The 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 78th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of 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), the eleventh season under the leadership of general manager
Kevin Colbert
Kevin Colbert (; born January 1957) is a former American football executive. He served as the general manager of Pittsburgh Steelers from 2000 to 2021. Colbert is widely credited with putting together the Super Bowl XL and the Super Bowl XLIII ...
, and the fourth under head coach
Mike Tomlin
Michael Pettaway Tomlin (born March 15, 1972) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Since joining the Steelers in 2007, he has led the team to ten playoff runs, se ...
.
They reached
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 ...
for the franchise's 8th Super Bowl appearance, but lost to the
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 ...
31–25.
The Steelers allowed the fewest points in the NFL in 2010, with 232 (14.5 points per game).
Off-season
In
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
, the Steelers had finished with a 9–7 record in a tie for second place in the
AFC North
The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was adopted after the restructuring of the 2002 NFL s ...
, falling short of the Playoffs. The Steelers played all of their home games at
Heinz Field
Acrisure Stadium is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Panth ...
in
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 ...
, Pennsylvania.
The off-season was marked by the trade of
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 ...
, and the six-game suspension (then reduced to four games) of 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 ...
for off-the-field issues.
The team did not re-sign free agent 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 ...
, who had been with the team since 2004. They added receiver
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El (; born August 17, 1979) is an American football coach and former player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He is currently the wide receivers coach for the Detroit Lions of the Nati ...
and linebacker
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 ...
, who were both with the team for their
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion f ...
victory.
Coaching staff and front-office changes
;Coaching staff turnover
The disappointing outcome of the 2009 season brought about the first significant changes in the team's coaching staff since the hiring of
Mike Tomlin
Michael Pettaway Tomlin (born March 15, 1972) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Since joining the Steelers in 2007, he has led the team to ten playoff runs, se ...
in
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
.
Offensive line coach
Larry Zierlein
Larry Zierlein (born July 12, 1945) is a long-time American football coach at high school, college, and the National Football League (NFL).
Biography
Zierlein grew up in Lenora, Kansas. After spending two years in the Marines from 1966 to 1968, i ...
and special teams coordinator
Bob Ligashesky
Bob Ligashesky (born June 2, 1962) is an American football coach. He is the special teams coordinator at Syracuse University. Ligashesky has been as assistant coach with several teams in the National Football League (NFL).
Playing career
Ligash ...
were dismissed on January 6, 2010. Additionally, quarterbacks coach
Ken Anderson announced his retirement on January 5, 2010. All three men had served in the same roles for the three years since Tomlin assembled his initial staff.
Defensive quality control coach
Lou Spanos
Louis G. Spanos (born March 27, 1971) is an American football coach who was the defensive coordinator for the UConn Huskies football team, a position he held until the start of the 2022 season. He was a defensive quality control and assistant lin ...
left to become the linebackers coach for 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 ...
. Spanos had been on the defensive coaching staff since
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
.
Jerry Olsavsky
Jerome Donald Olsavsky (born March 29, 1967) is a former professional American football linebacker and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Playing ...
was hired to replace Spanos. Olsavsky had coached linebackers at
Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University (YSU or Youngstown State) is a public university in Youngstown, Ohio. It was founded in 1908 and is the easternmost member of the University System of Ohio.
The university is composed of six undergraduate colleges an ...
for the previous seven seasons following a ten-year NFL career as a linebacker, primarily with the Steelers.
Sean Kugler
Sean Patrick Kugler (born August 9, 1966) is an American football coach and former run game coordinator and offensive line coach for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach at the Uni ...
was hired to replace Zierlein as the offensive line coach. Kugler had until recently served in a similar capacity with the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
.
Al Everest
AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media
* Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera
* Al (''Fullmetal ...
filled the vacancy as special teams coordinator left by Ligashesky's dismissal. Everest has nearly 40 years of professional and college coaching experience, including the last fourteen coaching special teams for three NFL clubs. He served most recently as the special teams coach of the
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 ...
. In Everest was named the NFL's Special Teams Coach of the Year for his work with the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
.
Randy Fichtner
Randy Fichtner (born November 7, 1963) is an American football coach. He spent 14 seasons as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers' coaching staff from 2007 to 2020. He most recently served as their offensive coordinator, a position he held for three ...
stepped into the quarterbacks coach post vacated by Anderson's retirement. Fichtner had coached the team's wide receivers since Tomlin's arrival in and
Bruce Arians
Bruce Charles Arians (born October 3, 1952) is an American football executive and former coach in the National Football League (NFL). Since 2022, he has been a senior football consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians was previously the he ...
' promotion from that position to offensive coordinator.
Scottie Montgomery
Scottie Austin Montgomery (born May 26, 1978) is an American football coach for the Indianapolis Colts He most recently was the offensive coordinator at the University of Maryland. Prior to his tenure with Maryland, he was the head football coa ...
was hired as the new wide receivers coach. Montgomery had coached receivers at his alma mater,
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...
, for the past four seasons, following an NFL and
Arena Football
Indoor American football, or arena football, is a variation of gridiron football played at ice hockey-sized indoor arenas. While varying in details from league to league, the rules of indoor football are designed to allow for play in a smaller ...
playing career.
;Front office changes
The team lost pro scouting coordinator
Doug Whaley
Douglass G. Whaley (born December 16, 1972) is an American football executive and former collegiate player. He is the current Senior Vice President of Player Personnel for the XFL and from 2013 to 2017 was the general manager of the Buffalo B ...
who left to become the assistant general manager of the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. Whaley had been in his position with the Steelers since .
Brandon Hunt was hired as Whaley's replacement in a return to the Steelers – Hunt had served as a scouting intern with the club in and . He spent the previous two seasons as a scout with 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 ...
.
Roethlisberger suspension
NFL Commissioner
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 ma ...
Roger Goodell announced in April that Steelers
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
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 ...
will be suspended for up to six games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. The commissioner also ordered Roethlisberger to undergo a behavioral analysis. On September 3, Goodell reduced the suspension to four games based on the results of the analysis and Roethlisberger's behavior in the interim period. Roethlisberger had been accused of
sexual assault
Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...
in two separate incidents in 2009 and 2010, though criminal charges were not brought against him in either case.
Practice jersey sponsor
Communications giant
Comcast
Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...
, the largest cable television provider in the
Pittsburgh metropolitan area
Greater Pittsburgh is a populous region centered around its largest city and economic hub, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The region encompasses Pittsburgh's urban core county, Allegheny, and six adjacent Pennsylvania counties: Armstrong, Beaver, ...
(as well as
Pittsburgh Tri-State), signed on to place ads for its
Xfinity
Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, doing business as Xfinity, is an American telecommunications company and division of Comcast Corporation used to market consumer cable television, internet, telephone, and wireless services provided by the com ...
bundled service on the Steelers' practice jerseys. (The NFL had previously allowed teams to sell ad space on the practice jerseys in 2009.) Comcast has been an official team sponsor since 2002, when Comcast entered the Pittsburgh market through its acquisition of
AT&T Broadband.
Roster changes
Departed players
;
Unrestricted free agents
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 ...
(UFAs) signed by other teams
* RB
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 ...
– signed a 1-year contract with 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 ...
* WR
Joey Galloway
Joseph Scott Galloway (born November 20, 1971) is an American former professional football player who is an analyst with ESPN. He was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Galloway was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks with the ...
– signed a 1-year contract with 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 ...
* CB
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 ...
– signed a 1-year contract with the
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 ...
* G
Darnell Stapleton – signed with the
Florida Tuskers
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to th ...
of the
UFL
* S
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 ...
– signed with 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 ...
* FB
Carey Davis
Carey Alexander Davis (born March 27, 1981) is a former American football fullback. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Illinois.
Davis has also been a member of the Atla ...
– signed with 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 ...
* LB
Rocky Boiman
''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess ...
– signed with the
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 ...
;
Exclusive rights free agents
* LB
Patrick Bailey – re-signed by Steelers; released after final pre-season game in cut-down to 53-man roster;
claimed off waivers by
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 ...
;Players remaining unsigned
* DE
Travis Kirschke
Travis Kirschke (born September 6, 1974) is a former American football defensive end. He was originally signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at UCLA.
He also played for the San Francisco 49ers ...
New players
;Unrestricted free agents signed from other teams
* S
Will Allen – played for the
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 ...
in 2009
* WR
Arnaz Battle
Arnaz Jerome Battle (born February 22, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. Battle also played for the ...
– played for the
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 ...
in 2009
* ILB
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 ...
– played for the
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 ...
in 2009
* WR
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El (; born August 17, 1979) is an American football coach and former player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He is currently the wide receivers coach for the Detroit Lions of the Nati ...
– played for 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
* OL
Jonathan Scott – played for the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
in 2009
* LB
Renauld Williams
Renauld Duvall Williams (born February 23, 1981) is a former Canadian football linebacker. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Hofstra. Williams was also a member of the Miami ...
– played for the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
's
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...
in 2009; released after final pre-season game in cut-down to 53-man roster
Retained players
;Unrestricted free agents re-signed
* 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 th ...
* S
Ryan Clark
* DE
Nick Eason
Nicholas Eason (born May 29, 1980) is an American football coach and former defensive end who is currently the defensive tackles coach and run game coordinator at Clemson University. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Auburn Tig ...
* DT
Casey Hampton
Casey Hampton Jr. (born September 3, 1977) is a former American football nose tackle who played twelve seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, and receiv ...
* PK
Jeff Reed
;
Restricted free agents re-signed
''Steelers made qualifying offers (tenders) which were accepted by these players, and the players were not signed by another team before the end of the restricted free agency period on April 15.
These players are therefore retained by the Steelers.''
* RT
Willie Colon
* CB
William Gay
* P
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
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 ...
Trades
;Players traded away
* WR
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 ...
– traded to the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
for
5th round selection (#155 overall) in the
2010 NFL draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...
;Players added via trade
* 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 seas ...
– acquired from the
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 ...
for 7th round draft selection (#225 overall) in the
2010 NFL draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...
* CB
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 ...
– acquired from 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 ...
along with a 6th round selection (#195 overall) for a 5th round selection (#155 overall) in the
2010 NFL draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...
2010 Draft class
The Steelers selected ten players in the
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...
which took place over three days in late April. The selections consisted of two
offensive line
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...
men, one defensive end, three
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
s, two
wide receivers, a
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 ...
and a
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
. All of the team's draftees attended the 2010
NFL Scouting Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footb ...
. The first round selection,
Pouncey, and the wide receivers
Sanders and
Brown
Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model used ...
were the only selections from among the thirty players the team had brought in for pre-draft visits.
The Steelers made one trade during the draft, re-acquiring
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 ...
from 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 ...
. The deal sent the fifth round selection (pick number 155) which the Steelers had acquired in the
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 ...
trade to the Cardinals in exchange for McFadden and a sixth round selection (pick number 195).
After the completion of the draft the team signed nine
undrafted free agents
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 ...
.
Notes:
: from the
NY Jets
NY most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the Northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
NY, Ny or ny may also refer to:
Places
* North Yorkshire, ...
for
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 ...
:
compensatory selection
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
: from
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 ...
with
CB 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 ...
for pick No. 155 (24th pick of Round 6)
Undrafted free agents
Camps and Organized Team Activities (OTAs)
The Steelers official off-season training sessions were held on the following dates:
Training camp
The team's 80-man roster at the start of training camp looked like this:
Coaching staff
Final roster
Preseason
Schedule
The Steelers preseason schedule was announced on March 31, 2010.
Regular season
Schedule
Per the
NFL's predetermined scheduling formula, the Steelers played every team in the
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). There are currently four teams that reside in the d ...
and
NFC South
The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when ...
, the teams from the
AFC South
The American Football Conference – Southern Division or AFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season, 2002 s ...
and
West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
who finished in the same position as the Steelers in 2009 (third), and their usual
AFC North
The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was adopted after the restructuring of the 2002 NFL s ...
division rivals.
The Steelers played a
Sunday night game on October 31 against the defending
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 ...
champion
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
in a game which conflicted with game four of baseball's
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
. This marked the first time the NFL has scheduled a Sunday night game opposite a World Series contest that is not a seventh game. The league explained that the decision of which game to show in this time slot was made with an eye toward minimizing the possibility that one of the competitors would be from the same market as a team participating in the World Series – New Orleans has no
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
team and the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
were considered long shots to participate in the post-season (and indeed, they posted the worst record in Major League Baseball in 2010). There was also a feeling among the schedulers that the Steelers have a
following
''Following'' is a 1998 independent neo-noir crime thriller film written, produced, edited and directed by Christopher Nolan. It tells the story of a young man who follows strangers around the streets of London and is drawn into a criminal unde ...
independent of other sports. Additionally, while the Saints are the defending Super Bowl champions, the Steelers had won
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 ...
the season before. The game was considered for the
NFL Kickoff game, but before the Saints eventual opponent (the
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 ...
) was announced, the Steelers publicly declined the offer due to the Pirates being scheduled to play at nearby
PNC Park
PNC Park is a baseball stadium on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). It was opened during the 2001 MLB season, after the controlled implosion of the Pira ...
during Weeks 2 and 3 of the Steelers season, and the fact that the two teams prefer not to play in
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 ...
on the same day due to parking issues along Pittsburgh's
North Side, where both PNC Park and
Heinz Field
Acrisure Stadium is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Panth ...
are located. The Steelers hosted the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
in their season opener instead.
The Steelers' only
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 ...
appearance occurred on November 8 against 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 ...
.
Although it is generally unusual to have more than two consecutive home or away games, the Steelers schedule featured three consecutive away games (weeks 7–9) ''and'' three consecutive home games (weeks 14–16).
The team brought back their
throwback uniform
Throwback uniforms, throwback jerseys, retro kits or heritage guernseys are sports uniforms styled to resemble the uniforms that a team wore in the past. One-time or limited-time retro uniforms are sometimes produced to be worn by teams in games ...
for a fourth year. It was worn October 17
against 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 ( ...
and November 14 against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. This marked the first season since the uniforms were introduced in
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
that the Steelers did not wear their throwback uniform against the
rival
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
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 ...
.
:Note: Bold indicates division games.
Standings
Regular-season results
Week 1: vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Steelers began their season at home in an interconference duel with the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
. Pittsburgh delivered the opening punch in the first quarter as kicker
Jeff Reed made a 52-yard field goal. The Falcons would answer in the second quarter with kicker
Matt Bryant
Steven Matt Bryant (born May 29, 1975), nicknamed "Money Matt", is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for the Baylor Bears, and was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the AFL's Iowa Barnstormers in 2000. A ...
making a 49-yard field goal.
Atlanta would take the lead in the third quarter with Bryant's 39-yard field goal, but Pittsburgh would tie the game on Reed's 36-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Steelers would regain the lead as Reed got a 34-yard field goal. However, the Falcons would respond as Bryant nailed a 23-yard field goal. In overtime, Pittsburgh made quick work of their lone possession as 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 ...
got the game-ending 50-yard touchdown run.
With the win, the Steelers not only began their season at 1–0, but they also picked up their eighth consecutive opening day win.
Week 2: at Tennessee Titans
Hoping to maintain their winning streak, the Steelers flew to
LP Field
Nissan Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, it is primarily used for football and is the home field of the Tennessee Titans of the Nati ...
for an AFC Duel with the Titans. The Steelers wasted no time getting the early lead when on the opening kickoff,
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 S ...
handed the ball off to rookie wide receiver
Antonio Brown
Antonio Tavaris Brown Sr. (born July 10, 1988), nicknamed "AB", is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent, and an American rapper. Raised in Liberty City, Miami, Brown attended Miami Norland High School. He played college fo ...
, who returned it 89 yards for a touchdown. Tennessee would cut the lead when
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 ...
nailed a 21-yard field goal. Throughout the rest of the game, Pittsburgh scored steadily with kicker
Jeff Reed, who hit field goals of 36, 34, 25, and 27 yards, putting the Steelers up 19–3. The Titans finally scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter with a
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, ...
2-yard pass to former Steeler
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 ...
, and successfully converted the 2-point conversion and
onside kick
In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a typical kickoff, in which the kicking team intends to give the ball to the ...
necessary to give themselves the chance to tie the game on the final drive. However, Pittsburgh's defense was able to stop Chris Johnson on a reception as the clock ran out, sealing the victory.
Starting quarterback
Dennis Dixon
Dennis Lee Dixon Jr. (born January 11, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft and played with the team through 2011. He was a member of the Baltimore Rav ...
sprained his left knee during the second quarter and was replaced by
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 th ...
, but the Steelers defense swarmed the Titans, coming up with four sacks and forcing seven turnovers, the most by Tennessee since 2000.
The Titans pulled their starting QB,
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and ...
, after his third turnover. After replacing Young, Kerry Collins had two turnovers of his own.
Pittsburgh also ended Tennessee running back
Chris Johnson's 100-yard rushing streak at 12 games. The NFL's rushing champion had a chance to move one game away from the league record of 14 held by Barry Sanders, but he finished with just 16 carries for 34 yards.
Steelers linebacker
James Harrison had three sacks, forced a fumble and recovered another. Safety
Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu (; born Troy Benjamin Aumua; April 19, 1981) is an American former football strong safety who played his entire 12-year career for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).
He played college football ...
was credited for an interception and an impressive leaping tackle on Kerry Collins during an attempted goal-line stand by the Steelers to win the game and improve to 2–0.
Week 3: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Coming off their road win over the Titans, the Steelers flew to
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Tampa, Florida that opened in 1998 and is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) and the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls college football program. The se ...
for a Week 3 interconference duel with the
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 ...
. With quarterback
Dennis Dixon
Dennis Lee Dixon Jr. (born January 11, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft and played with the team through 2011. He was a member of the Baltimore Rav ...
recovering from injury, veteran quarterback
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 th ...
made his first start since Week 17 of the 2007 season.
Pittsburgh trailed early in the first quarter as Buccaneers kicker
Connor Barth
Connor Thomas Barth (born April 11, 1986) is a former American football placekicker who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Carolina and was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undraft ...
got a 40-yard field goal following a Batch interception. Afterwards, the Steelers would answer as Batch completed a 46-yard touchdown pass to 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 ...
. Tampa Bay would respond in the second quarter as Barth nailed a 24-yard field goal, but Pittsburgh would strike back, beginning with a 3-yard touchdown run from 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 ...
. Batch would then find Wallace again on a 41-yard touchdown pass, followed by his 9-yard touchdown pass to wide 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 ...
.
The Steelers would pull away in the second half as kicker
Jeff Reed booted a 24-yard field goal in the third quarter, followed by 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 ...
returning an interception 79 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Buccaneers would close out the game as running back
LeGarrette Blount
LeGarrette Montez Blount (; born December 5, 1986) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football at Oregon after transferring from East Mississippi Commun ...
got a 1-yard touchdown run.
With the win, the Steelers got their first 3–0 start since 2007.
Week 4: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Coming off their impressive road win over the Buccaneers, the Steelers went home for an AFC North duel 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 ...
. Pittsburgh would deliver the opening punch in the first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from 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 ...
. The Ravens would take the lead in the second quarter as running back
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III (born October 21, 1981) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Miami, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American, and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of t ...
got a 9-yard touchdown run, followed by kicker
Billy Cundiff
William Ambrose Cundiff (born March 30, 1980) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Drake University, and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2002.
College career
Cundiff played for ...
getting a 33-yard field goal. After a scoreless third quarter, the Steelers would regain the lead as Mendenhall picked up a 7-yard touchdown run. However, Baltimore would get the last laugh as quarterback
Joe Flacco completed an 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
T. J. Houshmandzadeh with 33 seconds remaining. The Steelers would get the ball back with 20 seconds remaining but quarterback
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 th ...
threw a pass that was picked off by linebacker
Ray Lewis
Raymond Anthony Lewis Jr. (born May 15, 1975) is an American former professional football player who played as a middle linebacker with the Baltimore Ravens for his entire 17-year career in the National Football League (NFL). He played co ...
, effectively ending the game.
With the loss, Pittsburgh went into their bye week at 3–1.
Week 6: vs. Cleveland Browns
Coming off their bye week, the Steelers stayed at home, donned their throwback uniforms, and played their Week 6 AFC North duel with their archrival, 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 ( ...
, 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 ...
made his season debut following his four-game suspension.
Pittsburgh trailed in the first quarter as Browns kicker
Phil Dawson
Philip Drury Dawson (born January 23, 1975) is a former American football placekicker. He played for the Cleveland Browns from 1999 to 2012 and holds their franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010. He pl ...
got a 39-yard field goal. The Steelers answered in the second quarter as Roethlisberger found 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 29-yard touchdown pass.
The Steelers added onto their lead in the third quarter as Roethlisberger connected with wide 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 ...
on an 8-yard touchdown pass. In the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh continued its dominating day as 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 ...
got a 2-yard touchdown run. Cleveland tried to rally as quarterback
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy (born September 5, 1986) is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas Longhorns football, Texas, where he won several awards and honor ...
completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Benjamin Watson
Benjamin Seth Watson (born December 18, 1980) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 32nd overall in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft and won Super Bowl XXXIX with the Patriots over the Philadel ...
, but the Steelers pulled away as Roethlisberger connected with 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 ...
on a 14-yard touchdown pass.
With the win, Pittsburgh improved to 4–1.
Week 7: at Miami Dolphins
Coming off their home win over the Browns, the Steelers flew to
Sun Life Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college ...
for a Week 7 intraconference duel with the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
. Pittsburgh trailed in the first quarter as Dolphins kicker
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 ...
made a 39-yard and a 23-yard field goal. The Steelers took the lead in the second quarter with a 22-yard field goal from kicker
Jeff Reed, followed by 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 ...
hooking up with wide 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 ...
on a 21-yard touchdown pass. Miami answered with Carpenter getting a 22-yard field goal, yet Pittsburgh came right back as Roethlisberger found 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 53-yard touchdown pass. The Dolphins would close out the half with quarterback
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 ...
completing a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Davone Bess
Davone Atrayo Bess (born September 13, 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 Hawaii.
Early years
Bess attended Skyline High Scho ...
.
In the third quarter, the Steelers added onto their lead as Reed booted a 39-yard field goal. Miami answered with Carpenter making a 37-yard field goal. Miami retook the lead in the fourth quarter as Carpenter got a 40-yard field goal, yet Pittsburgh struck back as Reed got an 18-yard field goal. The Dolphins tried to rally, but the Pittsburgh defense stiffened and held for the victory.
With the win, the Steelers improved to 5–1.
Week 8: at New Orleans Saints
Coming off their road win over the Dolphins, the Steelers flew to the
Louisiana Superdome
The Caesars Superdome, commonly known as the Superdome (formerly known as Mercedes-Benz Superdome), is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home stadium of the New Orleans Saints ...
for a Week 8 interconference duel with the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
on Sunday night. After a scoreless first quarter, Pittsburgh struck first in the second quarter with a 19-yard field goal from kicker
Jeff Reed. The Saints answered with a 31-yard field goal from kicker
Garrett Hartley
Garrett Hartley (born May 16, 1986) is an American football placekicker who is a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Later that year he became the placekicker for the New Orleans Saints, for whom he ...
.
New Orleans took the lead as Hartley got a 23-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Saints increased their lead as quarterback
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Marques Colston
Marques E. Colston ( born June 5, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Hofstra University, and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He helped the Saints ac ...
. The Steelers responded with a 38-yard touchdown run from 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 ...
, but New Orleans struck back with Brees completing an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Lance Moore
Lance Andrew Moore (born August 31, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver who played over ten seasons professionally in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Toledo. He was signed by the Cleveland Brown ...
.
With the loss, Pittsburgh fell to 5–2.
Week 9: at Cincinnati Bengals
Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Saints, 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 9 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 ...
on Monday night. Pittsburgh delivered the opening strike in the first quarter as 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 ...
got a 1-yard touchdown run, followed by a 25-yard field goal from kicker
Jeff Reed. The Bengals answered in the second quarter as 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 ...
completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Terrell Owens
Terrell Eldorado Owens (; born December 7, 1973), nicknamed T.O., is an American football wide receiver for the Knights of Degen of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Regar ...
, yet the Steelers responded with 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 ...
hooking up with wide 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 ...
on an 8-yard touchdown pass, followed by Reed's 53-yard field goal. After a scoreless third quarter, Pittsburgh added onto their lead in the fourth quarter as wide receiver
Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El (; born August 17, 1979) is an American football coach and former player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He is currently the wide receivers coach for the Detroit Lions of the Nati ...
found 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 39-yard touchdown pass. Cincinnati tried to rally as Palmer completed a 27-yard touchdown pass to Owens, followed by 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 ...
getting a 1-yard touchdown run, thanks in no small part to two consecutive penalties called against the Steelers, both of which were later deemed by the NFL to have been incorrect. Fortunately, the defense held on to preserve the victory.
With the win, the Steelers improved to 6–2.
Week 10: vs. New England Patriots
The Steelers' ninth game was an AFC duel with the Patriots. The Steelers trailed early as QB
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 ...
made a 19-yard TD pass to TE
Rob Gronkowski
Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the New England Patriots, then played h ...
. This was followed by 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 ...
getting a 31-yard field goal. The Steelers responded in the second quarter with kicker
Jeff Reed nailing a 22-yard field goal. The Steelers struggled further when Brady threw another TD pass to Gronkowski, this one from 9 yards out. That was followed by Brady's scramble 3 yards to the endzone for a touchdown (With a failed PAT as the kick went wide-right). The Steelers scored first in the 4th quarter when QB
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 6-yard TD pass to WR
Emmanuel Sanders
Emmanuel Niamiah Sanders (born March 17, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at SMU, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third ...
. The Steelers looked to create another scoring drive, but it came to a halt when Roethlisberger's pass was intercepted by SS
James Sanders and returned 32 yards for a touchdown (With a failed 2-point conversion). The Steelers tried to cut the lead with a Roethlisberger 15-yard TD pass to WR
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 ...
, but the Patriots replied with Brady getting a 25-yard TD pass to Gronkowski. Again the Steelers tried to get closer when Roethlisberger completed a 33-yard TD pass to Wallace, but the Patriots put the game away after Graham hit a 36-yard field goal.
With the loss, the Steelers fell to 6–3.
Week 11: vs. Oakland Raiders
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Patriots, the Steelers stayed at home for a Week 11 duel with the
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 ...
. Pittsburgh trailed early in the first quarter as Raiders kicker
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 ...
made a 41-yard field goal. However that would turn out to be the Raiders' only points of the game. The Steelers took the lead in the second quarter with a 5-yard touchdown run from 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 ...
, followed by 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 ...
's 16-yard touchdown run and his 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver
Emmanuel Sanders
Emmanuel Niamiah Sanders (born March 17, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at SMU, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third ...
. After a scoreless third quarter, the Steelers added onto their lead in the fourth quarter as Roethlisberger found 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 52-yard touchdown pass. Afterwards, Pittsburgh punctuated the game with a 16-yard touchdown pass to running back
Isaac Redman
Isaac Redman (born November 10, 1984) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland.
Early years
Re ...
.
With the win, the Steelers improved to 7–3.
Week 12: at Buffalo Bills
Coming off their win over the Raiders, the Steelers flew to
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Highmark Stadium is a stadium in Orchard Park, New York, in the Southtowns of the Buffalo metropolitan area. The stadium opened in 1973 as Rich Stadium and is the home venue of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). It was kn ...
for a Week 12 intraconference duel with the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. Pittsburgh delivered the opening punch in the first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from 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 ...
. The Steelers would add onto their lead in the second quarter with a 45-yard and a 46-yard field goal from kicker
Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham (; born December 29, 1981) is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed ...
. Suisham sets the NFL record with all 4 FGs being 40+ yards & with the OT game winner.
Tumbir
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The Bills answered in the third quarter with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick (born November 24, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. During his career, Fitzpatrick started at quarterback for nine different teams, the most ...
completing a 65-yard touchdown pass to running back Fred Jackson. Buffalo continued to creep closer in the fourth quarter as kicker Rian Lindell
Rian David Lindell (born January 20, 1977) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Washington State.
Early years ...
got a 29-yard and a 32-yard field goal. Pittsburgh regained the lead with Suisham's 48-yard field goal, but the Bills tied the game again with Lindell making a 49-yard field goal. In overtime, the Steelers got the last laugh as Suisham nailed the game-ending 41-yard field goal.
With the win, Pittsburgh improved to 8–3.
Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens
Coming off their overtime win over the Bills, the Steelers flew to M&T Bank Stadium
M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the ...
for a Week 13 AFC North rematch 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 ...
on Sunday night. Pittsburgh trailed in the first quarter as Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Anquan Boldin. After a scoreless second quarter, Pittsburgh answered in the third quarter with a 45-yard field goal from kicker Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham (; born December 29, 1981) is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed ...
. Baltimore would respond with kicker Billy Cundiff
William Ambrose Cundiff (born March 30, 1980) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Drake University, and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2002.
College career
Cundiff played for ...
getting a 24-yard field goal. After adding a 19-yarder from Suisham, the Steelers defense would set up a 1st and Goal after safety Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu (; born Troy Benjamin Aumua; April 19, 1981) is an American former football strong safety who played his entire 12-year career for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).
He played college football ...
stripped the ball from Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco with less than three and a half minutes to go, safety Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu (; born Troy Benjamin Aumua; April 19, 1981) is an American former football strong safety who played his entire 12-year career for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).
He played college football ...
's sack on Flacco forced a fumble, allowing 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 ...
to recover the ball and return it to the Baltimore 9, which was followed by 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 ...
finding running back Isaac Redman
Isaac Redman (born November 10, 1984) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland.
Early years
Re ...
on a 9-yard touchdown pass on third down. The Ravens tried to rally, but Pittsburgh's defense held on to prevail with the victory.
With the win, not only did the Steelers improve to 9–3, but it also allowed them to take the AFC North division lead for the first time since week 4.
Week 14: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Coming off their win over the Ravens, the Steelers went home for a Week 14 AFC North rematch 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 trailed early in the first quarter as Bengals 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 ...
completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth
Andrew James Whitworth (born December 12, 1981) is a former American football tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He spent his first 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and his final five with the Los Ange ...
. The Steelers took the lead in the second quarter with safety Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu (; born Troy Benjamin Aumua; April 19, 1981) is an American former football strong safety who played his entire 12-year career for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).
He played college football ...
returning an interception 45 yards for a touchdown, followed by a 23-yard field goal from kicker Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham (; born December 29, 1981) is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed ...
.
Pittsburgh increased their lead in the third quarter with Suisham's 35-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Steelers pulled away in the fourth quarter with 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 ...
returning an interception 14 yards for a touchdown, followed by Suisham booting a 41-yard field goal.
With the win, Pittsburgh improved to 10–3.
Week 15: vs. New York Jets
Coming off their win over the Bengals, the Steelers stayed at home for a Week 15 intraconference duel with the New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. Pittsburgh immediately trailed in the first quarter with Jets wide receiver/quarterback Brad Smith Brad or Bradley Smith may refer to:
Sportspeople
* Bradley Smith (cricketer) (born 1969), English former cricketer
* Brad Smith (footballer, born 1948), Australian rules footballer and premiership coach of East Fremantle
* Brad Smith (ice hockey) ...
returning the game's opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. The Steelers answered in the second quarter with 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 ...
finding 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 ...
on a 9-yard touchdown. New York struck back with kicker Nick Folk
Nicholas Alexander Folk (born Niklaus Aleksandre Faulke, November 5, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona, where he received first-tea ...
making a 25-yard field goal, yet Pittsburgh tied the game with a 42-yard field goal from kicker Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham (; born December 29, 1981) is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed ...
.
The Steelers took the lead in the third quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run from 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 ...
, but the Jets replied with quarterback Mark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and was draft ...
getting a 7-yard touchdown run. New York took back their lead in the fourth quarter with Folk booting a 34-yard field goal, followed by linebacker Jason Taylor tackling 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 S ...
in the endzone for a safety. Pittsburgh tried to rally, but the Jets defense would hold on to preserve the win.
With the loss, the Steelers fell to 10–4.
Week 16: vs. Carolina Panthers
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Jets, the Steelers stayed at home for a Week 16 interconference duel with the Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
on Thursday night. Pittsburgh delivered the game's opening punch in the first quarter with a 26-yard field goal from kicker Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham (; born December 29, 1981) is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed ...
. The Steelers added onto their lead in the second quarter as Roethlisberger found 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 43-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 1-yard touchdown run from running back