The 12 Most Heartbreaking Playoff Losses In Pittsburgh Steelers History: #9 - #7
by maryrose on Jul 1, 2009 2:04 PM EDT
64 comments
As we continue with our countdown, it is interesting to hear the debate as to which losses are more painful than others. Clearly, there are two distinct schools of thought. One way to define a heartbreaking loss is to look specifically at the game itself and final score, without reference to anything else. Conversely, another approach is to look more at the situation the Steelers were in and disregard what actually happened in the game itself. Sometimes the game is a dud, but the situation is heartbreaking because the Steelers would have had a great shot at the title had they won. Other times the game itself was a thriller, but the next team(s) waiting would have been prohibitive favorites, so losing is less stinging. And then there are games that feature both. Ouch.
What also needs to be factored is the playoff round itself. Losing a Super Bowl is worse than losing in the Final Four, which is worse than losing in the Elite Eight, which is worse than losing in the First Round. However, keep in mind that playoff level is not the end all-be all. Everything needs to be factored in. This exercise is not, at least in my mond, going to fit perfectly into a playoff-level structure. (Besides, that would be to simplistic!)
Here we go with numbers 9, 8 and 7...
#9 - 2007 Season: Jaguars 31 Steelers 29
In some ways this was the most heartbreaking playoff loss of them all. Namely, the game itself was as excruciating as any game ever. Also, it was my daughter Mary Rose's first live playoff game and she was heartbroken, piling on to my misery. Those elements alone made it difficult not to rank this game very, very high. However, it was "only" a first-round playoff game and every heartbreaker ranked above it was at least a final four game. In addition, the undefeated New England Patriots were rested and waiting in Foxboro, fresh with the knowledge of a regular-season beatdown over Pittsburgh. I realize the same scenario occurred in 2005, when the Steelers went on the road to avenge the unbeatable one-seed with the invincible quarterback, but asking for it twice in three years was more than my heart was capable. Anyhow...
The Steelers took the opening kick and drove in for a touchdown, sending the Heinz Field crowd into a frenzy. The crowd didn't get a chance to sit down when the guy with seats next to ours said, "Kick it out of bounds." I told him that was a little extreme. Yes, our kickoff coverage units were horrible that year, but let's not hand them the ball at the 40-yard line. It turned out that guy was right. Maurice Jones-Drew took the kickoff back 96 yards. One play later it was 7-7 and all the air was taken from the stadium. Jacksonville maintained that momentum through the second quarter. Rashean Mathis picked Ben Roethlesberger and went 63 yards to the house and Jones-Drew caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from David Garrard. At half the Steelers trailed 21-7.
It got worse in the third quarter. Jeff Reed's field goal was answered by another Jones-Drew touchdown and after three stanzas, Pittsburgh was behind, 28-10. The fourth quarter brought the biggest tease I've ever experienced as a Steeler fan (and yes, with little Mary Rose). Ben to Santonio Holmes for a 37-yard scoring strike brought life to the crowd. Ben to Heath Miller on a 14-yard touchdown pass raised the decibel level even further. Curiously, Coach Mike Tomlin elected to go for the two-point conversion, down by five, with more than 10 minutes remaining. A holding penalty moved Pittsburgh out of reasonable range, but Tomlin still went for the two, which unsurprisingly failed.
After Najeh Davenport plunged in from the one to give the Steelers a 29-28 lead, It was pandemonium. At this point, the Steelers had to chase their earlier two-point gamble without another two-point try, and this one also failed. However, the Steelers got the ball back and needed just one first down to seal a remarkable comeback. But the season unraveled from there. First, a horrible third-down call forced us to punt. The punt was terrible. The return was too many yards, and then on a fourth-down play, the officials allowed two blatant holding calls and Gerrard ran for 32 yards to set up the winning field goal by Josh Scobee. Season over. Two-point loss. Did I mention that the Steelers opted not to kick two extra points?
Not many plays have been more painful than this one
#8 - 1947 Season: Eagles 21, Steelers 0
Finally in 1947, in their 15th year of existence, most of them bad, the Pittsburgh Steelers made the NFL playoffs. They actually tied the Philadelphia Eagles for the Eastern Division crown (both 8-4) and needed a one-game playoff to see who would play the Chicago Cardinals for the NFL title. It was the equivalent of being in the Final Four. In 1947, the Steelers were led by their single-wing back, Johnny "Zero" Clement. Clement replaced Bullet Bill Dudley, who just couldn't get along with Head Coach Jock Sutherland and was traded away. Clement was among the NFL leaders in many offensive categories. Typical of Steeler fortunes in those days, Clement was injured and could not play in the playoff game. So too was his backup, Gonzales Morales. In a single-wing offensive, having no feature back is the same as having no offense.
Clement was good enough to make Steelers' fans forgive Bill Dudley's departure
Making matters worse, the players were pouting because they believed they should be paid an extra week's pay for the playoff game. They actually went out on strike for a couple days and missed valuable practice time, especially now with their third-string feature back. When Art Rooney talked them into coming back, Coach Sutherland was still outraged. The health and chemistry of the team was shot to pieces, for what was their most important game in franchise history.
The game itself, played at Forbes Field, was not much of a game. The Steelers could only muster 154 yards and no points, Philadelphia scored touchdowns in each of the first three quarters and coasted to a 21-0 victory. The first two scores came on touchdown passes from Tommy Thompson. The only score in the second half came when a fellow named Abisha Bosh Pritchard scampered 79 yards with a punt return. True, the game itself was not heartbreaking, but considering the injuries to Clement and Morales, considering the chemistry problems and missed practice time due to the mini players' strike, and considering that Coach Jock Sutherland would soon die suddenly from a brain tumor and never coach again, all in all it was a very painful loss.
Coach who got the Steelers into their first playoff appearance
#7 - 1994 Season: Chargers 17 Steelers 13
This loss turned my stomach into knots. The Steelers were playing at home as double-digit favorites to make their first Super Bowl appearance in 15 years. Everything continued in their favor when the Steelers took the opening kickoff and marched 67 yards, capped by a J.L. Williams 16-yard jaunt, to take a 7-0 lead. The two teams exchanged field goals in the second quarter to give Pittsburgh a 10-3 halftime advantage. Gary Anderson tacked on another field goal early in the third quarter to stretch the lead 13-3. At that point there wasn't anyone on the planet who didn't think Pittsburgh was headed to the Super Bowl.
Maybe the Chargers were the exception. It was a bit shocking when a guy named Alfred Pupuno, a tight end, scored on a 43-yard touchdown strike from Stan Humphries. Then on a third-and-14, Humphries bit Tony Martin on another 43-yard touchdown pass when Steelers cornerback Tim McKyer was badly beaten. Trailing 17-13, the stunned Steelers began their final drive on their own 17-yard line. Down to the Chargers' three-yard line, Pittsburgh had one fourth-down play left. A field goal, trailing by four, was painfully worthless. Neil O'Donnell tried to hit Barry Foster in the end zone, but linebacker Dennis Gibson deflected the pass and ended Pittsburgh's season. The Steelers compiled 415 total yards to San Diego's 226, adding to the frustration of it all.
How does this tight end's only claim to glory came at our expense
A sad footnote, Tim McKyer collapsed on the sideline after being overwhelmed by grief. He was carried off the field, never to wear black and gold again. While the game itself was a shocking, gut-wrenching, come-from-behind upset, the only consolation for Pittsburgh fans was that the San Francisco 49ers, still in their prime, were waiting at the Super Bowl and crushed San Diego, 49-26. The Niners looked unbeatable, but who knows?
Tim McKyer helped off the field in total despair
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Curse Of Horse Face
Wasn’t around for the 47 game but I’m sure it was a disappointment for old timers. I didn’t think the Steelers had much of a chance to go all the way in 07 so as disappointed as I was after Jax in Tomlin and especially Arians it was expected that the Steelers would be eliminated eventually.
I voted for the 94 game. That Blitzburgh team was deprived of a title by Neil O’Donnell and the curse of the Horse Face. The guy simply could not perform in the big game. He shrunk from pressure. He really cost guys like Woodson, Lloyd, Kirkland, Lake etc the chance at a ring in Pittsburgh. His no show in the 92 playoff game against the Bills (when Cowher should have stuck with the 3-0 Brister) was his first mulligan. Everyone always talks about his performance in XXX and the fact that he needed a HUGE catch from Ernie Mills in the 95 AFCCG to get us a late 20-16 lead as his biggest choke jobs.
I’ll never forget that 94 game against the Chargers. Heard all the hype on AM690 here in So Cal leading up to the game. The SD fan base was talking major smack. The weeks after until SD got pummeled in the SB was utter hell on the mighty 690. Unlike 95 we had a healthy Woodson and I believed the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to the SB that year. While many cite that 14 threw for 349 yards that day I cite that he only put up 13 points in a home AFCCG. Coupled with a toss to Barry Foster (Barry Foster!?) at the 1 on 4th and goal from the 3 and O’Donnell will forever be the last guy I ever want with the ball in his hands and the game on the line. Curses to you O’Donnell. You make me truly appreciate a winner like Ben Roethlisberger.
When You Run The Ball Good Things Happen
by 5020 on Jul 1, 2009 2:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Thanks Mary Rose
For what is a somewhat thankless task done well (as always).
While the Jacksonville game left a really bad taste in my mouth (was absolutely bitter about the obvious hold on Harrison on that qb scramble. The NFL’s apology only made it worse since it validated what I had seen) I found the Charger game one the hardest to take as a Steeler fan. Generally speaking I like Cowher as a coach, but I always thought he had Marty (Schotenheimer; his mentor) Disease in the playoffs- playing not to lose.
I didn’t know about the incident about McKyer. Nice but sad footnote.
by RickVa on Jul 1, 2009 2:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Come on, that 1994 game has to rank higher than this. A 10 point favorite at home to go to the SB and they lose to Stan Humphries and some no name TE (Alfred Pupuno)?
This is close to #1 in my opinion.
by Cols714 on Jul 1, 2009 2:44 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
i agree
i maybe being forgetful, but i’m really curious to see the 6 games ranked higher than this.
that year was my first year following the steelers…and i’ll never forget how devastating that loss was. and that freaking decision to throw the pass on the fourth down play. once they came out in the formation, i remember saying we’re going to pass and we aren’t going to get it.
by t1mmy10 on Jul 1, 2009 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think that 1994 game and the 2001 game vs the Patriots are my top 2. The Broncos in 1998 is probably #3.
by Cols714 on Jul 1, 2009 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
agreed. the 2001 game was my toughest to take in the way we lost that game. the patsies didn’t beat us, the steelers beat themselves. We should never have lost that game. Thanks kordell!!! oh and the special teams too…
by vegasrugger on Jul 2, 2009 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i wouldnt be so quick about blaming kordell, it was all the special teams fault. granted, if kordell was better we could’ve made that 4th quarter comeback (he was good enough to get us to a 13-3 record and the AFC championship)…but our team wasn’t built that way and he ended up throwing 2 ints while trying to make a comeback (a plaxico pass interference penalty that killed our other 4th quarter drive). if special teams wouldnt have given up 14 pts (putting us down 21-3), we never would have been in a situation where kordell had to try to get the team to do something it wasnt built to do…
-his 3rd int came at the end of the half & was pretty meaningless because we wouldnt have time for a field goal anyways. and on his fumble NE went no where & lost the ball with a failed 4th down conversion. it only took a minute of the 3rd quarter, so it was also meaningless
-and look what the steelers did in 2002. became passing focused offense.
by t1mmy10 on Jul 2, 2009 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
#7
I still contend the Steelers were biult to beat the short passing attack of the 49ers that year. Natuarly they got beat by two long passes.
I’m not sure I can read on if there are 6 more devistating losses.
Ok I will but I won’t like it.
by SNW on Jul 1, 2009 3:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Exactly & furthermore a SF loss
the time would have meant Pittsburgh still had the most Lombardies. And also as good as our running game was; as many yards as we gained: We couldn’t sustain enough first downs for scores. One more FG and that fourth down was a kick not a throw. That #%&@!Seau had like 8 tackles in the first half alone.
To those who agonize over the Jax loss: If that loss were ten or more years in the past it wouldn’t even rate in the top ten.
by steelerstyle on Jul 1, 2009 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Steelers were built to beat teh Niners, SD was built to beat the Steelers. We should have beat them anyways, but the Niners that would be rough.
That said, SD had a phenomenal run defense and an average pass defense, the early scores took teh run out of the game for SD, their strength.
Steelers had a phenomenal pass D that year and would have been much better in that SB match-up wise. That said S. Young had the game of his life and the Defense was good for SF, forget about it.
by Phantaskippy on Jul 2, 2009 12:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Also
Being beaten by a team that gets killed in the SB reall frosts me.
by SNW on Jul 1, 2009 3:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
94
That game, followed by SB XXX, were the toughest losses.Games like that made it hard for me to ever be confident in playoff games.
by WolfpackSteelersFan on Jul 1, 2009 4:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
nail on the head
The 94 loss is the one Steeler loss I still can’t get over. I was a young rabid cocky fan. With that Def and running game, I swore the Steelers were going to the super bowl to face SF, and battle to be the 1st team to get one for the thumb. Though the 49ers were great, I really though the Steelers D could stop them. The loss to the Chargers changed that. Since that game, I became a humble superstitious fan. No lead is big enough to make me confident in a playoff game.
by SteelBuckeye on Jul 1, 2009 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
94 disaster
I seem to recall (it has been 15 years since I saw the game) that it was 17-13 and the Steelers drove inside the 5 yard line with about 6 minutes to go. Cowher elected to go for it on 4th down instead of kicking a field goal and relying on his defense to stop them and give our offense a chance to drive into field goal range. Anyway, they went for it and didn’t make it, leaving Cowher no choice but to go for the TD at the end of the game. I am sure I am right about that. At least I hope so because I have referenced that game and the decision not to kick the easy field goal too many times since then.
by The Sweed Spot on Jul 1, 2009 4:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Wrong...
You are 100 percent wrong on the facts of this game…the Steelers never had a shot inside the 5 for anything in the fourth quarter until the final drive when they were down four. Martin’s TD catch was followed by the final drive when the game ended at the 3 with the incomplete pass intended for Foster.
Matt
by mslprod on Jul 2, 2009 12:39 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
94 for sure
The Jaguars loss was pretty bad, especially at home. The hold still gets me ticked off….but at least it was team that was not only built on the Steelers blue-print, it was a team on the rise (at least at the time) that ALWAYS played the Steelers tough.
The 47 game was well before my time, so can’t comment there.
The 94 game though, that was pretty bitter because of how the gang out-played the Chargers all day long. The Pupuno play was his 15 minutes of fame and I think was the longest play of scrimmage against the Steelers that year – can anyone confirm that? It was a miserable loss for sure.
This past Super Bowl actually had me flashing back to the Pupuno play when Fitzgerald broke through early in the 4th Q.
by dawgs144 on Jul 1, 2009 4:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The 94 Loss to SD Has to be a Top-Five Loss
As has been written by others, the 94 loss to SD is WAY worse than #10. A Pitt-SF showdown in the SB would have been fantastic…and Pitt would’ve given SF a good run for the money.
This loss is the all-time worst in my book for personal reasons…I was living in Gainesville, FL at the time, and a friend of mine had scored two tickets to the SB the Friday before the AFCCG. So I had a ticket in hand and an easy three hour drive to Miami in front of me to see the Steelers play in the Super Bowl! And then they choked in a home game as double digit favorites!! I found myself down the street from my house, talking to a pond full of ducks after that one. I don’t particularly like to admit to the details of my postgame counseling session…but I was in a state of total shock and disbelief after that game. To conclude the story, I still went to the SB, figuring that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity…only to witness firsthand one of the worst SB’s of all time. I didn’t stay past the third quarter of that blowout…still makes me want to vomit.
by Weegie on Jul 1, 2009 5:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I was just getting into Football around the 94' - 95' time
So i wasn’t that upset by the loss. I wouldn’t say I started worshiping the Steelers till several years after the San Diego game. And I don’t know jack about 47’ so the obvious answer is 07.
Its probably most heart breaking because the refs missed those two OBVIOUS holds. I can someone see them missing the one where the center tackled Big Snack but the Harrison hold is inexcusable. some ref has to be following the player with the ball and Harrison was right there. How it was missed I will never know…….
Then again, they missed about 20 holds last year on Harrison as well.
by shleeve on Jul 1, 2009 5:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
That 94' team was the best Cowher ever had ...
Even though they didn’t win the Super Bowl.
by datruth4life on Jul 1, 2009 5:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I disagree, the 2005 squad was better. They had Ben.
by Cols714 on Jul 1, 2009 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The year TB won we were so good, if we had a RB healthy in the playoffs we would have rolled. That OL was so dominant we didn’t need to throw the ball, both Bettis and Kordel just running was enough.
by Phantaskippy on Jul 2, 2009 12:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
2007 Season.
My first and only playoff game, and the only game my wife has attended. The previous game I saw at Heinz Field was also against the Jaguars, which we also lost. It was heartbreaking to be in the stands.
by Alba on Jul 1, 2009 5:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
maybe you should stay away from Heinz Field………………
by shleeve on Jul 1, 2009 8:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's what I was beginning to think...
But I saw them win against the Bengals last fall. Not the most memorable game of a magical season, but hey, a win is a win.
by Alba on Jul 2, 2009 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yea, but you’d have to be extremely cursed to make us lose to the Bengals……
you only have to have a standard curse on you to affect other games.
by shleeve on Jul 2, 2009 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let me guess, you left at halftime?
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 2, 2009 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Left at halftime? Please.
I didn’t see anyone leave the entire game. The concrete was literally rocking during the entire fourth quarter.
by Alba on Jul 2, 2009 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The game just got so much better, I figure you had to have left the stadium.
:)
The only managing Ben does is that he manages to win games. - chewiesteeler
by steelguy99 on Jul 2, 2009 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Two bitter defeats and one I had no clue about
The ‘07 game was too much to take. I was watching the game at my girlfriend’s and got so upset with their play the first two and one half quarters that she made me leave. I went home and fell asleep thinking they were done and had no chance. I just couldn’t take it. My roommate woke me up after they rallied and I watched them take the lead only to watch Garrrard ice the game with the 4th down conversion. One of the very few games I got so upset watching that I was unable to finish watching it, so I missed the big comeback for the most part.
I actually voted for that game, in part, because I had blocked the memory of the ‘94 game from memory. Upon rethinking it, there’s no question ’94 was far more devastating as it was a chance to get back to the SB for the first time in many years.
I was sure they were going to the SB that year. I didn’t think there was any way that the Chargers were coming into Three Rivers and winning that game. The loss was particularly disheartening to me because I grew up in Iowa City, Iowa as a Hawkeye fan and the guy who broke up the final play – Dennis Gibson – was an Iowa State alumni. I felt they would lose to SF, but it would have been nice to see the two battle to be the first to 5 Lombardi’s.
Flashbacks of that game nearly came back the next season when we almost found a way to lose to the Colts. I was sure that the Hail Mary on the last play of the game had been caught and just sat in my chair numb for several minutes until I realized the ball actually had hit the ground and we were finally going back to the SB. Who was the player that caught Harbaugh from behind when he had a wide open field in front of him earlier in that game? Does anybody remember? As I recall, had that tackle not been made, we would have lost that game as well. That was an extremely rough couple of years.
by King Coebra on Jul 1, 2009 6:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Might You Be Referring To...
Willie Williams, who caught Lamont Warren in the backfield on a third-and-1?
As the story goes, the Steelers were not lined up correctly, and Willie read the play before the ball was snapped, instead of playing his assignment where he was supposed to. If Willie does not make that read, Warren breaks a big one, possibly all the way to the end zone, and the Steelers miss the Super Bowl after a loss in the AFC Championship for the second year in a row.
by Hines Ward on Jul 1, 2009 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thank You
I thought it was a DB. Was thinking Carnell Lake but that didn’t seem quite right. Appreciate the info.
by King Coebra on Jul 1, 2009 9:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The '94 loss was my worst, even worse than Super Bowl XXX
Here’s why: I’m 40 years old, meaning I was 11 when we won Super Bowl XIV in 1980. At 11 I could be happy as a fan, but I didn’t really understand anything about football. I didn’t understand how rare it was to win it all (we’d won 4 times in my 11 years!) and I didn’t understand the intricacies of the game, what made teams great, how much sacrifice was required to be successful. By ’94, after playing football in high school and college and having begun a coaching career, I did understand those things and I practically lived for the Steelers and for the sport. So with the Steelers on the verge of going to the Super Bowl for the first time that I could truly appreciate, I of course threw a huge party with my childhood friends (all devoted Steeler fans as well).
It was awful. Specifically, as Mary Rose described, the way we were controlling the game. 13-3 going into the 4th, Stan Freakin’ Humphries vs. Our Defense. There was no way san Diego was going to come back and win. But somehow they did. I remember everyone just shuffling out of my apartment not saying anything to each other. Everyone just left. I drank way too much Jack and ended up calling in sick to work the next day. It was the worst loss as a fan I had ever experienced. I remember thinking, This is what Browns fans must have felt like after “The Drive” by Elway (the only time I’ve ever been sympathetic to Browns fans).
The Super Bowl loss the next year of course sucked, as did the losses to Denver in ‘97 and New England in ’01 and ’04. But I had lost my optimism by then. By then, sadly, I had prepared myself to lose. In ’94 I was certain we would win. And there’s nothing worse than losing when you have that type of certainty. It’s really the ultimate in disappointment.
by cliff harris is still a punk! on Jul 1, 2009 6:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
1994
I video-taped this game and till this day I have never watched it. Having lived in San Diego for six years (until ‘83) and defending the Steelers all the time I was there made loosing this game especially raw. I received several long distance phone calls that of course rubbed the salt in. I don’t even know where that tape is now. San Diego’s beat down in the SB added to my misery because I felt that they should have never been there in the 1st place. The best team didn’t win that PO game.
by steelersrock08 on Jul 1, 2009 9:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
if you found it now would you watch it :)
Freel free to email me anytime at behindthesteelcurtain@gmail.com with questions, suggestions, complaints, etc, or to just say what's up. -Michael Bean (Blitz)
by Blitzburgh on Jul 1, 2009 9:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good question. I dunno. I think I may look for it to find out. lol!
by steelersrock08 on Jul 2, 2009 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
NFL Network
If you get this station, they replayed this game a few months ago and I’m sure they will show it again. I watched it in disbelief as I already knew the outcome but it was still horrible to watch!!
by vegasrugger on Jul 2, 2009 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks
Yes, I do get NFLN, I guess I missed the replay. Subconsciously I think I may have missed it on purpose. I don’t think I’ll be looking for that tape I have/had either.
by steelersrock08 on Jul 3, 2009 12:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree. 1994 should easily be top 5! I realize that this is one poster’s opinion but #7? No way! In fact this lost is considered one of the top losses in Pittsburgh sports history, along with francisco cabrera, game 7 islanders lost, and…stillers 1994 lost to SD (remember this also set off the home AFC championship losses as well). These are generally regarded as the most heartbreaking losses…
by vegasrugger on Jul 1, 2009 9:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
perhaps a tournament will follow with the top ranked ones
I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!
by drinkyourmilkshake on Jul 1, 2009 10:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
that would definitely be an intriguing blog!!
by vegasrugger on Jul 2, 2009 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wow the Charger in 94 only number 7?
I have that game at Number 3.
Only because number 2 was in the SB XXX. (but for some reason 1994 hurt a lot more; I really though the Steelers D could stop SF, an I was looking forward for an all time match between Rice and Woodson, and that great offense against our great defense)
Number one will always be 1976. Ouch.
by mikemex on Jul 1, 2009 11:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
while 1976 did indeed break the consecutive super bowl streak, you have to remember that half of the team was injured and yet they still almost made it. If that team was healthy and lost then you could say that it was the worse lost in steeler history…
by vegasrugger on Jul 2, 2009 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That JAX game was pretty incredible
Never forget Gerrard breaking the safeties ankles, whatever his name was. Great game.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
by Mr MaLoR on Jul 1, 2009 11:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
yeah that ravens/pats game in 2007 was great too
watching cry baby bart scott throwing ref flags into the stands. There’s a proud moment for ravens fans.
"It was an attrition football game and you know we like that."
by showtime on Jul 2, 2009 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thought this was about playoffs?
Not regular season. What about the same year when that SAME safety who got his ankles broken guaranteed a victory against the undefeated Pats?
I already know your response, so dont bother. “We beat you 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 times!” “How is McGahee doing? Did he wake up yet?”
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
by Mr MaLoR on Jul 2, 2009 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
actually Garrad “broke” the ankles of Tyrone Carter………….Anthony Smith guaranteed the win against the Pats.
also, we beat you three times and how is McGahee doing?
by shleeve on Jul 2, 2009 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Same difference
McGahee is doing fine. Had lunch with him yesterday and saw transformers 2.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
by Mr MaLoR on Jul 2, 2009 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, well, I bet he liked the movie, didn’t he.
by Phantaskippy on Jul 2, 2009 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
We shared a Icee
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
by Mr MaLoR on Jul 2, 2009 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'd put 94 at 3rd all time
I was so devastated, I packed up my family and left town for 3 days because I didn’t want to hear it from all the Charger fans in my neighborhood! Heartbroken doesn’t begin to describe my disappointment.
The good news is that I drove to Vegas and wound up winning some money which eased the pain just a little. Unfortunately I forgot to mention where I was and my wifes family panicked and called the local police to do a welfare check on my house. When I got back everyone thought I was a complete idiot but I just couldn’t stand to listen to all the BS until the sting went away a little bit.
by Steev1705 on Jul 2, 2009 1:14 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
hehe love it steev. good to see you around sir
Freel free to email me anytime at behindthesteelcurtain@gmail.com with questions, suggestions, complaints, etc, or to just say what's up. -Michael Bean (Blitz)
by Blitzburgh on Jul 2, 2009 2:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why '94 is the worst loss..
I truly believe the loss to the Chargers in the AFCCG changed the entire fan base, it was that powerful. Just looking at what everyone is saying on the board and seeing a common theme, Basically, “I didn’t believe it was possible to lose that game.” And I think Steeler Nation as a whole was deeply affected by it and adjusted accordingly. I know I did. We kept our pride, but lost the bravado.
Never again will I utter the words “Here We Go.” Just hearing the music makes me cringe, the loss was that heartbreaking and sobering. And all I can remember is how miserable I felt. It totally changed my attitude in how far I’ll go in backing up my team going into games. I will never talk shit in the playoffs again so that I don’t play a part in jinxing my own team.
I also think that loss was one of the first signs for Steelers fans that Bill Cowher may not be the right man for the job. A ghost that would haunt Cowher til late in his career with the Steelers.
by iancyoung1 on Jul 2, 2009 3:16 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Painful Losses
I take drugs so that I don’t think about these painful things. But thanks for the research.
by Bob from Virginia on Jul 2, 2009 6:09 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Kenny Stabler sucks
I was 10 in 76 and truly believed that God had personally taken an interest in the Steelers because he loved me!! My parents thought I was mentally ill after that loss!! I believe that team was the Best Steelers team ever.I struggled w/the 94 loss to sd and the suber bowl loss to dallas stung for awhile,but I liked those Steeler teams but didnt expect them to win as surly as I did the 76 team.And nothing that disappoints as an adult compares to the dissappointment of a 10 year old.I still despise John Madden!!
by wmd3 on Jul 2, 2009 8:55 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
"I still despise John Madden!!"
If it makes you feel any better, just remember his last gig was sitting in the booth for the Steelers during one of the best games in SB history!
I was watching the SB again last weekend and after seeing Harrison’s “unsportsmanlike/roughness” call and madden’s reaction to it, he was and will always be a hackjob Steeler hater. The whole country heard how supposedly terrible that play was, without any context for what was going on around him on the field.
I love that madden had to go into the dark black night singing Ben & Co’s praises.
"It was an attrition football game and you know we like that."
by showtime on Jul 2, 2009 10:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
thank you
not for the madden comments, i actually enjoyed his maddenisms as an announcer and am too young to ever see him as a coach.
but for your take on the harrison play. the guy tried to chop block harrison so harrison knocked him on his butt. then (as i’ve done when playing pee-wee football) if he’s your guy you just continue to knock him back down whenever he tries to stand up. the guy was acting lethargic in hopes that harrison would leave and block someone else so he’d be able to get up and run down field. and let’s remember, how do you block someone in the nfl? you pushout with an open palm. thats what harrison was doing and madden was claimed he was punching the guy, but that would’ve been with a closed fist. yes, harrison did do it rougher than what was warranted (hence the personal foul call) but it wasn’t nearly as bad as madden made it out to be, calling for harrison to be ejected from the game. sorry for the rant. i just watched the game with some friends, almost all of who aren’t steelers fans and i took a lot of heat from them when i defended harrison. but i’ll bet they wouldnt have said anything if madden didnt say the stuff he did
by t1mmy10 on Jul 2, 2009 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’ll always remember that the last 2 Super Bowls that Madden called were Steelers’ victories.
by Ladi Izz on Jul 2, 2009 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
1994 was the WORST ever
I’d put the 1994 AFC Title Game as the worst ever. For me, that loss was harder than the Super Bowl loss to Dallas. We were overwhelming favorites. In 2001 and 2004 we were beaten by a HOF coach/QB – not that it makes me feel any better – where as in 1994 we were beaten by Stan Humphries and Bobby Ross. That loss on January 15, 1995 taught me (as a 12 year old) to never assume anything in sports. We were a LOCK to win and we didn’t.
~Tommy~
by sb24ws2005 on Jul 2, 2009 10:48 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This is the perfect time to conduct this exercise; thanks for the write-ups. ‘76 was the worst, but ’94 was top 5. I was at the Steelers vs Chargers game in SD that year – last game of the ’94 season, two games before the ’94 AFC Championship game. We held out Green, Foster, Rod, O’Donnel & others [we had already clinched home-field] & lost like 35-32. Was thinking how we would kill them in Pgh with all our guys playing. Led the league in rushing & threw the ball like 50 times in the AFC CG.
by gary2828 on Jul 2, 2009 12:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
1994 Still Hurts Like a Board to the Face
I remember watching that game…friends all around…some of them rooting for the Chargers (since I’m from California and was living in So CAL at the time, San Diego was the trendy underdog pick for the postseason).
It was the prototypical game that mirrored this most recent AFC Championship. Not so much in the physicality of the game, or the great plays from both sides, but that feeling we all started to get in the pit of our guts in the 4th quarter of a season-deciding playoff game. Again.
We couldn’t put the Chargers away even though we out-performed them play to play. We let them hang around, then we had the lapse…one play…but it’s all the Chargers needed. Thankfully we finished the job against Baltimore this last season, but I couldn’t help standing in the endzone under the scoreboard, unaware of the cold at that point, thinking, “Oh, God, no…please….” (On a side note, thanks God. I was a little caught up in the moment, but I really did appreciate your fuzzy headed Samoan angel you sent…you rock).
Before ‘94, I didn’t dislike the Chargers; I was ambivalent in my feelings towards them. After? Hatred. The funny thing is it was too similar to the situation where a guys wife cheats on him with his best friend, and the guy gets angry at his friend! We let the Chargers stay around far too long, and that was OUR fault. I think as a franchise, we learned from that a little. I know as fans, in the end zone at Heinz on January 18th, 2009, it was being brought up by many dressed in Black and Gold, audibly…
On a side note, and this is maybe for another time, but I think as a team, position by position, we held up very well to the 49ers that year, and I think we would have beaten them. Not being a homer, just the matchups were very favorable in some cases.
Long live learning from the past and reliving when the times are good…:)
by __.58.__ on Jul 2, 2009 8:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I still rank 94 and 01 as the biggest biggest disappointments.
In 94 I had no doubt we would win. I remember driving home after the game (a four hour drive) and stewing the entire way. I didn’t even wach the the SB that year. Devastating loss!
01 was similar, the worst part was how we lost, special teams that day were terrible!
SB XXX wasn’t quiet as bad, I think we were underdogs by 11 or 12. Didn’t really expect to win that game, although we way outplayed them in the second half. Their offense did virtually nothing the second half, other than with a short field after the turnovers.
by grapes on Jul 3, 2009 5:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
top (or should I say bottom) 5 losses - pure pain
- SB 30 Cowboys 27-17…We had em on the ropes, outplaying them. 2 weeks of hearing how great the friggin’ cowbys were – about to turn the football world on it’s head…and…well…you know
- 1994 AFC Championship game Chargers 17-13 lost a 10 point lead in the 4th quarter – something cowher just never did. chargers didn’t belong on the same field with the Steelers. Ran for 300 yards the week before against Browns. Probably would hve lost to the niners in the SB, but still it would have been a better game than the human sacrifice the chargers offered them
- 2001 AFC Championship game Pats 21-17 Heartbreaker considering what we did to the Ravens the week before and the expectations we had going into this game. Lost because of 2 frggin’ special teams plays. troy Brown Punt return and blocked FG tD. Unforgivable. Ok I forgive em
- 1982 playoffs Chargers 31-28 Strike shortened season. I was at that game. Again the Steelers blew a 10 pt 4th qrtr lead. Bradshaws last playoff game
- 2004 AFC Championship game Pats 41-27 . 15-1 regular season. Big Ben was riding high all year. Just a whole year of nothing but success comes crashing down in a dominating loss to a better Pats team – one we had beaten convincingly earlier that year. Just a yerrible way to end a great season
by Gwhiz on Jul 4, 2009 3:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
i never saw this game. i was in college and was riding the train back to philadelphia and listening on the radio, hanging on billy hillgrove’s every word. it was a gray, dreary, and dismal day looking out the window at the countryside. i’ll never forget that pass to Pupuno, and the way we lost that game. what a shocker. we were supposed to win this game and there was this void after we lost. i was 22 and it was the first time in my steelers life that i thought that we were actually going to the super bowl, only to have it stolen by the chargers. we had never been favorites to make it into the super bowl since i could remember, which was since around 1980.
by duaneoch on Jul 8, 2009 11:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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