# 1999 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The 1999 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise’s 67th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League.
For the second consecutive season the Steelers failed to make the playoffs after starting off the season by winning 5 of their first 8 games. Losing seven of the remaining eight dropped Pittsburgh to 6–10 for the year, their worst record under Bill Cowher.
The 1999 Steelers are the only NFL team since at least 1940 to concede so many as five safeties in one season.

## Offseason
### 1999 expansion draft

Steelers selected during the expansion draft :
| Pick | Name | Position | Expansion team |
| 9 | Rod Manuel | Defensive end | Cleveland Browns |

### NFL draft

1999 Pittsburgh Steelers draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 13 | Troy Edwards | Wide receiver | Louisiana Tech |
| 2 | 59 | Scott Shields | Safety | Weber State |
| 3 | 73 | Joey Porter * | Linebacker | Colorado State |
| 3 | 74 | Kris Farris | Tackle | UCLA |
| 3 | 95 | Amos Zereoué | Running back | West Virginia |
| 4 | 109 | Aaron Smith * | Defensive end | Northern Colorado |
| 5 | 136 | Jerame Tuman | Tight end | Michigan |
| 5 | 166 | Malcolm Johnson | Wide receiver | Notre Dame |
| 7 | 214 | Antonio Dingle | Defensive tackle | Virginia |
| 7 | 219 | Chad Kelsay | Linebacker | Nebraska |
| 7 | 228 | Kris Brown | Kicker | Nebraska |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

### Undrafted free agents

1999 undrafted free agents of note :
| Player | Position | College |
| Cory Geason | Tight end | Tulane |
| Mike Schneck | Long snapper | Wisconsin |
| Anthony Wright | Quarterback | South Carolina |

## Personnel
### Staff

Notable additions include Joey Porter and Aaron Smith.

### Roster
## Preseason
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Game Site | Kickoff (ET) | TV | Result | Record |
| 1 | Fri. Aug. 13 | Chicago Bears | Three Rivers Stadium | 7:30 p.m. | KDKA | W 30–23 | 1–0 |
| 2 | Fri. Aug. 20 | at Carolina Panthers | Ericsson Stadium | 8:00 p.m. | KDKA | L 20–13 | 1–1 |
| 3 | Sat. Aug. 28 | Washington Redskins | Three Rivers Stadium | 7:30 p.m. | KDKA | L 27–14 | 1–2 |
| 4 | Sat. Sep. 4 | at Buffalo Bills | Ralph Wilson Stadium | 7:30 p.m. | KDKA | L 16–14 | 1–3 |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue |
| 1 | September 12 | at Cleveland Browns | W 43–0 | 1–0 | Cleveland Browns Stadium |
| 2 | September 19 | at Baltimore Ravens | W 23–20 | 2–0 | PSInet Stadium |
| 3 | September 26 | Seattle Seahawks | L 10–29 | 2–1 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 4 | October 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | L 3–17 | 2–2 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 5 | October 10 | at Buffalo Bills | L 21–24 | 2–3 | Ralph Wilson Stadium |
| 6 | October 17 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 17–3 | 3–3 | Cinergy Field |
| 7 | October 25 | Atlanta Falcons | W 13–9 | 4–3 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 8 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 9 | November 7 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 27–6 | 5–3 | 3Com Park |
| 10 | November 14 | Cleveland Browns | L 15–16 | 5–4 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 11 | November 21 | at Tennessee Titans | L 10–16 | 5–5 | Adelphia Coliseum |
| 12 | November 28 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 20–27 | 5–6 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 13 | December 2 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 6–20 | 5–7 | Alltel Stadium |
| 14 | December 12 | Baltimore Ravens | L 24–31 | 5–8 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 15 | December 18 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 19–35 | 5–9 | Arrowhead Stadium |
| 16 | December 26 | Carolina Panthers | W 30–20 | 6–9 | Three Rivers Stadium |
| 17 | January 2 | Tennessee Titans | L 36–47 | 6–10 | Three Rivers Stadium |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1 (Sunday September 12, 1999): at Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 7 | 13 | 6 | 17 | 43 |
| Browns | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: September 12
* Game time: 8:25 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Overcast, 80 °F (27 °C)
* Game attendance: 73,138
* Referee: Bob McElwee
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire, and Solomon Wilcots
* Box score
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – Kordell Stewart 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 5:16. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 39 yards, 2:30.
Second quarter
PIT – Kris Brown 18-yard field goal, 9:56. Steelers 10–0. Drive: 18 plays, 79 yards, 7:37.
PIT – Richard Huntley 5-yard pass from Kordell Stewart (Kris Brown kick), 4:49. Steelers 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:06.
PIT – Kris Brown 28-yard field goal, 0:06. Steelers 20–0. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 3:31.
Third quarter
PIT – Richard Huntley 3-yard run (kick failed), 5:28. Steelers 26–0. Drive: 14 plays, 76 yards, 7:55.
Fourth quarter
PIT – Kris Brown 19-yard field goal, 11:10. Steelers 29–0. Drive: 14 plays, 64 yards, 8:00.
PIT – Richard Huntley 21-yard pass from Mike Tomczak (Kris Brown kick), 10:48. Steelers 36–0. Drive: 1 play, 21 yards, 0:09.
PIT – Hines Ward 1-yard pass from Mike Tomczak (Kris Brown kick), 6:08. Steelers 43–0. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 4:19.
Top passers
PIT – Kordell Stewart – 15/23, 173 yards, TD
CLE – Ty Detmer – 6/13, 52 yards, INT
Top rushers
PIT – Jerome Bettis – 18 rushes, 89 yards
CLE – Terry Kirby – 5 rushes, 10 yards
Top receivers
PIT – Richard Huntley – 5 receptions, 67 yards, 2 TD
CLE – Leslie Shepherd – 2 receptions, 32 yards :

#### Week 2 (Sunday September 19, 1999): at Baltimore Ravens

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
| Ravens | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at PSINet Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 68,965
* Referee: Gerald Austin
* TV announcers: (CBS) Don Criqui (play by play), Steve Tasker (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – Stewart 8 run (Brown kick)
* Baltimore – Rhett 2 run (Stover kick)
* Pittsburgh – Huntley 17 run (Brown kick)
* Baltimore – FG Stover 45
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 32
* Baltimore – FG Stover 28
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 28
* Baltimore – Ismail 19 pass from Case (Stover kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 36

#### Week 3 (Sunday September 26, 1999): vs. Seattle Seahawks

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 17 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 29 |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather: 78 °F or 25.6 °C (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 57,881
* Referee: Phil Luckett
* TV announcers: (CBS) Kevin Harlan (play by play), Sam Wyche (color commentator), Marcus Allen (sideline reporter)
Scoring drives:
* Seattle – Hanks 23 interception return (Peterson kick)
* Seattle – Rogers 94 punt return (Peterson kick)
* Seattle – FG Peterson 45
* Seattle – FG Peterson 51
* Seattle – FG Peterson 41
* Seattle – FG Peterson 26
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 33
* Seattle – FG Peterson 38
* Pittsburgh – Edwards 16 pass from Tomczak (Brown kick)

#### Week 4 (Sunday October 3, 1999): vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Steelers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather: 59 °F or 15 °C (Partly Sunny)
* Game attendance: 57,308
* Referee: Dick Hantak
* TV announcers: (CBS) Verne Lundquist (play by play), Dan Dierdorf (color commentator), Bonnie Bernstein (sideline reporter)
Scoring drives:
* Jacksonville – McCardell 7 pass from Brunell (Hollis kick)
* PIttsburgh – FG Brown 48
* Jacksonville – FG Hollis 27
* Jacksonville – FG Hollis 41
* Jacksonville – Safety, Stewart fumbled ball out of end zone
* Jacksonville – Safety, Smeenge sacked Stewart in end zone

#### Week 5 (Sunday October 10, 1999): at Buffalo Bills

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Bills | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 71,038
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers: (CBS) Verne Lundquist (play by play), Dan Dierdorf (color commentator), Bonnie Bernstein (sideline reporter)
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – Ward 12 pass from Stewart (Brown kick)
* Buffalo – Gash 2 pass from Flutie (Christie kick)
* Buffalo – Moulds 49 pass from Flutie (Christie kick)
* Buffalo – FG Christie 29
* Pittsburgh – Edwards 17 pass from Stewart (Brown kick)
* Buffalo – Riemersma 8 pass from Flutie (Christie kick)
* Pittsburgh – Bettis 1 run (Brown kick)

#### Week 6 (Sunday October 17, 1999): at Cincinnati Bengals

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| Bengals | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Cinergy Field, Cincinnati, Ohio
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 59,669
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers: (CBS) Gus Johnson (play by play), Brent Jones (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – Bettis 1 run (Brown kick)
* Cincinnati – FG Pelfrey 37
* Pittsburgh – Bettis 5 run (Brown kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 43

#### Week 7 (Monday October 25, 1999): vs. Atlanta Falcons

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Steelers | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time: 9:00 PM EDT
* Game weather: 48 °F or 8.9 °C (Clear)
* Game attendance: 58,141
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers: (ABC) Al Michaels (play by play), Boomer Esiason (color commentator), Lesley Visser (sideline reporter)
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – Huntley 13 pass from Stewart (Brown kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 51
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 25
* Atlanta – Mathis 5 pass from Chandler (Andersen kick)
* Atlanta – Safety, Miller stepped out of end zone

#### Week 9 (Sunday November 7, 1999): at San Francisco 49ers

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 14 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
| 49ers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at 3Com Park, San Francisco, California
* Game time: 4:15 PM EST
* Game weather: 55 °F or 12.8 °C (Rain)
* Game attendance: 68,657
* Referee: Tom White
* TV announcers: (CBS) Greg Gumbel (play by play), Phil Simms (color commentator), Armen Keteyian (sideline reporter)
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – Bettis 1 run (Brown kick)
* San Francisco – FG Richey 19
* Pittsburgh – Ward 13 pass from Stewart (Brown kick)
* PIttsburgh – FG Brown 28
* San Francisco – FG Richey 20
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 38
* Pittsburgh – Bettis 22 run (Brown kick)

#### Week 10 (Sunday November 14, 1999): vs. Cleveland Browns

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 7 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 16 |
| Steelers | 3 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 15 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather: 53 °F or 11.7 °C (Partly Sunny)
* Game attendance: 58,213
* Referee: Johnny Grier
* TV announcers: (CBS) Craig Bolerjack (play by play), Beasley Reece (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
* Cleveland – K. Johnson 35 pass from Couch (Dawson kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 41
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 32
* Pittsburgh – Huntley 5 run (run failed)
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 47
* Cleveland – Edwards 5 pass from Couch (run failed)
* Cleveland – FG Dawson 39

#### Week 11 (Sunday November 21, 1999): at Tennessee Titans

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Titans | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 |
at Adelphia Coliseum, Nashville, Tennessee
* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 66,619
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers: (CBS) Don Criqui (play by play), Steve Tasker (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
* Tennessee – McNair 2 run (Del Greco kick)
* Pittsburgh – Edwards 15 pass from Stewart (Brown kick)
* Tennessee – McNair 3 run (Del Greco kick)
* Tennessee – Safety, Stewart penalized for intentional grounding in end zone
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 24

#### Week 12 (Sunday November 28, 1999): vs. Cincinnati Bengals

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 14 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
| Steelers | 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather: 45 °F or 7.2 °C (Mostly Sunny)
* Game attendance: 50,907
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers: (CBS) Bill Macatee (play by play), Beasley Reece (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
* Cincinnati – Scott 76 pass from Blake (Pelfrey kick)
* Cincinnati – Blake 4 run (Pelfrey kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 35
* Cincinnati – Heath 58 interception return (Pelfrey kick)
* Cincinnati – FG Pelfrey 29
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 33
* Pittsburgh – Shaw 15 pass from Tomczak (Brown kick)
* Pittsburgh – Ward 34 pass from Tomczak (Brown kick)
* Cincinnati – FG Pelfrey 29

#### Week 13 (Thursday December 2, 1999): at Jacksonville Jaguars

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
* Game time: 8:20 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 68,806
* Referee: Bill Carollo
* TV announcers: (ESPN) Mike Patrick (play by play), Joe Theismann & Paul Maguire (color commentators), Solomon Wilcots (sideline reporter)
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 40
* Jacksonville – FG Hollis 25
* Jacksonville – FG Hollis 32
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 39
* Jacksonville – Smith 27 pass from Brunell (Hollis kick)
* Jacksonville – Stewart 1 run (Hollis kick)

#### Week 14 (Sunday December 12, 1999): vs. Baltimore Ravens

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ravens | 7 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 31 |
| Steelers | 10 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather: 42 °F or 5.6 °C (Partly Sunny)
* Game attendance: 46,715
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers: (CBS) Ian Eagle (play by play), Mark May (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – Ward 21 pass from Bettis (Brown kick)
* Baltimore – Holmes 64 run (Stover kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 31
* Baltimore – FG Stover 19
* Baltimore – Ismail 54 pass from Banks (Stover kick)
* Pittsburgh – Edwards 6 pass from Tomczak (Brown kick)
* Baltimore – Ismail 59 pass from Banks (Stover kick)
* Baltimore – Ismail 76 pass from Banks (Stover kick)
* Pittsburgh – Stewart 11 pass from Tomczak (Brown kick)

#### Week 15 (Saturday December 18, 1999): at Kansas City Chiefs

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 10 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 19 |
| Chiefs | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
* Game time: 12:30 PM EST
* Game weather:
* Game attendance: 78,697
* Referee: Larry Nemmers
* TV announcers: (CBS) Verne Lundquist (play by play), Dan Dierdorf (color commentator), Bonnie Bernstein (sideline reporter)
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – T. Edwards 12 pass from Tomczak (Brown kick)
* Kansas City – Gonzales 15 pass from Grbac (Stoyanovich kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 42
* Kansas City – D. Edwards 28 interception return (Stoyanovich kick)
* Kansas City – Gonzales 2 pass from Grbac (Stoyanovich kick)
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 47
* Kansas City – Alexander 82 run (Stoyanovich kick)
* Kansas City – Morris 10 run (Stoyanovich kick)
* Pittsburgh – Shaw 11 pass from Tomczak (pass failed)

#### Week 16 (Sunday December 26, 1999): vs. Carolina Panthers

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Steelers | 10 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 30 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather: 30 °F or −1.1 °C (Light Snow)
* Game attendance: 39,428
* Referee: Bob McElwee
* TV announcers: (FOX) Ray Bentley (play by play), Ron Pitts (color commentator), Alby Oxenreiter (sideline reporter)
Scoring drives:
* Pittsburgh – FG Brown 46
* Pittsburgh – Davis 102 fumble return (Brown kick)
* Carolina – Lane 41 run (Kasay kick)
* Pittsburgh – Huntley 25 run (fumbled snap)
* Carolina – Jeffers 88 pass from Beuerlein (kick failed)
* Pittsburgh – Ward 9 pass from Tomczak (Brown kick)
* Carolina – Jeffers 43 pass from Beuerlein (Kasay kick)
* Pittsburgh – Bettis 8 run (Brown kick)

#### Week 17 (Sunday January 2, 2000): vs. Tennessee Titans

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Titans | 7 | 24 | 9 | 7 | 47 |
| Steelers | 7 | 0 | 22 | 7 | 36 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Game time: 4:15 PM EST
* Game weather: 66 °F or 18.9 °C (Mostly Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 48,025
* Referee: Tom White
* TV announcers: (CBS) Don Criqui (play by play), Steve Tasker (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
* Tennessee – Wycheck 9 pass from McNair (Del Greco kick)
* Pittsburgh – Huntley 8 run (Brown kick)
* Tennessee – Thomas 11 run (Del Greco kick)
* Tennessee – Wycheck 26 pass from O'Donnell (Del Greco kick)
* Tennessee – Kearse 14 fumble return (Del Greco kick)
* Tennessee – FG Del Greco 42
* Pittsburgh – Ward 15 pass from Tomczak (Ward pass from Tomczak)
* Tennessee – Safety, Thorton sacked Tomczak in end zone
* Tennessee – Roan 24 pass from O'Donnell (Del Greco kick)
* Pittsburgh – Bettis 1 run (Brown kick)
* Pittsburgh – Porter 46 fumble return (Brown kick)
* Tennessee – Walker 83 fumble return (Del Greco kick)
* Pittsburgh – Shaw 35 pass from Tomczak (Brown kick)

### Standings

AFC Central :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(1)}$ Jacksonville Jaguars | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 396 | 217 | W1 |
| $^{(4)}$ Tennessee Titans | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 392 | 324 | W4 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 324 | 277 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 317 | 320 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 283 | 460 | L2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 217 | 437 | L6 |