1989 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 1989 Pittsburgh Steelers were considered a rebuilding team filled with many young players , especially after the release of longtime center Mike Webster in the offseason . The young team showed its inexperience in the first game of the season , when they lost at home to the archrival Cleveland Browns 51 – 0 . The loss marked the Steelers worst defeat in franchise history . The following week wasn ' t much better , losing 41 – 10 to another division rival , the defending AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals . However , the team would rebound and despite being a huge long shot to make the playoffs , the Steelers by a miracle managed to clinch the final playoff spot in the last week in the season with a 9 – 7 record . Chuck Noll , in his 21st season as the team ' s head coach , was named the NFL ' s Coach of the Year for the only time in his coaching career . Noll was renowned as a stoic character , but in complete contrast was his reaction to Jerry Glanville , the head coach of the Oilers . After the Steelers second meeting , Noll in the post game handshake grabbed Glanville and told him he ' d better watch out or he ' d get jumped on . This was in reaction to Glanville ' s earlier comments on how the Oilers field was the ' house of pain ' and his prediction that his players would intentionally hurt the Steelers . Despite the personal discord between the two coaches , at the end of the season , Glanville publicly revealed that would vote for Noll for NFL Coach of the Year . In the first round of the playoffs , the Steelers would have a memorable come - from - behind overtime victory over the division - rival Houston Oilers 26 – 23 , which saw Gary Anderson kick the game - tying field goal at the end of regulation and later the game - winning field goal in the extra - period . The following week , the Steelers nearly pulled off a major upset against the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium before losing 24 – 23 on one of John Elway ' s last - second drives . Though the Steelers would not make the playoffs again under Chuck Noll ( missing in 1990 with an identical 9 – 7 record and again in 1991 at 7 – 9 despite a second - place finish that year ) , the season did set the tone for the team ' s return to prominence in the 1990s under his successor , Bill Cowher . Offseason . The offseason was marked with the team deciding not to renew the contract of longtime center Mike Webster . Webster ' s release marked the end of the Super Bowl - era players on the team . Although Dwayne Woodruff was still with the Steelers and had won a Super Bowl ring during his rookie year , Webster had been the last member on the team that won all four Super Bowls . Webster would be succeeded at center with a young Dermontti Dawson , who was drafted the year before to be groomed as Webster ' s replacement , and like Webster would go on to an All - Pro career as one of the best at his position . Meanwhile , the team drafted UCLA safety Carnell Lake in the second round of the 1989 draft . Lake would be a key member of the team ' s defense through the 1998 season , although his accomplishments would often be underlooked as opposed to his teammate , Rod Woodson . Regular season . Game summaries . Week 1 ( Sunday September 10 , 1989 ) : vs . Cleveland Browns . " at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Scoring Drives : Week 2 ( Sunday September 17 , 1989 ) : at Cincinnati Bengals . " at Riverfront Stadium , Cincinnati , Ohio " Scoring Drives : Week 3 ( Sunday September 24 , 1989 ) : vs . Minnesota Vikings . " at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Scoring Drives : Week 4 ( Sunday October 1 , 1989 ) : at Detroit Lions . " at Pontiac Silverdome , Pontiac , Michigan " Scoring Drives : Week 5 ( Sunday October 8 , 1989 ) : vs . Cincinnati Bengals . " at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Scoring Drives : Week 6 ( Sunday October 15 , 1989 ) : at Cleveland Browns . " at Cleveland Municipal Stadium , Cleveland , Ohio " Scoring Drives : Week 7 ( Sunday October 22 , 1989 ) : at Houston Oilers . " at Astrodome , Houston , Texas " Scoring Drives : Week 8 ( Sunday October 29 , 1989 ) : vs . Kansas City Chiefs . " at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Scoring Drives : Week 9 ( Sunday November 5 , 1989 ) : at Denver Broncos . " at Mile High Stadium , Denver , Colorado " Scoring Drives : Week 10 ( Sunday November 12 , 1989 ) : vs . Chicago Bears . " at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Scoring Drives : Week 11 ( Sunday November 19 , 1989 ) : vs . San Diego Chargers . " at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Scoring Drives : Week 12 ( Sunday November 26 , 1989 ) : at Miami Dolphins . " at Joe Robbie Stadium , Miami , Florida " Steelers get first ever win against the Dolphins in Miami . This game was played in a driving rain storm . Scoring Drives : Week 13 ( Sunday December 3 , 1989 ) : vs . Houston Oilers . " at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Scoring Drives : Week 14 ( Sunday December 10 , 1989 ) : at New York Jets . " at Giants Stadium , East Rutherford , New Jersey " Scoring Drives : Week 15 ( Sunday December 17 , 1989 ) : vs . New England Patriots . " at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Scoring Drives : Week 16 ( Sunday December 24 , 1989 ) : at Tampa Bay Buccaneers . " at Tampa Stadium , Tampa , Florida " Scoring Drives : Playoffs . Game summaries . AFC Wild Card Playoff ( Sunday December 31 , 1989 ) : at Houston Oilers . " at Astrodome , Houston , Texas " Scoring Drives : AFC Divisional Playoff ( Sunday January 7 , 1990 ) : at Denver Broncos . " at Mile High Stadium , Denver , Colorado " Scoring Drives :