page_title: History of the Pittsburgh Steelers
section_title: 2000: 9–7, playoffs missed
hierarchical_section_title: History of the Pittsburgh Steelers / 1992–2006: Cowher's Years / 2000: 9–7, playoffs missed
caption_attribution_description: en:Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher at the White House- Cropped from original image.
context_page_description: The Steelers are an American football franchise representing Pittsburgh. They are the seventh-oldest club in the National Football League, which they joined in 1933. The only surviving NFL teams with a longer history are the Chicago Bears, Chicago Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and Boston Redskins. The Philadelphia Eagles joined the league concurrently with the Steelers in 1933.
  The team was founded by Arthur J. "Art" Rooney. The Rooney family has held a controlling interest in the club for almost its entire history. Since its founding the team has captured six league championships and competed in more than a thousand games. In 2008 the Steelers became the first NFL team to capture six Super Bowl titles. Currently the club is fourth in total NFL Championships behind the Packers, Bears, and Giants. Eighteen Steelers players, coaches or administrators have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
context_section_description: In the 2000 season, the last one at Three Rivers Stadium, Kent Graham was given a chance to start at quarterback. His below average play and nagging injuries early in the season gave Kordell Stewart another chance to reclaim the starting quarterback role. The Steelers started to improve by teamwork alone. Jerome Bettis had a 1,341-yard season. Rookie wide receiver Plaxico Burress joined the team to complement Hines Ward. Linebacker Jason Gildon, the team's only Pro Bowler, had a career-best 13.5 sacks. Up and coming linebacker Joey Porter posted 10.5 sacks as the team finished back above .500 with a 9–7 record. The defense did not allow a touchdown in 20 consecutive quarters during one stretch, just two shy of the NFL record set by the 1976 Steelers, also known as the Steel Curtain.  After a hard-fought season, exacerbated by a 0–3 start, the Steelers failed to make the playoffs for the third consecutive season under Bill Cowher. The Steelers did win their final game at Three Rivers Stadium by defeating the Washington Redskins 24–3, ending the season with a 9–7 record.  In an unusual move, the NFL formally apologized to the team three times for missed or blown calls in games against Cleveland, Tennessee, and Philadelphia that may have contributed to the team's losses.
caption: Steelers head coach Bill Cowher.
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