2011 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers season will be the team ' s 79th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League ( NFL ) . It is expected to be the twelfth season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert and the fifth under head coach Mike Tomlin . The Steelers will attempt to return to the Super Bowl and defend their AFC championship from 2010 , when they finished 12 – 4 and won the AFC North division . The Steelers will play all of their home games at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . Preseason . Schedule . The Steelers ' preseason schedule was announced on April 12 , 2011 . Regular season . Schedule . COLOR KEY & NOTES : Game summaries . Week 1 : at Baltimore Ravens . The Steelers opened up their regular season on the road against their old AFC North division rivals , the Baltimore Ravens . The Ravens scored quickly on their first drive , when only three plays into the game , Baltimore wide receiver Anquan Boldin caught a 27 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Flacco . The Ravens scored again on the ensuing drive when running back Ray Rice ran in a 1 yard touchdown , putting Baltimore on top 14 - 0 early in the first quarter . The Steelers battled back on the next drive , driving down to the Ravens 11 yard line . Pittsburgh scored on a third - and - goal play when wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders caught a touchdown in the back of the end zone from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger . The Ravens responded by scoring again , this time on an 11 yard pass from Flacco to Rice . At halftime the Ravens led 21 - 7 , just like in the 2010 playoffs . But unlike that game , the Ravens did not let up their dominance in the second half . On Pittsburgh ' s first play from scrimmage in the second quarter , Ravens defensive lineman Haloti Ngata stripped Roethlisberger of the football and recovered it at the Steelers 18 yard line . The Ravens scored yet again when tight end Ed Dickson caught an 18 yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco . A two point conversion by punter / holder Sam Koch put the Ravens on top 29 - 7 . The Ravens never looked back , and put up two more Billy Cundiff field goals to close out the game 35 - 7 . The Steelers finished with 7 turnovers in the game . The loss marked the Steelers first opening day loss in 8 years , and left Pittsburgh at the bottom of the division with an 0 - 1 record . Week 2 : vs . Seattle Seahawks . Hoping to rebound from their Week 1 divisional loss to the Ravens , the Steelers played their home - opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Heinz Field . After a failed 4th and goal run on their first drive , Pittsburgh delivered the game ' s first punch with a 1 - yard touchdown run from running back Rashard Mendenhall . This score on their second drive gave them the early lead . The Steelers added onto their lead in the second quarter with a 20 - yard touchdown run from running back Isaac Redman , followed by a 20 - yard field goal from kicker Shaun Suisham . Pittsburgh ' s offense made one last score in the third quarter with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger finding wide receiver Mike Wallace on a 2 - yard touchdown pass . From there , the defense prevented any scoring attempt from Seattle ' s offense . With the shutout win , the Steelers improved to 1 - 1 . Week 3 : at Indianapolis Colts . Coming off their shutout home win over the Seahawks , the Steelers flew to Lucas Oil Stadium for a primetime game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night ( Pittsburgh ' s first primetime game of the year ) . Pittsburgh scored first in the first quarter with a 48 - yard field goal by kicker Shaun Suisham , followed by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger finding wide receiver Mike Wallace on an 81 - yard touchdown pass . The Colts answered in the second quarter with kicker Adam Vinatieri getting a 21 - yard field goal , followed by defensive end Jamaal Anderson returning a Roethlisberger fumble caused by Dwight Freeney 47 yards for a touchdown . Vinatieri got another 25 - yard field goal before the end of the half . After a scoreless third quarter , the Steelers regained the lead in the fourth quarter with a 44 - yard field goal from Suisham , followed by safety Troy Polamalu returning a fumble forced by James Harrison 16 yards for a touchdown . However , Indianapolis replied with running back Joseph Addai getting a 6 - yard touchdown run . Pittsburgh prevailed , however , with Shuisham hitting a game - winning 38 yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining . With the win , the Steelers improved to 2 - 1 . Week 4 : at Houston Texans . Coming off their Sunday night win over the Colts , the Steelers flew to Reliant Stadium in Houston for a duel with the Houston Texans . Pittsburgh trailed late in the first quarter when Texans quarterback Matt Schaub completed a 1 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Owen Daniels . Houston would add onto their lead in the second quarter with kicker Neil Rackers getting a 25 - yard field goal . The Steelers finally answered in the third quarter with a 3 - yard touchdown run from running back Rashard Mendenhall . Pittsburgh would tie the game in the fourth quarter with a 26 - yard field goal from kicker Shaun Suisham , but the Texans retook the lead when running back Arian Foster got a 42 - yard touchdown run . The Steelers were unable to rally , and Big Ben was intercepted on the Steelers ' final drive . With the loss , the Steelers fell to 2 - 2 . Week 5 : vs . Tennessee Titans . Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Texans , the Steelers went home for a Week 5 intraconference duel with the Tennessee Titans . Pittsburgh trailed early in the first quarter as Titans kicker Rob Bironas got a 29 - yard field goal , yet the Steelers answered with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger finding tight end Heath Miller on an 8 - yard touchdown pass . Pittsburgh would add onto their lead in the second quarter with Roethlisberger hooking up with wide receiver Hines Ward and fullback David Johnson on a 7 - yard and a 1 - yard touchdown pass . The Steelers continued their dominating day in the third quarter with Roethlisberger connecting with Ward again on a 5 - yard touchdown pass . Tennessee responded with running back Chris Johnson getting a 1 - yard touchdown run . Afterwards , the Steelers would pull away in the fourth quarter with a 19 - yard field goal from kicker Shaun Suisham . The Titans tried to rally with quarterback Matt Hasselbeck completing a 19 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Damian Williams ( wide receiver ) | Damian Williams , yet Pittsburgh closed out the game with Roethlisberger fiding wide receiver Mike Wallace on a 40 - yard touchdown pass . With the win , the Steelers improved to 3 - 2 . Week 6 : vs . Jacksonville Jaguars . Coming off their home win over the Titans , the Steelers closed out their intraconference schedule at home in a Week 6 duel with the Jacksonville Jaguars . Pittsburgh delivered the game ' s opening punch in the first quarter with an 8 - yard touchdown run from running back Rashard Mendenhall . The Steelers would add onto their lead in the second quarter with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger finding wide receiver Mike Wallace on a 28 - yard touchdown pass , followed by a 21 - yard field goal from kicker Shaun Suisham . The Jaguars would close out the half with kicker Josh Scobee making a 46 - yard field goal . Jacksonville crept closer in the third quarter with quarterback Blaine Gabbert completing an 18 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jason Hill . The Jaguars tried to rally in the fourth quarter with Scobee getting a 45 - yard field goal , yet Pittsburgh ' s defense held on to preserve the victory . With the win , the Steelers improved to 4 - 2 . Week 7 : at Arizona Cardinals . Coming off their win over the Jagaurs , the Steelers flew to the University of Phoenix Stadium for a Week 7 interconference duel with the Arizona Cardinals , in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII . Pittsburgh delivered the game ' s opening punch in the first quarter as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger found tight end Heath Miller on a 12 - yard touchdown pass . The Steelers would add onto their lead in the second quarter with Roethlisberger hooking up with wide receiver Mike Wallace on a 95 - yard touchdown pass . The Cardinals would answer with running back Alfonso Smith getting a 1 - yard touchdown run . Pittsburgh would close out the half with a 41 - yard field goal from kicker Shaun Suisham . Arizona began the third quarter with quarterback Kevin Kolb completing a 73 - yard touchdown pass to running back LaRod Stephens - Howling , yet the Steelers responded with Roethlisberger connecting to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders on a 4 - yard touchdown pass , along with Kolb getting called for intentional grounding in his endzone , resulting in a safety . In the fourth quarter , the Steelers continued to pull away with a 33 - yard and a 39 - yard field goal from Suisham . The Cardinals tried to rally with Kolb completing a 2 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Early Doucet ( with a failed two - point conversion ) , yet Pittsburgh held on to preserve the victory . With the win , the Steelers improved to 5 - 2 . Week 8 : vs . New England Patriots . Coming off their road win over the Cardinals , the Steelers went home for a Week 8 duel with the New England Patriots . Pittsburgh delivered the game ' s opening punch in the first quarter as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger found running back Mewelde Moore on a 5 - yard touchdown pass . The Steelers would add onto their lead in the second quarter with a 33 - yard field goal from kicker Shaun Suisham . The Patriots answered with quarterback Tom Brady completing a 2 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Deion Branch , yet Pittsburgh struck back with Roethlisberger connecting with wide receiver Antonio Brown on a 7 - yard touchdown pass . New England would close out the half with kicker Stephen Gostkowski got a 46 - yard field goal . The Steelers began the third quarter with a 21 - yard field goal from Suisham , followed by his 23 - yard field goal in the fourth . The Patriots tried to rally as Brady completed a 1 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez , yet Pittsburgh ' s defense held with safety Troy Polamalu forcing a New England fumble out of the back of the end zone for a safety . With the win , the Steelers improved to 6 - 2 . Week 9 : vs . Baltimore Ravens . Following their victory over the Patriots , the Steelers remained at home the next week for their second match - up of the season against division rivals the Baltimore Ravens . The Ravens scored first with an 18 - yard field goal by kicker Billy Cundiff , the only points scored in the first quarter by either team . Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham answered with a 36 - yard field goal early in the second quarter , and a 30 - yard field goal near the end , but both of these were quickly matched by Baltimore ' s Cundiff with a 43 - yard and 51 - yard field goal , respectively , giving Baltimore a 9 - 6 lead at halftime . The Ravens then increased their lead in the third quarter when Ray Rice scored the first touchdown of the game on a 4 - yard run . The Steelers rallied hard in the fourth quarter , with running back Rashard Mendenhall making a 1 - yard run to score a touchdown , and then taking the lead for the first time in the game when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made a successful 25 - yard pass to wide receiver Mike Wallace in the endzone for a second touchdown . On their final drive of the game , the Steelers were ready to potentially increase their lead with a 47 - yard field goal kick by Shaun Suisham , but a 5 - yard delay of game penalty put them out of field goal range and they were instead forced to punt the ball to the Ravens . The Ravens then began a 92 - yard drive , culminating in a 26 - yard touchdown pass by quarterback Joe Flacco to wide receiver Torrey Smith in the endzone with just 8 seconds remaining , giving them the game . With the loss , the Steelers fell to 6 - 3 . Week 10 : at Cincinnati Bengals . Hoping to rebound from their season - sweeping loss to the Ravens , the Steelers flew to Paul Brown Stadium for a Week 10 AFC North duel with the Cincinnati Bengals . Pittsburgh delivered the game ' s opening punch in the first quarter with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger finding wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery on a 16 - yard touchdown pass , followed by a 2 - yard touchdown run from running back Rashard Mendenhall . The Bengals would answer with quarterback Andy Dalton completing a 36 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver A . J . Green . Cincinnati struck again the second quarter with kicker Mike Nugent getting a 43 - yard field goal , yet the Steelers responded with a 39 - yard field goal from kicker Shaun Suisham . The Bengals would tie the game in the third quarter with Dalton completing a 1 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Jermaine Gresham , yet Pittsburgh came right back with a 9 - yard touchdown run from Mendenhall . Afterwards , the defense would prevent any comeback attempt from Cincinnati . With the win , the Steelers went into their bye week at 7 - 3 . Week 12 : at Kansas City Chiefs . Coming off their bye week , the Steelers flew to Arrowhead Stadium for a Week 12 Sunday night showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs . Pittsburgh trailed early in the first quarter when Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop kicked a 41 - yard field goal . Pittsburgh would answer in the second quarter with a 21 - yard field goal from kicker Shaun Suisham following a Chiefs goal - line stand . The Steelers struck again when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Weslye Saunders . Succop and Shuisham each made 49 yard field goals before the end of the half to make it 13 - 6 . The third quarter was scoreless , but in the 4th quarter Kansas City pulled closer when Succop booted a 40 - yarder . This pulled the Chiefs to within 13 - 9 . However , Pittsburgh ' s defense held on to preserve the victory as cornerback Keenan Lewis sealed the deal with an interception late in the 4th quarter with 29 seconds remaining . With the win , the Steelers improved to 8 - 3 . Week 13 : vs . Cincinnati Bengals . Coming off their Sunday night win over the Chiefs , the Steelers went home for a Week 13 AFC North rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals . In the first quarter , Cincinatti threatened to score after Bengals wide receiver AJ Green caught a 43 yard pass from quarterback Andy Dalton . Tight end Jermaine Gresham appeared to catch a 7 yard touchdown pass from Dalton , but it was nullified because of a false start penalty on Green . The Bengals lined up for a field goal , but could not get the kick off in time , causing a delay of game . After the five yard penalty , the Bengals lined up for the field goal again . But this time , Pittsburgh ' s Cameron Heyward blocked the field goal , giving the Steelers the ball around the 20 yard line . Pittsburgh could not capitalize however , and punted it away . The rest of the 1st quarter was scoreless . Then in the 2nd quarter , the Steelers began a scoring frenzy . The first of Pittsburgh ' s 4 touchdowns came when Rashard Mendenhall ran in a score from 3 yards out to give Pittsburgh a 7 - 0 lead . He scored again on the Steelers ' next drive , this time from 5 yards out . Pittsburgh scored yet again on their following drive when Ben Roethlisberger threw a 12 - yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace . Down 21 - 0 , the Bengals finally got into the end zone . After a long drive going 80 yards , Dalton threw an 11 - yard touchdown pass to Green . Though the Bengals brought the game to within 21 - 7 , the Steelers would not let up . Pittsburgh answered Cincinatti with a 60 yard punt return by Antonio Brown , This gave the Steelers a 28 - 7 lead going into halftime . In the 3rd Quarter , Pittsburgh scored one more time when Roethlisberger threw a 19 yard touchdown pass to Wallace . Afterwards , Pittsburgh ' s defense held Cincinatti to no scoring . Led by James Harrison , who finished the game with 3 sacks , they held Cincinatti to only 232 net yards . With the win , the Steelers improved to 9 - 3 . Week 14 : vs . Cleveland Browns . Coming off their season - sweeping win over the Bengals , the Steelers stayed at home , donned their throwback uniforms again , and played a Week 14 AFC North duel with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night . Pittsburgh trailed early in the first quarter as Browns kicker Phil Dawson got a 20 - yard field goal . The Steelers would answer with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger finding wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery on an 11 - yard touchdown pass . After a scoreless second and third quarter ( which saw Roethlisberger suffer a left high - ankle sprain near the end of the first half and yet returned for the start of the second ) , Pittsburgh pulled away in the fourth quarter with Roethlisberger hooking up with wide receiver Antonio Brown on a 79 - yard touchdown pass . With the win , the Steelers improved to 10 - 3 .