2003 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2003 Pittsburgh Steelers season began with the team trying to improve on their 10 – 5 – 1 record from 2002 in which they lost to the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional round of the playoffs . With the team suffering through injuries as well as less reliance on the running game than normal , the Steelers stumbled to a 6 – 10 record , going the entire season without winning consecutive games . As of 2010 , it is the team ' s only losing season since moving to Heinz Field . The team ' s 6 – 10 finish matched their worst under Bill Cowher ( 1999 ) . Monday Night Controversy . The team did gain some notoriety during the season . The NFL tried to make it easier on teams after playing a Monday night game by giving every team that was away for a Monday night game either a home game or their bye week the following week . The Steelers were the only team that season to play on the road following a Monday night road game , playing the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on November 17 before traveling to Cleveland the following week to play against the rival Cleveland Browns on November 23 . While Steelers head coach Bill Cowher was livid at the team playing a road game after a Monday night road game , team president Dan Rooney mentioned that the league putting the Steelers in Cleveland — only 112 miles from Pittsburgh — after flying to the West Coast was somewhat as a compromise to the team . The Steelers got mixed results from the back - to - back road games on a short week , losing to the 49ers 30 – 14 in the game the 49ers retired Ronnie Lott ' s number 42 during halftime , but defeating the Browns 13 – 6 , the latter being the first of the team ' s twelve - game winning streak against their bitter rivals , which ended in a 2009 game in Cleveland . Regular season . Game summaries . Week 1 ( Sunday September 7 , 2003 ) : vs . Baltimore Ravens . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Week 2 ( Sunday September 14 , 2003 ) : at Kansas City Chiefs . " at Arrowhead Stadium , Kansas City , Missouri " Week 3 ( Sunday September 21 , 2003 ) : at Cincinnati Bengals . " at Paul Brown Stadium , Cincinnati , Ohio " Week 4 ( Sunday September 28 , 2003 ) : vs . Tennessee Titans . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Week 5 ( Sunday October 5 , 2003 ) : vs . Cleveland Browns . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Week 6 ( Sunday October 12 , 2003 ) : at Denver Broncos . " at Invesco Field at Mile High , Denver , Colorado " Week 8 ( Sunday October 26 , 2003 ) : vs . St . Louis Rams . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " This was the 1 , 000 game in Steelers history . Week 9 ( Sunday November 2 , 2003 ) : at Seattle Seahawks . " at Seahawks Stadium , Seattle , Washington " Week 10 ( Sunday November 9 , 2003 ) : vs . Arizona Cardinals . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Week 11 ( Monday November 17 , 2003 ) : at San Francisco 49ers . " at San Francisco Stadium , San Francisco , California " Week 12 ( Sunday November 23 , 2003 ) : at Cleveland Browns . " at Cleveland Browns Stadium , Cleveland , Ohio " Week 13 ( Sunday November 30 , 2003 ) : vs . Cincinnati Bengals . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Week 14 ( Sunday December 7 , 2003 ) : vs . Oakland Raiders . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Week 15 ( Sunday December 14 , 2003 ) : at New York Jets . " at Giants Stadium , East Rutherford , New Jersey " Week 16 ( Sunday December 21 , 2003 ) : vs . San Diego Chargers . " at Heinz Field , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania " Week 17 ( Sunday December 28 , 2003 ) : at Baltimore Ravens . " at Ravens Stadium , Baltimore , Maryland "