1993 Steelers
Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2024 2:38 pm
In Bill Cowher’s first 6 seasons as PIT coach, the Steelers won the AFC Central division every year but one
Sandwiched around a year one #1 seed and B2B AFC Championship Games (plus a SB appearance) was this odd 9-7 year in 1993, the closest they came to missing the playoffs.
They sign Kevin Greene (one of the first splash free agent signings) but start 0-2 including a shutout loss in Anaheim to the Rams!
Then PIT wins 4 straight, the last one a beatdown of 5-0 New Orleans
Then their season became a roller coaster:
Lose the Eric Metcalf game in Cleveland thanks to not-so-special teams
Fall behind 16-0 at then-winless Cincinnati before running off 24 unanswered points
A complete and utter whitewashing of Buffalo on Monday Night Football (23-0, 44:51 TOP)
Get outscored 60-16 at Houston and Denver
Need a 4th down stop at the 1 against 1-win New England when the Patriots trailed by 3 and went for the win rather than OT
Jump all over 9-3 Miami 21-6 but need a late INT to win
Get blasted by Houston and Seattle, the latter saw the Seahawks run for 267 yards!
In week 18, they barely hold off Cleveland who had 2 chances to tie. But simultaneous Jets/Dolphins late collapses meant PIT made the playoffs (The Steelers had all important tiebreaker on Miami with the MNF win at Miami).
The Raiders/Broncos week 18 game would decided PIT’ WC fate: if LA does not score on the last play of regulation, the Steelers rematch in Denver (where they had lost 37-13)
Instead they go to Arrowhead and shockingly go toe to toe with KC, outplaying them for the most part save for a Dave Krieg TD and blocked punt that set up the tying TD late in regulation.
74_75_78_79 what do you make of THIS Pittsburgh 11 version?
Sandwiched around a year one #1 seed and B2B AFC Championship Games (plus a SB appearance) was this odd 9-7 year in 1993, the closest they came to missing the playoffs.
They sign Kevin Greene (one of the first splash free agent signings) but start 0-2 including a shutout loss in Anaheim to the Rams!
Then PIT wins 4 straight, the last one a beatdown of 5-0 New Orleans
Then their season became a roller coaster:
Lose the Eric Metcalf game in Cleveland thanks to not-so-special teams
Fall behind 16-0 at then-winless Cincinnati before running off 24 unanswered points
A complete and utter whitewashing of Buffalo on Monday Night Football (23-0, 44:51 TOP)
Get outscored 60-16 at Houston and Denver
Need a 4th down stop at the 1 against 1-win New England when the Patriots trailed by 3 and went for the win rather than OT
Jump all over 9-3 Miami 21-6 but need a late INT to win
Get blasted by Houston and Seattle, the latter saw the Seahawks run for 267 yards!
In week 18, they barely hold off Cleveland who had 2 chances to tie. But simultaneous Jets/Dolphins late collapses meant PIT made the playoffs (The Steelers had all important tiebreaker on Miami with the MNF win at Miami).
The Raiders/Broncos week 18 game would decided PIT’ WC fate: if LA does not score on the last play of regulation, the Steelers rematch in Denver (where they had lost 37-13)
Instead they go to Arrowhead and shockingly go toe to toe with KC, outplaying them for the most part save for a Dave Krieg TD and blocked punt that set up the tying TD late in regulation.
74_75_78_79 what do you make of THIS Pittsburgh 11 version?