The 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the

franchise Franchise may refer to: Business and law * Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees * Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...

's 77th season in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). They were coming off a season in which they compiled a 12–4 regular season record and capped the season by winning the franchise's record sixth

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...

. The team's coaching staff remained the same for the third consecutive year. As the defending champions, the Steelers opened the season by hosting the

NFL Kickoff Game The National Football League Kickoff game, along with related festivities, marks the official start of the National Football League (NFL) regular season. A single game is held, preceded by a concert and other ceremonies. This first game of the se ...

on Thursday, September 10, 2009, which was an overtime victory against the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

. The team compiled a 6–2 record over the season's first half, but then began a five-game losing streak which included losses to all three division opponents. Three late wins led to a 9–7 record, but the team failed to qualify for the playoffs. This was the third straight time the team has missed the playoffs following a Super Bowl victory;

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

and

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

being the previous two.

Personnel

Staff

Training camp

Roster

Off season activity

The front office's major goals coming into the off-season were to retain the bulk of the team's own free agents and to look to add talent primarily through the

draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vessel ...

rather than

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

acquisitions. This has been the team's primary philosophy since

Chuck Noll Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to: People Arts and entertainment * Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet * Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer * ...

took over as head coach in

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

. The other major item on the team's agenda was to extend the contracts of a few of the players who were coming into the final year of their contracts – chief among these were linebacker and 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison, tight end

Heath Miller Earl Heath Miller Jr. (born October 22, 1982) is a former American football tight end who played professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons from 2005 to 2015. Miller played college football fo ...

, and tackle

Max Starks Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) (1 ...

. Management completed the highest-priority item on its off-season checklist by reaching agreement with Harrison on a six-year, $51.175 million contract, which includes $20 million in guaranteed money. The team was also successful in extending the contracts of Starks (four years, $26.3 million) and Miller (six years, $35.3 million) both of whom were potential free agents after the season. Additionally, contract extension were completed with receiver

Hines Ward Hines Edward Ward Jr. (born March 8, 1976) is an American football coach and former wide receiver of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Georgia and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the ...

(five years, $22.1 million), guard

Chris Kemoeatu Uikelotu Christopher Kemoeatu (pronounced ; born January 4, 1983) is a Tongan former professional American football guard. He played college football for the University of Utah Utes, and was drafted by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2005 ...

(five years, $20 million), center

Justin Hartwig Justin Hartwig (born November 21, 1978) is a former American football center who played in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kansas. Hartwi ...

(4 years, $10 million) and defensive end

Brett Keisel Brett Keisel (born September 19, 1978) is a former American football defensive end who played 12 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college footba ...

(5 years, $18.885 million). The team's primary needs coming into the 2009 season were considered to be shoring up the offensive line and improving performance on special teams, primarily at kick returner. In addition, they were forced to address the loss through free agency of two key contributors: starting

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...

Bryant McFadden Bryant McFadden (born November 21, 1981) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Florida State and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. McFadden was also a member of th ...

and number three wide receiver

Nate Washington Nate Washington (born August 28, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005 and played on two Super Bowl-winning teams during four seasons with the Steelers. He t ...

. The front office and coaching staff also had to focus on uncovering for eventual replacements for some aging cogs:

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

Aaron Smith and

Deshea Townsend Trevor Deshea Townsend (born September 8, 1975) is an American football coach and former cornerback who is the passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He previously serv ...

, who were 33 and 34 respectively at the start of the season. ESPN's Matt Williamson ranked the team's pre-draft needs as (in order),

offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...

, wide receiver and

Free agents signed

''Players from the 2008 team who have signed new contracts with the Steelers:'' * OT

– signed $26.3 million, four-year contract, * G

– signed five year, $20+ million contract * OT Willie Colon – signed one year, $2.198 million

restricted free agent A restricted free agent (RFA) is a type of free agent in the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), or National Basketball Association (NBA). Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain ...

tender * OT

Trai Essex Trai Jamar Essex (born December 5, 1982) is a former American football offensive guard who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts. Early years Essex grew up in Fort Wayne, In ...

– signed two year, $1.92 million contract * LB

Keyaron Fox Keyaron James Fox , born January 24, 1982) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) ...

– signed two year, $1.8 million contract * FB/TE

Sean McHugh Sean Thomas McHugh (born May 27, 1982) is a former American football tight end. He last played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL), winning Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals. Early years McHugh played ...

– signed three year, $2.57 million contract, expected to be starting FB – placed on Injured Reserve on September 5, 2009 * QB

Charlie Batch Charles D'Donte Batch (born December 5, 1974) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft and played 15 seasons in the ...

– signed one year, $795,000 contract * LB

Andre Frazier Andre Frazier (born June 29, 1982) is a former American football linebacker who played five seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Cincinnati. ...

– signed two year, $1.375 million contract * FB

Carey Davis Carey Alexander Davis (born March 27, 1981) is a former American football Fullback (American football), fullback. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Illinois Fighting Illini ...

– signed

exclusive rights free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

tender, which amounts to a one-year, $460,000 contract * LB

Arnold Harrison Arnold Harrison II (born September 20, 1982) is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at the University of Georgia. Harrison also played f ...

– signed one year, $460,000 contract ''Players not with the 2008 team who have been signed for 2009'' * CB

Keiwan Ratliff Keiwan Jevar Ratliff (born April 19, 1981) is an American former football cornerback who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized a ...

– from

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

;

Ike Taylor Ivan "Ike" Taylor (born May 5, 1980) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft, and spent his entire 12-year career in Pi ...

's contract was restructured to clear cap space * RB

Stefan Logan Stefan Logan (born June 2, 1981) is a current podcast host for ProSportsExtra and former American professional gridiron football player who played as a running back and special teamer in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football ...

– from CFL's

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions played their first season ...

* WR

Shaun McDonald Shaun Terrance McDonald (born June 30, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State. McDonald has also played fo ...

– spent 2007 & 2008 with

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

''Players who signed with the team in 2009, but did not make the 53-man roster'' * K Piotr Czech – attended training camp with the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...

in 2008 – released on September 5, 2009, in final cut-down to 53-man roster * WR

Martin Nance Martin Nance (born May 26, 1983) is a marketing executive and entrepreneur who formerly played as an American football wide receiver. A graduate of Miami University, the University of Michigan and Harvard Business School, he played college footb ...

– 2008 Steelers practice squad player; signed two year, $705,000 contract – released on August 31, 2009, in cut-down to 75-man roster * P

Dirk Johnson Dirk Johnson (born June 1, 1975) is a former American football punter. He is most notable for his four season tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. After playing college football at Northern Colorado, Johnson signed with the Seattle Seahawks as a ...

– released by the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

in 2009 – released June 12, 2009 * FB Ryan Powdrell – spent a week on the

Bucs British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) is the governing body for higher education sport in the United Kingdom. BUCS was formed in June 2008 following a merger of British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) and University College Sport ...

practice squad in 2008 – released June 18, 2009 * WR/KR

Jayson Foster Jayson D. Foster (born July 22, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Georgia Southern and was the 2007 Walter Payton Award winne ...

– spent 2008 on Steelers' and

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

' practice squads – released June 18, 2009 * WR Brandon Williams – released by

Rams In engineering, RAMS (reliability, availability, maintainability and safety) – released on September 5, 2009, in final cut-down to 53-man roster

Practice squad players

''2008 practice squad players who made 2009 53-man roster:'' * C

Doug Legursky Wayne Douglas Legursky II (born June 9, 1986) is a former American football Center (American football), center. He was signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Marshall Thundering Herd football, Ma ...

– 2008 Steelers

practice squad In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...

player * S

Ryan Mundy Ryan Gregory Mundy (born February 11, 1985) is a former American football Safety (American football position), safety who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by his hometown team, the Pittsburgh Steelers in ...

– 2008 Steelers practice squad player, signed reserve/futures contract ''2008 practice squad players who signed new reserve contracts, but didn't make final 53-man roster:'' * DE

Jordan Reffett Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan River ...

– 2008 Steelers practice squad player, signed reserve/futures contract * RB

Justin Vincent Justin Vincent (born January 25, 1983) is a former American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college footba ...

– 2008 Steelers practice squad player, signed reserve/futures contract – released on September 5, 2009, in final cut-down to 53-man roster * TE Dezmond Sherrod – 2008 Steelers practice squad player, signed reserve/futures contract – released on September 5, 2009, in final cut-down to 53-man roster * CB

Roy Lewis Roy Lewis (6 November 1913 – 9 October 1996) was an English writer and small press printer. Life and work Although born in Felixstowe, Lewis was brought up in Birmingham and educated at King Edward's School. After studying at University ...

– 2008 Steelers practice squad player, signed reserve/futures contract – released on September 5, 2009, in final cut-down to 53-man roster * WR

Dallas Baker Dallas Leon Baker (born November 10, 1982) is a former American football wide receiver. Baker played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Footb ...

– 2008 Steelers practice squad player, signed reserve/futures contract – released on September 5, 2009, in final cut-down to 53-man roster * LB Donovan Woods – 2008 Steelers practice squad player, signed reserve/futures contract – released on September 5, 2009, in final cut-down to 53-man roster

Players lost

* OG

Kendall Simmons Henry Alexander Kendall Simmons (born March 11, 1979) is a former American football guard. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Auburn. He was also a member of the New ...

– released; 2002 first round pick; ended 2008 season on IR * LB Mike Humpal – released; 2008 sixth round pick; ended 2008 on IR * WR

– 2005 undrafted free agent; signed with the

as an

unrestricted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

* FS Anthony Smith – 2006 3rd round pick; signed with

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

as an

* CB

– 2005 2nd round pick; signed with the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

as an

* OT

Marvel Smith Marvel Amos Smith (born August 6, 1978) is a former American football offensive tackle who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Arizona State University. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh St ...

– 2000 2nd round pick who started 108 games as a Steeler; signed with

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

* QB

Byron Leftwich Byron Antron Leftwich (born January 14, 1980) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played in the NFL for ten seaso ...

– Steelers 2008 back-up QB; signed with

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

* RB

Gary Russell Gary Russell (born 18 September 1963) is a British freelance writer, producer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs in other media. As an a ...

– released; 2007 undrafted rookie free agent, scored first touchdown of

Super Bowl XLIII Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champions Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...

; signed with

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

. * LB

Larry Foote Lawrence Edward Foote, Jr. (born June 12, 1980) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the co-defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). Foote previously served as the lineback ...

– released; 2002 2nd round pick who started 83 games as a Steeler, including all 80 over the past five seasons; signed with

. * LS

Jared Retkofsky Jared Michael Retkofsky (born March 16, 1983) is a former American football long snapper. He played college football at Texas Christian University and was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2007. Retkofsky earned a ...

– released; signed last season when veteran long snapper Greg Warren tore his ACL * CB

Fernando Bryant Fernando Antoneyo Bryant (born March 26, 1977) is a former American football cornerback of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars 26th overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Alabama. ...

– signed one year, $745,000 contract – Retired June 23, 2009 * OT

Jeremy Parquet Jeremy Michael Parquet (born April 11, 1982) is a former professional gridiron football player. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi. Parquet ha ...

(

) – released on September 5, 2009, in final cut-down to 53-man roster * P

Mitch Berger Mitchell Shannon Berger (born June 24, 1972) is a Canadian former American football punter. He played college football at Colorado and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 1994 NFL Draft. Berger has also been a memb ...

– made superfluous by return from injury of

Daniel Sepulveda Daniel Wade Sepulveda (born January 12, 1984) is a former American football punter who played five seasons in the National Football League (NFL), all with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for Baylor University, earned All- ...

* TE Jonathan Dekker – not invited to training camp * DE Orpheus Roye – not invited to training camp * CB

Anthony Madison Anthony David Madison (born October 8, 1981) is a former American football defensive back. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He appeared in 2 Super Bowls and winning Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona ...

signed one year, $1.01 million

tender – released on September 5, 2009, in final cut-down to 53-man roster

2009 NFL Draft

The

2009 NFL Draft The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...

was held on April 25 and 26, 2009, at

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplac ...

in New York City. In addition to their own draft picks, the team also had the

seventh-round selection (#226 overall) which they received in a trade prior to the 2008 season for offensive lineman

Sean Mahan Sean Christopher Mahan (born May 28, 1980) is a former American football center. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. Mahan was also a member of the Pitt ...

and a compensatory pick at the end of the 5th round. During the draft, the Steelers traded their second-round (#64 overall) and fourth-round (#132) picks to the

in exchange for Denver's third-round (#79) and Chicago's third-round (#84) picks.

Schedule

Preseason

The Steelers opened their preseason schedule on August 13 with a re-match of Super Bowl XLIII against the

Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...

Regular season

The Steelers' opponents for the 2009 season are based on the NFL's predetermined scheduling formula. The combined 2008 record of the Steelers' 2009 opponents was 110–144–2 (.434 winning percentage). By this measure the Steelers have the fourth easiest schedule in the league – only the Packers, Vikings and Bears opponents have a worse cumulative 2008 winning percentage. The Packers, Vikings and Bears play two games each against the Lions, who finished 0–16 in 2008. As the defending Super Bowl champion, the Steelers hosted the kickoff game for the 2009 season on Thursday, September 10, at 8:30 p.m. EDT. Their opponent for the kickoff game was the

. The Pittsburgh Steelers won the first game of the 2009 season in overtime over the Tennessee Titans on September 10, 2009 at 11:48 pm EDT with a field goal.

Standings

The 2009 season was the Steelers' eighth as members of the AFC North Division.

Preseason results

Week 1: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 2: at Washington Redskins

Week 3: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 4: at Carolina Panthers

Regular season results

Week 1: vs. Tennessee Titans

;

NFL Kickoff game The National Football League Kickoff game, along with related festivities, marks the official start of the National Football League (NFL) regular season. A single game is held, preceded by a concert and other ceremonies. This first game of the se ...

With their Super Bowl title to defend, the Steelers began their season at home in the annual kickoff game against the

. After a scoreless first quarter, Pittsburgh would get their first score of the season as quarterback

Ben Roethlisberger Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college footba ...

completed a 34-yard touchdown pass to

MVP wide receiver

Santonio Holmes Santonio Holmes Jr. (born March 3, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State University. In 2009, Holmes w ...

near the end of the second quarter. The Titans would respond with quarterback

Kerry Collins Kerry Michael Collins (born December 30, 1972) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Collins was a member of six NFL teams, most notably the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, ...

completing a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Justin Gage Justin Charles Gage (born January 24, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at the University of Missouri. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. After f ...

. Just prior to halftime, pro-bowl safety Troy Polamalu went to the locker room after suffering a knee injury. He would not return to the field and it would later be revealed that he strained his MCL. After a scoreless third quarter, Tennessee would take the lead in the fourth quarter as kicker

Rob Bironas James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...

got a 45-yard field goal. Pittsburgh would tie the game as kicker Jeff Reed made a 32-yard field goal. With time running out, the Steelers drove down the field again, and lost the ball to a rare Hines Ward fumble, allowing the Titans to run the game into overtime. In overtime, the Steelers won the cointoss and never relinquished the ball. In the end, Pittsburgh emerged victorious as Reed nailed the game-winning 33-yard field goal. With the win, the Steelers began their season at 1–0. This also marked the first time that the Steelers were able to win against Collins.

Week 2: at Chicago Bears

Coming off their season-opening win over the Titans, the Steelers flew to

Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since 1 ...

for a Week 2 interconference duel with the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

. In the first quarter, Pittsburgh struck first as quarterback

completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end

Matt Spaeth Matt Spaeth (born November 24, 1983) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft and later won Super Bowl XLIII with them against the Arizona Cardinals. He has also played for ...

. However, in the second quarter, the Bears answered with quarterback

Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Van ...

completing a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end

Kellen Davis Kellen M. Davis (born October 11, 1985) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State. College career Davis was ranked among t ...

. Pittsburgh would regain their lead in the third quarter as Roethlisberger got a 2-yard touchdown run, but in the fourth quarter, two missed field goals from kicker Jeff Reed would lead to Cutler's 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Johnny Knox Johnny Otis Knox II (born November 3, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Abilene Christian University. He was selected by the Chicag ...

and kicker

Robbie Gould Robert Paul Gould III (; born December 6, 1982) is an American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played with the Chicago Bears from 2005 to 2015, during which he became the franchise's all ...

's 44-yard field goal. With the loss, the Steelers fell to 1–1.

Week 3: at Cincinnati Bengals

Following a tough road loss against the Bears, the Steelers flew to

Paul Brown Stadium Paycor Stadium, previously known as Paul Brown Stadium, is an outdoor football stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League and opened on August 19, 2000. Originally named after the B ...

for a Week 3 AFC North duel with the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

. Pittsburgh would strike first in the first quarter with kicker Jeff Reed's 19-yard field goal and quarterback

's 27-yard touchdown pass to running back

Willie Parker William Everett Parker Jr. (born November 11, 1980) is an American former football running back who played for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for North Carolina, he ...

. The Steelers would add onto their lead in the second quarter as Reed made a 34-yard field goal. The Bengals would close out the half with kicker

Shayne Graham Michael Shayne Graham (born December 9, 1977) is an American football coach and former placekicker. Graham played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech. He made his professional debut in Ma ...

's 34-yard field goal. Cincinnati would creep closer in the third quarter as cornerback

Johnathan Joseph Johnathan Lee Joseph (born April 16, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at South Carolina Gamecocks football, South Carolina and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2006 NFL Dr ...

returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown (with a failed PAT), yet Pittsburgh answered with Roethlisberger's 1-yard touchdown run. However, in the fourth quarter, the Bengals took the lead with running back

Cedric Benson Cedric Myron Benson (December 28, 1982 – August 17, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and was recognized as a co ...

's 23-yard touchdown run (with a failed 2-point conversion) and quarterback

Carson Palmer Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at ...

's 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Andre Caldwell Andre Jerome "Bubba" Caldwell (born April 15, 1985), is a former professional American football player who was a wide receiver and kickoff returner in the National Football League (NFL). Caldwell played college football for the Florida Gator ...

(with a successful 2-point conversion pass to running back

Brian Leonard Brian Leonard (born February 3, 1984) is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Rutgers. Leonard also played for the Cincinnati Bengal ...

). The Steelers tried to rally, but Roethlisberger's last-second hail mary pass was incomplete, preserving the defeat. With the loss, Pittsburgh fell to 1–2 and 3rd place in the AFC North. This would also become the team's first 1–2 start since 2006. Wide receiver

(4 receptions, 82 yards) would become the 21st player in NFL history to surpass 800 career receptions and 10,000 receiving yards.

Week 4: vs. San Diego Chargers

Hoping to snap a two-game losing skid, the Steelers went home, donned their throwback uniforms, and prepared for a Week 4 Sunday night duel with the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

. Pittsburgh got off to a fast start in the opening half with running back

Rashard Mendenhall Rashard Jamal Mendenhall (born June 19, 1987) is a former American football running back and current television writer who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. He played college football at Illinois and was drafted by th ...

(filling in for the injured

) helping out the cause on a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, followed by quarterback

's 19-yard touchdown pass to running back

Mewelde Moore Mewelde Jaem Cadere Moore (born July 24, 1982) is a former American football running back. He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. Moore also played with the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning a Sup ...

. The Steelers would carry their fast start into the second quarter as Mendenhall got a 2-yard touchdown run. In the third quarter, Pittsburgh picked up where they left off, with Roethlisberger completing a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end

. The Chargers would get on the board with quarterback

Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was sele ...

' 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end

Antonio Gates Antonio Ethan Gates Sr. (born June 18, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for the San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers during his entire career in the National Football League (NFL). He was named to the Pro ...

. In the fourth quarter, San Diego began to play catch-up with a special teams play. Fullback

Jacob Hester Jacob Troy Hester (born May 8, 1985) is a former American football fullback who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played college foo ...

would strip return specialist

of the ball and go 41 yards for a touchdown. The Steelers came right back with a trick play, as Moore completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Miller. However, the Chargers would slash away at the Steelers' lead, with Rivers completing a 30-yard touchdown pass to Gates and a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Chris Chambers Christopher J. Chambers (born August 12, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver who played 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers football, University of Wisconsin. He ...

. Pittsburgh would answer the call with kicker Jeff Reed booting a 46-yard field goal, followed by linebacker James Harrison causing a sack and a fumble. It would allow linebacker

James Farrior James Alfred Farrior (born January 6, 1975) is a former American football linebacker who played fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Virginia. He played with the New York Jets ...

to recover the fumble and secure the victory. With the win, not only did the Steelers improve to 2–2, but they also extended their regular-season home-game winning streak over San Diego to 13-straight. Mendenhall would have a career night, with 29 carries for 165 yards, in addition to his two rushing touchdowns.

Week 5: at Detroit Lions

Following a close victory over the Chargers, the Steelers traveled to

Ford Field Ford Field is a domed American football stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It primarily serves as the home of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), as well as the annual Quick Lane Bowl college football bowl game, state champ ...

for a Week 5 interconference duel with the 1–3

. Despite the Lions getting the opening score of the first quarter with a 46-yard field goal from kicker

Jason Hanson Jason Hanson (born June 17, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a kicker who spent his entire 21-year career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Washi ...

, Pittsburgh would answer with running back

's 7-yard touchdown run. Afterwards, Detroit closed out the opening period with Hanson making another 46-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Steelers would deliver a big strike with quarterback

completing a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end

. Even though the Lions came right back with cornerback Williams James returning an interception 38 yards for a touchdown, Pittsburgh effectively replied with Roethlisberger's 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

. In the third quarter, the Steelers would add onto their lead as Roethlisberger threw to rookie wide receiver

Mike Wallace Myron Leon Wallace (May 9, 1918 – April 7, 2012) was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. He interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade career. He was one of the original correspo ...

on a 47-yard touchdown pass. Detroit tried to rally in the fourth quarter as quarterback

Daunte Culpepper Daunte Rachard Culpepper (born January 28, 1977) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at UCF and was selected ...

found wide receiver

Dennis Northcutt Dennis LaMont Northcutt (born December 22, 1977) is a retired American professional football player who was a wide receiver and punt returner in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the Universit ...

on a 25-yard touchdown pass, but Pittsburgh's defense made a crucial stand with three-straight sacks (courtesy of linebacker

LaMarr Woodley LaMarr Dewayne Woodley (born November 3, 1984) is a former American football outside linebacker. He played college football at Michigan, where he was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seco ...

, cornerback William Gay, and linebacker

Lawrence Timmons Lawrence Olajuwon Timmons (born May 14, 1986) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He would go on to win Super Bowl XLIII with the Steelers the following ...

), followed by cornerback

swatting away the Lions' last hope from a hail-mary pass. With the win, the Steelers improved to 3–2.

Week 6: vs. Cleveland Browns

Coming off their road win over the Lions, the Steelers went home for a divisional match with the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

. After a scoreless first quarter, Pittsburgh came out striking in the second quarter as quarterback

completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end

and a 52-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

. The Browns immediately struck back as wide receiver

Joshua Cribbs Joshua Cribbs (born June 9, 1983) is an American former football return specialist and wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Kent State University, and was signed by the Cleveland Browns ...

returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Pittsburgh would close out the half with a 32-yard field goal from kicker Jeff Reed. Cleveland tried to catch up as quarterback Derek Anderson completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback

Lawrence Vickers Lawrence Blanchard Vickers, Jr. (born May 8, 1983) is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Colorado Buffaloes. Ear ...

, yet the Steelers answered with a 2-yard touchdown run from running back

. Pittsburgh would then close the game out in the fourth quarter with Reed kicking a 39-yard field goal. With their 12th-straight win over the Browns, the Steelers improved to 4–2. With the Ravens' loss to the Vikings, and the Bengals' loss to the Texans that same week, the Steelers are now tied with the Bengals at the top of the AFC North.

Week 7: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Coming off their divisional win over the Browns, the Steelers stayed at home for a Week 7 interconference duel with the 6–0

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

. Pittsburgh got the game's opening score late in the first quarter with kicker Jeff Reed nailing a 39-yard field goal. The Vikings would answer in the second quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run from running back

Adrian Peterson Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...

, yet the Steelers struck back with

completing a 40-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver

. Both teams would swap field goals in the third quarter, with Reed booting a 27-yard field goal and Vikings kicker

Ryan Longwell Ryan Walker Longwell (born August 16, 1974Ryan Longwell
NFLPA.com. Retrieved November 22, 2014.

making an 18-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh defense came up with a huge play as defensive end

forced a fumble off of Vikings quarterback

Brett Favre Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...

, allowing linebacker

to return the fumble 77 yards for a touchdown. However, Minnesota immediately struck back as wide receiver

Percy Harvin William Percival Harvin III (born May 28, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Florida, when the Gators won the BCS National Championship in 2006 and 2008, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings o ...

returned a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown. The Steelers' defense came up big again as linebacker

returned a Favre interception 82 yards for a touchdown. With the huge win, Pittsburgh went into their bye week at 5–2 while Minnesota dropped to 6–1.

Week 8: BYE

Week 9: at Denver Broncos

Coming off their bye week, the Steelers flew to

INVESCO Field at Mile High Empower Field at Mile High (previously known as Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Invesco Field at Mile High and Sports Authority Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, New Mile High or Mile High Stadium) is an American football stadium ...

for a Week 9 Monday night duel with the

. Pittsburgh would trail in the first quarter as the Broncos closed out the game's opening drive with kicker

Matt Prater Matthew Phillip Prater (born August 10, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Regarded as one of the best long distance kickers in NFL history, he held the NFL record for lon ...

booting a 40-yard field goal, yet the Steelers would answer in the second quarter as safety

Tyrone Carter Tyrone M. Carter (born March 31, 1976) is a former American football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Minnesota, earned All-American honors and won several national awar ...

(who filled in for safety Ryan Clark) returned an interception 48 yards for a touchdown. Denver would answer in the third quarter as quarterback

was sacked by defensive end Kenny Peterson, which caused a fumble. The ball would be picked up by linebacker

Robert Ayers Robert Ayers (born September 6, 1985) is a former American football defensive end that played 10 years in the NFL. He played college football at Tennessee and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He has als ...

and returned 54 yards for a touchdown. Afterwards, Pittsburgh would answer with Roethlisberger completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

. In the fourth quarter, the Steelers would pull away as Roethlisberger connected with rookie wide receiver

on a 25-yard touchdown pass, followed completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ward. With the upset victory, Pittsburgh improved to 6–2.

Week 10: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Coming off their impressive Monday night road win over the Broncos, the Steelers went home for a divisional rematch with the

with first place in the division on the line. In the first quarter, Pittsburgh would deliver the game's first strike with a 28-yard field goal from kicker Jeff Reed. However, the Bengals would immediately answer as running back

Bernard Scott Bernard Scott (born February 10, 1984) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Abilene Christian. His brother Daryl Richardson i ...

returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown (with a failed PAT). The Steelers would regain the lead in the second quarter as Reed got a 33-yard and a 35-yard field goal. Cincinnati would respond in the third quarter as kicker

made a 23-yard and a 32-yard field goal. Pittsburgh would tie the game in the fourth quarter with Reed nailing a 34-yard field goal. However, the Bengals would pull away as Graham booted a 32-yard and a 43-yard field goal. With the upset loss, the Steelers fell to 6–3.

Week 11: at Kansas City Chiefs

After the loss to the Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers journeyed to Arrowhead Stadium for a match with the Chiefs. At the start of the first quarter Chiefs RB

Jamaal Charles Jamaal RaShaad Jones Charles (born December 27, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Texas, where he won the 2006 Rose Bowl, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third ro ...

returned a kickoff from their own 3-yard line to the Steelers' endzone for a touchdown. In the second quarter Pittsburgh rallied as PK Jeff Reed made a 36-yard field goal, then QB

made an 8-yard touchdown pass to WR

, and then Roethlisberger passed to TE

10 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter the Chiefs tied the game when QB

Matt Cassel Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. A member of seven NFL teams, Cassel's most notable stints were with the New England Patriots an ...

made a 21-yard touchdown pass to TE

Leonard Pope Leonard Pope (born September 10, 1983) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia. Pope has also played for the Kansas City Chi ...

, and then kicker

Ryan Succop Ryan Barrow Succop ( "suck-up"; born September 19, 1986) is an American football placekicker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). Succop played college football at South Carolina and was the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant by ...

made a 22-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter Pittsburgh took the lead as QB

made an 8-yard touchdown pass to RB

, until the Chiefs came back to tie the game as QB

made a two-yard touchdown pass to

to put the game in overtime. Afterwards, it was Kansas City that took the win when kicker

made a 22-yard field goal. With the shocking loss, the Steelers fell to 6–4.

Week 12: at Baltimore Ravens

Following a loss to the 3–7 Kansas City Chiefs the previous week, the Steelers traveled to M&T Bank Stadium for another divisional game. Ben Roethlisberger, who suffered a concussion in the previous week's overtime loss, was the designated 3rd (emergency) quarterback. Backup Charlie Batch also was hurt in that game, which left 2nd-year QB Dennis Dixon, who previously had one pass in his NFL career, to start. The Steelers received the opening kickoff, but went three-and-out. On the ensuing possession, the Ravens drove down the field with ease, capping off their drive with a touchdown run by Willis McGahee. In the second quarter, Dixon hit WR Santonio Holmes on a play-action pass for a 33-yard TD, tying the game. The Ravens answered on the following drive, with a 52-yard strike from

Joe Flacco Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Delaware after transferring from Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Baltim ...

to Mark Clayton, setting up a 10-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Mason. In the third quarter, on the Ravens opening possession, Mark Clayton made a 9-yard reception but fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Tyrone Carter. The Steelers drove, but were held to a field goal by Jeff Reed. Later in the 4th quarter, Joe Flacco was sacked by Lawrence Timmons and fumbled the ball, recovered by the Steelers near midfield. The drive resulted in a 24-yard run on a QB option by Dixon, giving the Steelers their first lead of the night. On the Ravens next possession Joe Flacco completed a pass to Derrick Mason for 17 yards, and then found Ray Rice for a 44-yard reception, setting the Ravens up inside the Steeler 10 yard line with less than 2 minutes left. Billy Cundiff tied the game with a 24-yard field goal. On the following Steeler possession, Dennis Dixon was nearly intercepted by Lardarius Webb. The Steelers were forced to punt, giving the ball back to the Ravens with about 1:30 left in the game. The Ravens managed to drive to the Steeler 40 yard line, where their drive stalled. With the clock counting inside 10 seconds left and no timeouts, the field goal team managed to get into formation, and get the kick off. The 56 yard attempt by Billy Cundiff was dead center, but about 2 yards short, sending the game into overtime. In overtime, the Steelers won the coin toss and got the ball, but were forced to punt. The Ravens, also forced to punt deep in their own territory, gave the ball to Pittsburgh around the Steeler 40 yard line. On a 3rd and 5, Dennis Dixon threw an interception to LB Paul Kruger, who returned the ball 26 yards to the Steeler 28 yard line. Already in field goal range, the Ravens ran the ball down to the Pittsburgh 11 yard line where Billy Cundiff made a 29-yard field goal to win the game. With their second consecutive overtime loss, the Steelers fell to 6–5.

Week 13: vs. Oakland Raiders

Coming off back-to-back losses in overtime, the Steelers looked to turn things around. With the return of Ben Roethlisberger to action, the Steelers hosted the 3–8 Oakland Raiders. The Steelers would open with a 33-yard field goal by Jeff Reed. Oakland responded with a 48-yarder by

Sebastian Janikowski Sebastian Paweł Janikowski (; born March 2, 1978) is a Polish former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Florida State ...

, and both teams were tied 3–3 as the 2nd quarter began. Roethlisberger found Santonio Holmes for a 34-yard TD pass to begin the 2nd quarter. Oakland would put 3 points on the board after a 43-yard field goal halfway through the quarter, and the Steelers headed to Halftime with a 10–6 lead. There followed a scoreless third quarter, and in the fourth Pittsburgh's defensive struggles were exploited by the Raiders, who were able to find the end zone three times. Bruce Gradkowski would find Chaz Schilens for a 17-yard TD pass with 8:21 remaining in the game, giving Oakland their first lead of the game, 13–10. Pittsburgh responded just one minute later with a 3-yard TD run by Rashard Mendenhall. But Oakland would not be stopped. Gradkowski hit Louis Murphy for a 75-yard TD pass with 5:28 remaining, and the Raiders went up 20–17. Roethlisberger would make an 11-yard TD pass to Hines Ward with 1:56 remaining and the Steelers would regain the lead 24–20. All that was needed was for the Steelers' defense to keep Oakland out of the end zone and they would win. But with nine seconds remaining, Gradkowski would once again find Louis Murphy open in the end zone for an 11-yard TD pass and the Raiders would win 27–24. The game would mark the fifth time in six games that the Steelers suffered a 4th quarter collapse, and the second time in three weeks Pittsburgh had fallen to an opponent with a losing record. At the conclusion of the game, the Steelers had allowed seven plays of 40 yards or longer in their last four games (they only gave up two such plays in 2008). With the loss, the Steelers fell to 6–6.

Week 14: at Cleveland Browns

After losing four games in a row, the Steelers went to Cleveland for a Thursday Night divisional match. In windy, below-freezing conditions, Browns kicker Phil Dawson hit a 29-yard field goal in the 1st quarter to give the Brown's an early 3–0 lead. He would kick another 29-yarder in the 2nd quarter, and Chris Jennings had a 10-yard touchdown run to put the Browns up 13–0. Jeff Reed kicked a field goal before the half to put the Steelers on the board. They would go into halftime down 13–3. Jeff Reed would kick another field goal in the 3rd quarter to bring them within a touchdown. However, a scoreless 4th quarter by both teams led the Browns to their first win against the Steelers since 2003, becoming only the fourth team in NFL history to be at least 10 games under .500 and defeat the defending Super Bowl champions. With another loss, the Steelers fell to 6–7. It was the first time since the 1987 New York Giants that a defending Super Bowl Champion team suffered five consecutive losses.

Week 15 vs. Green Bay Packers

The Steelers would come into the game riding a five-game losing streak. They also no longer controlled their playoff destiny, needing to win their final three games of the season, and also losses by other AFC teams to have a chance for a wild card. Pittsburgh would strike on their first play of the game when

hit a wide-open Mike Wallace for a 60-yard TD pass. Green Bay would answer with an 83-yard strike from

Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...

Greg Jennings Gregory Jennings Jr. (born September 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Western Michigan an ...

for a TD. The Steelers would cap the 1st quarter with a 2-yard TD run by

. In the 2nd quarter, QB Aaron Rodgers was able to scramble out of the pocket for a 14-yard TD run. Ben Roethlisberger would hit

for a 10-yard TD pass in the final seconds of the 1st Half and the Steelers would take a 21–14 lead into halftime with them. The 2nd half got off to a slow start for both teams. Jeff Reed would kick a 37-yard field goal, the only scoring of the 3rd quarter. In the 4th quarter, it became a shootout between both quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers would hit

Jermichael Finley Jermichael Decorean Finley (born March 26, 1987) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. With the Packers, he attended the Super Bowl XLV win over the Pittsburg ...

for an 11-yard TD pass. The Steelers answered with a 34-yard field goal, but would lose the lead for the first time in the game when Ryan Grant rushed for a 24-yard score, putting Green Bay up 28–27. The Steelers would once again answer with a 43-yard field goal, but Aaron Rodgers would complete a 24-yard TD pass to James Jones and follow it with a successful 2-point conversion attempt. The Steelers, down 36–30, would get the ball back with just 2 minutes left in the game. With just 3 seconds remaining, Ben Roethlisberger would hit Mike Wallace in the left sideline of the endzone (in a TD pass that resembled the Super Bowl-winning catch by Santonio Holmes back in February) and the extra point was good, giving the Steelers a last-second 37–36 win over the Packers. Ben Roethlisberger would finish with a record-setting game, going 29/46 for 503 yards and 3 TD passes. He would become the first quarterback in Steelers' franchise history to have a 500-yard game. With the last second win, the Steelers would move to 7–7. These two teams would meet again a year later in

Super Bowl XLV Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champi ...

with the Steelers falling short 25-31.

Week 16: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Coming off a win over the Green Bay Packers, the Steelers hosted the Baltimore Ravens in their second matchup of the season. There was much at stake, as the Ravens needed to win to get into the playoffs, and the Steelers needed to win in order to keep their faint playoff hopes alive as well. Jeff Reed booted 26-yard and 39-yard field goals and Billy Cundiff kicked a 27-yarder to give the Steelers a 6–3 lead as they started the second quarter. The Steelers offense would start rolling, scoring on a 4-yard run by Rashard Mendenhall. Joe Flacco responded with a 30-yard TD pass to Todd Heap. But in the final seconds of the first half, Ben Roethlisberger found Santonio Holmes for a 24-yard TD pass, and the Steelers carried a 20–10 lead with them into halftime. Baltimore controlled the third quarter. Flacco hit Heaps for a seven-yard TD pass and Cundiff kicked a 35-yard field goal to tie the game. The fourth quarter saw both defenses step up. Jeff Reed kicked a 38-yard field goal with 5:25 remaining to give the Steelers a 23–20 lead. Baltimore had one more chance to score, but rookie defensive end Ziggy Hood recorded his first career sack and then recovered Flacco's fumble on a fourth and 10 play from the Steelers' 39 with 2:27 remaining. An apparent interception thrown by Roethlisberger was negated by an "illegal block in the back" penalty and the Steelers ran out the clock, securing the win. The win not only prevented Baltimore from clinching a wild card, but kept Pittsburgh's playoff hopes alive as well. They would need to win at Miami in their season finale and also need other teams to lose. With the win, the Steelers moved to 8–7.

Week 17: at Miami Dolphins

The Steelers' defense averted a fourth-quarter collapse while sending two of Miami's quarterbacks to the sideline, including third-string Pat White, who was hit in the head and carried off the field on a stretcher. In the first quarter, Ben Roethlisberger hit Santonio Holmes for a five-yard TD on their opening possession. Miami responded quickly, when

Chad Henne Chad Steven Henne (; born July 2, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan. While there, Henne became only the second true freshman starti ...

threw an 11-yard pass to Lex Hilliard. A few minutes later, Roethlisberger found Mike Wallace wide open for a 54-yard TD. In the second quarter, Miami's

Dan Carpenter Daniel Roy Carpenter (born November 25, 1985) is a former American football placekicker. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008 after playing college football for the University of Montana. He has also played for ...

kicked a 25-yard field goal and Pittsburgh's Jeff Reed kicked a 22-yard field goal to give the Steelers a 17–10 halftime lead. The Steelers put the only points on the board in the third quarter, scoring on a three-yard TD pass to Heath Miller. The Steelers carried a 20–10 lead into the fourth quarter, but that would not be enough to allow them to play conservatively. Following Reed's 21-yard field goal to start the final quarter, Miami rallied back with the help of fourth-string quarterback

Tyler Thigpen Tyler Beckham Thigpen (born April 14, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. Thigpen was drafted out of Coastal Carolina University in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft (217th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings. He was the first ...

Brian Hartline Brian Jack Hartline (born November 22, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who currently serves as the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. He played college football at Ohio State, and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the four ...

rushed for a 16-yard TD run and Thigpen threw a 34-yard TD pass to Davone Bess, drawing the Dolphins back within a field goal of tying the game. Former Steelers linebacker

Joey Porter Joseph Eugene Porter (born March 22, 1977) is an American former football outside linebacker who played 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), and is a former outside linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After playing coll ...

recovered a fumble by Roethlisberger at the Steelers' 13-yard line with 6 minutes remaining, but Thigpen was intercepted at the two-yard line. The Steelers drove 83 yards in the final minutes, ending the game with a 33-yard field goal, and a 30–24 win. The Steelers' win brought their season-ending winning record to 9–7. The injury-ridden Dolphins had been eliminated from post-season contention minutes earlier when the Texans defeated the Patriots (ensuring that the Dolphins would not play

Super Bowl XLIV Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...

in their own home). For four hours, the Steelers waited for the Ravens–Raiders game to end, but Baltimore won and got the No. 6 AFC seed, thus preventing the Steelers from attempting to repeat their world title.

Post-season summary

The Pittsburgh Steelers battled many injuries throughout the year. Troy Polamalu only played in five games the entire season, Ben Roethlisberger missed a critical divisional game against the Ravens due to a concussion, Chris Kemoeatu missed four games, Travis Kirschke missed five games, and Aaron Smith missed 10 games. The Steelers beat four eventual playoff-bound teams: the Green Bay Packers, the Minnesota Vikings, the Baltimore Ravens, and the San Diego Chargers. The Steelers' offense gained 369.2 yards a game (263.1 coming through the air, and 106.1 coming on the ground). The Steelers' defense allowed their opponents to compile 305.5 average yards per game, and allowed only an average of 89.3 yards a game on the ground. Ben Roethlisberger was able to set team passing records in the following categories: completion percentage, completions, attempts, and yards. The Steelers defense compiled 47 sacks, and the team finished with 41 total touchdowns and 3 defensive touchdowns. However, five of the Steelers seven losses came from blowing leads in the fourth quarter. Had they won those games, they would have finished with a 14–2 record. Five of their losses came consecutively, losing to the Bengals, Chiefs, Ravens, Raiders, and Browns. They finished 2–4 against teams with losing records. Pittsburgh’s special team allowed eight straight kickoff/punt returns for touchdowns. The Steelers also allowed for a 100-yard rusher in Week 16 against Baltimore (Ray Rice, 141-yards), snapping their 33-game streak of not allowing one. Ben Roethlisberger was voted the team’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year. He was the first quarterback in Steelers’ franchise history to throw for 4,000 yards in a season, throwing 26 touchdowns. Rookie of the Year honors went to receiver Mike Wallace, who had 39 receptions for 756-yards and 6 touchdowns. Rashard Mendenhall was awarded Most Improved Player, finishing with 1,108 yards rushing and 8 touchdowns. Defensive Player of the Year went to James Harrison, who finished the season with 79 tackles, 11 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. James Harrison and Casey Hampton were voted to the

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

, Harrison as a starter and Hampton as a reserve. Lamar Woodley and Heath Miller were added to the Pro Bowl roster as replacements for players who couldn't attend. Ben Roethlisberger, was the first alternate among AFC QBs, but due to a shoulder injury he turned down the opportunity to replace

Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...

. Lamar Woodley was named to the Associated Press (AP) All-Pro second team. James Harrison received the 5th-most votes among outside linebackers in the AP balloting, leaving him just off the second team. However, it was later discovered that

Brian Cushing Brian Patrick Cushing (born January 24, 1987) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at USC, and was drafted by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft and played his entire 9-year career for the ...

of the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

, who was named to the AP's second-team at outside linebacker, had tested positive for a banned drug during the season. The AP chose to re-open balloting and Harrison and

Lance Briggs Lance Marell Briggs (born November 12, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona Wildcats and was select ...

of the

leapfrogged Cushing and made the second-team. Other Steelers receiving AP All-pro votes were tackle Willie Colon (1 vote, thirteenth among offensive tackles), nose tackle Casey Hampton (1 vote, sixth among defensive tackles), tight end Heath Miller (1 vote, fifth among tight ends) and placekicker Jeff Reed (1 vote, fourth among kickers). Harrison was named a second team All-Pro by the

Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

References

External links

2009 Pittsburgh Steelers season at Pro Football Reference

2009 Pittsburgh Steelers season
statistics at jt-sw.com
2009 Pittsburgh Steelers season at ESPN

2009 History Of Pittsburgh Steelers Football Game
{{DEFAULTSORT:2009 Pittsburgh Steelers Season

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

Pittsburgh Steelers seasons Pitts