vs. Tennessee Titans
September 24, 2000

That's right folks. I'm starting off the list of the greatest games of the decades with a Steelers loss. Why? Well, I'm going to make the argument that this loss was more significant than many of the victories over the first part of the decade.

First, let's look at the events leading up to this game. After making the playoffs in each of Bill Cowher's first six seasons, the Steelers suddenly bottomed out. The 1998 season saw them drop their final five games to finish at 7-9, and the 1999 season was even worse, as the Steelers dropped 7 out of their last 8 to finish a dismal 6-10. Then as an extra kick in the groin, the Steelers suffered the offseason from hell. They lost Tom Donahoe, who was the architect of the good Steelers teams of the 90's. They lost defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. They came out and said that their top priority was holding onto free agent DL Orpheus Roye, then they lost him in the first few days of free agency (to a division rival no less). They "fixed" their QB problems by signing mediocre journeyman Kent Grahm. And oh yeah - there was that massive player brawl in the locker room during training camp. Needless to say that when the 2000 season rolled around, there was NO reason to believe the Steelers would have any chance at competing in the stacked AFC Central.

When the season opened, the Steelers sure didn't disappoint any gamblers. They got hammered 16-0 at home in week 1, then hit absolute rock bottom with one of the most disheartening losses in Steelers history in week 2 (see the worst games list). When the defending AFC Champion Tennessee Titans came to Three Rivers Stadium for the third game of the season, there was no reason to think that things would change. The Steelers were 0-2 and falling fast, while the Titans looked to be the favorites to repeat as conference champs.

But as the game began, something seemed different. The Steelers actually played a good, physical game against a team that usually owned them. The defense made some key interceptions and with the team trailing by three late in the 4th quarter, Jerome Bettis scored on a short TD to give the Steelers a 20-17 lead. But then things turned sour, all because Jason Gildon hit Titans QB Neil O'Donnell too hard. Steve McNair, who was sitting out the game due to one of his numerous injuries, was forced to come off the bench and beat the Steelers in the final minutes for like the 800th time in his career. McNair drove his team 70 yards in 35 seconds (yes, that's not a typo), and the Titans took a 23-20 lead. The Steelers still didn't give up, as they drove down the field in the final seconds. Kris Brown had a chance to tie the game with a 50 yard field goal. My seat at Three Rivers was aligned perfectly with the goal posts on that end of the field, so I could never judge accuracy on field goals, but I could clearly judge distance. When Brown kicked that 50 yarder, I saw the ball flutter out of the air and head towards the endzone turf. I turned around and started walking out even before the ball hit the ground - it wasn't even close.
Final Score: Steelers 20, Titans 23

The Aftermath: The Steelers built off of this loss. They suddenly got hot and won their next five games before finally dropping another heartbreaker against Tennessee. Pittsburgh would finish the season at a remarkable 9-7, then would go on to post 13, 10, and 15 win seasons in three of the next four years. The losing was over and the Steelers were back - and it all began with this game.

Personal Memory: I had a tickets to both this game and to a Penguins-Red Wings pre-season game at the Civic Arena that night. I remember planning out my day and thinking, "I hope I don't miss the opening faceoff." I was so disgusted with the Steelers that I cared more about a meaningless pre-season hockey game than I did about my beloved football team. I think a lot of fans felt the same way that day, but we were all pleasantly shocked by the Steelers gutsy effort. It was the proudest loss I have ever witnessed, and it turned the tides for a team and a town in need of a boost.

at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
October 21, 2001

No one was sure what to expect from the Steelers when the 2001 season began. There was optimism due to the team's successful 9-7 record the previous year, but the season got off to a rocky start as the Steelers got hammered on opening day in Jacksonville. Two days later, terrorists knocked down the World Trade Center and Steelers football went on a three-week hiatus. When the team resumed play, it bounced back to reel off three straight wins, all against inferior opponents. The big test for the 2001 team would come during a week 6 game at Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers were picked by many experts to be a Super Bowl team that year, so the Steelers knew they would have their hands full.

The Steelers used a physical approach to beat the Buccaneers at their own game. Jerome Bettis had one of the better games of his career, accounting for both of Pittsburgh's touchdowns. The first was a 32 yard halfback option pass to a wide open Jerame Tuman, and the second was a 46 yard TD run right through the middle of the vaunted Tampa Bay defense. Meanwhile, the Steelers defense dominated the Buccaneers from start to finish, sacking QB Brad Johnson 10 times. The defense really establsihed itself as the league's best that day.

After the game, Steelers safety Lee Flowers made headlines by declaring that the Buccaneers were nothing but "paper champions". That comment and the Steelers performance in this game set the tone for the entire rest of the season. The Steelers, not the Buccaneers, were primed to be the real force in the NFL that year, and after this convincing victory, everyone else started to notice.
Final Score: Steelers 17, Buccaneers 10

The Aftermath: The Steelers went on to post a league-best record of 13-3 before being upset in the AFC Championship Game. The Buccaneers never quite recovered in 2001, and neither did head coach Tony Dungy, who was dismissed after the season. However, the Bucs came back with a vengance in 2002, winning the Super Bowl and forever erasing the "paper champions" tag.

at Dallas Cowboys
October 17, 2004

Sometimes in sports, an otherwise decent player is always victimized by the same team. When Peyton Manning was at Tennessee, he could never beat Florida. When Michael Jordan was in his early years, he could never beat the Detroit Pistons. Such was the case for veteran quarterback Vinny Testaverde. The former Heismann winner has enjoyed a lengthy NFL career that has been full of ups (like his MVP-like performance during the 1998 season) and downs (like those early years he spent in Tampa Bay). But throughout his 18 years in the NFL, there has been one constant for Testaverde - he has always came completely unglued whenever he faced the Steelers.

This trend really began when the Cleveland Browns acquired Vinny in 1993. The following season, the Browns (led by future genius Bill Belichick) would put up an impressive 11-5 record, but were unable to dfeat the Steelers in two regular season games and a divisional playoff game thanks in large part to Testaverde's lackluster performances and tendency to throw the ball to the guys in the black shirts. When the franchise moved to Baltimore, it was more of the same for Vinny. There was the game at Three Rivers in 1996 where he threw an interception which was returned for a touchdown on the second play of the game. Then there was the 37-0 shalacking in 1997. After that, Testaverde moved on to New York and no longer had to face Pittsburgh every year.

Flash forward to 2004. Amazingly, Vinny was not only still playing, but thanks to the antics of Quincy Carter, Testaverde was actually STARTING for Bill Parcells' Dallas Cowboys. When the Steelers went to Dallas for a crucial week 6 game, all of the elements of history were in play: the Steelers-Cowboys rivalry, the battle to stay ahead in the playoff race (both teams were over .500 at the time), and of course, Vinny's history against the Steelers. Adding to the ambiance was the fact that Texas Stadium was full of terrible towel-waving Steelers fans that day.

The game was well played by both teams. Late in the 4th quarter, Dallas found itself with a three-point lead as the clock approached the two minute warning. Faced with 3rd and 13 on the Steelers 47 yard line, Parcells had to make a tough call - does he run and set up the punt, or does he try to go for the first down knowing that the Steelers were out of timeouts? Years of coaching told Parcells that the smart money was on going for the first down, but he didn't count on his quarterback being the wild card factor.

What happened next still blows my mind to this day. Testaverde dropped back to pass, bumped into his running back, and fumbled the football! Just like that - no one on the Steelers even touched him. DL Kimo Von Oelhoffen picked up the ball and ran it back deep into Dallas territory. The Steelers, who moments earlier were one play away from losing, scored a touchdown and won the game. It was one last epic humiliation for Vincent Testaverde in his sorry career against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Final Score: Steelers 24, Cowboys 20

The Aftermath: The Steelers would go onto to win the rest of their regular season games, while Dallas never really recovered and finished with a dismal 6-10 record.

vs. Cleveland Browns
September 29, 2002

After coming up just short of reaching the Super Bowl in 2001, the Steelers and their fans expected big things in 2002. However, the season got off to a horrific start. The Steelers dropped their first two games against two of the AFC's best teams (New England and Oakland). The fact that they started the season 0-2 wasn't the most depressing part. The way they lost those games was just miserable. The defense had completely collapsed in both while the offense couldn't do anything. The Steelers had a bye week to prepare for their week 4 game against Cleveland, knowing the whole time that this game would either save or destroy the entire 2002 season.

The fans at Heinz Field expected the Steelers to come out on fire determined to perform well in this must-win game, but that did not happen. Both teams had trouble putting points on the board, and the score was 6-6 until the 4th quarter. Cleveland finally got into the endzone, and all of a sudden, the Steelers seemed on the brink of destruction, especially after Kordell Stewart threw an absolutely horrific interception in the endzone late in the game.

Bill Cowher was deperate for a spark, so he decided to bring journeyman QB Tommy Maddox into the game to replace Stewart. This was hard to believe at the time because Stewart was coming off of an all-pro season, but Maddox quickly silenced any potential criticism by leading the Steelers down the field for a game-tying touchdown.

In overtime, the Browns missed a potential game-winning field goal, and the Steelers capitalized by driving all the way down inside the Cleveland 10 yard line. Kicker Todd Peterson trotted out for the chip-shot field goal that was going to turn the season around, but something crazy happened. The Browns blocked the kick and the ball bounced backwards to Peterson, who was tackled immediately. Everyone was in shock - how could the Steelers allow this to happen! Cleveland was going to get the ball back and probably win the game off of the momentum alone. But then something happened that I have never seen in a football game before. The Steelers attempted the field goal on 3rd down, and since the ball never actually crossed the line of scrimmage, possession did not change. The Steelers still had control of the ball and another down to spare! It was unreal - the Steelers were given a mulligan!! They used their second chance to kick a field goal and win the game. Just like that, the 2002 season went from a complete disaster to an eventual division championship.
Final Score: Steelers 16, Browns 13 (OT)

The Aftermath: Pittsburgh was able to turn the season around and finish with a 10-5-1 record. The Steelers and Browns played two more games that season - one in the regular season and one in the playoffs (we'll get to that one later on) - and the Steelers won both by the same margin of victory as the first game: three points. Tommy Maddox remained the starting quarterback for the next two seasons.

Personal Memory: I had to catch a plane to Denver that afternoon, so I was praying for the game to end quickly. When I got to the airport, I noticed that they pulled a guy out of line to go through his luggage and generally harrass him. The guy just happened to be wearing a Cleveland Browns shirt. Coincidence? I think not.

vs. Atlanta Falcons
November 10, 2002

Many people don't even realize that ties are still possible in today's NFL. After all, they are extremely rare. During the entire 1990's, there were only two ties (oddly, they occured in consecutive weeks during the 1997 season). Ties are so uncommon because (a) the NFL has made so many rules over the years to benefit offenses and (b) kickers are better than they used to be, and usually one team is at least able to get into field goal range in overtime.

So this was the setting for a mildly cold November day in 2002, when the 5-3 Falcons came to Heinz Field to take on the 5-3 Steelers. Both teams were making their playoff push and seemed evenly matched, but no one knew it would be quite this even. The game quickly became an offensive explosion with one huge play after another. Tommy Maddox and Plaxico Burress hooked up on touchdown passes of 33, 32, and 62 yards, while Atlanta's Warrick Dunn ripped off a 59 yard touchdown run. Maddox and Burress would make history before the day was over, with Maddox breaking Bobby Lane's 44 year-old team record for passing yards in a game with 473, and Plex setting the team receiving mark with 253 yards. The Steelers jumped out to a 17 point lead, but Atlanta's Michael Vick led the Falcons back to tie the game. The Steelers defense played particulalry poorly, as was their mantra all year. They gave up an inexcusable TWO first downs when the Falcons were faced with 3rd and 23. However, Vick played a great game in what would eventually become his breakout year. Atlanta's comeback sent the game into overtime tied at 34, and that's where things really got crazy.

After putting up nothing but offense during regulation, the Steelers and Falcons somehow found themselves unable to score any points in the extra period. Both teams had a field goal blocked, and the clock just kept on ticking. The Steelers had one final chance to win the game. Maddox threw up a hail mary which amazingly was caught by Burress, but he was tackled at the one foot line, which was actually kind of fitting because it would have been a shame for either team to lose after such a great effort. Time expired and that was it. Some of the players came onto the field for a second overtime before realizing that the game was over. There was no winner and no loser - the game had ended in a tie.

I have never seen a more entertaining football game. There were so many big plays. It was just what many fans have always wanted - lots of offense and lots of scoring. Both teams put up a combined 1092 total yards, which was the third highest total in NFL history. It almost looked like Arena football for a while. Then ironically after all of that no one was able to score in overtime. It was a game for the ages, yet no one was really sure how to feel about it afterwards. The old phrase about a tie is that it is like "kissing your sister" (although I'm not sure how kissing your sister isn't worse than losing, but that's beside the point). Regardless, it will go down as one of the more memorable games of the decade.
Final Score: Steelers 34, Falcons 34 (OT)

The Aftermath: Both teams would go on to make the playoffs and win in the first round before succumming to superior teams in the second round. No NFL game has ended in a tie since.

Personal Memory: I got to the stadium early that morning. My brother and I wanted to enjoy the "breakfast" buffet at Hi-Tops, which features a fine Sunday morning meal consisting of eggs, wings, and beer. So we tailgated for several hours, then went into Heinz Field. The game itself lasted for nearly five hours. It was a long day to say the least, but it was maybe the most fun I ever had at a regular season game.