History of the Pittsburgh Steelers This article details the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers . The Steelers are an American football franchise representing Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . They are the seventh - oldest club in the National Football League ( NFL ) , which they joined in . The only surviving NFL teams with a longer history are the Chicago Bears , Chicago ( Arizona ) Cardinals , ( then the Portsmouth Spartans ) , Green Bay Packers , New York Giants and Boston ( Washington ) 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 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 ( 13 ) , Bears ( 9 ) , and Giants ( 7 ) . Eighteen Steelers players , coaches or administrators have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame . Precursors . Art Rooney , who was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area , was an exceptional all - around athlete . Rooney was recruited to play football for Notre Dame , baseball for the Boston Red Sox ; and invited to join the 1920 Olympic boxing team . His love of sports would lead to him becoming an organizer and promoter . This included the Hope - Harvey Football Club , a semi - professional American football team which he founded as a teenager . " In a way , I guess that was the start of the Steelers . It grew from that , " Rooney said . The name " Hope - Harvey " was derived from the Hope Fire House , located in the heart of the Pittsburgh ' s North Side , which served as the team ' s locker room , and Dr . Harvey , a local physician , who was a sponsor and unofficial team doctor . The Hope - Harvey Majestics competed against other semi - pro or " sandlot " teams ; a collection would be raised from the fans in attendance which would be split amongst the players . In addition to being the team ' s manager and coach , Art Rooney at times played quarterback for the team , which also included his younger brothers , Dan and Jim . Behind the Rooney boys , these teams met a fair amount of success , including at least two Western Pennsylvania Senior Independent Football Conference titles in the early 1930s . The Hope - Harvey club , which would later come to be known as " Majestic Radio " ( when they gained a sponsor ) and later the " James P . Rooneys " ( to promote the state legislative campaign of the team ' s quarterback , and Art Rooney ' s brother , Jimmy Rooney ) , played most of their home games at Exposition Park in Pittsburgh . These Steeler precursors were composed primarily of players from the local colleges : Pitt , Duquesne and Carnegie Tech , all of which were major college programs of the day . Although football was popular in Pittsburgh at the time , the city had no fully professional teams due to Pennsylvania ' s puritanical blue law s , which prohibited athletic competition on Sundays because it was the Sabbath . The teams of the National Football League , which was founded in 1920 , played primarily on Sunday to avoid conflicts with college football games which were played on Saturday . The early years : Decades of futility . In May 1933 , in anticipation of the repeal of some of Pennsylvania ' s restrictive laws in the fall of that year , Rooney applied for a franchise with the NFL . His request was granted on May 19 , 1933 , and the Pittsburgh Professional Football Club , Inc . joined the NFL in exchange for a US $ 2 , 500 franchise fee . The new team was known as the Pirates in reference to their baseball club landlords at Forbes Field . Before settling on Forbes , Rooney considered playing at Greenlee Field , which housed the city ' s Negro League baseball club . Since the blue laws were not repealed until November ' s general election , the team was forced to play its first four home games on Wednesday nights . Over the course of the next four decades , Rooney ' s new team was a study in frustration . They posted a winning record only eight times in their first 39 NFL seasons and never sniffed a championship . The 1930s : The Pirates years . In the early years of the franchise , the Pirates were not Rooney ' s only ( or even his primary ) focus . Even the office off the lobby of the Fort Pitt Hotel from which he ran the team was shared with the Rooney - McGinley Boxing Club , which promoted fights . He also spent a good amount of his time and energy handicapping and placing bets on horse racing . A life long hobby , Rooney once won an estimated $ 250 , 000 to $ 300 , 000 in a single 1936 day of betting . It would later become legend that Art Rooney won the Steelers while betting on a horse race , however this was not true . What can safely be said is that Rooney ' s gambling winnings did help keep the football franchise afloat , because while Rooney fared well off the field , the Pirates struggled on it . Rooney said of those lean years , " In those days , nobody got wealthy in sports . You had two thrills . One came Sunday , trying to win the game . The next came Monday , trying to make the payroll . " Although he strove to field a winning team , Rooney spent a good deal of energy simply trying to keep the franchise in business through its early seasons . During the 1930s , while America was in the depths of the Great Depression , the Pirates were a financial drain on Rooney . Rooney claimed that the team lost nearly $ 10 , 000 in . Bidding wars for players made it difficult for less established clubs to compete with the more seasoned Giants , Bears and Packers . In 1935 , Rooney proposed a restriction on the number of players that could be signed by teams that finished at the top of the league . These ideas eventually lead to the creation of the NFL Draft , which first came into being in 1936 . The Pirates ' first uniforms were gold with black stripes and were adorned with the city crest . This color scheme was inspired by Pittsburgh ' s city flag . The stripes were created with felt overlays , and as such they had functional as well as aesthetic value in that they allowed the ball carrier to hold the ball more securely . Rooney hired Forrest " Jap " Douds as player - coach . Douds was a three - time All - American and local legend as a player at Washington & Jefferson College , and had been an All - Pro in the NFL . Pittsburgh ' s inaugural game , against the New York Giants was a 23 – 2 defeat in front of a crowd of about 20 , 000 . The franchise ' s first ever points came off a safety which resulted when Pirates center John " Cap " Oehler blocked a punt through the end zone . Rooney wrote of the game , " The Giants won . Our team looks terrible . The fans didn ' t get their money ' s worth . " The Pirates notched their first victory a week later , defeating the Chicago Cardinals 14 – 13 , in front of about 5 , 000 fans . The team scored its first ever touchdown when Martin " Butch " Kottler returned an interception 99 yards . The other hero that day was Mose Kelsch , who at 36 years of age was the oldest player in the NFL — even four years older than team owner Rooney . Kelsch , a holdover from the sandlot Majestics , kicked the extra point that was the margin of victory . In their sixth game the Pirates set an NFL record the franchise still shares by combining with the Cincinnati Reds to punt 31 times in a scoreless tie . The Bears and Packers matched the mark in a game played on the same day , but it has never been surpassed . The total attendance for their five home games in the inaugural season was around 57 , 000 . To put that number into perspective , that year ' s Pitt - Duquesne college matchup was watched by around 60 , 000 fans . The team finished their initial season with a 3 – 6 – 2 record , after which Coach Douds was not retained as coach , though he stayed with the team two more years as a player . Rooney pursued Heartley " Hunk " Anderson , who had recently stepped down as head coach at Notre Dame , to replace Douds . After being rebuffed by Anderson in favor of a similar position at North Carolina State , Rooney went after Earle " Greasy " Neale . It speaks to the stature of the professional game relative to college football that Neale turned down the Pirates ' offer in order to take an assistant coaching position at Yale University . Neale would later coach the Philadelphia Eagles to two NFL championships and earn a spot in the Hall of Fame . Luby DiMeolo , who had been rumored as the leading candidate for the Pirates coaching job prior to the team ' s first season , was eventually hired to replace Douds . He had been captain of the 1929 Pittsburgh Panthers football team on which Jimmy Rooney also starred . DiMeolo hired Jimmy Rooney as an assistant . Following a disappointing 2 – 10 season in , DiMeolo was dismissed . Rooney attempted to lure football legend Red Grange , who had just retired as a player , to coach the team the following year . Grange eventually declined the offer in favor of an assistant coaching position with the Chicago Bears . Rooney settled instead on Duquesne coach Joe Bach . Bach was notable as one of Notre Dame ' s " seven mules " , who blocked for the team ' s famed " Four Horsemen " . In Bach ' s first season the team improved on the previous years two wins , but they still were not very competitive at 4 – 8 . In his second season with the Pirates in , Bach had his team in contention for the NFL ' s Eastern Division title with a 6 – 3 record through nine games . However , the season fell apart with losses in the final three games . Rooney and Bach each blamed the other for the collapse . Although Rooney and Bach had an agreement for Bach to remain with the club in , Bach decided instead to take the head job at Niagara University , for which Rooney released him from his verbal commitment . Rooney later expressed regret for letting Bach leave . The Bach era ( such as it was ) gave way to that of Johnny " Blood " McNally who took over as player - coach in . McNally was an eleven year NFL veteran who had played for the Pirates in . He was one of the game ' s most colorful characters , and Rooney hired him with an eye toward increasing ticket sales . After a 2 – 0 start , the team lost its next five games , finishing at 4 – 7 . The next season saw the arrival of the franchise ' s first superstar , Byron " Whizzer " White . The Pirates selected White , the All - America quarterback from the University of Colorado , with the fourth overall selection of the 1938 NFL Draft and offered him an unheard of salary of $ 15 , 000 to join the team . White declined the generous offer , in order to continue his education through a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University . However , when he was able to arrange to defer his start at Oxford until January , he reconsidered and signed the deal . In addition to the league - high salary , the terms of the deal also included a share of the gate at exhibition game s for White , who earned a total of $ 15 , 800 . In comparison , McNally who served as both coach and player earned just $ 3 , 500 . The big contract Rooney gave White angered several of his fellow owners . The arrival of White led to much optimism in Pittsburgh — McNally stated that , " We had calculated on a championship without him , and since we have him it looks like we can ' t miss . " White did not disappoint : he led the league in rushing with 567 yards on 152 attempts . However , the team was unable to capitalize on White ' s performance compiling a record of just two wins against nine losses , including a season - ending string of six straight defeats . After the season , White sailed on to England and never again played for the Pirates . White would go on to become one of the longest serving justices in the history of the U . S . Supreme Court . After seeing the disappointing results of paying big money for a star player , in Rooney determined to pursue a star coach . He offered the head coaching job to Jock Sutherland , who was a legendary football coach and " national hero " . Sutherland had just stepped down as head coach at the University of Pittsburgh . The offer was to have been in excess of the $ 13 , 000 annual salary Sutherland earned at Pitt . When Sutherland spurned the offer ( due most likely to the disdain in which he held the professional game ) McNally was retained as the Pirates ' coach , although he announced his retirement as a player . The 1939 season started just as the previous season had ended : with a string of losses . After the third straight loss ( which stretched the two season run of failure to nine games ) , McNally resigned as coach . Despite compiling a coaching record with the Pirates of just 6 – 19 , Johnny " Blood " McNally would enter the Hall of Fame in 1963 . McNally was replaced by Walt Kiesling , who had been McNally ' s assistant coach for the previous two seasons . Their seventh season less than half played , the Pirates had just hired their fifth head coach . Kiesling was unable to salvage the season ; the team ended 1939 with a worst yet mark of 1 – 9 – 1 . The season ' s lone win came in the season ' s final game against the Philadelphia Eagles , with whom the Steelers shared the league cellar — the Eagles compiled an identical 1 – 9 – 1 record with their season ' s sole bright spot being an earlier triumph over the Steelers . The victory broke a winless streak that had extended to nearly fourteen months . Through the 1930s the Pirates never finished higher than second place in their division , or with a record better than . 500 . 1940 – 41 : A new name and a " new " team . In early 1940 , Rooney decided that he had had enough of the copycat Pirates moniker . He worked with the Pittsburgh Post - Gazette to run a contest to find a new name for the team . Former coach Joe Bach led the panel which selected the name Steelers from amongst the entries . The new name paid homage to the city ' s largest industry of producing steel . It ' s unclear who deserves credit for suggesting the name ( which was already being used by at least one local high school team ) , but it appears there were a total of twenty - one " winners " . Each winner received a pair of season tickets to the upcoming season , a prize with a value of about $ 5 . Among them were Joe Santoni , a local restaurateur , who received a pair of season tickets as a prize , and Margaret Elizabeth O ' Donnell , the girlfriend ( and eventual wife ) of the team ' s business manager , Joe Carr . The first entrant who suggested " Steelers " was Arnold Goldberg , who was sports editor for the Evening Standard of Uniontown , Pennsylvania . Other suggestions were Wahoos , Condors , Pioneers , Triangles , Bridgers , Buckaroos and Yankees , along with such steel - centric possibilities as the Millers , Vulcans , Tubers , Smokers , Rollers , Ingots and Puddlers . Kiesling continued as coach in . The Steelers started the season at 1 – 0 – 2 before falling at home by a score of 10 – 3 to a Brooklyn Dodgers squad coached by local hero Jock Sutherland . It was the legendary coach ' s first professional victory after leaving Duquesne University in 1939 . He had assumed the head job for the Dodgers that year after spurning a similar offer from the Pirates / Steelers the previous season . The loss to the Dodgers began a six - game losing streak , before the team traded wins with the Philadelphia Eagles to cap a 2 – 7 – 2 season in which they scored a total of just 60 points . Rooney had finally seen enough . Over eight years , the team had compiled a record of 24 – 62 – 5 and had lost around $ 100 , 000 . He was also concerned about the availability of players in the coming seasons due to the ongoing war in Europe and the specter of a military draft . After turning down several earlier offers to relocate or sell the team , in December 1940 , Rooney sold the Steelers to Alexis Thompson . Thompson was a 26 - year - old , Yale - educated heir to a steel fortune and an entrepreneur living in New York . He had aggressively pursued Rooney to sell the franchise for several months prior to the transaction . The purchase price was reported to be $ 160 , 000 . This price is less than the $ 225 , 000 the Detroit Lions had previously sold for , but the Lions had won an NFL championship . The transaction was completed and announced on the same day that the Chicago Bears pummeled the Washington Redskins by a score of 73 – 0 in the most lopsided NFL championship game of all time . Rooney immediately took half of the windfall and invested it in a 50 % interest in the Philadelphia Eagles , which were owned by his friend , Bert Bell . It was Bell who had conducted all of the negotiations with Thompson leading up to the sale of the Steelers . Thompson had earlier offered to purchase Bell ' s franchise . In an unusual twist Rooney , Bell and Thompson pooled the rosters of the two squads and conducted essentially a mini - draft to distribute the talent . The 51 players which were signed to the Steelers and Eagles at the end of the 1940 season were shuffled between the two teams . In this transaction , the Rooney / Bell team added ends George Platukis , Walt Kichefski and John Klumb ; tackles Clark Goff and Ted Doyle ; guards Carl Nery and Jack Sanders ; and backs Boyd Brumbaugh , John Noppenberg , George Kiick and Rocco Pirro from the Steelers . In exchange , Thompson ' s team gained ends Wilbur " Bill " Sortet and Sam Boyd ; tackles Armand Niccolai , John Woudenberg and Don Campbell ; guards Stan Pavkov and John Perko ; centers Ted Grabinski , Frank Sullivan and Joe Maras ; and backs Billy Patterson , Merlyn Condit , Lou Tomasetti , Swede Johnston , Hank Bruder , Coley McDonough and Tommy Thompson all of whom had played for Bell ' s Eagles the prior year . Thompson hired Greasy Neale , whom Rooney had earlier pursued to coach the Pirates , to conduct this player swap as well as to assist him with the draft which took place the day after the deal with Rooney was finalized . Once he was released from his contract with Yale , Neale became head coach of Thompson ' s team . In January 1941 , Thompson renamed his new squad the Iron Men . Despite the fact he now was half - owner of a team in based Philadelphia , Rooney had no intention of leaving Pittsburgh . It was thought that Thompson preferred to move his new team to be nearer his New York home , perhaps to Boston , which had been without an NFL team since the Redskins relocated to Washington in 1939 . If Thompson had moved the team away from Pittsburgh , Rooney and Bell hatched a plan that would have seen their team split its home games between the two Pennsylvania cities . However , the other league owners blocked both moves . By early 1941 , Rooney was beginning to regret his decision to sell the Pittsburgh team . When he saw that Thompson had not yet established a local office for his team , as he had announced he would do by March 1 , Rooney made an offer . He and Bell would trade territories with Thompson . This would put Thompson in Philadelphia , which was much closer to his New York base . It would also ensure that Rooney ' s team would stay in his hometown . On April 3 , 1941 , Thompson accepted the deal and Rooney and Bell ' s Eagles came to Pittsburgh , where they became the Steelers while Thompson ' s Iron Men moved to Philadelphia , where they took on the Eagles moniker . This was described at the time as " one of the most unusual swaps in sports history " . In fact , though the Pittsburgh team played as the Steelers , they operated under the name the " Philadelphia Eagles Football Club , Inc . " for the next several years . Because the entire strange turn of events all took place during the off - season and the Steelers never actually missed a game in Pittsburgh , the NFL considers the Rooney reign unbroken . The transaction , which amounted in the end to Bell selling the Eagles and purchasing half - interest in the Steelers , has been termed the " Pennsylvania Polka " . 1941 – 44 : The war years . Rooney and Bell conducted a coaching search seeking " one of the top men of the profession . " Among the men interviewed was Pete Cawthon who had recently left Texas Tech after a successful 12 - year stint . Bell and Rooney also considered Aldo " Buff " Donelli , who was the head man for Duquesne University ' s football team . In the end , Bell , who had coached the Eagles to five straight losing seasons , named himself head coach of the team . This move was made in part because the owners were hesitant to offer a binding contract to a coach due to the specter of the country possibly entering the war . Kiesling , who had led the Steelers the previous season , was retained as Bell ' s assistant . The Steelers began the season with two straight losses , after which Rooney tried to convince Bell to step down as coach . Bell agreed to do so only if Rooney could convince Buff Donelli to take over the rein s . Donelli , however , already held the head coaching position at Duquesne University , for which he was under contract for another full season . Donelli and Rooney worked out a deal with the Duquesne administrators whereby Donelli retained his position as head coach at Duquesne , with the intent of coaching the Steelers in his " spare moments " . He would accomplish this by coaching the pro team in the morning and the college team in the afternoon ; he would spend Saturday on the sidelines for the Dukes and Sunday with the Steelers . This was a highly unusual situation , and it did not sit well with new NFL commissioner Elmer Layden ( for whom Donelli had played when Layden was the coach at Duquesne ) . Layden was convinced that it was " impossible , physically and mentally , to direct two major football teams at the same time . " Donelli stepped down as coach at Duquesne to assuage Layden . However , he retained the title of athletic director at the school and his schedule changed little , if at all . He continued to attend all of Duquesne ' s practices and games and continued to be acknowledged as the coach , if not in title . Donelli replaced the single - wing offense the Steelers had employed since their founding with his " wing - T " , which was a variation on the T formation . He coached the Steelers to five straight losses , even while his college team flourished . In early November Donelli faced a dilemma : Duquesne was scheduled to play Saint Mary ' s College of California on the same weekend the Steelers had a contest in Philadelphia . Layden ordered Donelli to appear on the sidelines in Philly . Donelli chose to stick with the undefeated college squad , and stepped down as head coach of the winless Steelers . The Steelers ' coaching position was once more handed over to Kiesling . In Kiesling ' s second game of this second stint as the Steelers ' leader , he led the team to a victory over Jock Sutherland ' s Brooklyn Dodgers . This would be the only victory in a 1 – 9 – 1 season , which matched the team ' s worst record to date . In a small bright spot , this was the franchise ' s first campaign in which they were never shut out . Perhaps the most enduring event of the 1941 season was an off - hand remark that Rooney made to a reporter during the team ' s training camp . Rooney was visiting camp and quipped to a reporter , " They look like the Steelers to me — in green jerseys . " This was taken as a reference to the club ' s poor performance throughout its existence . The remark would morph into the slogan " Same Old Steelers , " which would be applied by fans as a sort of unofficial team motto throughout the team ' s consistent struggles over the subsequent thirty years . Within weeks of the end of the 1941 season , America would enter World War II , which would have a huge impact on the nation , but also on the NFL and its teams . Although the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 had instituted conscription in late 1940 , the NFL was not significantly impacted until after the United States joined the war following Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941 . Rooney and Bell lobbied to delay the 1942 NFL Draft due to the uncertainty of the war situation , but they were overruled by their fellow owners . The Steelers had the first overall selection , due to their last - place showing the previous season . They made Virginia halfback " Bullet " Bill Dudley the first pick . They then rounded out the draft by choosing as many married players as possible with an eye toward the likelihood those players could avoid the military draft , at least for the upcoming season . The team lost several players who had filled key roles the previous year to the military , including quarterbacks Johnny Patrick and Rocco Pirro , leading runner Art Jones and budding tackle Joe Coomer . The team ' s first - round pick , Bill Dudley , intended as well to join the military rather than play football , but when he enlisted in September 1942 there was such a backlog of recruits that his induction was delayed by a few months . This gave him the opportunity to sign with the Steelers for $ 5 , 000 . After a slow start , in which they lost their first two games , the 1942 squad then won seven of their next eight contests . They fell to the Green Bay Packers in their final game to cap a 7 – 4 season . They finished in second place in the Eastern Division behind the Washington Redskins , who went on to capture the league title . It was the first winning record the club had recorded in its ten - year history . Dudley became the second Steeler to lead the league in rushing with 696 yards on 162 attempts . The " triple - threat " back also tallied 35 passes for 438 yards and 18 punts and was runner - up to Green Bay ' s Don Hutson for the Joe F . Carr Trophy which is awarded to the league ' s most valuable player . Steagles . At the annual league meeting held on the weekend of the 1942 NFL Championship Game , the league ' s owners discussed canceling the upcoming 1943 season due to concerns of player availability due to the war . Instead they chose to delay the decision , along with the college draft , until the following April . At the April meeting roster sizes were reduced from 33 to 25 players . Additionally , the Cleveland Rams announced that they would suspend operations for the season since the team ' s two top executives were serving in the military . The Steelers ' roster continued to be decimated throughout the off - season . By late May , they were down to just five players under contract who would be available to play in the upcoming season . Rooney and Bell reached out to Alexis Thompson ' s Philadelphia Eagles to discuss the possibility of combining the two squads . A proposal to combine was submitted to the league and was slated for discussion at league meetings in mid - June . At the confab the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals sprung a similar request of their own . The league owners voted down the two mergers on the basis that by combining resources the merged clubs would gain an unfair advantage . Rooney and Bell then lobbied the Chicago clubs to withdraw their request , which they eventually agreed to do . After a contentious debate the owners then voted by a narrow 5 – 4 margin to allow the Steelers and Eagles to merge operations for the upcoming season and retain their players thereafter . Although the combined team was officially the Eagles and would have no city designation , it became known familiarly as the Phil - Pitt " Steagles " . The club split its home dates between the two cities with four games played in Philadelphia and two in Pittsburgh . Walt Kiesling shared coaching duties with Eagles coach Greasy Neale and the club adopted the T formation which had been used very effectively by the Chicago Bears for the past several seasons . Many of the Steagles players were classified 4 - F by the Selective Service , meaning they were judged as unfit for military service . Common ailments were ulcers , perforated eardrums and poor eyesight or hearing . Co - coaches Neale and Kiesling disliked each other immensely . In order to avoid coaching together , they split coaching responsibility along the lines of offense and defense . This accommodation presaged the rise of the modern offensive and defensive coordinator positions that are near universal in the modern game . The team ended the season with a 5 – 4 – 1 record which was the first winning record in the Eagles ' history and just second the Steelers had enjoyed . They missed the playoffs and disbanded into separate franchises immediately upon the season ' s end . Card - Pitt . In 1944 they merged with the Chicago Cardinals and were known as " Card - Pitt " and informally known as the " Car - Pitts " or " Carpets . " They went winless through the season . The Steelers went solo again for the 1945 season and went 2 – 8 . Dudley was back from the war by the 1946 season and became league MVP . The rest of team did no better as the Steelers stumbled down the stretch and finished 5 - 5 - 1 . The 1940s and ' 50s : " Same Old Steelers " . The Steelers made the playoffs for the first time in 1947 , tying for first place in the division at 8 – 4 with the Philadelphia Eagles . This forced a tie - breaking playoff game at Forbes Field , which the Steelers lost 21 – 0 . Because of the Steelers and Eagles being placed in different conferences after the 1970 merger between the NFL and the AFL , the game marks the only time that the two major Pennsylvania cities have played each other in the NFL playoffs . Quarterback Johnny Clement actually finished second in the league in rushing yardage with 670 . That would be Pittsburgh ' s last playoff game for 25 years . In the 1948 off season , coach Jock Sutherland died . The team struggled through the season ( one quarterback , Ray Evans , threw 17 interceptions to only five touchdowns ) and finished 4 - 8 . The team once again faded down the stretch in 1949 after a strong start , ending with a 6 - 5 - 1 record . That was followed up in 1950 with a 6 - 6 season , and consecutive losing seasons in 1951 ( 4 - 7 - 1 ) and 1952 ( 5 - 7 ) . After a 6 - 6 season in 1953 and 5 - 7 season in 1954 , the Steelers drafted Johnny Unitas in 1955 . Cut by the Steelers in training camp , Unitas later resurfaced as a Super Bowl hero - with the Baltimore Colts . Pittsburgh suffered through yet two more losing seasons before a 6 – 6 campaign in 1957 in the first season for coach Buddy Parker . 1957 saw one other highlight , the hiring of the NFL ' s first African American coach , Lowell Perry as the Steelers receivers coach . Early in the 1958 season the Steelers traded for quarterback Bobby Layne , who led the Detroit Lions to two NFL championships . The results were immediate , with the Steelers posting a winning record ( 7 – 4 – 1 ) for the first time in nine years - though they were still two games out of a playoff spot . 1958 also saw the first Steelers home games at Pitt Stadium , although their primary venue continued to be Forbes Field . The Steelers finished above . 500 again with a 6 – 5 – 1 record in 1959 . After a 5 – 6 – 1 season in 1960 , Rudy Bukich took over the starting QB job during the 1961 season , but fared no better . Pittsburgh finished 6 - 8 . The 1960s . The Steelers introduced the famous " astroid " logo , based on that of the Steelmark used by the American Iron and Steel Institute ( AISI ) , in time for the 1962 season . Bobby Layne returned to the full - time starting quarterback position , and running back John Henry Johnson had the best season of his career with 1 , 141 yards ( second in the NFL ) . Pittsburgh shored up on defense too , picking up Clendon Thomas from the Los Angeles Rams ; he led the team with seven interceptions . Ernie Stautner anchored the defensive line . The Steelers had their best season yet , finishing 9 - 5 . This was good for second place in the division , and a spot in the Playoff Bowl , which matched up the # 2 teams in the NFL ' s two divisions . The Steelers lost that game , 17 - 10 , to the Detroit Lions . Ed Brown became quarterback in time for the 1963 season after Layne retired . Pittsburgh finished 7 - 4 - 3 , but in a hotly contested Eastern Division , that only allowed the Steelers a 4th - place showing . Ernie Stautner retired after the season . 1963 also resulted in a change of venue for the Steelers , who split their home schedule between Forbes Field and Pitt Stadium , moving exclusively to Pitt in 1964 . The next few years were total disasters for the Steelers . Another 1 , 000 - yard season for John Henry Johnson was the only bright spot in a lackluster 1964 season that ended in a 5 - 9 record . Another retirement stung the team , this one of coach Buddy Parker . The wheels totally fell off in 1965 , when the team finished at a league - worst 2 - 12 . Over the next four years , the Steelers never finished higher than 5 - 8 - 1 ( 1966 ) , with the team using eight quarterbacks between 1965 and 1969 . Indicative of the Steelers ' struggles is the fact that Western Pennsylvania has long been an area producing fine quarterbacks , but the Steelers had never managed to keep them . Unitas was a native of Pittsburgh , making his later success even more jarring to Steeler fans . George Blanda came from the Pittsburgh area , but the Steelers never signed him . The nearby town of Beaver Falls produced Babe Parilli and later Joe Namath , who became stars in the American Football League . The Steelers never signed the Beaver Falls natives , either . They did sign another future Hall - of - Famer , Ohio native Len Dawson , but would let him go as well , before he began a great career with the Kansas City Chiefs . Jack Kemp , a Los Angeles native , was also on the Steelers ' roster before being cut . Like Blanda , Parilli , Namath , and Dawson , he became a star in the AFL in the 1960s , as the Steelers went downhill until finally drafting and signing Louisiana native Terry Bradshaw in 1970 . By the time Western Pennsylvania had also produced future Hall - of - Famers Joe Montana , Dan Marino and Jim Kelly , Bradshaw and his teammates had long since turned the Steelers from a laughingstock into one of the NFL ' s most successful and beloved franchises . The 1970s : The Steel Curtain dynasty . 1970 – 71 . The Steelers ' luck began to take a turn for the better with the hiring of coach Chuck Noll in early 1969 , though he too won only a single game in his inaugural season ( their worst since 1941 ) , defeating the Detroit Lions in the season opener before losing the next 13 games . Joe Paterno had turned down the job before it was offered to Noll . The team ' s luck also continued when they won a coin toss with the Chicago Bears after the 1969 season ( both teams went 1 - 13 in the 1969 season , with the Bears ' lone win coming at the Steelers ' expense ) to gain the rights to draft Louisiana Tech superstar Terry Bradshaw with the first selection in the 1970 NFL Draft . As poor as the 1969 season was , it turned out to be a springboard for one of the most successful decades any NFL team has ever had . Noll ' s most remarkable talent was in his draft selections , taking " Mean " Joe Greene in 1969 , Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount in 1970 , Jack Ham in 1971 , Franco Harris in 1972 , and in 1974 , selected Mike Webster , Lynn Swann , John Stallworth , and Jack Lambert . According to the NFL Network this is the best draft class in the history of the NFL with Webster , Swann , Stallworth , & Lambert all in the Hall of Fame , and all four won four Super Bowl Championships . This group of players formed the base of one of the greatest teams in NFL history . 1970 was a turning point year for the Steelers . The team , along with the Cleveland Browns ( with whom the intense " Turnpike Rivalry " developed ) and the Baltimore Colts , joined the former American Football League ( AFL ) teams in the new American Football Conference ( AFC ) , following the AFL - NFL merger that year . The team also received a $ 3 million relocation fee , which was a windfall for them ; for years they rarely had enough to build a true contending team . The Steelers moved into Three Rivers Stadium , and Terry Bradshaw , picked first overall in the draft , started at quarterback . Myron Cope , thought by many as a Pittsburgh institution , entered the broadcast booth for a 35 - year career as a Steelers radio commentator . The initial results , though an improvement over the late 1960s , were still unimpressive . Pittsburgh lost its season opener against the Oilers and Terry Bradshaw struggled for much of the season , being sacked for a safety in each of his first three games and throwing 24 interceptions on the way to a 5 - 9 record . The local media subjected him to harsh criticism for a long time . In 1971 , Bradshaw threw 22 interceptions during a 6 - 8 season . 1972 . 1972 , however , was the breakthrough year , and the beginning of an NFL dynasty . Rookie Franco Harris joined the team and ran for 1 , 055 yards and scored 11 touchdowns . Pittsburgh finished 11 - 3 , first place in the AFC Central , and made the playoffs for the first time since 1947 . Their first playoff game , against the Oakland Raiders , at Three Rivers Stadium , featured one of the best - known plays in league history : the Immaculate Reception . On 4th down from the Pittsburgh 40 - yard line with 22 seconds left and trailing 7 – 6 , Bradshaw threw a pass intended for John " Frenchy " Fuqua . Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum knocked it away , but it was scooped up at ankle - height before hitting the turf by Franco Harris , who took it into the end zone for the winning touchdown and a 13 – 7 victory . In the AFC Championship the following week , the Steelers lost to the " perfect " Miami Dolphins 21 – 17 , who finished the season 17 – 0 . It was a disappointing finish , but it started a run of eight straight playoff appearances . Arguably the most defining and memorable play in the history of the NFL , the Immaculate Reception thrust the Steelers into its glory years of the ' 70s . 1973 . After an 8 – 1 start in 1973 , a losing streak late in the season cost the Steelers any home games during the playoffs , and they lost a tiebreaker to the Cincinnati Bengals for first place in the division at 10 – 4 . The Steelers traveled to Oakland for the first round of the playoffs and lost 33 – 14 . 1974 . The Steelers selected the nucleus of the " Steel Curtain " defense in the 1974 draft . This allowed the team to reach the top for the first time . Terry Bradshaw was benched for poor performance early in the season and replaced as starter by Joe Gilliam , but eventually was reinstated after Gilliam did no better . The Steelers finished 10 – 3 – 1 and walked away with the division title , with " Mean " Joe Greene winning Defensive Player of the Year honors . After defeating Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders with relative ease in the AFC playoffs , the Steelers met the Minnesota Vikings in New Orleans for Super Bowl IX . The game was a defensive struggle : the only scoring in the first half was a safety scored by the Steelers when Minnesota quarterback Fran Tarkenton was sacked in the end zone . In the second half , the Steelers scored a touchdown after a fumbled kickoff and clinched it with a late Larry Brown touchdown . The Steelers won 16 - 6 , and had finally earned a championship after 42 years of futility . 1975 . The team had an even better 1975 season . Pittsburgh ran off an 11 - game winning streak and gave up more than twenty points in only two games . Mel Blount was named AFC Defensive Player of the Year , Franco Harris had 1 , 246 rushing yards ( second behind O . J . Simpson ) , and Lynn Swann caught 11 touchdown passes . Terry Bradshaw delivered a much better performance than in his previous seasons , with 2 , 055 passing yards , 18 TDs , and only nine interceptions . The Steelers finished 12 - 2 , best in the AFC . In the playoffs , Pittsburgh defeated the Baltimore Colts 28 - 10 in the first round , and survived a late scare from the Oakland Raiders ( and a concussion by Swann ) to win 16 - 10 in the AFC Championship . The Steelers made their second straight Super Bowl , this one against the Dallas Cowboys in Miami . Down 10 - 7 in the fourth quarter , Roy Gerela kicked two field goals and Bradshaw threw a 64 - yard touchdown pass to Swann to put Pittsburgh in the lead for good . After the Cowboys came back with a touchdown of their own , Roger Staubach threw a last - minute interception that sealed a 21 - 17 win for the Steelers . Lynn Swann had returned from his injuries and racked up four TDs in the Super Bowl , earning him the title of game MVP . 1976 . The two - time defending champions got off to a rough start in 1976 , losing four of their first five games . The team regrouped and , based on their powerful defense , won their last nine regular season games , five of which were shutouts . For the third consecutive year , a Steelers player ( this time Jack Lambert ) won the AFC Defensive Player of the Year award . Pittsburgh finished 10 - 4 and blew out the Colts 40 - 14 in the divisional playoffs . In the AFC Championship , an injury - plagued Steeler team lost 24 - 7 to their perennial playoff nemeses and eventual Super Bowl champions , the Raiders . 1977 . Pittsburgh ' s 1977 campaign was a relative disappointment . Bradshaw threw more interceptions than touchdowns , fullback Rocky Bleier had only half as productive a season as he did in 1976 , and the famed Steel Curtain defense gave up nearly twice as many points . The team still won the division at 9 - 5 , but lost 34 - 21 to the Denver Broncos in the divisional playoff . 1978 . The Steelers kicked off with controversy , when during a post - draft mini camp they were caught wearing shoulder pads in violation of league rules . They would lose a draft pick the following year for the infraction . Pittsburgh posted a 14 – 2 regular season record , best in the NFL . In the playoffs , the Steelers blew away the Denver Broncos and Houston Oilers by a combined score of 67 – 15 en route to Super Bowl XIII . That game , a rematch with the Cowboys , is considered by many to be one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time . Bradshaw threw four touchdowns , but the Cowboys never were out of it , thanks in part to a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Mike Hegman . After Swann and Harris scored touchdowns 19 seconds apart in the fourth quarter , the Cowboys countered with scores of their own by Billy Joe Dupree and Butch Johnson to pull within four points with 22 seconds left . The Steelers recovered the onside kick and pulled off a 35 – 31 win . Terry Bradshaw was named game MVP . 1979 . The 1979 season was the last season of the dynasty . Bradshaw threw for over 3 , 700 yards and 26 touchdowns and John Stallworth had 1183 yards receiving . The Steelers finished 12 - 4 , once again tops in the AFC Central . In the playoffs they defeated the Dolphins 34 - 14 and the Oilers 27 - 13 , to meet the Los Angeles Rams in their fourth Super Bowl . The Rams had a number of ex - Steelers staff members , and thus knew all of their opponent ' s plays , audibles . and hand signs . With this knowledge , they played the Steelers hard for three quarters . Bradshaw threw three interceptions , but also had two long touchdown passes in the second half ( one to Swann and one to Stallworth ) . The Rams couldn ' t recover and Pittsburgh won 31 - 19 . The team ' s success in this era led to the expansion of its fanbase beyond its geographic region . Even today , Pittsburgh remains among the league leaders in merchandise sales , and draws fans from across the country to its games . This loyal fan following is sometimes called " Steeler Nation " ( predating the similarly popular ' 70s powerhouse , the Oakland Raiders " Raider Nation " ) [ Birth Of A Nation : Capturing The Identity of a Region . byline , John Mehno ] , the term was coined by NFL Films as the producers studied the phenomenon of fans swarming Three Rivers from all directions and pronounced them the ' Steeler Nation , ' . They are known for employing the " terrible towel " ( a bright yellow cloth ) as its unofficial symbol ( created by Myron Cope ) , and as a rallying sign during Steeler ' s games . 1980 – 1991 : End of an era . The Steelers were hit with the retirements of all their key players from the Super Bowl years . Rocky Bleier after the 1980 season . " Mean Joe " Greene and L . C . Greenwood retired after the 1981 season , Lynn Swann and Jack Ham after 1982 , Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount after 1983 , Jack Lambert and Franco Harris after 1984 and John Stallworth after the 1987 season . 1980 – 1981 seasons . " One for the thumb in ' 81 " was the rallying cry of the Steelers during the 1980 season as they began their quest for a fifth Super Bowl Ring . It was not so . Hard luck , age , injuries , and an off year by Terry Bradshaw left the Steelers with a 9 – 7 record , missing the playoffs . This marked the end of the dynasty . 1981 was no better , with an 8 – 8 showing . 1982 season . Major changes were made to the Steelers during the next season , including coach Chuck Noll ' s installment of a 3 – 4 defense to deal with the league ' s new pass - oriented rules changes and the departure of Joe Greene and L . C . Greenwood . Pittsburgh managed a 6 – 3 record nonetheless in 1982 ( which was shortened due to a players ' strike ) and made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1979 . In the playoffs they lost a heartbreaker when Kellen Winslow caught two touchdowns in the 4th quarter of their first playoff game , a 31 – 28 loss to the San Diego Chargers . 1983 season . Bradshaw was sidelined with an elbow injury for most of the 1983 season ( his last ) , with Cliff Stoudt picking up the reins behind center . Franco Harris ran for 1 , 007 yards in his last season in Pittsburgh ( he wound up with the Seattle Seahawks for his final year ) , and Keith Willis recorded a career - best 13 sacks . The streaky Steelers lost four of their last five regular season games , but their 10 - 6 record was still good for a division title . The Steelers closed the regular season with an emotional victory against the New York Jets in the last football game ever played at Shea Stadium . Bradshaw , returning from injury , led the Steelers to the lead with two touchdown passes . He left the game in the first half after hearing a " pop " in his elbow when making his final pass , a touchdown . The Steelers made another quick first - round playoff exit , a 38 – 10 embarrassment against the Los Angeles Raiders . 1984 season . 1984 was supposed to be a rebuilding year . Mark Malone and David Woodley split quarterbacking duties , with Frank Pollard taking over at running back and Offensive Rookie of the Year Louis Lipps shining at wide receiver . The Steelers ' 9 - 7 record won them another division title . Among the nine victories , the Steelers handed San Francisco its only loss of the season , en route to an impressive 18 win season and Super Bowl championship . In the divisional playoff against the Denver Broncos , the Steelers came back in the fourth quarter to win 24 – 17 , but they lost the AFC Championship to Dan Marino ( the Pittsburgh native whom the Steelers passed up in the 1983 Draft ) and the Dolphins , 45 - 28 . 1985 – 1987 seasons . Despite career seasons from Lipps and Pollard , the Steelers ' 1985 campaign collapsed in December , with them losing four of their last five to finish at 7 – 9 . In 1986 , Malone took over the QB job by himself and Earnest Jackson ( who came off back - to - back 1000 - yard seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles ) was added to the offensive backfield , but the team fared no better , at 6 - 10 . An 8 - 7 record in 1987 was not enough to save Malone ' s job in Pittsburgh . Bubby Brister became the Steelers ' new starting quarterback . 1988 season . The 1988 season was the worst for the Steelers in twenty years , with a 5 – 11 record . Mike Webster was cut during the offseason . 1989 season . The 1989 team also got rough start , but won five of their last six to finish 9 – 7 , enough for a wild card playoff spot . In the wild - card playoff game against the Houston Oilers , the Steelers staged a desperate fourth - quarter comeback to win 26 – 23 in overtime on a 50 yard field goal by Gary Anderson . The game cost Houston coach Jerry Glanville his job . However , in their divisional game against the Denver Broncos , it was John Elway who staged the last - minute comeback and the Steelers went home with a 24 – 23 loss . Defensive back Rod Woodson , in his third season , made the first of seven consecutive Pro Bowl s . 1990 season . The Steelers finished 9 – 7 in 1990 led by the # 1 defense in the NFL in terms of yards allowed . The defense was led by the secondary ( mainly the superb Rod Woodson ) which was particularly effective limiting opposing passers to just 9 touchdown passes while intercepting 19 ( the Steelers intercepted 24 total as a team ) . The 1990 season ended with another disappointment however as the Steelers lost twice in three weeks to the Cincinnati Bengals , and lost the season ' s final game on the road to the Houston Oilers to miss out on the playoffs . 1991 season . The 1991 season saw rookie quarterback Neil O ' Donnell show some flashes of brilliance , but the rest of the team faltered and the Steelers finished 7 – 9 . 1992 – 2006 : The Bill Cowher years . Chuck Noll , the Steelers ' coach since , retired at the end of the season . Noll was replaced by Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Bill Cowher , a native of the Pittsburgh suburb of Crafton . Cowher led the Steelers to the playoffs in each of his first six seasons as coach , a feat that had only previously been accomplished by legendary coach Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns . 1992 season . Cowher made an immediate impact in the 1992 season , as did third - year running back Barry Foster whose 1 , 690 yards was second in the NFL behind Emmitt Smith . Woodson recorded six sacks , a career high . The Steelers ' 11 – 5 record won them the AFC Central title and a first - round playoff bye . Their hopes , however , came to a crashing end against the surging Buffalo Bills , in a 24 – 3 loss . 1993 season . The Steelers collapsed near the end of the 1993 season , starting 6 – 3 but finishing 9 – 7 . They clinched the final playoff spot at 9 – 7 , and travelled to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild card round . Leading 24 – 17 with two minutes left , the Steelers defense gave up a Joe Montana fourth - down touchdown pass to little - known Tim Barnett to tie the game . In overtime , the Chiefs won on a Nick Lowery field goal , breaking Steelers fans ' hearts yet again . 1994 season . The 1994 season brought back memories of the 1970s Steeler teams . Barry Foster was joined in the backfield by rookie Bam Morris , and together they gained almost 1 , 700 rushing yards . The " Steel Curtain " defense made a resurgence , with Kevin Greene responsible for 14 sacks and Greg Lloyd tacking on 10 more . The Steelers ' 12 – 4 record clinched them home - field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs . In the divisional playoff Pittsburgh walloped the Cleveland Browns 29 – 9 , and were heavily favored in the conference championship against the San Diego Chargers . The Steelers seemed to dominate when the numbers were crunched : O ' Donnell passed for 349 yards to Stan Humphries ' 165 , and had a nearly 2 - 1 edge in time of possession . But they gave up a 13 - 3 lead in the 3rd quarter when Alfred Pupunu and Tony Martin caught touchdowns of 43 yards each , and it was the Chargers who advanced to Super Bowl XXIX , by the score of 17 – 13 . The 1994 Steelers finished their disappointing season three yards away from their first Super Bowl appearance since 1980 as an O ' Donnell pass to Foster was batted down . This play epitomized the Steelers ' season - incomplete . AFC Championship collapses , unfortunately for the Steelers , would become a hallmark of the Cowher era . 1995 season . The Steelers ' 1995 campaign was no less dominant . Foster left the team , but Erric Pegram ( picked up from the Atlanta Falcons ) made up for it with an 800 - yard season . Yancey Thigpen amassed 1 , 307 receiving yards and Willie Williams had seven interceptions . The Steelers ' 11 - 5 record once again won them the division and a first - round bye . As in 1994 , the Steelers dominated in the divisional playoff ( a 40 – 21 win over the Buffalo Bills ) , but the cinderella Indianapolis Colts put up a fight in the AFC championship . There were four lead changes , the last when Bam Morris scored a one - yard touchdown with 1 : 34 remaining . Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh threw a " hail mary " that was dropped by Aaron Bailey in the end zone . The Steelers narrowly won , 20 – 16 , and went on to play the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX . The Cowboys , a team that thought themselves to be just as dominant in the 1990s as the Steelers were in the 1970s heyday , jumped to a quick 13 – 0 lead . Pittsburgh showed some signs of life , such as a Yancey Thigpen touchdown before halftime , and a surprise onside kick recovery that led to a Bam Morris touchdown run narrowing the score to 20 - 17 , late in the 4th quarter . The Steeler defense quickly forced Dallas into punting the ball back to the Steeler offense and Neil O ' Donnell threw his second and worst interception of the game , similar to his first , halting the Steelers come from behind win . Both interceptions gave Dallas easy touchdown situations . O ' Donnell ' s three interceptions contributed heavily to the Steelers ' 27 – 17 loss . 1996 season . Super Bowl XXX was O ' Donnell ' s last game as a Steeler , as he signed with the New York Jets as a free agent in the offseason . Pittsburgh had drafted Kordell Stewart in 1995 , but he remained a backup through the 1996 season . Mike Tomczak received the starting duties . The Steelers also traded for running back Jerome Bettis from the St . Louis Rams , who ran for 1 , 400 yards in his first year in the Steel City . A late - season decline was hurting the Steelers Super Bowl chances , but their 10 – 6 record still won them the division . Pittsburgh won their wild - card playoff game handily ( 42 – 14 over the Colts ) , but lost just as handily , 28 – 3 , to the New England Patriots in the divisional playoff . 1997 season . Stewart was given the starting quarterback job in 1997 after Tomczak failed to impress . Stewart did impress fans , however , in his first full season : 3 , 000 passing yards and 21 touchdowns . Bettis had another 1 , 000 - yard rushing season , and Thigpen had 1 , 000 yards receiving to boot . The Steelers once again won the AFC Central , but their 11 – 5 record also gave them a first - round playoff bye . They narrowly won a 7 - 6 defensive struggle against the Patriots in the divisional playoff , setting the stage for an AFC Championship showdown at Three Rivers Stadium against the Denver Broncos . Kordell Stewart scored early , going for 33 yards with one of his well - known scrambles , but the Broncos exploded in the second quarter ( aided by two questionable interference calls ) . A late Steelers comeback was squashed and the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos went on to win 24 – 21 . 1998 season . It looked like the Steelers would be back in the playoffs for most of the 1998 regular season , going 7 – 4 in their first eleven games . But two losses to the Cincinnati Bengals and a loss on Thanksgiving to the Detroit Lions kept the Steelers out of the playoffs . The Thanksgiving game against the Lions in 1998 is most known for the infamous coin flip call before overtime . The game was tied 16 – 16 at the end of regulation when the referee told team captain Jerome Bettis to call " heads " or " tails " as he flipped the coin in the air . Bettis stammered while making the call , and referee ( Phil Luckett ) stated " the Steelers called heads ; it ' s tails . " This caused an uproar from Bettis and the Steelers , as replays seemed to show that Bettis clearly called " tails . " Contrary to many press reports , Luckett did not make a mistake in this incident . A week after the game , the tape was enhanced by local Pittsburgh TV station KDKA - TV and Bettis is clearly heard saying " hea - tails . " A sideline microphone enhancement also clearly had Bettis telling Coach Bill Cowher that ( Bettis ) had said " hea - tails . " The Steelers never got to touch the ball again and went on to lose 19 – 16 . They would lose their next four games and would end up finishing 7 – 9 . 1999 season . The Steelers fell into turmoil in 1999 . Stewart was benched partway through the season and Tomczak was given back his starting job . Pittsburgh ' s mostly new receiving corps ( including future star Hines Ward ) showed their inexperience at times , and the team finished 6 – 10 , their worst showing in eleven years . It has become an article of faith among NFL pundits that the Steelers do not have a bad team two years in a row — they have never lost 10 or more in consecutive years since the 1970 AFL - NFL Merger . 2000 season . 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 . 2001 season . The Steelers opened Heinz Field in the 2001 season . Both Ward and Burress had 1 , 000 - yard receiving seasons , and linebacker Kendrell Bell was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year . Bettis had to sit out the last five games of the regular season and start of the playoffs with a knee injury , but Chris Fuamatu - Ma ' afala and Amos Zereoue ably filled in . The Steelers ' 13 – 3 record got them home field advantage throughout the playoffs . Zereoue , filling in for Bettis , scored two touchdowns in the divisional playoff against the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens , which the Steelers won 27 – 10 . Pittsburgh then hosted its fourth AFC championship game in eight years , this one against the New England Patriots . Optimism was high as Bettis made his return . The Patriots jumped out to a big lead thanks to two special teams touchdowns , but the Steelers tried a third - quarter comeback with rushing touchdowns by Bettis and Zereoue . Kordell Stewart ' s final two drives both ended in interceptions , however , and the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots won the game 24 – 17 . 2002 season . Stewart ' s inability to win big games and tendency to throw interceptions cost him the starting job once again early in the 2002 season . Journeyman Tommy Maddox , who won the XFL MVP after the league ' s only season , became the starting quarterback . Maddox lost only three games as the Steelers finished 10 – 5 – 1 , tops in the new AFC North division . ( Stewart , who made a short comeback after Maddox was injured later in the year , was cut and later resurfaced with the Chicago Bears . ) They faced their longtime rivals , the Cleveland Browns , in the wild card playoff game . The Steelers were down 24 - 7 in the third quarter , but Maddox led them on a wild comeback . Jerame Tuman , Hines Ward , and Chris Fuamatu - Ma ' afala all scored fourth - quarter touchdowns to win the game 36 - 33 . The divisional playoff against the Tennessee Titans was just as dramatic . Hines Ward tied the game early in the fourth quarter with a 21 - yard touchdown , and the game eventually went to overtime . Tennessee won the toss and Titans kicker Joe Nedney lined up for a field goal , which he made . But the Steelers called timeout so the field goal did not count . Nedney ' s second try went wide right , but the Steelers were called for running into the kicker on Dwayne Washington . The third try was good and officially counted as the game winner , but over protests by Bill Cowher who thought he called another timeout first . The 34 - 31 loss was another disappointing end to the season for the Steelers . 2003 season . 2003 was an overall disappointment . Due to injuries on the offensive line , and Maddox ' s previous success in the passing game , the Steelers strayed from their typical run - heavy offense . However , Maddox threw only 18 touchdowns to 17 interceptions , causing fans to wonder if the previous season was a fluke . Jerome Bettis and Plaxico Burress both failed to reach 1 , 000 yards . The Steelers collapsed to 6 – 10 . 2004 season : 15 – 1 . In the 2004 draft , the Steelers took quarterback Ben Roethlisberger from Miami University ( Ohio ) in the first round . Maddox kept the starting job until he was injured in the second game of the season , in Baltimore , against the Ravens . Roethlisberger was pushed into action and immediately wowed fans . " Big Ben " did not lose a game during the entire regular season , setting a record for most consecutive games won with a rookie quarterback to start a career . Included were back - to - back convincing wins over the New England Patriots ( breaking their record 21 - game winning streak ) and eventual NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles . By the end of the season , Roethlisberger and the rest of the Steelers were starting to show signs of wear , but they still escaped with victories every time . The Steelers completed the 2004 regular season with the best record in the NFL at 15 – 1 , which is also their best 16 - game season . After 2003 ' s failed attempt to focus on the passing game , the 2004 team returned to the typical Steelers formula , a run - heavy offense ( 61 / 39 run - pass ratio ) and a strong defense . The team ' s dominant running game , featuring Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley ( acquired prior to the season in free agency ) , was bolstered by an efficient and often explosive passing attack led by Roethlisberger and receivers Burress , Ward , and Antwaan Randle El . The defense , one of the league ' s best , was anchored by Pro Bowl linebackers James Farrior and Joey Porter and Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu . Only three previous teams ( The ' 84 49ers , the ' 85 Bears , & the ' 98 Vikings ) have had a 15 - win season , with the Steelers being the first AFC team to accomplish this feat . As a result of this dominant season , the Steelers received home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs . Their divisional playoff game was against the Wild Card New York Jets . Roethlisberger threw two interceptions , one of which was returned for a touchdown by Reggie Tongue , but a Hines Ward touchdown catch tied the game at 17 - 17 in the fourth quarter . Jets kicker Doug Brien had two chances to win the game with a field goal in the final two minutes of regulation , but one kick hit the crossbar , while the other went wide left . Jeff Reed kicked a field goal 11 : 04 into the extra period to win the game , 20 - 17 . The Steelers were back in the AFC Championship , once again in Pittsburgh , for a rematch with the Patriots . New England went out to a big lead early after two first - quarter turnovers by the Steelers . In the second quarter , Rodney Harrison intercepted Roethlisberger ( who had three picks overall ) and returned it for a touchdown . The Steelers showed some signs of life in the third quarter , but it was not enough . The Patriots , another dynasty team that has been compared with the 1970s Steelers , won 41 - 27 . This defeat marked the fourth time in ten years that the Steelers had lost the conference title game at home under Bill Cowher . 2005 season : The Fifth Ring . Despite losing Plaxico Burress to free agency ( he would end up with the New York Giants ) , the Steelers took some steps to ensure a return to the postseason . They first selected TE Heath Miller from the University of Virginia in the 2005 NFL Draft . Other picks included Florida St . CB Bryant McFadden , Northwestern University OG Trai Essex , Georgia University WR Fred Gibson , and Temple University LB Rian Wallance . In 2005 , the Steelers hoped to make another post - season run . Injuries to Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley forced Willie Parker to become the Steelers ' starter at running back , and he acquitted himself very well in two convincing wins against the Tennessee Titans ( 34 – 7 ) and Houston Texans ( 27 – 7 ) to open the season . In the next game , however , the visiting New England Patriots handed Ben Roethlisberger his first regular season loss as the Steelers lost the much - hyped rematch of the 2004 AFC Championship Game 23 – 20 . Two weeks later , Pittsburgh came back to defeat the throwback - clad San Diego Chargers 24 – 22 on a 40 - yard field goal by Jeff Reed . The victory proved costly as Roethlisberger suffered an injury when he was hit on his left knee by the helmet of Chargers rookie lineman Luis Castillo . So Tommy Maddox was named starter for their home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars . The Steelers struggled throughout the game , as Maddox threw two interceptions through regulation , but they managed to tie at 17 going into OT . Unfortunately , Maddox threw a costly interception to Jags DB Rashean Mathis , who returned it 41 yards for a touchdown , as the Steelers fell 23 – 17 . Maddox ' s off - field arguments with head coach Bill Cowher cost him his # 1 back - up spot . Fortunately , " Big Ben " was able to play in their next road game against their division rival , the Cincinnati Bengals . Despite winning 27 – 13 , his left knee would need surgery . Big Ben fought through a lot of pain in the Steeler ' s 20 – 19 Monday Night victory over the Baltimore Ravens but reaggravated his knee injuries . Charlie Batch was named the starter , and he provided victories over the struggling Green Bay Packers ( 20 – 10 on the road ) , and against their rust belt rival , the Cleveland Browns ( 34 – 21 at home ) , where during the game , wide receiver Hines Ward set the Steelers record for most career receptions ( 543 ) , breaking John Stallworth ' s mark of 537 . Unfortunately , Batch broke his hand , which forced him to the sidelines . Tommy Maddox was given the start for their road game against the Ravens , but again , he showed his inefficiency , as the Steelers fell in overtime 16 – 13 . After Roethlisberger ' s return , the Steelers lost their first two games against the then - undefeated Indianapolis Colts ( 26 – 7 on the road ) and at home against the resurgent Bengals ( 38 – 31 ) , but recovered to win the last four regular season games ( 21 – 9 vs . Bears , 18 – 3 @ Vikings , 41 – 0 @ Browns , and 35 – 21 vs . Lions ) to clinch the sixth and last seed in the AFC playoffs . On a side note , during the last game of the regular season in Pittsburgh , the Steeler fans gave Jerome Bettis a standing ovation when he was taken out of the game in the fourth quarter by Bill Cowher . It was the last game in Pittsburgh for Bettis , as he announced his retirement after the Steelers ' ultimate victory in Super Bowl XL . Bettis finished the game with 41 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns , and gave the team a boost after the Lions had taken a 14 – 7 first quarter lead . The Super Bowl run . On Sunday , January 8 , 2006 , the Steelers traveled to Paul Brown Stadium for their Wild Card match - up against the Cincinnati Bengals . On the Bengals ' second offensive play , Bengal quarterback Carson Palmer launched a 66 - yard completion — the longest in Bengals ' playoff history — to receiver Chris Henry while Steelers defensive tackle Kimo von Oelhoffen tried to sack him . In what might be considered by Bengals fans as the defining moment of the game , von Oelhoffen hit Palmer ' s leg , striking his left knee from the side . Palmer had to be taken off the field on a cart . A magnetic resonance imaging test revealed that both Palmer ' s anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments were torn by von Oelhoffen ' s contact , which also caused cartilage and meniscus damage . It should be noted that von Oelhoffen ' s hit did not generate a defensive penalty due to the fact that Bengals guard , Eric Steinbach , pushed von Oelhoffen into Palmer . Backup quarterback Jon Kitna filled in for Palmer and threw 1 touchdown pass and two interceptions . Despite trailing after the first quarter , the Steelers came within three points , trailing 17 - 14 at the half . Eventually , they shut out the Bengals in the second half and scored 17 points to win 31 – 17 . On Sunday , January 15 , the Steelers traveled to the RCA Dome in Indianapolis , Indiana where they faced the # 1 seeded Colts , and defeated them 21 - 18 in spite of a highly - improbable fourth quarter — including a controversial call reversal that turned a crucial Troy Polamalu interception into an incomplete pass — which found the suddenly revitalized Colts offense with a chance to turn the game around . After recovering an unlikely Jerome Bettis fumble on the Colts 1 with just over a minute remaining , Colts cornerback Nick Harper sped downfield toward what would have been a game - winning touchdown , only to be tripped up by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in a shoe - string tackle . This heads - up play probably prevented a game - winning touchdown for the Colts . The Steelers defense managed to hold their ground on the ensuing Colts drive , leaving the Colts with just one last chance to tie and send the game into overtime . But Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt , one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history , missed a 46 - yard field goal attempt — wide right — with : 18 left in the 4th quarter . The game was the first time in NFL history that a sixth seed ( Pittsburgh ) defeated a first seed ( Indianapolis Colts ) in the playoffs . It also marked the first time that a sixth seed would get to play in a Conference Championship game . On Sunday January 22 , 2006 , the Steelers won their 6th AFC Championship at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver , Colorado when they beat the Denver Broncos 34 - 17 . Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed an efficient 21 out of 29 passes , 2 of which were touchdowns . He also ran for another touchdown as he led the team to victory . It marked the 1st time since the ' 85 – ' 86 New England Patriots and the 2nd time in NFL History that a Wild Card Team would get to the Super Bowl after winning the Wild Card Round , the Divisional Round , and the Conference Championship on the road . It also marked the first time that a sixth - seeded team would get to play in the Super Bowl . In the Steelers ' first trip to the Super Bowl since the 1995 season , they defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21 - 10 in Super Bowl XL on February 5 , 2006 at Ford Field in Detroit , Michigan . The game had been hyped as a homecoming for Detroit native Jerome Bettis . The play by both teams in the game was mostly lackluster , although records were set for longest run from scrimmage ( 75 yards for touchdown by Willie Parker of the Steelers ) , longest interception return ( 76 yards by Seahawks CB Kelly Herndon ) , and the first touchdown pass by a wide receiver ( thrown by Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward on a reverse ) . The Steelers become the 1st 6th - seeded team , since the NFL changed to a 12 - team playoff format in 1990 , to go to the Super Bowl and win . Their playoff campaign included defeating the first ( Indianapolis ) , second ( Denver ) , and third ( Cincinnati ) seeded AFC teams en route to the Super Bowl victory against the first seeded Seahawks from the NFC . Also , they are the first NFL team to win 9 road games . Ben Roethlisberger becomes the youngest QB to win a Super Bowl . They successfully tied with the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys for the most Super Bowl titles with five . 2006 season . The 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers season began with the team trying to improve on their 11 - 5 record from 2005 and trying to defend their Super Bowl XL championship . They finished the season 8 - 8 and did not make it to the playoffs . Hoping to end their season on a high note , the Steelers flew to Paul Brown Stadium for an AFC North rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals . After a scoreless first quarter , Pittsburgh drew first blood in the second quarter with RB Willie Parker getting a 1 - yard TD run . Afterwards , the Bengals would manage to salvage a 34 - yard field goal by kicker Shayne Graham . After a scoreless third quarter , Cincinnati took the lead by getting a Willie Parker fumble and ending it with QB Carson Palmer completing a 66 - yard TD pass to WR Chris Henry . Parker managed to make amends with another 1 - yard TD run . However , the Bengals went back into the lead with Palmer completing a 5 - yard TD pass to TE Tony Stewart . The Steelers would manage to tie the game late in the game with kicker Jeff Reed nailing a 35 - yard field goal . Cincinnati quickly managed to get into field goal range , but Graham ' s 39 - yard field goal went wide right . In overtime , Pittsburgh took advantage and won with QB Ben Roethlisberger ' s 67 - yard TD pass to rookie WR Santonio Holmes . With the win , not only did the Steelers end their season at 8 - 8 , but they also wiped out any hope that the Bengals had of reaching the playoffs . 2007 – present : The Mike Tomlin years . 2007 season . The 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers season saw the team improve upon their 8 – 8 record from 2006 , finish with a record of 10 – 6 , and win the AFC North Division . The season marked the 75th anniversary of the Steelers franchise . The Steelers ' 2007 schedule included two notable playoff rematches . The Steelers played the New England Patriots December 9 for the first time in the regular season since 2005 , when they lost at home on a last - second Adam Vinatieri field goal 23 – 20 . The 34 – 13 loss was also the Steelers ' first visit to Foxboro , Massachusetts since 2002 . The Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21 – 0 in week 5 on October 7 , the teams ' first meeting since the Steelers ' 21 – 10 victory in Super Bowl XL 20 months earlier . The week 5 match was the Steelers ' and Seahawks ' first meeting in Pittsburgh since 1999 as well as the Seahawks ' first - ever visit to Heinz Field . Another notable game occurred December 20 when the Steelers defeated the St . Louis Rams , 41 – 24 , for their first - ever road win over the Cleveland / Los Angeles / St . Louis Rams ( 1 – 9 – 1 ) . It was the two teams ' first - ever meeting in St . Louis , a city the Steelers last visited in 1979 ( a 24 – 21 win over the then - St . Louis Cardinals at Busch Memorial Stadium ) . Six players from the Steelers were selected to play in the 2007 Pro Bowl . Two started , two were selected to the reserve squad , and two did not play due to injury . 2008 season : The Sixth Championship . Entering the 2008 season , the Pittsburgh Steelers lost Alan Faneca , after his contract expired and he signed with the New York Jets . The Steelers also signed quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to an eight year , $ 102 million contract , the largest in franchise history . The Steelers also drafted Rashard Mendenhall , running back from Illinois , with the 23rd overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft as well as top wide receiver prospect Limas Sweed of Texas with the 53rd overall pick . With injury to Willie Parker and uncertainty about his future production , Rashard Mendenhall was drafted to be the next Steelers running back of the future . The regular season went well with the team winning twelve games and losing four , all to strong opponents , with their only losses going to the Eagles , the Giants , the Colts , and the Titans ( who had the best record in the league ) . The team thus earned a first - round bye and home advantage through the playoffs . James Harrison was voted as the 2008 AP Defensive Player of the Year with a monstrous regular season performance with 16 sacks ( fourth in league ) and 7 forced fumbles ( first in the league ) . Troy Polamalu also had a great season , gaining seven interceptions which was tied for second in the league , trailing only Ed Reed of the Ravens who had 9 . Beating San Diego in the divisional round , they faced their AFC North rival Baltimore in the conference championship and soundly defeated them . Thus , the Steelers made it to their seventh Super Bowl . Their opponent was the Arizona Cardinals , a team that had not appeared in any league championship since 1948 . Super Bowl XLIII was played on February 1 , 2009 at the Buccaneers ' Raymond James Stadium . By halftime , the Steelers were ahead at 17 - 7 . Arizona ' s effort was hampered by penalties , in particular three personal fouls , but they managed to get ahead after WR Larry Fitzgerald scored a 63 - yard touchdown , bringing the score to 23 - 20 . But Pittsburgh ' s Santonio Holmes was able to convert a 6 - yard TD in the final two minutes . With that , the game ended 27 - 23 and the Steelers gained their sixth championship , becoming the first team to win six Super Bowls since the start of the Super Bowl era . 2009 season . The defending champions began the 2009 campaign in good form , winning six of their first eight matches . However , a major loss came as the Steelers lost Troy Polamalu in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans . Troy came back in Week 6 against the Browns and played until Week 10 against the Bengals when he reinjured himself in the game . This effectively ended the rest of Troy ' s season . But starting in Week 10 , things crumbled as Pittsburgh dropped five in a row , including losses to Kansas City and Oakland , two of the league ' s weakest teams . The ultimate disaster came in Week 14 , when an unprepared , injury - compromised Steelers team lost to the 1 - 11 Cleveland Browns for the first time since 2003 . Pittsburgh managed to snap its losing streak in the next game , where they beat Green Bay by one point with Ben Roethlisberger throwing a career - best 504 passing yards . They then won against Baltimore the following week , and on the season ender defeated Miami to finish 9 - 7 . However , the Ravens ' victory over Oakland later that day kept Pittsburgh from the playoffs . Throughout the season , the Steelers struggled harshly on special teams , giving up four kickoff return touchdowns . The Steelers sent 4 players to the Pro Bowl : Tight end Heath Miller ( 76 receptions , 789 receiving yards , and 6 touchdowns ) , nose tackle Casey Hampton ( 43 tackles / 23 solo , and 2 sacks ) , and linebackers James Harrison ( 79 tackles / 60 solo , 10 sacks , and 5 forced fumbles ) and LaMarr Woodley ( 62 tackles / 50 solo , 13 sacks , and 1 forced fumble ) . 2010 season : A record Super Bowl appearance . The 2010 off - season proved a disaster for the Steelers as Ben Roethlisberger was accused of unwelcome sexual advances on a woman he met in a bar . Although no charges were filed , NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him for six games for violating the NFL ' s personal conduct policy . However on September 6 , his suspension was reduced to four games . Roethlisberger was also barred from attending the team ' s games and could only practice with free agents during this period . Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch would fill in as the starting QB . Despite dire predictions , the Steelers hosted Atlanta on the season opener and won in overtime 15 - 9 . They then traveled to Tennessee and knocked out their former division rival 19 - 11 in an outstanding defensive game . In Week 3 , the Steelers beat Tampa Bay 38 - 13 before losing their first divisional match against Baltimore 17 - 14 . Roethlisberger meanwhile prepared to make his comeback as the team entered its bye week prior to hosting Cleveland in Week 6 . He was given a standing ovation by Steelers fans and delivered a fine 28 - 10 win over the Browns . The Steelers then beat the Dolphins 23 - 22 before losing to the Saints 20 - 10 . Next week , Pittsburgh played on Monday Night in Cincinnati , where they held off a Bengals comeback to win 27 - 21 . The Steelers were then humiliated on their own turf in front of the whole country by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 39 - 26 , a game that wasn ' t as close as the score suggests . Pittsburgh would then win 4 in a row , 35 - 3 vs . Oakland , 19 - 16 in OT at Buffalo , 13 - 10 at Baltimore , and 23 - 7 vs . Cincinnati . The streak ended Week 15 in a 22 - 17 home loss to the New York Jets . Pittsburgh would then win their last 2 games by a combined score of 68 - 12 , beating Carolina 27 - 3 , and then finishing out at Cleveland , 41 - 9 . The Steelers made it through the season finishing 12 - 4 , winning the AFC North division , and winning the AFC ' s # 2 seed in the playoffs . In their first postseason game at home against Baltimore , the Steelers fell behind at halftime 21 - 7 . Pittsburgh made a second half rally and beat the Ravens 31 - 24 . They then defeated the Jets 24 - 19 in the AFC Championship to earn the right to go to Super Bowl XLV . Against the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl , the Steelers fell behind 21 - 3 , but fought back to make the score 21 - 17 . A Rashard Mendenhall fumble at the start of the 4th quarter proved costly as Green Bay would score to make it 28 - 17 . Pittsburgh would score a TD on a 25 - yard pass to Mike Wallace and make the 2 - point conversion to make it 28 - 25 . Green Bay took time off the clock on their next drive which they capped off with a Field Goal to make it 31 - 25 . Pittsburgh could not score on their final drive , and would end up losing the game . Though it was a disappointing end , the Steelers ' season was considered to be highly successful , as they defied many predictions that they would lose their significance in their division . They also tied the Dallas Cowboys for most Super bowl appearances with eight . 2011 season . The Steelers began 2011 very badly by losing 35 - 7 to their arch - rival Baltimore in a terribly - botched game with three Roethlisberger interceptions and 7 turnovers . Afterwards , they avenged themselves by shutting out Seattle 24 - 0 . Next Pittsburgh fought a hard battle with the Peyton Manning - less Colts in Indianapolis and managed to squeak past them with a last second Shaun Suisham field goal 23 - 20 . With injuries piling up , the Steelers came out flat against Houston and lost 17 - 10 in Week 4 . Ben Roethlisberger was sidelined with a foot injury and Charlie Batch scheduled to start in Week 5 against Tennessee , however Roethlisberger played and threw for 5 touchdowns in a 38 - 17 win . After easily winning that game , he returned to action as Pittsburgh beat Jacksonville at home 17 - 13 and then won in Arizona 32 - 20 for their first encounter since Super Bowl XLIII . The Steelers set a franchise record in the latter game as Roethlisberger threw a 95 - yard TD pass to Mike Wallace . The next week , Pittsburgh returned home to face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots . In a spectacular defensive effort , in which Pittsburgh held Brady to a season - low 198 yards passing , the Steelers beat the Patriots 25 - 17 . Then after a disappointing home loss to Baltimore , the Steelers went to Cincinnati and won their first AFC North division battle of the year , 24 - 17 . Steelers rivalries . Many Pittsburgh natives and fans consider the Cleveland Browns , Baltimore Ravens , New England Patriots , Dallas Cowboys , and the Oakland Raiders to be the teams primary rivals . Upon conclusion of the 2006 season , Pittsburgh has a . 500 record vs these 3 teams when combining regular and post season games . The historic rivalries with the Raiders and Cowboys have been decisive in the outcomes of the Super Bowl , particularly in the 1970s . Pittsburgh and Cleveland have been in the same division and have met at least twice a year since 1950 . The Steelers hold a 2 – 0 post season record against the Browns . The Steelers and Raiders have met 6 times in the post season , including 5 consecutive appearances between 1972 through 1976 which gave the 2 teams an unusual familiarity with the other since each is in a different division . Their post season record against one and other is tied 3 – 3 . Pittsburgh and Dallas first met in 1960 ( the two actually met in the Cowboys ' first game as a franchise , with the Steelers winning 35 – 28 ) , and have faced each other in the Super Bowl on three occasions ( X , XII , XXX ) with Pittsburgh leading the series 2 – 1 . In the 1970s , Pittsburgh and Dallas where both renowned for stifling defenses named : " The Steel Curtain " , and " The Doomsday Defense " respectively . Pittsburgh became the first team to achieve 3 Super Bowl wins when it defeated Dallas in Super Bowl XIII , and the first team to achieve 4 Super Bowls a year later when they defeated the Rams . Dallas defeated the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX to become the second team behind San Francisco to win 5 Super Bowl Championships . Ten years later Pittsburgh would join Dallas and San Francisco to become the third team to reach that milestone when they defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL . Three years later , the Steelers would become the first team to win a sixth Super Bowl , achieving that milestone in the 08 - 09 season . They played against the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII , and eventually rallied a 27 - 23 comeback victory . The Steelers received a nickname favored by the fans , the Sixburgh Steelers . The rivalry with the New England Patriots is relatively recent . The two clubs met thirteen times 1972 - 95 with the Steelers winning ten , including five in a row . But in 1996 the two met in the playoffs for the first time and the rivalry changed , as the Patriots defeated the Steelers 28 - 3 in the AFC Divisional Playoffs in January 1997 . The next year the Steelers edged New England in overtime 24 - 21 and won in the divisional round 7 - 6 . Since then , however , the Patriots have won five of seven regular - season meetings and two AFC Championship Game matchups , both at Heinz Field . 2004 was the most recent season the two teams met twice in the season ; Pittsburgh ended New England ' s 21 - game winning streak in a 34 - 20 rout and surged to a 15 - 1 regular season , but in the AFC Championship the Steelers were crushed 41 - 27 by the Patriots .