Most heartbreaking regular season loss-offshoot of Maryrose's playoff countdown
by grapes on Jul 8, 2009 4:09 PM EDT
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Just thinking about this quickly it would be the 1979 loss to the Chargers in my opinion (7-35). I was 14 and the Steelers were the center of my universe, this loss crushed me, I didn't recover until we beat the Rams in the SB that year. We were 9-2 and they were 8-3 going into that game, the game was really hyped up because it was the Steelers D against their wide open passing game. It was San Diego's breakout year and everyone figured we would meet them in the playoffs (in fact this loss made us the #2 seed that year behind SD). Although we held that high powered offense to 213 total yards, the game was never close, 0-21 at halftime. Bradshaw threw five INT that day and we had three fumbles, 191 yards of total offense. The SB Champions were absolutely humiliated. Later when the playoffs started I was praying not to have to to SD again, by chance they lost to the Oilers in their first game and the rematch occured the next season on MNF (we lost again, and lost for a third time in a row to them in the 1982 playoff game). This loss still bothers me thirty years later!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Quick scan of my memory, for when I was most upset regular season, when I had the hugest tantrum…..winner is……Jax ‘05. Honest to God, had the Insurance Salesman Tommy Maddox been perched on top of the Smithfield Street Bridge following that game, I’d have volunteered to give him a push….and likely would’ve thrown garbage on his lawn….for real…his wife wouldn’t have needed to make up some bogus story.
Was clear first series of that game that maddox, subbing for the injured Ben, didn’t have it. Then, post-game, Cowher says….“I was thinking about pulling him.” Earth to Bill: WHEN, for God’s sake, were you going to make the move??
I had one of my employees, a Steeler fan, over that day for the first time. I got my family outta the house, as is my preference on game days. They came back with about two minutes left, as is their habit that drives me bananas.
I’m taping the game. I’m screaming as we blow the OT opportunity after Q’s runback to the 25. Maddox loses the stupid fumble. Maddox THEN throws the pick-6 for the loss, and I lose it….
*I grab a hammer
*I eject the tape from the VCR
*I beat the shit outta the tape, as my family screams for me to stop
My guest, super-nice guy, says to my wife….“If we were at my house I’da done the same thing.”
THAT tops my list of regular season losses.
I have to be alone to watch Steeler games also. Others don’t understand, being a Steelers fan is unlike being a fan of any other team in any other sport. I didn’t get a good night’s sleep during the two weeks before the last SB.
I think the Chargers game bothered me most because of my age at the time.
I get the same thing!
My family always say I turn into a “curse factory.”
by John Stephens on Jul 9, 2009 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions
That one really hurt
I was at my friend’s house to watch the game( he’s a huge Jags fan) and finish a project for reading class. The game was close the whole way through, and we were both nervous when overtime began. Then, we return the opening kickoff all the way into comfortable field goal range. " Game over" I thought. Then Maddox fumbles TWO times in a row, losing the second one. Even so, the Jags were forced to punt, and we got the ball back only to see Rashean Mathis end the game. I sat still with my eyes wide open and my mouth agape for nearly a minute until my friend asked if I was okay.
Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.
Napoleon Bonaparte
by LV Steelers Fan on Jul 8, 2009 6:00 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I was at the game
The first of only two losses I have ever witnessed live with my bros. As I’ve mentioned in the past, we have been road-tripping from southern NJ for at least one game a year since the inaugural season at Heinz Field. After every game up to that point the party continued into the parking lots. That dady, as lousy as that entire game was (nasty wind if I recall) to even have a chance to take it in OT kept that place electric. When Mathis nabbed the pass and took it to the house the place fell deadly silent. It was like a Night of the Living Dead movie as people exited the stadium except instead of the zombies moaning for BRAINS they were moaning for MADDOX. Grrrr, what a long wait for the ferry that was.
There is no spoon
by chewiesteeler on Jul 9, 2009 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions
The two worst losses in recent memory for me are the Eagles game from this year where we were completely dominated and the Raiders game from the 2006 season.
I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!
by Frank Mineo (DYMS) on Jul 8, 2009 5:40 PM EDT reply actions
Yeah...
I actually flew 2000 miles just to see that game in Oakland, sat with my Raider-fan friends all day talkin’ junk….Man that game was ugly. Really painful to watch your team get beat-up by a weaker opponent. Eagles were definately not weaker.
Crush and Kill!
I wouldn’t say we “completely dominated” the Eagles last year. The offensive numbers on both sides were dismal, especially ours. Parker was the lead rusher with 20yds on 13.
by John Stephens on Jul 9, 2009 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions
that eagles game was almost physically painful to watch
sack… after sack…. after sack…. and the final stats didn’t even reflect how many sacks there really were. I know I’ll never watch that game again! Silver lining: I think it finally convinced BA to start using plays for the line we have instead of the line he would like us to have….
Cleveland at Pittsburgh, October 5, 2003
This probably isn’t the most painful for me. I’m sure that those games have been deeply repressed, only recoverable through hypnosis. But this is the first one that comes to mind.
Cleveland stomps Pittsburgh on the Steeler’s home turf 33 – 13. Pittsburgh has a hugely talented team that underperforms this year and the Browns are being led by by the mighty Tim Couch.
I specifically remember the very end. The game was decided but Pittsburgh was on Cleveland’s goal line. They were going to push in the final touchdown as a statement only, sort of like a sinking warship firing off a last salvo for honor’s sake. They get stuffed going for it on 4th down. The Cleveland players erupt in joy over the humiliation that was just dealt out.
(And I’m pretty sure the Steelers were stuffed on the goal line earlier in the game also, despite having Jerome Bettis. If memory serves, I think this may have been the year that a faulty, aging offensive line was blames for many of the setbacks).
As an aside, this was probably the last time Cleveland was competitive enough to be considered Pittsburgh’s main rival.
by The King in Yellow (and black) on Jul 8, 2009 6:44 PM EDT reply actions
Yep
That’s the game that sticks out for me too. It was a nationally televised SNF game I think. I couldn’t believe that we got stomped by the lowly Browns, especially with Tim Couch at QB. Tim Couch – are you kidding me. That had to be the best game of his much maligned career. The fact we got crushed on national TV at home just made it that much worse. I was so angry I threw my Steelers cap I was wearing that night into the fireplace when I got home. Total embarrassment. I didn’t see the end of the game. I had watched all I could take way before the goal line stand you are talking about.
Falcons 2006- It was heartbreaking for me because even though the quarterbacking was practically flawless (Ben and Charlie combined for 5 TDs, 0 Ints, and 433 yards), the Steelers still lost. Also, it was the game where Ben suffered the deliberate, double head-to-head hit that caused his second concussion in four months which led to him having that beyond awful game in Oakland. It didn’t help that Michael Vick would have one of the best games of his career, throwing 4 TDs to 2 Ints. The fact that there was neither penalty nor fine for the hit on Ben is how Fuhrer Goodell got on my shit-list, and he doesn’t look to redeem himself anytime soon.
I worked hard to forget that Eagles game from this past season, man was that embarassing. And for some reason, I didn’t get out of bed until after noon from that loss to the Colts in 2005.
My "game-manager" QB just won the Super Bowl, while your stat-whore of a quarterback sat on his couch and watched!
Can I pick a few?
The texans lost in ’02. Def gave up 47 total yards and we still lost. 5 TO and over 400 yards and we lose 24-6 at home.
Also, when we lost to CIncy at the end of the year in ’01 when kitna threw 400+ yards on us. Wow, that sucked! Kitna?!?
And last but not least, the ’06 losses to baltimore (27-0 and 31-7). Cost us the playoffs that year….
I'm young but...
Firstly the loss to the Raiders during the Broken Ben year of 06. As we all know 1 more win, and we would have squeaked into the playoffs. And I think we might have made some noise, because we went 6-2 in the back half of the year. We finally were getting healthy.
There were several losses in the middle of that season that hurt and the Falcons one also was a tough cookie to swallow. But the Raiders game was just horrible and Ben threw picks like candy and nobody should lose to the raiders.
The most heartbreaking for me was
The 2006 2nd loss to the Ravens. All year I talked about how the Ravens were overrated (which they were). After the first lost I bet my friend $50 dollars we would win the second game. I think it was week 16 and we got absolutely hosed 7-31. Our rushing was non-existent and Ben played like shit. I got constant ridicule from all the Ravens fans and lost $50 and we did not go to the playoffs that year.
I'm young, but I think old
The loss to the Giants in the final week of the season in 1963 must have been devastating. This was the early-‘60s team’s last, best hope to actually win the division and play in a championship game for once, and it was a total disaster.
http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2008/5/22/524605/1963-steelers-tragedy-hope
Supposedly, QB Ed Brown was playing totally sober for the first time in his life, which explains his performance.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19731220&id=bEoNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BW0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7157,2860043
by TheSpatulaMessiah on Jul 20, 2009 8:48 PM EDT reply actions
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