Are you ready for some football? Monday Night Football has become a staple in the NFL fabric over the past 40 years, and during that time many memorable games have been played in front of MNF’s national audience. The Steelers taken part in quite a few memorable Monday Night games themselves. This week’s America Loves Countdowns® series looks at the ten best. Special thanks to reader Chris K. for suggesting the idea for this list.
at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (December 23, 2002)
The build-up for this late-season MNF game was intense. These two teams had a mini-rivalry going at the time thanks to the previous year’s game and Lee Flowers’ “paper champions” charge against the Bucs. Scuffles broke out before the game and the refs had to separate players before they even took the field. The fired-up Steelers opened the game with three quick scores: a touchdown drive on offense, a Chad Scott pick-six, and a field goal. That pretty much finished off Tampa. The win gave the Steelers the first ever AFC North championship. However, it would be Tampa Bay who would have the last laugh. This game marked the last time the Buccaneers lost that season, as they went on to win Super Bowl XXXVII and become “real” champions.
Final Score: Steelers 17, Buccaneers 7
vs Miami Dolphins (November 26, 2007)
Going into this game in 2007, the Dolphins had been winless all season and the Steelers were leading their division, but starting to slump. None of that seemed to matter however as Mother Nature canceled out any hopes these two squads had of engaging in an actual football game. It rained fiercely all game, and the Heinz Field turf did not hold up well at all. Several high school games and a Pitt-USF game the previous weekend had caused Steelers officials to make the dubious decision to re-sod the field. The downpour turned the new sod into ankle-deep mud. The result was the first pro football contest since 1943 to enter the final minute of the game scoreless. The Steelers managed to squeeze out a last-second field goal to nab the victory, but it was largely overshadowed by the embarrassment of having the worst field in the NFL.
Final Score: Steelers 3, Dolphins 0
vs New York Giants (October 14, 1991)
There is a reason I don’t leave football games until I know for certain that the game is over. That reason is the 1991 MNF game between the Steelers and Giants. I left at halftime, which may seem crazy until you consider the situation. The Giants were the defending Super Bowl champions, while the Steelers were struggling through yet another mediocre season. The Giants had taken a 20-0 lead in the first half. And I was in 9th grade at the time, so staying up late on a school night just to watch the Steelers get pounded was understandably not something my dad was a big fan of. However, in the second half, Chuck Noll decided to pull starting QB Bubby Brister and replace him with backup Neil O’Donnell, who had only thrown five NFL passes in his young career. O’Donnell led the Steelers to scores on each of the next four possessions, tying the game at 20. It was a great comeback, but the Giants still had time for one final drive at the end, and kicker Matt Bahr booted the game-winning field goal with just 4 seconds remaining in regulation. Still, this game had long-term impact. It would mark the start of the Neil O’Donnell era in Pittsburgh, and it would mark the end of me ever leaving a game at halftime!
Final Score: Steelers 20, Giants 23
at Miami Dolphins (November 25, 1996)
The Steelers and Dolphins both needed a win in this late season game to improve their shot at the post-season. Thanks to a Mike Tomczak pick-six, the Dolphins jumped out to an early 14-3 lead. But as was typical during his career, Tomczak battled the Steelers back to a 17-17 tie, then found Ernie Mills for the go-ahead touchdown on a 3rd and 8 play from the 20 yard line. The play was big because there were only two minutes left, and it forced Miami to have to score a touchdown rather than simply kicking a field goal. Dan Marino drove his team all the way down to the Pittsburgh 16 yard line, but from there the Steelers defense held.
Final Score: Steelers 24, Dolphins 17
at Dallas Cowboys (September 13, 1982)
Out of the many impressive all-time streaks in sports, the one that seems to be most overlooked is the Dallas Cowboys’ record streak of 17 consecutive opening day victories. Dallas took a lot of pride in this streak (as they did in everything else – after all, they were “America’s Team”), and that made it all the more satisfying when the Steelers became the team to bring it to an end. The 1982 Steelers were never quite destined for great things. The franchise was celebrating its 50th season with much fanfare, but on the field the team was slowly losing its championship identity. Joe Greene and L. C. Greenwood had retired that off-season, and others would soon follow. But in the first MNF game of the 1982 season, Terry Bradshaw threw three touchdown passes in Texas Stadium, sending 63,000 Dallas fans home knowing that their precious streak was over.
Final Score: Steelers 36, Cowboys 28
at New England Patriots (September 3, 1979)
The defending Super Bowl champion Steelers opened the 1979 season in a MNF game at New England. The game was emotional as Patriots WR Darryl Stingley made an appearance at Schaeffer Stadium for the first time since being paralyzed in a 1978 pre-season game. He promptly received a standing ovation from everyone in the building, which Patriots.com calls “the loudest ovation Foxborough has ever seen”. In fact, the opening kickoff was significantly delayed because of it. When things got started, the game turned out to be pretty good too. It marked the only time that the Steelers have ever gone into overtime on Monday Night Football. For the second time on this list, Matt Bahr makes an appearance. This time, however, he kicked the 41-yard game-winning field goal for the Steelers rather than against them.
Final Score: Steelers 16, Patriots 13
at San Diego Chargers (October 10, 2005)
By week 5 of the 2005 season, the Steelers were playing well but found themselves trailing the red-hot Bengals by two games in the AFC North division. They desperately needed a win to keep pace, especially since unbeknownst to them at the time, QB Ben Roethlisberger would wind up getting injured and missing the next game (which would be a loss). San Diego was a tough opponent too. They were also hot, having scored 86 points in the previous two weeks. The game turned into a wild back-and-forth affair. The Steelers blew a 14-0 lead, and the Chargers eventually battled back to take a 22-21 lead into the final minutes. The Steelers offense responded with a great last-second drive though, and kicker Jeff Reed nailed a 40-yard game-winner. The win was incredibly significant. Had the Steelers lost the game (which would have ultimately dropped them to 2-3) and their starting QB, their Super Bowl season may have fizzled out before it ever truly got rolling.
Final Score: Steelers 24, Chargers 22
at Jacksonville Jaguars (September 22, 1997)
Many experts figured that the Steelers were heading into rebuilding mode entering the 1997 season. The Jaguars on the other hand were heavy favorites to compete in the AFC. This early season MNF showdown was billed as either the moment that the AFC Central torch would be passed to the Jaguars or the moment that the Steelers would say “not so fast” to their rivals. The game was an all-out war. Thanks to a stupid personal foul penalty by Pittsburgh’s Nolan Harrison, the Jags were able to take a 23-21 lead into the final minute of play. The Steelers drove into field goal range and had a chance to win the game, but a botched snap resulted in a blocked kick. Jacksonville’s Chris Hudson scooped up the loose football and dashed all the way down the field for a touchdown. In one of the most enduring MNF images, Steelers coach Bill Cowher nearly made an insane attempt to tackle Hudson on his way to the endzone! The Steelers would have the final word that season as they would beat Jacksonville in the rematch several weeks later and capture their fourth consecutive division title.
Final Score: Steelers 21, Jaguars 30
vs Cleveland Browns (November 13, 1995)
The Browns had always historically been the Steelers biggest rival. Normally a Monday Night game against Cleveland at home would have had Pittsburgh fans wanting blood. This game was different. Several weeks earlier, Browns owner Art Modell had shocked the football world by announcing that he was moving the team to Baltimore. This impacted Steelers fans because, as loyal football fans ourselves, we understood how truly devastated the Cleveland faithful must have been. In a bizzarre once-in-a-lifetime scene, the 60,000 of us in Three Rivers Stadium wore orange arm bands in support of Cleveland and held up “Save the Browns” signs. Although the game itself was an afterthought, it was significant because it marked the debut of “Slash” (rookie Kordell Stewart being used as an all-purpose utility player). Stewart made an incredible scrambling touchdown pass to Ernie Mills, and he quickly became an integral part of the team’s AFC championship offense.
Final Score: Steelers 20, Browns 3
vs Buffalo Bills (November 15, 1993)
The Steelers suffered from post-dynasty hangover when the 1970′s came to an end. No one realized how long it would last. During the 1980′s and early 1990′s, the Steelers strung together a number of mediocre seasons, made horrible draft picks, and completely lost their once-proud status as an elite NFL franchise. Even after new coach Bill Cowher led the team to the playoffs in 1992, the Steelers were still not a true force in the AFC. The seasoned Buffalo Bills, in the midst of four consecutive Super Bowl trips, hammered Pittsburgh at Three Rivers Stadium in the 1992 playoffs. The real turning point for the Steelers came in a MNF game against the Bills at home in 1993. Buffalo was 7-1 at the time and had beaten the Steelers three times in the previous two seasons, but the Steelers turned the tides with a truly dominate performance. Leroy Thompson and Merril Hoge combined for nearly 200 yards on the ground, while the defense completely silenced Buffalo’s powerful no-huddle offense. The game’s signature moment came when safety Gary Jones crushed Don Beebe on a sideline pass. It was a huge victory that offically returned the Steelers to their role as one of football’s proudest teams. And with only three losing seasons since then, they have managed to stay right there.
Final Score: Steelers 23, Bills 0