Because I hate Tom Brady and the Patriots with such a passion, and I was so sure that the Steelers were going to win the Super Bowl that year. They were far and away the best team in the NFL that year until this game. And then it seemed like I blinked my eyes and it was 24-3 and the game was, for all intents and purposes, over. I think I was pissed off for the entire month of February because of this game and then the Pats going on to win SB XXXIX. Just sickening.

SB XXX, which I am sure is #1, wasn’t as bad for me because I didn’t expect the Steelers to win or really even be competitive. That game was a lot closer than I thought it would be, and I didn’t hate the Cowboys at all when they had Aikman and Emmitt.

The only reason this game falls a little lower for me is that the Steelers were lucky to be there. They played terribly against the Jets the game before and had the game basically gifted to them. We came into this game deflated and looking exposed for the first time in the entire season.

of the games since ’94, this would be 4th to me, although it still hurt a lot because of how good we did during the regular season.

they had a great season, but they this point i was scared of playing the pats in the playoffs, especially in the conference championship, where the steelers under cowher seemed to struggle in huge playoff games. we also played BAD against the jets the week before and it seemed the only reason we won was because of Doug “this is how you DONT kick clutch FGs” Brien. and having a rookie QB just didnt seem like it was gonna cut it against the pats.

Personally, this one’s not in my top 5 of Heartbreak, as I admit to being not at all confident goingi n. Steeles peaked mid-season with wins over undefeated Pats & Iggles on consecutive weeks. Steelers were damn lucky to beat the Jets, surviving a pick-6 by Ben in that game, and the gods intereceded with 2 jets FG misses. Meantime, Pats were dismantling a very good Colts team.

Life was sucked outta the place when Field Goal Bill went for 3. And yes, MaryRose, it was cold as hell that day….I’m still thawing. I was in the Upper Deck, Section 505, by the river, way up in the double letters. I lost a glove at halftime and paniced….found it though.

I dunno…maybe I don’t wanna believe it, but i’m going with the Pats never having gained much of an edge by their cheating. Was really akin, I believe to Nixon and Watergate. No way was the dummy gonna lose the election, but took whatever advantage he could gain.

Oh….once again, my personal fate included flying back to New England with a planeful of undeserving Pats fans.

Interesting though, 3 legit playoff heartbreakers remain…..with only 2 slots. Which one doesn’t make it??

loss under Cowher. I really feel in most of those playoff losses we were really outcoached.

Not going for a TD and settling for a field goal? What???

Cowher was just way to uptight, for the most part, in the big games and the play of his teams reflected that. I remember thinking how relaxed NE looked and played in that game. The 60 td to Branch I believe was a flea flicker or some type of “trick” play…brillant call.

Bettis’ fumble I think was on 4th down (?) and short. I’m saying to myself what a great time to go for a big play…not with Cowher…predictable handoff that probably was getting stuffed anyway.

It’s interesting to note the playcalling in the very next season during the playoffs…loose, open, throwing on first down and in typical running situations, throwbacks…and we go on to win SB. Coincedence? I think not.

At least Cowher finally learned his lesson and won a SB.

as a side note – it was Myron’s last game in the booth.

my opinion of the loss – not much of a disappointment. It was an exciting year (perhaps my favorite all time), but we barely got past the Jets, and I truly expected to lose. However, I was excited about a wonderful future with Ben under center.

Physically and emotionally, Ben was pretty much done by this point in the season. I remembered against the Jets that his passes had no zip and he was basically just lobbing them out there. This loss doesn’t hurt as much because I felt afterwards that New England was the better team and the Steelers were lucky to be there because they should have lost against the Jets the week before.

That poster reminds me of how good the Steelers scouting department and front office is. K. Bell, Porter, Plaxico, the Bus. All were good to great players here, but you could fill in their places in that poster today with Holmes, J. Harrison, Woodley, Farrior, and not miss a beat. I think the real unsung star of this franchise is the Scouting Department. The players come and go, but our scouts always find those gems that fit. I give the front office props for free agent signings and trades that brought the Bus, Farrior, M. Moore and etc.

Hey, did anyone notice that Duce Staley and Tommy Maddox don’t belong in that picture?

I agreed it was an exciting year, but before the game I was so sure we had not chance that it really didn’t heart that much. To me it was clear we were the better team, but I knew that wasn’t going to be enough. I knew the patriots were going to force Ben to beat them, and after the Jets game it just didn’t seem possible.

I can’t imagine what games you have at 2 and 1.

Unless you are counting the Super Bowl loss in SBXXX. That could be #1, but I don’t really count it as a “playoff” loss.

I still hate the Patriots for this loss … and for the fact that they were cheating at the time.

I’m not one of those fanatics that rave and lunatic around about how the cheating bastards must die and how they should lose all of the trophy’s. But I won’t down play the effect of knowing the opposing teams signals. As a comparable example: Imagine the best hitter in baseball knowing what every pitch thrown to him is going to be. He’d have a .800+ batting average. Not to mention if the coaches know too. Use the hit and run now, use the squeeze bunt now. There is no doubt it gives a HUGE competitive edge. I don’t care how good your players are. If I know where you are blitzing from, and which gaps you are going to attack, and what coverage your secondary is going to be in. You won’t be able to stop me consistantly. I think I could lead an NFL team to a superbowl (as QB) If I knew what the opposing D was going to do every play, and I’m a one legged 4 fingered paraplegic. well, im not really, but if I was I could still do it.

This season defined the dynasty of the 00’s.

If we win, its our 3 to their 2. Simple as that. And that means the “dynasty” belongs to us. 3 in 5 years.

Ben Roethlisberger was better than that team and I think cowher just couldnt quite take the reins off soon enough. I think Ben truly could have beaten them if he was let loose, because the Pats tapes had nothing of Ben just doing his thing. So you have to figure if Cowher let him break the mold a bit, he’d have done well.

But, hell of a season.

Yeah this one burns! the Steelers lost this one and I scratch my head thinking about it. The only thing that makes me forget this is KARMA you know what you get when you are DISHONEST ,LOW ,DIRTY PLAYERS and the puke patriots are all the above and that tight-ass coach(puke when I say his name) is worst of all. That smug p.o.s. got caught cheating and was made fun of by EVERYONE ( LOVED THE SOUTHPARK EPISODE AND CHAD OCH-CINCO BY THE GOAL POST FILMING) CLASSIC! Brady got his in the form of the knee injury,that’s what you get when you cheat. HATE BRADY HATE THE patriot PUNKS! STEELER FOR LIFE MR MIKE