The worst Steeler loss you can remember.

[swissvale72]

The first two games in 1989 were epically bad...but then Chuck Noll has them go 9-5 the rest of the way and within a Mark Stock dropped pass of going to the AFCCG. In my mind, 1989 was The Emperor's best season as head coach.

I was just thinking how anyone who has watched the Steelers for the last 40 years didn't bring up the 89 opener. That was the absolute worst Steelers beatdown, loss, whatever you want to call it I ever witnessed. I remember Brister taking a brutal hit. If I'm not mistaken, I remember swiss stating he was at that game. Turned out to be one of my favorite seasons though.

Nope, Swiss wasn't at that game, but it WAS memorable. From The Manifesto:


The final season of the decade was a welcome departure from the previous few years, and was Chaz Noll’s final playoff run. My 95-year-old grandmother passed away the day before the opener against Cleveland, thus providing me an opportunity to actually see the season’s first game. I couldn’t fly into Pittsburgh on Saturday night, as our fantasy draft was being held, so I took an early flight on Sunday morning. When Tony picked me up, we both knew what the pressing topic of conversation would be. It was a one-day wake, but a marathon, going from noon-9pm. What would we do? The closest relative to Nied’s Funeral Home in Swissvale was Uncle Oney. We called old Oney, had him stuff a b&w TV in his car, and set it up in Charlie Nied’s backroom. We visited Nunna during commercials from 1-4. I think we pushed the envelope too far that day. God must’ve been pissed. The CleveBrownies pasted the Steelers, 51-0.


It was one of my fave seasons, too. My daughter was born (turned 30 yesterday) on the day of a Steeler win, and then there was the sequence of events that brought a playoff spot, with about a half dozen games going SBI right during the season's final two weeks,culminating in MInnieVikes beating Bungals on Xmas night. THEN...the glorious OT win in Houston on the Gary Anderson 50 yarder. But...have to tell the whole narrative....the loss the next week in Denver, thanks to Mark Fuckin ' Stock goes into one of the worst loss column.

[StillMadAtSlobber]

Oh, what a parade of memories.

That Metcalf 2 return game was one. Also the Chargers AFCCG.

Agreed on the Titans AFCDG. I was in Oregon, watching at the Rogue Brewing public house in Newport. I tried the brewery first but their TV was out so I was directed to the other place. I caught the very end of the game. I enjoyed great beer, watching us lose to those assholes. I then crashed upstairs where they had 3 rooms and offered a "Bed and Beer" package.

I rolled my fucking ankle going up the stairs, not recognizing the drunk lift that was available to ride up. I did manage to bring a case of their Double IPA (bottles) back to Houston in carry on luggage, which was my major victory for the weekend.

[nycsteel]

Most of the worst ones already covered. Especially playoffs when a better team gets beat by the likes of Tebow, Papunu etc.

I'll bring up the 72 AFCG vs Dolphins (most of this comes from Pro Football Reference although I remember a fair amount of it). This was a week after Immaculate Reception of course and Miami was undefeated. Seeding wasn't by best record so game was at TRS. Steelers went up 7-0 early but TB injured and out for 2+ quarters. Then Larry Seiple faked a punt and ran 30+ yards (was Danny Smith coaching ST then??) to get Dolphins in red zone and then tie it.

Miami running game was dominant, box score shows 49 rushes for 193 yards. Griese replaced Morrall in 2H and led two scoring drives to put Miami up 21-10. On one he hit Warfield for 52 yards. He was 2-4 rest of the game -- no need to pass!

Brad comes back in, leads a drive to cut it to 21-17 early in 4Q. But then throws picks on last 2 drives and that's it.

Dolphins cap their perfect season by stomping Skins 14-0 (Garo 7) in SB VII. Steelers likely would have won that game and set up 3 SBs in 4 yrs.

[TemporaryDuck]

Kemo doesn't roller skate backwards into Ben (and Ben doesn't pump fake the DB right into the INT) and the pick six doesn't happen.

Refs had zip to do with any of those plays.

Fair enough. It would be interesting to see the all-22 of that game to see if what Tuohy predicted is what exactly happened. I mean if you are allowed to get away with penalties all game, eventually the other team wears down and starts messing up.

[Lynch]

94 chargers was bad, but I was relatively young and could just say fuck it and not give much of a Fuck. The Tebow loss on the other hand, I think is the most passed off I've ever been about a football game. The Lacrosse player loss was pretty infuriating too though.

[swissvale72]

Most of the worst ones already covered. Especially playoffs when a better team gets beat by the likes of Tebow, Papunu etc.

I'll bring up the 72 AFCG vs Dolphins (most of this comes from Pro Football Reference although I remember a fair amount of it). This was a week after Immaculate Reception of course and Miami was undefeated. Seeding wasn't by best record so game was at TRS. Steelers went up 7-0 early but TB injured and out for 2+ quarters. Then Larry Seiple faked a punt and ran 30+ yards (was Danny Smith coaching ST then??) to get Dolphins in red zone and then tie it.

Miami running game was dominant, box score shows 49 rushes for 193 yards. Griese replaced Morrall in 2H and led two scoring drives to put Miami up 21-10. On one he hit Warfield for 52 yards. He was 2-4 rest of the game -- no need to pass!

Brad comes back in, leads a drive to cut it to 21-17 early in 4Q. But then throws picks on last 2 drives and that's it.

Dolphins cap their perfect season by stomping Skins 14-0 (Garo 7) in SB VII. Steelers likely would have won that game and set up 3 SBs in 4 yrs.

I WAS at this game, Florida weather in PIttsburgh on New Year's Eve. Yes, Griese came in for 3Q after being out for half the fuckin' season and immediately hit Paul Warfield, in my opinion, one of the greatest receivers of all time, for 52 yards on a 3rd down. Only time, I remember Joe Greene being dominated, twice Larry Little moved him on 4th & 1 when Dolphins picked up key first downs. Larry Little, Larry Seiple, Larry Csonka. What was with all those fuckin' Larrys on the Dolphins!!

Oh, later that night, Penn State lost to Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. Then, overnight, Roberto Clemente's plane went down. Happy Fuckin' New Year!!

[Minkah'n Big Plays]

97 AFCCG was rather brutal. Steelers had held Terrell Davis to something like 75 yards on 20+ carries in the regular season match up. He ran for well over 100, like 130+ in the AFCCG. That was soul crushing.

The fog bowl in New England in the 96 playoffs. That was the year after Pittsburgh lost to Dallas in the Super Bowl. Hopes that the team would return to finish business were destroyed by an image of Terry Glenn streaking past Woodson. I think that was the last game he ever played for Pittsburgh too.

Good one, the fog bowl, I will never forget that. I'm not sure if it was the FIRST play from scrimmage, but one of the first few.

But right then, I knew it was gonna be a long, long day.

[swissvale72]

97 AFCCG was rather brutal. Steelers had held Terrell Davis to something like 75 yards on 20+ carries in the regular season match up. He ran for well over 100, like 130+ in the AFCCG. That was soul crushing.

The fog bowl in New England in the 96 playoffs. That was the year after Pittsburgh lost to Dallas in the Super Bowl. Hopes that the team would return to finish business were destroyed by an image of Terry Glenn streaking past Woodson. I think that was the last game he ever played for Pittsburgh too.

Good one, the fog bowl, I will never forget that. I'm not sure if it was the FIRST play from scrimmage, but one of the first few.

But right then, I knew it was gonna be a long, long day.

I was at that one, too....was longest day of my life as a sports fan, sitting among 60,000 Patriots assholes in their dump of a stadium....absolutely nothing to cheer about all day. By day's end, when they were shouting about Super Bowl, my refrain was "Maybe you'll do better than 46-10 this time."