lions defense held. A field goal attempt by Michaels was blocked.

Detroit tried to extend its lead on the following possession, but a 32-yard field goal attempt by Walker was partially blocked and fell short, setting the stage for one last try by Layne and the Steelers. A final drive to midfield ended when Layne was intercepted by Yale Lary, essentially finishing the contest. Detroit won by a score of 17-10.

For an exhibition game, there was plenty of hard hitting and several players went down with injuries. John Henry Johnson suffered an apparent concussion, and Pittsburgh DB Willie Daniel broke his jaw while OT Dan James injured his leg. Detroit’s Ken Webb was knocked out when hit by Lipscomb.

The Lions won, despite giving up three interceptions and missing two of three field goal attempts. However, they registered six sacks in all and intercepted two passes while also blocking a field goal attempt.


Milt Plum was selected as the game’s MVP as he completed 16 of 29 throws for 274 yards and a TD (the yardage total ended up being the highest in the 10-game history of the Playoff Bowl). Dan Lewis (pictured at left) had 115 receiving yards while Ken Webb gained 47 yards on the ground to lead the club.

For Pittsburgh, Ed Brown completed 5 of 12 passes for 82 yards while Bobby Layne (pictured below) was good on 4 of 8 throws for 69 yards. Dick Hoak was the leading rusher with 64 yards.

Bobby Layne’s next stop was the Pro Football Hall of Fame five years later. Tragically, “Big Daddy” Lipscomb, who appeared in the Pro Bowl the following week, died from a drug overdose in May.

With the win over the Steelers, the Lions were victors in all three of their Playoff Bowl games. They would not appear in the contest again (the last was played following the 1969 season), but the three wins were the most by any team.

1960: John David Crow Reaches Thousand Yards with 203 in Season Finale

The move from Chicago to St. Louis following the 1959 NFL season seemed to reinvigorate the Cardinals franchise. Not only did they have an enthusiastic new fan base, but the quality of play improved as well. Coming into the season finale on December 18, 1960 against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals were 5-5-1 and had a chance to post their first winning record since 1956.

While second-year split end Sonny Randle was having a breakout season, St. Louis was at its best running the ball (they led the league in that category). Head Coach Frank “Pop” Ivy favored a ground game that featured multiple sets and his best and most versatile runner was HB John David Crow.

Crow, in his third year, had come out of Texas A & M, where he was coached by the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant and won the Heisman Trophy in 1957 (Bryant’s only Heisman winner). At 6’2”, 215 pounds, he was versatile as a runner with speed and power, as a receiver out of the backfield, and as a passer on option plays. He had been selected to the Pro Bowl in ’59 after gaining 666 yards rushing, plus another 328 on 28 catches, and was better in 1960 - going into the game against the Steelers he needed 57 yards to break Ollie Matson’s single-season team rushing record of 924 yards, set in that last winning season of 1956.

There were 20,840 fans present on a cold but sunny day. The Steelers, coached by Buddy Parker, were also 5-5-1 but, unlike the situation with the Cardinals, Pittsburgh appeared to be moving in the wrong direction. In 1958, Parker’s second season, in which Bobby Layne was obtained from the Lions early in the year to take over the quarterback duties, the club went 7-4-1. In ’59 they had been 6-5-1. But Layne was one of several players suffering through an injury-plagued campaign. After a 2-5-1 start, the Steelers had won their last three games.

The game started slowly, with neither team able to generate much offense due to fumbles and penalties. The battered Layne sat out the first 22 minutes as the strong-armed Rudy Bukich started (and eventually finished) at quarterback for the Steelers.

St. Louis finally scored in the last minute of the first half after recovering a fumble at the Pittsburgh 15. FB Frank Mestnik ran for a one-yard touchdown. However, Pittsburgh came right back to tie the score with just three seconds left in the second quarter on a 49-yard pass play from Layne to flanker Jimmy Orr.

On the first possession of the third quarter, Cardinals QB John Roach threw to Randle for a 57-yard gain to the Pittsburgh 20 that set up a 16-yard field goal by Gerry Perry. However, before the period was over, Roach threw two touchdown passes to Randle, of 14 and 8 yards, to effectively put the game out of reach.

Crow passed Matson’s franchise rushing record with a 57-yard run in the fourth quarter, part of a 98-yard drive by the Cardinals following a pass interception deep in their own territory. Roach scored from a yard out to make it 31-7.

A fumble recovery set up a last, late touchdown by St. Louis as Randle caught a 33-yard pass from Roach for his third score of the day that provided the final score of 38-7.

The season-ending win, of course, allowed St. Louis to finish over .500 with a 6-5-1 record that placed fourth in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh’s 5-6-1 tally ranked fifth.

The Cardinals gained 379 total yards to 180 for Pittsburgh, and also had a significant edge in first downs, 21 to 9. The Steelers ran the ball poorly, gaining just 30 net yards and one first down on 22 carries. They also turned the ball over four times, to just one suffered by St. Louis.

The Cardinals gained 271 yards rushing, with John David Crow not only setting a new single-season franchise record with 1071, but establishing a single-game mark with 203 yards on 24 attempts. He also caught two passes for 30 yards and completed an option pass for nine more.

Sonny Randle also had a big day, catching 5 passes for 115 yards and three touchdowns. John Roach completed 7 of 21 passes for 145 yards with three of them good for TDs and none intercepted.

Bobby Layne, who came on for Bukich but was injured in the fourth quarter, completed 4 of 8 passes for 92 yards and the lone TD; Rudy Bukich was successful on 6 of 12 passes for 81 yards and gave up two interceptions. Jimmy Orr led the receivers with 4 catches for 78 yards and a touchdown. HB Tom Tracy led the anemic running game with 33 yards on 13 carries.

“The boys really gave me some wonderful blocking - all of 'em,” Crow said afterward. “You have to have it for 203 yards in this league.”

Coach Ivy said Crow “can go inside or outside with as much power and speed combined as any back I've ever seen. What's more, he can receive passes well and throw that running halfback pass well.”


Sonny Randle (pictured at left) also set Cardinals club records with 62 catches and 15 touchdowns for the year. John Roach’s three TD passes gave him a total of 17, tying the franchise’s single-season high. But it was the big halfback who drew most of the attention.

For the year, in addition to the 1071 yards on 183 carries with six touchdowns, Crow also was the team’s second-leading pass receiver with 25 receptions for 462 yards and another three scores. He threw the ball often, completing 9 of 18 passes for 247 yards with two TDs against one interception. However, while Crow led the NFL with his 5.9 yards-per-carry and 1533 yards from scrimmage, he also led the league with 11 fumbles.

In summing up his regard for Crow, Frank Ivy said, “I believe he is at least the equal of Jimmy Brown (Cleveland's great runner who again led the NFL in rushing), although Brown has the advantage of a little better offensive line.”

At the time, the comparison to Jim Brown was not as outrageous as it would seem in retrospect. Unfortunately, after the outstanding effort in 1960 injuries, starting with a broken leg during the 1961 preseason, cut significantly into Crow’s playing time. He ran the ball only 48 times in ’61 and had nine attempts in 1963.

While there were other productive seasons, Crow was not able to consistently maintain the high level of performance that had made him one of pro football’s premier backs in 1960. His fumbling also became more of an issue, particularly in 1962 when he scored a career-high 17 touchdowns but again led the NFL in fumbles with 14.

The rushing numbers added up to 4963 yards on 1157 carries (4.3 avg.) with 38 touchdowns and the pass receiving totals were 258 catches for 3699 yards and another 35 TDs. Overall he scored 74 touchdowns, including one on a fumble recovery, certainly a respectable number considering the time lost to injuries.

Crow’s versatility was apparent to the end – dealt to the 49ers in 1965, where he continued to play halfback, he was switched to tight end in his final season of 1968, catching 31 passes for 531 yards and five touchdowns. He also threw an amazing 70 option passes over the course of his career, completing 33 for 759 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions.

Crow was selected to four Pro Bowls – with the Cardinals in 1959, ’60, and ’62 and the 49ers in 1965.

1965: Eagles Intercept 9 Passes in Rout of Steelers

The December 12, 1965 game at Pitt Stadium was hardly a battle of powerhouse teams. The Steelers were 2-10 and had lost five straight games, although one of their wins had been at Philadelphia, which was only slightly better at 4-8. But on a day of significant achievements that included Bears HB Gale Sayers running for six touchdowns and Green Bay HB Paul Hornung scoring five TDs in a key win over the Colts, the Eagles defense managed to do its part to grab a place in the record book.

The Eagles, under second-year Head Coach Joe Kuharich, were more noted for their offense, which included fleet all-purpose HB Timmy Brown, TE Pete Retzlaff, and a line anchored by ex-Packer C Jim Ringo and second-year OT Bob Brown. QB Norm Snead, in his second year following a controversial trade that brought him to Philadelphia from Washington for QB Sonny Jurgensen, continued to show promise but could me maddeningly inconsistent. The defensive line, on the other hand, was mediocre and the Eagles tended to blitz heavily, making them prone to aerial assaults.

Pittsburgh was coached by Mike Nixon, who had been forced to take over when Buddy Parker quit the team two weeks prior to the opening game (similar to his abrupt departure from the Detroit Lions eight years before). Things didn’t get better when the 12th-year veteran FB John Henry Johnson was lost for the season in the first game. Promising third-year QB Bill Nelsen was inserted into the starting lineup, but was inexperienced and had a bad knee that hindered his mobility.

There were 22,002 fans at Pitt Stadium, the smallest turnout of the year for the final home game. It didn’t take long for the Eagles to take advantage of a Steeler turnover when SS Nate Ramsey (pictured above) grabbed a fumble by HB Dick Hoak. Philadelphia drove 54 yards to a two-yard touchdown by FB Earl Gros.

Ramsey struck again, intercepting a Nelsen pass, and once more the Eagles capitalized. This time they drove 58 yards with Snead passing to Retzlaff for a 13-yard touchdown. While the extra point attempt by Sam Baker was missed, Philadelphia was up by 13-0 (two of the seven PAT attempts failed).

Ramsey went down with an injury, but his replacement, rookie Jim Nettles, made the next big defensive play as he also intercepted a pass by Nelsen and returned it 28 yards to the Pittsburgh eight yard line. Two plays later, HB Ollie Matson, in for the injured Timmy Brown, ran eight yards for another Eagles TD.


Coach Nixon replaced the shell-shocked Nelsen with Tommy Wade, but the move didn’t slow down the pickoff parade. Of Wade’s first four passes, two were intercepted, the first by Pro Bowl LB Maxie Baughan (pictured at left), who ran 33 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles had a 27-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, thanks to the fumble recovery and three interceptions.

The second quarter proceeded much as the first as Nettles intercepted his second pass of the day and returned it 56 yards for yet another Eagles touchdown. However, the Steelers finally got on the board when Wade connected with flanker Gary Ballman for a 20-yard TD. They even scored on an interception return of their own as CB Marv Woodson picked off a Snead pass in the closing seconds of the first half and ran 61 yards for a touchdown. But they were still down by 34-13 at the intermission (the second PAT attempt was no good).

In the third quarter, DE George Tarasovic, a 35-year-old ex-Steeler, scored on a 40-yard interception return. It was the fourth pickoff of the game to be brought back for a TD (three by the Eagles, one by Pittsburgh), thus setting a NFL record for combined touchdowns on interception returns (tied by the Seahawks against the Chiefs in 1984).

There was one more record to add before the sloppy contest was concluded. In the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, CB Irv Cross intercepted a pass at his two yard line. It was the ninth by the Eagles, tying the record set by the Green Bay Packers against Detroit in 1943.

The Eagles drove 98 yards, highlighted by a 60-yard gain on a pass from Snead to FB Tom Woodeshick, to score their final TD on an eight-yard run by FB Israel “Izzy” Lang with two minutes left in the game. The final tally was 47-13.

The Steelers gave up 12 turnovers in all, with three lost fumbles in addition to the nine interceptions (Philadelphia turned the ball over twice, both on pickoffs). Intercepting passes for the Eagles were Jim Nettles, with three; FS Joe Scarpati, who had two; and Nate Ramsey, Maxie Baughan, George Tarasovic, and Irv Cross with one apiece. Nettles (pictured below right) also led by returning his for a total of 84 yards.


Offensively, Pittsburgh outgained the Eagles (324 yards to 302) and had more first downs (19 to 17), but of course the Steelers dug themselves into a deep hole with the turnovers and were throwing often as they sought to catch up.

Philadelphia gained 191 yards on the ground, with the 13th-year veteran Ollie Matson leading the way, gaining 80 yards on 11 carries with a TD. Norm Snead completed just 7 of 21 passes for 118 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Pete Retzlaff caught 5 passes for 52 yards and the touchdown, and in the process broke existing single-season franchise records for pass receptions and receiving yards (he ended up with 66 catches for 1190 yards).

The two Pittsburgh quarterbacks combined for 305 passing yards, although the club ran for only 58 yards on 25 attempts. Bill Nelsen was successful on two of five passes for 27 yards and the first two interceptions. Tommy Wade completed 22 of 38 throws for 278 yards with one TD but 7 interceptions (a team record). Lost in the deluge was Gary Ballman’s 9 catches for 163 yards and a touchdown. HB Jim “Cannonball” Butler was the team’s top runner with 26 yards on 10 carries.

The Eagles lost their finale to finish at 5-9 and tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference with the Cardinals. Pittsburgh also lost the following week to conclude its worst year since 1944 with a 2-12 record to finish at the bottom of the conference.

A Philadelphia sportswriter described Bill Nelsen and Tommy Wade after the game as “seated despondently next to each other like two old ladies whose purses had just been snatched.” Things would get better for Nelsen, especially after he was traded to Cleveland in 1968, and he had a solid ten-year NFL career. Wade, however, was finished after the ’65 season. For his two-season career, he threw 13 interceptions and fumbled six times while tossing two touchdown passes.

Nate Ramsey ended up leading the Eagles with six interceptions in 1965. The three for backup Jim Nettles were his only pickoffs of the year. An undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin, Nettles ended up playing eight years in the NFL – like Nelsen, his best years came after he was traded away which, in his case, was to the Rams in 1969.

1983: Bradshaw Spurs Steelers to Playoff-Clinching Win in Last Appearance

The Pittsburgh Steelers had gotten off to a 9-2 start in 1983 and appeared to be cruising toward the playoffs. But after winning seven straight games through Week 11, they lost the next three contests. Not only did their record drop to 9-5, but the Steelers were in danger of missing the postseason altogether. Their lead in the AFC Central was down to a game over the Cleveland Browns, and they needed a win to assure a playoff spot.

To start at quarterback against the New York Jets at Shea Stadium on December 10 was Terry Bradshaw, who had led the Steelers to four championships in the 1970s. It would be the 35-year-old veteran’s first start of the season. He had undergone surgery on his right (throwing) elbow in March, which had been considered successful, but aggravated the injury in May and re-injured the elbow in training camp. Placed on injured reserve to start the season, he had been activated the week before, but had not played.

Backup Cliff Stoudt was the starting quarterback while Bradshaw was out, and while the team had been winning, it was primarily because of the running game and defense. The passing offense had not kept pace, and Head Coach Chuck Noll decided that, with the postseason on the line, it was time to turn to the most successful quarterback in the franchise’s history.

The Jets, under first-year Head Coach Joe Walton, were 7-7 and entertaining slim playoff hopes of their own. New York had been in the postseason the previous two years, advancing all the way to the AFC Championship game in ‘82. But Walt Michaels had resigned as head coach and Walton, the highly regarded offensive coordinator, was elevated to the top job. The result had been regression as the Jets played inconsistently.

As a side note, the game against the Steelers would be the last for the Jets at Shea Stadium, their home since 1964. They were moving to Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands for the ’84 season, a venue they would share with New York’s other NFL club.

There were 53,996 fans on hand, with 6314 no-shows on a partly sunny and cool day. The teams traded punts on their first possessions. But when Pittsburgh got the ball back after another punt by the Jets, Bradshaw completed a 24-yard pass to TE Bennie Cunningham, followed by a 22-yard run by RB Frank Pollard to the New York 28 yard line. The drive stalled, but on a third-and-ten play, Bradshaw sprinted to his right and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to WR Gregg Garrity, who was wide open in the middle of the end zone. The eight-play possession had covered 77 yards.

The Jets punted again, and again the Steelers moved down the field. After a three-yard run by RB Franco Harris, another aging veteran of the glory years in the ‘70s, Bradshaw threw a pass to Pollard for a 17-yard gain. Harris carried again on a sweep that picked up 18 yards. After two runs by Pollard, a pass interference penalty on New York made it first down on the Jets’ 14. Three plays later, and now into the second quarter, Bradshaw, being blitzed, fired a bullet to WR Calvin Sweeney who caught the ball at the five and ran into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown. The Steelers were ahead by 14-0.

That was the end for Bradshaw, however. He suffered a bruise to the injured elbow when throwing the pass to Sweeney and was through for the game (and ultimately for his career). He had been in for a total of 20 plays covering three series, but it was enough to give the Steelers momentum and a lead they would not relinquish.

Stoudt came in at quarterback and the Pittsburgh offense cooled off. However, Jets QB Richard Todd, who couldn’t get his team across midfield in the first half, was intercepted by safety Ron Johnson, and the return was to the New York nine. The result was a 29-yard Gary Anderson field goal. Following another punt by the Jets, the Steelers drove 42 yards in 10 plays and Anderson kicked another field goal, of 40 yards, just prior to the end of the half. The score at halftime was 20-0, and Pittsburgh was very much in command.

After being intercepted twice and sacked three times, Todd was relieved by backup QB Pat Ryan in the third quarter. Ryan’s first pass was intercepted by CB Mel Blount after bouncing off the hands of WR Wesley Walker, setting up a 13-yard touchdown pass from Stoudt to Cunningham.

New York’s best series of the game followed when Ryan moved the team 75 yards in three plays, with two of them passes to WR Johnny “Lam” Jones of 36 yards and 27 yards for a TD. But it was 27-7 after three quarters. Stoudt threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Sweeney just over four minutes into the fourth quarter, and that provided the final score of 34-7.

Fans tore up the Shea Stadium turf, as well as some of the temporary seating for football, leading to numerous injuries and arrests. It was an ugly end to both the season and the tenure at the stadium in Queens.

But the big story had been Terry Bradshaw, who launched the big win for the Steelers by completing 5 of 8 passes for 77 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

“He was a major factor,” said Coach Noll of Bradshaw. “It was a remarkable performance considering what he's gone through. We saw him work during the week and we felt he was ready and I think he showed it today.”

“When you have a guy like Terry coming back, you have to use him,” said Cliff Stoudt. “And I guess his performance shows why. He wasn't 100 percent but he showed a lot of courage. He was the leader out there and when he got us the two quick scores, that was the ballgame.”

Other noteworthy performances were turned in by Franco Harris, who rushed for 103 yards on 26 carries, and Frank Pollard, who added 78 yards on 15 attempts as the Steelers rolled up 242 yards on the ground. Johnny “Lam” Jones was one of the few bright spots for New York, catching 7 passes for 146 yards and the team’s lone TD.

Pittsburgh lost the following week, with Stoudt at quarterback, but won the AFC Central with a 10-6 record. They lost in the Divisional round of the playoffs to the Raiders. The Jets, officially eliminated by the loss to the Steelers, also fell again in the season finale to finish at 7-9, tied with the Colts at the bottom of the AFC East.

While Chuck Noll hoped his veteran quarterback would be ready for further action, it was not to be. No one knew at the time, but the appearance against the Jets was the last of Bradshaw’s distinguished career. The damage to his throwing arm was too much to overcome.


The end for Bradshaw came fittingly enough as part of a clutch performance. While he might not always have received the credit he was due for quarterbacking the team to four championships, especially considering the strong supporting cast on offense and the many stars on defense, Bradshaw was an outstanding athlete and leader who was a key to the club’s success. He was selected to the Pro Bowl on three occasions and was a consensus first-team All-Pro choice in 1978, a year in which he led the NFL with 28 touchdown passes and the Steelers won their third Super Bowl. And Bradshaw did receive the ultimate honor – he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

1979: Chargers Defense Keys Romp Over Champion Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers had won the Super Bowl following the 1978 season and looked to be well on their way to repeating as they took on the Chargers at San Diego Stadium on November 18, 1979. Under the guidance of Head Coach Chuck Noll, who had built the club into a winner with three championships since arriving ten years before, they were 9-2. Moreover, they had won their last four games, the previous two by a combined score of 68-10.

The Chargers had been far less successful during the past decade – after regularly contending in the 1960s in the AFL, they had not been in the postseason in 14 years. However, they were in their first full season under Head Coach Don Coryell and, featuring a high-powered passing offense, were 8-3. Eighth-year QB Dan Fouts was flourishing and had an outstanding group of receivers to throw to – most notably, wide receivers John Jefferson and Charlie Joiner. However, they also had an aggressive and solid defense, as the Steelers would find out.

There were 51,910 loud and enthusiastic fans in attendance as the defense set up San Diego’s first touchdown of the game. LB Ray Preston intercepted a pass by Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw that gave the Chargers possession at the Pittsburgh 37 yard line. Two plays later, Fouts completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jefferson. The score stood at 7-0 after one quarter.


In the second quarter, the Chargers put together a 72-yard drive with Fouts completing a six-yard TD pass to TE Bob Klein to cap it and extend the lead to 14-0. Later in the period, Preston picked off another Bradshaw pass and returned it 35 yards to the three yard line. RB Bo Matthews plunged into the end zone from two yards out and San Diego took a 21-0 lead into halftime.

As for the Steelers, Bradshaw had failed to complete a pass to a wide receiver in the first half. San Diego’s linebackers left the pass-rushing to the linemen and played back, thus forcing Bradshaw to throw short passes to his running backs. Standout wide receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth were both double-covered throughout the game.

Pittsburgh’s only score came at 6:30 in the third quarter on a two-yard carry by RB Rocky Bleier. But Chargers LB Woodrow Lowe (pictured at top) intercepted a deflected Bradshaw pass later in the period that he returned 77 yards for a touchdown and 28-7 score.

CB Mike Williams intercepted another pass by Bradshaw that set up the last San Diego touchdown in the fourth quarter. RB Hank Bauer, the team’s short-yardage specialist (he carried just 22 times for 28 yards all season, but scored eight touchdowns), plowed over from two yards out, and that provided the final tally of 35-7. It was the worst loss for the Steelers in nine years.

San Diego’s offense had a relatively ordinary day, but the defense was superb. The Chargers outgained the Steelers, 218 yards to 191, but the clubs were even in first downs with 14 apiece. Pittsburgh turned the ball over eight times, to four by San Diego, and Bradshaw was sacked four times. Every Charger received a game ball, and Woodrow Lowe and Ray Preston each got two.


Dan Fouts completed just 11 of 24 passes for 137 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. John Jefferson (pictured at right) was the leading receiver with 5 catches for 106 yards and a TD. The Chargers running attack was ordinary (at best) throughout the year and RB Mike Thomas was the leading rusher in this game with 53 yards on 13 carries (the team ended up ranking 27th in the league in rushing).

Terry Bradshaw, who was relieved by backup QB Mike Kruczek in the fourth quarter, was successful on 18 of 36 pass attempts for 153 yards with no TDs and five interceptions (two each by Preston and Lowe). RB Franco Harris, who led the club with just 44 yards on 20 attempts, was also the leading receiver with 7 catches, for 50 yards. John Stallworth gained 55 yards on four receptions while Lynn Swann was held to two catches for 28 yards.

“We have to credit San Diego with beating us,” said Chuck Noll, a former Chargers assistant coach in the 1960s. “They had a lot to say about what went on. They made it happen. Bradshaw was 100 percent, but the only receivers that were open were linebackers.”

“I got real acquainted with the defense today,” Bradshaw added. “They played awesome. They put on the best rush I've ever seen all year, by far. We ran into a team ready to play a lot more than we were. We were bad, and when we're bad, we're really bad.”

San Diego lost just once more to finish the regular season on top of the AFC West with a 12-4 record. However, they were upset by the Houston Oilers in the Divisional playoff. The Steelers also ended up with a 12-4 tally but were far more successful in the postseason, beating the Rams to win a second straight Super Bowl (their fourth in six years).

While the Chargers were best known for their league-leading passing offense that ended up tied with New England for second in the NFL with 411 points scored (the Steelers were first with 416), they also surrendered the fewest points of any AFC club (246) and were second in the conference in passes intercepted (28).

Dan Fouts didn’t have a strong performance against Pittsburgh, but he went on to set a new passing yardage record with 4082. Terry Bradshaw wasn’t far behind with a career-high 3724 yards (the Hall of Fame quarterback also had another career-high figure by throwing 25 interceptions).

1958: Newly-Acquired Bobby Layne Leads Steelers to Win in First Game

On October 12, 1958 at Pitt Stadium, star quarterback Bobby Layne took the field with his new team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, after eight highly accomplished seasons in Detroit (he originally came into the NFL as a backup with the Bears and also spent a year with the short-lived New York Bulldogs). No one could say that the hard-driving, hard-drinking Texan threw picturesque passes, but Layne more than made up for it with his fiery leadership and ability in the clutch. Under the guidance of Head Coach Buddy Parker and with formidable offensive weapons at his disposal, he became the master of the two-minute drill and a feared deep passer. The Lions made it to three consecutive NFL Championship games from 1952-54, all against Paul Brown’s Cleveland Browns, and won the first two.

After a down year in 1955 (Layne suffered a shoulder injury in the off-season), the Lions just missed winning the Western Conference in ’56 when Layne was knocked out of the decisive encounter with the Chicago Bears by a late blind-side tackle by DE Ed Meadows. A veteran quarterback, Tobin Rote, was obtained from Green Bay for 1957 to add depth at the position, and then Coach Parker abruptly quit the team during the preseason. Under Parker’s successor, George Wilson, Layne and Rote split time, and when Layne suffered a broken leg late in the season, it was Rote leading the club the rest of the way to the NFL Championship.

With a quarterback controversy brewing and friction developing with Wilson, the 31-year-old Layne was dealt to the Steelers for third-year QB Earl Morrall and two draft picks following the second week of the 1958 season. In Pittsburgh, he was reunited with Buddy Parker. He was also with a club that had not posted a winning record in the past eight years (they went 6-6 under Parker in ’57).

The Steelers had lost their first two games with Morrall at quarterback and were badly embarrassed by the Browns in their last game prior to Layne’s joining the club. It was a different situation with Layne in the lineup for Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles, after three straight losing seasons, were in transition under a new coach, Buck Shaw, and a new veteran quarterback, Norm Van Brocklin, who had been obtained from the Rams.

Early in the first quarter, Philadelphia FB Clarence Peaks fumbled and DT Joe Lewis recovered for the Steelers. On the first play, HB Tom Tracy (a former teammate of Layne’s in Detroit) scored a touchdown with a 31-yard carry on a reverse. The Eagles responded with a 36-yard field goal by Bobby Walston that made the score 7-3.

The Steelers got another TD before the end of the period after DT Frank Varrichione recovered a fumbled punt by Eagles DB Rocky Ryan which gave them the ball on the Philadelphia 30 yard line - a penalty moved it up to the 15. Layne hit end Dick Lucas with a nine-yard pass to set up a one-yard scoring run by FB Tank Younger.

In the second quarter, Pittsburgh recovered yet another fumble in Eagles territory, again at the 30 yard line. Tracy ran in from the one after a drive that featured an 11-yard run by Layne and the Steelers took a 21-3 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, safety Gary Glick intercepted a Van Brocklin pass and returned it 23 yards to the Philadelphia 37. Layne and the Steelers kept the ball on the ground and Tom Miner kicked a 26-yard field goal to conclude the scoring. Pittsburgh won Layne’s debut by the decisive score of 24-3.

The opportunistic Steelers defense made the most of three Eagles fumbles and the interception. The Eagles gained just 59 yards on the ground, as opposed to 214 for the Steelers. Pittsburgh led in first downs, 19 to 16.

Bobby Layne completed 10 of 20 passes for 81 yards - two long passes were narrowly missed by Pittsburgh receivers. Norm Van Brocklin, playing from behind the entire game, completed 16 of 37 passes for 148 yards.

Said Layne afterward, “I never got the seat of my pants dirty when I went back to pass and that’s just one of the reasons I know the Pittsburgh Steelers are a good team.”

The Steelers lost their next two games, but then ran off five straight wins and ended up with a 7-4-1 record to place third in the Eastern Conference. The Eagles ended up tied at the bottom with the Cardinals at 2-9-1.

Bobby Layne led the NFL in yards per attempt (8.7) and yards per completion (17.6). His 2510 passing yards and low 3.7 interception percentage both ranked second. He tossed 14 touchdown passes and had 12 throws picked off. Rookie split end Jimmy Orr especially benefited from his presence, leading the league with a gaudy 27.6 yards-per-catch on 33 receptions for 910 yards with seven touchdowns.

Layne played another four seasons with the Steelers but, while still effective, he didn’t attain the level of success that he had in Detroit. A multi-talented player earlier in his career – he had been a good running quarterback (he led NFL quarterbacks in rushing three times) and placekicker – wear and tear were beginning to erode his skills. One of the last players to not wear a facemask, he also chose to take the field with minimal padding throughout his career (no hip or thigh pads and the thinnest possible shoulder pads). He retired as the NFL’s career leader in pass completions (1814), yards (26,768), and touchdowns (196).

1976: Steelers Win Last College All-Star Game

Beginning in 1934, the Chicago College All-Star game served as the preseason kickoff to each NFL season. Conceived by Arch Ward of The Chicago Tribune (who also developed major league baseball’s annual All-Star Game), it matched the previous season’s NFL champion against a squad composed of top college players, many of whom were about to enter the pro ranks (in 1935, the runner-up Chicago Bears represented the NFL; following the pre-merger seasons of 1968 and ’69, AFL champions that won the Super Bowl participated). The game was sponsored by The Tribune on behalf of Chicago Charities and played at Soldier Field, with the exception of two contests during World War II that were held at Northwestern University.

Initially, the games were competitive (the first ended in a scoreless tie), but typically the NFL squad won and as time went on the contests were often mismatches. Pro coaches complained about college prospects reporting late to training camp because of participation in the all-star contest, and of the additional exposure to injury. As salaries grew larger in the 1960s and ‘70s, the players themselves were averse to the prospect of potentially being sidelined. When NFL veterans struck during the 1974 preseason, the game was cancelled.

What would prove to be the last College All-Star game was held on July 23, 1976. The Pittsburgh Steelers, winners of the Super Bowl following the ’75 season, represented the NFL against an all-star squad that included such future pro stars as Oklahoma’s Selmon brothers (DE Lee Roy and DT Dewey), RB Joe Washington, G Jackie Slater, WR Duriel Harris, QB Richard Todd, and two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin (pictured running at bottom). The team was coached by Notre Dame’s Ara Parseghian.

There were 52,895 fans on hand at Soldier Field for the Friday night contest. A heavy downpour had occurred about 40 minutes prior to the game, but it had passed before the opening kickoff. There was little scoring in the first half as Pittsburgh’s “Steel Curtain” defense shut down the All-Stars, holding them to a net total of 54 yards. Roy Gerela kicked a 29-yard field goal in the first quarter and kicked two more, of 32 and 23 yards, in the second period to give the Steelers a 9-0 lead at the half.

Pittsburgh pulled away early in the third quarter. First, the Steelers gained an easy two points when All-Star center Ray Pinney’s snap sailed over the head of punter Rick Engles and through the end zone for a safety. RB Jack Deloplaine returned the ensuing free kick 32 yards to the All-Star 26 yard line, and three plays later RB Franco Harris ran 21 yards for a touchdown and 18-0 Pittsburgh lead.

Shortly thereafter, the Steelers regained possession after the All-Stars punted and QB Terry Bradshaw connected with RB Tommy Reamon on a 25-yard pass play to the two yard line. Reamon bulled over for the score, and while the extra point attempt was missed, the Steelers held a 24-0 lead that would end up being the final score.

The All-Stars got an apparent break when Pittsburgh reserve QB Terry Hanratty, under a strong rush, threw a desperation pass that was intercepted by safety Shafer Suggs. Suggs returned the pickoff 16 yards to the Steelers’ 39 yard line. A penalty moved the ball to the 34, but by this point a torrential rain had struck and the officials called time with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter.

The players left the flooded field, but many of the young fans in the crowd ran onto it and ripped down the goal posts. Unable to restore order and after consultation with NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, the officials called off the remainder of the contest.

It was a miserable conclusion to a series that had provided 42 games over a span of 43 years. Chicago Tribune Charities chose to discontinue the game in 1977, and the annual summer all-star event was no more. As was to be expected, the NFL teams won 31 times, the All-Stars 9, and there were two ties. At its height, it was popular with the fans, and attendance had reached as high as 105,840 in 1947. It had served a purpose when the NFL was struggling for recognition and the college game was more popular – a situation that had changed considerably by the 1970s.

1943: NFL Approves Merger of Eagles & Steelers for ’43 Season

By 1943, with World War II raging, American professional sports were suffering an acute manpower shortage. Major league baseball, with the active encouragement of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, continued play while most of the best players went into the military. The NFL also stayed in operation, but by February 1943 a total of 330 players were serving in the armed forces. Teams made do with players who had medical deferments, and several retired players, such as Bronko Nagurski of the Bears, returned to action.

The NFL briefly considered canceling the 1943 season, due not only to the lack of players but wartime travel restrictions. However, the owners voted to continue although the Cleveland Rams received permission to suspend operations for one year. On June 19 they also gave approval to the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers to merge for the ’43 season. At the same league meeting, roster sizes were slashed from 33 to 25 (they would eventually rise to 28).

Officially, the name of the combined team was the Phil-Pitt Eagles-Steelers, or Phil-Pitt Combine, but it didn’t take long for them to be dubbed the “Steagles”. The club wore Eagles uniforms but split home games between Shibe Park in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. They also split the head coaching duties between Earle “Greasy” Neale of the Eagles and Walt Kiesling of the Steelers. Players were required to work 40 hours a week in defense plants, with practices held in the evenings.

The outlook didn’t appear promising, even with the pooling of two rosters. The Eagles had never had a winning season and finished with a 2-9 record in 1942. Pittsburgh hadn’t done much better, achieving the first season over .500 in franchise history in ’42 with a 7-4 tally (both franchises had joined the NFL in 1933). As star tackle Al Wistert put it, “It sounds like we had a big advantage, putting two teams together as one. But all it meant was we had twice as many lousy players.”

The situation wasn’t helped by the friction that existed between the co-coaches, Neale and Kiesling. The two had distinctly different personalities as well as coaching philosophies. As Wistert said later, “Greasy Neale was very self-confident, very sure of himself. Wherever he went, he was the boss. Greasy was so domineering that Kiesling had to take a back seat.”

Surprisingly, the team did well on the field. They won their first two games, including a 28-14 upset of the Giants that was accomplished despite fumbling a record 10 times during the course of the contest. Going into the last game of the season, the “Steagles” had a chance to end up in a three-way tie atop the Eastern Division with the Giants and Redskins. However, they lost to Green Bay and ended up at 5-4-1 (the Redskins and Giants tied for first at 6-3-1, necessitating a playoff that was won by Washington).

34-year-old end Bill Hewitt, destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and retired since 1939, joined the club. He had been the last NFL player to play without a helmet during the ‘30s, but the league forced him to wear one during his comeback season, much to his annoyance.


Hewitt was far from the biggest contributer to the club’s performance, however. HB Jack Hinkle (pictured at left) rushed for 571 yards on 116 carries (4.9 average) to finish second among NFL rushers, just a yard behind Bill Paschal of the Giants. The “Steagles” overall led the league in rushing (1730 yards and 18 TDs) and also had the best run defense.

QB Roy Zimmerman led the offense, backed up by Allie Sherman, a future head coach of the Giants. End Tony Bova led the team with 17 pass receptions for 419 yards, averaging a league-leading 24.6 yards-per-catch. Rookies Wistert, who had been declared unfit for military service due to a bone disease, and guard Frank “Bucko” Kilroy both showed promise on the line.

The merger arrangement ended at the conclusion of the season. The Steelers combined with the Chicago Cardinals in 1944 and suffered through a miserable 0-10 campaign (they were derisively referred to as the “Carpets”). Philadelphia continued its steady progress under Neale, going 7-1-2 in 1944 and ultimately achieving back-to-back NFL titles in 1948 and ’49. A number of the players who played for the “Steagles” in 1943 contributed to those championship clubs, including Wistert, Kilroy, tackle Vic Sears, HB Ernie Steele, and FB Ben Kish.

2006: Steelers Defeat Seahawks in Super Bowl XL

The Super Bowl following the 2005 season matched a team that had won four Super Bowls (as opposed to one loss) against a club that had never vied for the league championship before.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, under Head Coach Bill Cowher, had typically contended in recent years, even if they had not won a Super Bowl since the ’79 season. Second-year QB Ben Roethlisberger had built upon his outstanding rookie season to lead the NFL in percentage of touchdown passes (6.3) and yards per attempt (8.9). He missed three games during the regular season to a knee injury and the Steelers lost two of them – testimony to his value to the team. While the outstanding career of RB Jerome Bettis was winding down, Willie Parker stepped into the starting role and gained 1202 yards. WR Hines Ward led the receiving corps with 69 catches for 975 yards and 11 TDs. The solid 3-4 defense featured NT Casey Hampton, linebackers Joey Porter and Clark Haggans, and SS Troy Polamalu.

Pittsburgh came in second in the AFC North at 11-5, qualifying them for a wild card showdown with division rival Cincinnati, also 11-5 but ahead of the Steelers due to a better division record. Pittsburgh won handily and then defeated the Colts in the Divisional round and Denver for the AFC title.

The NFC champions were the Seattle Seahawks, appearing in their first Super Bowl. Seattle, under Head Coach Mike Holmgren, had won the NFC West with a conference-best 13-3 record. The two key offensive performers were RB Shaun Alexander, who set a then-league record with 28 touchdowns while leading the NFL with 1880 yards on the ground, and QB Matt Hasselbeck, who completed a career-high 65.5 percent of his passes for 3459 yards with 24 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. Key defensive performers included NT Chuck Darby and LB Lofa Tatupu. The Seahawks defeated Washington in the Divisional playoff and Carolina for the conference title.

There were 68,206 in attendance at Detroit’s Ford Field for Super Bowl XL on February 5, 2006. What they saw in the first half was a low-scoring defensive battle. An apparent 17-yard touchdown pass from Hasselbeck to WR Darrell Jackson late in the first quarter was called back for offensive pass interference; Seattle had to settle for a 47-yard field goal by Josh Brown instead.


Roethlisberger, meanwhile, started slowly, completing just one of five passes in the first quarter for one yard. But late in the second quarter he made big plays to get the Steelers on the scoreboard. First, he ducked the pass rush to throw a shovel pass to Ward that gained 12 yards on a third-and-six play. Then, with third-and-28 on the Seattle 40, he ran out of the pocket and, just short of the line of scrimmage, threw a deep pass that Ward hauled in for a 37-yard gain to the three yard line. On a broken play two snaps later, the big (6’5”, 240-pound) quarterback dove and barely made it into the end zone from a yard out (pictured). While Seattle reached the Pittsburgh 40 with under a minute remaining, Brown’s 54-yard field goal attempt was wide and the Steelers took a 7-3 lead into halftime.


On the second play of the third quarter, Parker broke loose for a Super Bowl-record 75-yard touchdown run and a 14-3 lead (pictured at left). The Seahawks attempted a field goal on their next possession, but Brown again missed a long attempt, this one from 50 yards.

Pittsburgh drove deep into Seattle territory and looked set to break the game open, but Roethlisberger’s third-down pass at the seven yard line was intercepted by CB Kelly Herndon, who returned it 76 yards to the Pittsburgh 20. The Seahawks took full advantage of the break, with Hasselbeck hitting TE Jerramy Stevens for a 16-yard touchdown. Rather than a commanding lead, the Steelers now led by just 14-10 with 6:45 to play in the third quarter.

The contest moved into the fourth quarter, and Seattle again drove into Pittsburgh territory. However, a poorly thrown pass by Hasselbeck was intercepted by Steelers CB Ike Taylor. Three plays later, Parker took a handoff and in turn handed the ball off on a reverse to WR Antwaan Randle El, who hit Ward on a pass that covered 43 yards and scored the touchdown that, for all intents, sealed the game with just under nine minutes remaining (pictured at bottom).

Seattle had to punt on the next possession, and there was only 1:51 left on the clock when the offense next got the ball; the Seahawks got to the Pittsburgh 23 as time expired. The Steelers had their fifth Super Bowl championship by a 21-10 final score.

Hines Ward (pictured at top) was the game’s MVP with 5 pass receptions for 123 yards and a TD, as well as the big play that set up the first Pittsburgh score. Ben Roethlisberger had his difficulties as he completed just 9 of 21 passes for 123 yards with two intercepted, but in the end he had the distinction of becoming the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback (23). With the long scoring run, Willie Parker led the rushing attack with 93 yards on 10 carries. Jerome Bettis, in the last game of his career and playing in his hometown, ran for 43 yards on 14 attempts.

The Seahawks outgained the Steelers, 396 yards to 339, and had the advantage in first downs with 20 to 14. Matt Hasselbeck went to the air 49 times, completing 26, for 273 yards with a TD and an interception. Shaun Alexander gained 95 yards on 20 carries. WR Bobby Engram caught the most passes, with 6 for 70 yards, while WR Joe Jurevicius gained the most receiving yards with 93 on his 5 receptions.

For Bill Cowher, it was his first championship after coaching the team into the postseason in 10 of 14 seasons. The fifth Super Bowl victory put the Steelers in a tie with the 49ers and Cowboys for the most; they would win a sixth following the 2008 season. In between, Pittsburgh dropped to 8-8 in 2006, Cowher’s final year; they were back in the postseason in ’07 and won the title in ’08.

Seattle won the West Division in each of the next two seasons, but with weaker records followed by losses in the Divisional round to exit the postseason.