1990 Pittsburgh Steelers season

Last updated

1990 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Owner The Rooney Family
General manager Dick Haley
Head coach Chuck Noll
Home stadium Three Rivers Stadium
Results
Record9–7
Division place3rd AFC Central
PlayoffsDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers
All-Pros Rod Woodson (1st team)
Team MVPRod Woodson
Team ROY Eric Green

The 1990 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 58th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League.

Contents

The Steelers did not score an offensive touchdown until the 5th game of the season, but did rebound to a 9–7 record (the same they posted the previous season).

Unlike the previous season, 9–7 was not enough to gain a playoff berth. The Steelers continued to show improvement overcoming a 1–3 start to find themselves in a showdown with the Oilers in Houston for the AFC's final playoff spot in the final game of the season. However, the Steelers were never in the game as the Oilers beat the Steelers 34–14 ending their season without the playoffs.

Offseason

NFL draft

1990 Pittsburgh Steelers draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
121 Eric Green  *  Tight end Liberty
243 Kenny Davidson   Defensive end LSU
370 Neil O'Donnell  *  Quarterback Maryland
381 Craig Veasey   Defensive tackle Houston
497 Chris Calloway   Wide receiver Michigan
5128 Barry Foster  *  Running back Arkansas
6155Ronald Heard Wide receiver Bowling Green
7182 Dan Grayson   Linebacker Washington State
8209 Karl Dunbar  Defensive endLSU
9239 Gary Jones   Safety Texas A&M
10266 Eddie Miles  Linebacker Minnesota
11293 Justin Strzelczyk   Guard Maine
12319 Richard Bell  Running back Nebraska
      Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Undrafted free agents

1990 Undrafted Free Agents of note
PlayerPositionCollege
Kimble Anders Running back Houston
Lorenzo DavisWide receiver Youngstown State
Ron FairWide receiver Arizona State
Bob GordonWide receiver Nebraska-Omaha
Mitch LeeLinebacker Cornell
Mike OberDefensive tackle Sam Houston State
Skip PavlikGuard Virginia Tech
Pete RutterPunter Baylor

Staff

1990 Pittsburgh Steelers staff

Front office

  • President – Daniel M. Rooney
  • Vice president – John R. McGinley
  • Vice president – Arthur J. Rooney, Jr.
  • Director of communications – Joe Gordon
  • Controller – Ralph Meacham
  • Chief negotiator/travel – James A. Boston
  • Business/stadium coordinator – Dan Ferens
  • Public relations director – Dan Edwards
  • Community relations coordinator – Pat Hanlon
  • Ticket sales manager – Geraldine Glenn
  • Office manager/computer – Jim Ellenberger
  • Director of player personnel – Dick Haley
  • Director of pro personnel and development – Tom Donahoe
  • College scouting coordinator – Tom Modrak
  • Talent scout – Bob Schmitz
  • Talent scout – Max McCartney
  • Talent scout – Charles Bailey

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Conditioning coach – Jon Kolb
  • Dentist – Dr. George P. Boucek
  • Ophthalmologist – Dr. Phillip Buzzelli
  • Physician, orthopedic – Dr. Thomas W. Cowan
  • Neurological surgery consultant – Dr. Joseph C. Maroon
  • Physician, M.D. – Dr. Richard Rydze
  • Physician, consultant – Dr. Abraham J.Twerski
  • Physician, M.D. – Dr. Anthony P. Yates
  • Trainer – Ralph Berlin
  • Trainer – Fran Feld
  • Equipment manager – Anthony Parisi
  • Field manager – Rodgers Freyvogel
  • Video & film director – Bob McCartney
  • Video assistant – Pat Dolan
  • Photographers – Mike Fabus, Bill Amatucci

[1]

Roster

1990 Pittsburgh Steelers roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams (ST)

Practice squad

[2] [3] [4] Reserve

Rookies in italics
47 active, 4 reserve, 4 practice squad

Preseason

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenue
1 August 9vs. New England Patriots W 30–141–0 Olympic Stadium
2August 17at Washington Redskins L 24–271–1 RFK Stadium
3August 25at Dallas Cowboys L 9–201–2 Texas Stadium
4September 1 Philadelphia Eagles W 20–102–2 Three Rivers Stadium

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1September 9at Cleveland Browns L 3–130–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium Recap
2September 16 Houston Oilers W 20–91–1 Three Rivers Stadium Recap
3September 23at Los Angeles Raiders L 3–201–2 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
4September 30 Miami Dolphins L 6–281–3Three Rivers Stadium Recap
5October 7 San Diego Chargers W 36–142–3Three Rivers Stadium Recap
6October 14at Denver Broncos W 34–173–3 Mile High Stadium Recap
7October 21at San Francisco 49ers L 7–273–4 Candlestick Park Recap
8October 29 Los Angeles Rams W 41–104–4Three Rivers Stadium Recap
9November 4 Atlanta Falcons W 21–95–4Three Rivers Stadium Recap
10November 11 Bye
11November 18at Cincinnati Bengals L 3–275–5 Riverfront Stadium Recap
12November 25at New York Jets W 24–76–5 Giants Stadium Recap
13December 2 Cincinnati Bengals L 12–166–6Three Rivers Stadium Recap
14December 9 New England Patriots W 24–37–6Three Rivers Stadium Recap
15December 16at New Orleans Saints W 9–68–6 Louisiana Superdome Recap
16December 23 Cleveland Browns W 35–09–6Three Rivers Stadium Recap
17December 30at Houston Oilers L 14–349–7 Astrodome Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday September 9, 1990): at Cleveland Browns

1234Total
Steelers03003
Browns0010313

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

  • Game time: 4:00 pm EDT
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 78,298
  • Referee: Dick Hantak
  • TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 19
  • Cleveland – Blaylock 30 fumble return (Kauric kick)
  • Cleveland – FG Kauric 28
  • Cleveland – FG Kauric 47

Week 2 (Sunday September 16, 1990): vs. Houston Oilers

1234Total
Oilers07209
Steelers7301020

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time: 8:00 pm EDT
  • Game weather:56 °F (13 °C) (Cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 54,814
  • Referee: Gene Barth
  • TV announcers: (TNT) Skip Caray (play by play), Pat Haden (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

  • Pittsburgh – D. Johnson 26 interception return (Anderson kick)
  • Houston – White 1 run (Zendejas kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 31
  • Houston – Safety, Childress tackled Brister in end zone
  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 27
  • Pittsburgh – Woodson 52 punt return (Anderson kick)

Week 3 (Sunday September 23, 1990): at Los Angeles Raiders

1234Total
Steelers30003
Raiders0331420

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

  • Game time: 4:00 pm EDT
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 50,657
  • Referee: Howard Roe
  • TV announcers: (NBC) Marv Albert (play by play), Paul Maguire (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 31
  • Los Angeles Raiders – FG Jaeger 40
  • Los Angeles Raiders – FG Jaeger 45
  • Los Angeles Raiders – Allen 1 run (Jaeger kick)
  • Los Angeles Raiders – Fernandez 66 pass from Schroeder (Jaeger kick)

Week 4 (Sunday September 30, 1990): vs. Miami Dolphins

1234Total
Dolphins7140728
Steelers03306

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
  • Game weather:57 °F (14 °C) (Cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 54,691
  • Referee: Gerald Austin
  • TV announcers: (NBC) Marv Albert (play by play), Paul Maguire (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

  • Miami – S. Smith 1 run (Stoyanovich kick)
  • Miami – S. Smith 7 run (Stoyanovich kick)
  • Clayton 35 pass from Marino (Stoyanovich kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 46
  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 35
  • Miami – Paige 1 run (Stoyanovich kick)

Week 5 (Sunday October 7, 1990): vs. San Diego Chargers

1234Total
Chargers707014
Steelers31471236

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
  • Game weather:75 °F (24 °C) (Mostly Cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 53,486
  • Referee: Tom White
  • TV announcers: (NBC) Joel Meyers (play by play), Ahmad Rashad (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 45
  • San Diego – Plummer 2 pass from Tolliver (Reveiz kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Green 8 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Green 1 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – W. Williams 2 run (Anderson kick)
  • San Diego – L. Miller fumble recovery in end zone (Reveiz kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Safety, Stone blocked punt out of end zone
  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 45
  • Pittsburgh – Foster 2 run (Anderson kick)

Week 6 (Sunday October 14, 1990): at Denver Broncos

1234Total
Steelers01471334
Broncos1070017

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

Scoring drives:

  • Denver – Winder 1 run (Treadwell kick)
  • Denver – FG Treadwell 24
  • Pittsburgh – Lipps 6 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
  • Denver – Sewell 2 run (Treadwell kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Green 3 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Hoge 6 run (Anderson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Green 10 pass from Brister (kick failed)
  • Pittsburgh – Green 3 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)

Week 7 (Sunday October 21, 1990): at San Francisco 49ers

1234Total
Steelers70007
49ers01010727

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

  • Game time: 4:00 pm EDT
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 64,301
  • Referee: Jim Tunney
  • TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Bill Walsh (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

  • Pittsburgh – Bell 2 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
  • San Francisco – FG Cofer 39
  • San Francisco – Sherrard 5 pass from Montana (Cofer kick)
  • San Francisco – FG Cofer 20
  • San Francisco – Rathman 1 run (Cofer kick)
  • San Francisco – Rathman 1 run (Cofer kick)

Week 8 (Monday October 29, 1990): vs. Los Angeles Rams

1234Total
Rams730010
Steelers143101441

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring drives:

Week 9 (Sunday November 4, 1990): vs. Atlanta Falcons

1234Total
Falcons63009
Steelers0071421

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time: 1:00 pm EST
  • Game weather:67 °F (19 °C) (Mostly Cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 57,093
  • Referee: Johnny Grier
  • TV announcers: (CBS) Brad Nessler (play by play), Dan Jiggetts (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

  • Atlanta – FG Davis 41
  • Atlanta – FG Davis 43
  • Atlanta – FG Davis 38
  • Pittsburgh – Lipps 11 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Mularkey 19 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Williams 70 run (Anderson kick)

Week 10 (Sunday November 11, 1990): Bye Week

Week 11 (Sunday November 18, 1990): at Cincinnati Bengals

1234Total
Steelers00033
Bengals7314327

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Scoring drives:

  • Cincinnati – Woods 5 run (Breech kick)
  • Cincinnati – FG Breech 21
  • Cincinnati – Taylor 1 run (Breech kick)
  • CIncinnati – Bussey 70 fumble return (Breech kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 31
  • Cincinnati – FG Breech 33

Week 12 (Sunday November 25, 1990): at New York Jets

1234Total
Steelers0731424
Jets07007

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Scoring drives:

  • New York Jets – Moore 53 pass from O'Brien (Leahy kick)
  • Pittsburgh – W. Williams 5 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 33
  • Pittsburgh – Hoge 1 run (Anderson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Lipps 3 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)

Week 13 (Sunday December 2, 1990): vs. Cincinnati Bengals

1234Total
Bengals790016
Steelers603312

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time: 1:00 pm EST
  • Game weather:45 °F (7 °C) (Mostly Cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 58,200
  • Referee: Jerry Markbreit
  • TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 32
  • Cincinnati – Brown 50 pass from Esiason (Breech kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 36
  • Cincinnati – Safety, Francis tackled Brister in end zone
  • Cincinnati – Brooks 7 run (Breech kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 29
  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 48

Week 14 (Sunday December 9, 1990): vs. New England Patriots

1234Total
Patriots03003
Steelers377724

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time: 1:00 pm EST
  • Game weather:43 °F (6 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 48,354
  • Referee: Dale Hamer
  • TV announcers: (NBC) Tom Hammond (play by play), Joe Namath (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 42
  • Pittsburgh – Hoge 8 run (Anderson kick)
  • New England – FG Staurovsky 49
  • Pittsburgh – Green 14 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Hoge 41 run (Anderson kick)

Week 15 (Sunday December 16, 1990): at New Orleans Saints

1234Total
Steelers03069
Saints00336

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Game time: 1:00 pm EST
  • Game weather: Dome
  • Game attendance: 68,582
  • Referee: Howard Roe
  • TV announcers: (NBC) Marv Albert (play by play), Paul Maguire (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 29
  • New Orleans – FG Andersen 50
  • New Orleans – FG Andersen 43
  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 42
  • Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 43

Week 16 (Sunday December 23, 1990): vs. Cleveland Browns

1234Total
Browns00000
Steelers21140035

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time: 1:00 pm EST
  • Game weather:36 °F (2 °C) (Fog)
  • Game attendance: 51,665
  • Referee: Johnny Grier
  • TV announcers: (NBC) Joel Meyers (play by play), Ahmad Rashad (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

Week 17 (Sunday December 30, 1990): at Houston Oilers

1234Total
Steelers007714
Oilers7177334

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

Scoring drives:

  • Houston – White 1 run (Garcia kick)
  • Houston – Givins 14 pass from Carlson (Garcia kick)
  • Houston – Hill 3 pass from Carlson (Garcia kick)
  • Houston – FG Garcia 47
  • Pittsburgh – Hoge 4 run (Anderson kick)
  • Houston – Jeffires 53 pass from Carlson (Garcia kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Hoge 3 run (Anderson kick)
  • Houston – FG Garcia 45

Standings

AFC Central
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(3) Cincinnati Bengals 970.5635–18–4360352W2
(6) Houston Oilers 970.5634–28–4405307W1
Pittsburgh Steelers 970.5632–46–6292240L1
Cleveland Browns 3130.1881–52–10228462L2

References

  1. 1990 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
  2. 1990 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
  3. 1991 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
  4. "1990 Pittsburgh Steelers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 24, 2014.