2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers looked to rebound after a disappointing 6 – 10 season the year before , which saw the team go through the entire season without winning consecutive games . The team would more than rebound , finishing with a 15 – 1 record , topping the team - record 14 – 2 record from 1978 and joining the 1984 San Francisco 49ers , 1985 Chicago Bears , and 1998 Minnesota Vikings as only the fourth team in NFL history since the league adopted a 16 - game schedule in 1978 to finish with such a record . This also makes the Steelers the first AFC team to achieve a 15 – 1 record . Along the way , the Steelers ended the New England Patriots NFL - record 21 - game winning streak in Week 8 , then defeated the Philadelphia Eagles the following week to hand the NFL ' s last two undefeated teams their first losses in back - to - back weeks , both at home . The season was highlighted by the surprising emergence of rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger , the team ' s top pick in that year ' s draft . Originally planned to sit behind veteran Tommy Maddox the entire season , plans abruptly changed when Maddox was hurt in the team ' s Week 2 loss in Baltimore . Surrounded by talent , " Big Ben " wouldn ' t disappoint , going an NFL - record 13 – 0 as a rookie starting QB , shattering the old NFL record ( and ironically , also the team record ) of 6 – 0 to start an NFL career set by Mike Kruczek filling in for an injured Terry Bradshaw in 1976 . The Steelers would host the AFC Championship for the fifth time in eleven years . However , for the fourth time in that same span , the Steelers would lose at home one game away from the Super Bowl , and as in 2001 , lost to the Patriots in a rematch from Week 8 . Offseason . The Steelers went into the NFL draft with the eleventh overall pick , their highest selection since selecting Plaxico Burress eighth overall in 2000 . Although the team was ready to select Miami University quarterback Ben Roethlisberger if he were to still be available , the team was ready to select other players at " need " positions . However , with Roethlisberger still available , the team snatched him up , making him the third quarterback selected . Alongside Eli Manning , Philip Rivers , and J . P . Losman , Roethlisberger was part of the " Class of 2004 " quarterbacks . In addition , " Big Ben " became the first quarterback the Steelers selected with their first - round pick since they selected Mark Malone in 1980 . Free agent - wise , the Steelers would sign former Philadelphia Eagles running back Duce Staley . Many thought this signing was the team preparing for a future without Jerome Bettis . However , Staley ' s injury - prone history from Philly would continue with the Steelers . On the undrafted front , the team signed North Carolina running back Willie Parker . Although Parker would play sparingly his rookie season , he would become a major component of the offense in the future . The team also signed veteran punter Chris Gardocki ( releasing longtime punter Josh Miller in the process ) , who up to that point was best remembered by Steelers fans for flipping head coach Bill Cowher the finger twice on live TV after being leveled by Joey Porter while Gardocki was with the Cleveland Browns . ( Porter would be penalized for roughing the punter . ) Gardocki was fined $ 5 , 000 for the incident , and his signing by the team made him the only player to have played for Cowher " and " give him an expletive in public . The most notable releases made in the offseason included releasing veteran defensive players Jason Gildon and Dewayne Washington , who both would subsequently sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars and would both play against the Steelers in Week 13 . In the personnel department , the Steelers went back to the future with the return of " Mean Joe " Greene and Dick LeBeau to the organization . Greene , who along with the entire Arizona Cardinals coaching staff was fired after the dismissal of head coach Dave McGinnis , retired from coaching and returned to the Black & Gold as the " special assistant of player personnel " for the team . Meanwhile , LeBeau , who popularized the zone blitz defensive schemes as the team ' s defensive coordinator in the mid - 1990s ( commonly referred to as " Blitzburgh " by fans ) , returned to the team in that same capacity after a brief stint with the Buffalo Bills , replacing the fired Tim Lewis . 2004 would also be the final season for longtime Steelers radio color - commentator Myron Cope , who missed several games that year due to poor health . It was one of only two times in 35 years that Cope would miss time broadcasting for the Steelers , the other being the 1994 season after the death of his wife . Though Cope would later recover , he felt that it was best to retire , and did so at the end of the season . Regular season . Game summaries . Week 1 ( Sunday September 12 , 2004 ) : vs . Oakland Raiders . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " With the win , the Steelers started their season 1 – 0 for the 2nd straight year . Week 2 ( Sunday September 19 , 2004 ) : at Baltimore Ravens . " at M & T Bank Stadium , Baltimore , Maryland " With the loss , the Steelers fell to 1 – 1 for the 2nd straight year . 0 – 1 in division games and 1 – 1 in conference games . Week 3 ( Sunday September 26 , 2004 ) : at Miami Dolphins . " at Pro Player Stadium , Miami , Florida " The game was originally to be played at 1 : 00 pm , but was delayed until evening due to Hurricane Jeanne . The game was not broadcast nationally , it was only shown on local stations in the primary and secondary markets of the two teams . With the win , the Steelers improved to 2 – 1 . Week 4 ( Sunday October 3 , 2004 ) : vs . Cincinnati Bengals . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " With the win the Steelers improved to 3 – 1 . 1 – 1 in division games . Week 5 ( Sunday October 10 , 2004 ) : vs . Cleveland Browns . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " With their 2nd straight win over the Browns , the Steelers improved to 4 – 1 . Week 6 ( Sunday October 17 , 2004 ) : at Dallas Cowboys . " at Texas Stadium , Irving , Texas " With the win , the Steelers went on their bye week 5 – 1 . Week 8 ( Sunday October 31 , 2004 ) : vs . New England Patriots . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " This was the game that ended New England ' s NFL - record 21 - game winning streak . Following an Adam Vinatieri field goal in the first quarter , the Steelers erupted , as Ben Roethlisberger twice hit Plaxico Burress for touchdowns and a Tom Brady interception was run back by Deshea Townsend for a touchdown and a 21 – 3 Steelers lead after one quarter . Brady was picked off twice and Roethlisberger made no mistakes in throwing for 196 yards and amassing a quarterback rating of 126 . 4 . The Steelers routed the Patriots 34 – 20 and wound up winning the No . 1 seed in the AFC playoffs as a result . With the win , the Steelers improved to 6 – 1 . Week 9 ( Sunday November 7 , 2004 ) : vs . Philadelphia Eagles . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " The Steelers for the 2nd week in a row face an undefeated team . The 7 – 0 Eagles . With the win , the Steelers improved to 7 – 1 while the Eagles dropped to 7 – 1 . Week 10 ( Sunday November 14 , 2004 ) : at Cleveland Browns . " at Cleveland Browns Stadium , Cleveland , Ohio " Week 11 ( Sunday November 21 , 2004 ) : at Cincinnati Bengals . " at Paul Brown Stadium , Cincinnati , Ohio " Week 12 ( Sunday November 28 , 2004 ) : vs . Washington Redskins . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Week 13 ( Sunday December 5 , 2004 ) : at Jacksonville Jaguars . " at Alltel Stadium , Jacksonville , Florida " Week 14 ( Sunday December 12 , 2004 ) : vs . New York Jets . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Week 15 ( Saturday December 18 , 2004 ) : at New York Giants . " at Giants Stadium , East Rutherford , New Jersey " Week 16 ( Sunday December 26 , 2004 ) : vs . Baltimore Ravens . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Week 17 ( Sunday January 2 , 2005 ) : at Buffalo Bills . " at Ralph Wilson Stadium , Orchard Park , New York " Playoffs . Game Summaries . AFC Divisional Playoff ( Saturday January 15 , 2005 ) : vs . New York Jets . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " After a brilliant 15 – 1 regular season the Steelers pulled one out of the fire in the divisional playoffs against the Jets . Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted at the Jets 14 - yard line and Reggie Tongue ran back an 86 - yard touchdown in the third quarter . After tying the game at 17 in the fourth the Steelers had to sweat out a Jets drive in the final minutes of regulation ; they set up for a Doug Brien 37 - yard field goal but the kick missed . In overtime Roethlisberger was intercepted again and another Brien field goal was set up , this one 35 yards out – but it again missed . The Steelers drove down field and Jeff Reed ' s 33 - yard field goal ended a 20 – 17 Pittsburgh win . AFC Championship Game ( Sunday January 23 , 2005 ) : vs . New England Patriots . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Revenge for their Halloween loss drove the 15 – 2 Patriots back to Heinz Field and the conference championship . The shaky play of the Steelers against the Jets the week before was exploited by New England as Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted almost right away , then on their next possession the Steelers were stopped on downs . The Patriots raced to a 17 – 3 lead in the second quarter before Roethlisberger drove them down field and threw a back - breaking interception to Rodney Harrison at the Patriots 13 - yard line ; Harrison ran back the 87 - yard touchdown and fans at Heinz began chanting for Tommy Maddox to come in to replace Roethlisberger . The Steelers managed a pair of third - quarter touchdowns ( a 5 - yard Jerome Bettis run and 30 - yard Roethlisberger pass to Hines Ward ) but these only sandwiched another Patriots score ( a 25 - yard run by ex - Bengal Corey Dillon ) and the Steelers simply could not overcome New England ' s offense as the Patriots finished off Pittsburgh 41 – 27 , the third playoff win in four career tries by the Patriots over the Steelers . The game is also significant as the final game by the team ' s radio broadcaster , Myron Cope . Cope had served as the color commentator on the team ' s radio broadcast for 35 years . He would publicly announce his retirement five months later . Honors and awards . Pro Bowl Representatives . " See : 2005 Pro Bowl "