2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season

2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Owner	The Rooney family
General manager	Kevin Colbert
Head coach	Bill Cowher
Home field	Heinz Field
Results
Record	15–1
Division place	1st AFC North
Playoff finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Jets) 20–17 (OT) Lost AFC Championship (vs. Patriots) 27–41
Pro Bowlers	9 G Alan Faneca ILB James Farrior C Jeff Hartings OLB Joey Porter DE Aaron Smith OT Marvel Smith WR Hines Ward RB Jerome Bettis SS Troy Polamalu
AP All-Pros	6 Alan Faneca (1st team) James Farrior (1st team) Jeff Hartings (1st team) Troy Polamalu (2nd team) Joey Porter (2nd team) Hines Ward (2nd team)
Team MVP	James Farrior
Team ROY	Ben Roethlisberger
←  2003 Steelers seasons 2005  →

The 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 72nd season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League. It would be the first season the franchise would have under quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He would play 18 seasons as a Steeler, a franchise record.

The team looked to come back after a disappointing 6–10 season the year before, which saw the team go through the entire season without winning consecutive games. ^[1]

The team finished with a 15–1 record, topping the 14–2 team record from 1978 and joined the 1984 San Francisco 49ers, the 1985 Chicago Bears, and the 1998 Minnesota Vikings as the only teams in NFL history to that point since the league adopted a 16-game schedule in 1978 to finish with such a record. This also made the Steelers the first AFC team to achieve a 15–1 record, a conference-best at the time (the 2007 Patriots would surpass that by going a perfect 16–0); they are also the only AFC team to do so. Along the way, the Steelers ended the New England Patriots NFL-record 21-game winning streak in Week 8, then defeated their cross-state rival 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 intended to sit behind veteran Tommy Maddox the entire season, plans abruptly changed when Maddox was hurt in the team's Week 2 loss to Baltimore. Surrounded by talent, "Big Ben" went an NFL-record 13–0 as a rookie starting quarterback before being rested for the final game of the season, shattering the old NFL record (and coincidentally, 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 hosted the AFC Championship for the fifth time in eleven years. However, for the fourth time in that same span, the Steelers lost at home one game away from the Super Bowl, and, like in 2001, lost to the Patriots in a rematch from Week 8. ^[2]

The 2006 edition of Pro Football Prospectus ^[3] listed the 2004 Steelers as one of their "Heartbreak Seasons", in which teams "dominated the entire regular season only to falter in the playoffs, unable to close the deal." Said Pro Football Prospectus, "In the playoffs, Roethlisberger hit an inconvenient slump, just like the Pittsburgh quarterbacks who came before him. ^[4] He threw two killer interceptions against the Jets, but the Steelers were bailed out when Jets kicker Doug Brien missed a game-winning field goal. The next week against New England, head coach Bill Cowher was clearly worried about Roethlisberger, letting him throw only once on first or second down in the first quarter. By the time the offense opened up, the Patriots were beating the Steelers by two touchdowns. A Roethlisberger interception was returned 87 yards for a touchdown by Rodney Harrison, and the game was effectively over. For the second time in seven years, ^[5] a 15–1 team had failed to make it to the Super Bowl." This was the first of, through the 2023 season, 20 consecutive non-losing seasons for the Steelers.

The Steelers led the NFL in rushing attempts for the 2nd time in 4 years, running the ball 618 times.

Personnel

2004 Pittsburgh Steelers staff

Front office Chairman – Daniel M. Rooney President – Arthur J. Rooney II Vice president – John R. McGinley Vice president – Arthur J. Rooney, Jr. Administration advisor – Chuck Noll Director of business – Mark Hart Business accounting coordinator – Jim Ellenberger Human relations/office coordinator – Geraldine Glenn Business operations coordinator – Omar Khan Accounting manager – Jodie Spagnolli Communications coordinator – Ron Wahl Public relations/media manager – David Lockett Information technology administrator – Scott Phelps Football operations Director of football operations – Kevin Colbert College scouting coordinator – Ron Hughes Pro scouting coordinator – Doug Whaley Special assistant/pro and college personnel – Joe Greene Pro/college scout – Phil Kreidler College scout – Mark Gorscak College scout – Bob Lane College scout – Bruce McNorton College scout – Dan Rooney College scout – Bill Nunn BLESTO Scout – Kelvin Fisher Marketing Director of marketing – Tony Quatrini Marketing coordinator – Rick Giugliano Client services administrator – Amy Regan Marketing manager – John Wodarek Producer/broadcasting manager – Rick Fairbend Broadcasting assistant – Pete Gergely Marketing/community relations manager – Lynne Molyneaux Marketing assistant – John Simpson Marketing assistant – Mike Marchinsky Ticket operations Ticket manager – Ben Lentz Season ticket assistant – Libby Patcher Head coaches Head coach – Bill Cowher Assistant head coach/offensive line – Russ Grimm Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Ken Whisenhunt Quarterbacks – Mark Whipple Running backs – Dick Hoak Wide receivers – Bruce Arians Tight ends – James Daniel Offensive assistant – Matt Raich

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Dick LeBeau Defensive line – John Mitchell Linebackers – Keith Butler Defensive backs – Darren Perry Assistant defensive backs – Ray Horton Defensive assistant – Lou Spanos Special teams coaches Special teams – Kevin Spencer Strength and conditioning Conditioning coach – Chet Fuhrman Medical staff Physician, orthopedic – Dr. James P. Bradley Ophthalmologist – Dr. Francis Mah Neurological surgery consultant – Dr. Joseph Maroon Physician, M.D. – Dr. Richard Rydze Physician, consultant – Dr. Abraham J. Twerski Physician, M.D. – Dr. Anthony P. Yates Training staff Head athletic trainer – John Norwig Assistant athletic trainer – Ryan Grove Assistant athletic trainer – Ariko Iso Football staff Player development – Raymond Jackson Equipment manager - Rodgers Freyvogel Field manager – Rich Baker Field/equipment assistant – Kalvin Jones Video coordinator – Bob McCartney Video assistant – Andy Lizanich Video assistant – Rob Brakel Photographer – Mike Fabus [6]

Notable additions include Ben Roethlisberger and Willie Parker.

Roster

2004 Pittsburgh Steelers roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  8 Tommy Maddox  7 Ben Roethlisberger  2 Brian St. Pierre Running backs (RB) 36 Jerome Bettis 34 Verron Haynes 35 Dan Kreider FB 39 Willie Parker 22 Duce Staley Wide receivers (WR) 80 Plaxico Burress 89 Lee Mays 81 Sean Morey 82 Antwaan Randle El 86 Hines Ward Tight ends (TE) 48 Matt Cushing 88 Matt Kranchick 87 Walter Rasby 84 Jerame Tuman

Offensive linemen (OL) 72 Barrett Brooks G/T 66 Alan Faneca G 64 Jeff Hartings C 74 Jim Jones G 56 Chukky Okobi C/G 79 Oliver Ross T 77 Marvel Smith T 78 Max Starks T 68 Keydrick Vincent G Defensive linemen (DL) 96 Kendrick Clancy NT 76 Chris Hoke NT 99 Brett Keisel DE 90 Travis Kirschke DE 91 Aaron Smith DE 67 Kimo von Oelhoffen DE

Linebackers (LB) 97 Kendrell Bell ILB 51 James Farrior ILB 50 Larry Foote ILB 53 Clark Haggans OLB 92 James Harrison OLB 95 Alonzo Jackson OLB 57 Clint Kriewaldt ILB 55 Joey Porter OLB Defensive backs (DB) 23 Tyrone Carter CB/S 21 Ricardo Colclough CB 28 Chris Hope FS 29 Chidi Iwuoma CB 43 Troy Polamalu SS 30 Chad Scott CB 33 Russell Stuvaints FS 24 Ike Taylor CB 26 Deshea Townsend CB 27 Willie Williams CB Special teams 17 Chris Gardocki P  3 Jeff Reed K 54 Mike Schneck LS

Practice squad 74 Grant Bowman NT 15 Chris Collins WR 25 Vontez Duff CB 44 Dedrick Roper LB 69 Eric Taylor NT 65 Lenny Vandermade C/G 49 J. T. Wall FB 18 Walter Young WR [7] [8] [9] Reserve 16 Charlie Batch QB (IR) 37 Ainsley Battles S (IR) 19 Zamir Cobb WR (IR) 98 Casey Hampton NT (IR) 31 Mike Logan S (IR) 85 Jay Riemersma TE (IR) 73 Kendall Simmons G (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 7 reserve, 8 practice squad

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.

2004 Pittsburgh Steelers draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	11	Ben Roethlisberger  *	QB	Miami (OH)
2	38	Ricardo Colclough	CB	Tusculum
3	75	Max Starks	OT	Florida
5	145	Nathaniel Adibi	DE	Virginia Tech
6	177	Bo Lacy	OT	Arkansas
6	194	Matt Kranchick	TE	Penn State
6	197	Drew Caylor	C	Stanford
7	212	Eric Taylor	DT	Memphis
Made roster    †    Pro Football Hall of Fame     *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

^[10]

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 (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.

This would also be the final season for longtime Steelers radio color commentator Myron Cope, who missed several games this 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.

Preseason

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game Site	NFL Recap
1	August 14	at Detroit Lions	L 21–27	0–1	Ford Field
2	August 21	Houston Texans	W 38–3	1–1	Heinz Field
3	August 26	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 27–21	2–1	Lincoln Financial Field
4	September 2	Carolina Panthers	L 13–16	2–2	Heinz Field

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game Site	NFL Recap
1	September 12	Oakland Raiders	W 24–21	1–0	Heinz Field	Summary
2	September 19	at Baltimore Ravens	L 13–30	1–1	M&T Bank Stadium	Summary
3	September 26	at Miami Dolphins	W 13–3	2–1	Pro Player Stadium	Summary
4	October 3	Cincinnati Bengals	W 28–17	3–1	Heinz Field	Summary
5	October 10	Cleveland Browns	W 34–23	4–1	Heinz Field	Summary
6	October 17	at Dallas Cowboys	W 24–20	5–1	Texas Stadium	Summary
7	Bye
8	October 31	New England Patriots	W 34–20	6–1	Heinz Field	Summary
9	November 7	Philadelphia Eagles	W 27–3	7–1	Heinz Field	Summary
10	November 14	at Cleveland Browns	W 24–10	8–1	Cleveland Browns Stadium	Summary
11	November 21	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 19–14	9–1	Paul Brown Stadium	Summary
12	November 28	Washington Redskins	W 16–7	10–1	Heinz Field	Summary
13	December 5	at Jacksonville Jaguars	W 17–16	11–1	Alltel Stadium	Summary
14	December 12	New York Jets	W 17–6	12–1	Heinz Field	Summary
15	December 18	at New York Giants	W 33–30	13–1	Giants Stadium	Summary
16	December 26	Baltimore Ravens	W 20–7	14–1	Heinz Field	Summary
17	January 2, 2005	at Buffalo Bills	W 29–24	15–1	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Summary
Note: Intra-divisional opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers

1 2 3 4 Total Raiders 0 7 3 11 21 •Steelers 7 7 7 3 24 Date: Sunday, September 12 Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 60,147 Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C) (Sunny) Referee: Walt Anderson TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, and Bonnie Bernstein

It was the 22nd lifetime meeting between the two clubs. The Raiders erased a 21-13 Steelers lead in the fourth quarter but Jeff Reed connected on the winning field goal with seven seconds left. With the win, the Steelers started their season 1–0 for the 2nd straight year. Jerome Bettis scored 18 points (3 Touchdowns) on 5 carries, yet gained only 1 yard total for an average of 0.2 yards per carry.

Week 2: at Baltimore Ravens

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens

1 2 3 4 Total Steelers 0 0 0 13 13 •Ravens 7 6 7 10 30 Date: Sunday, September 19 Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 69,895 Referee: Walt Coleman TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross

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: at Miami Dolphins

Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami Dolphins

1 2 3 4 Total •Steelers 3 0 3 7 13 Dolphins 0 0 0 3 3 Date: Sunday, September 26 Location: Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida Game start: 8:30 p.m. EST Game attendance: 72,225 Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C) (Rain) Referee: Bill Leavy TV announcers (CBS - Local): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones

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. The contest marked Ben Roethlisberger's first NFL start and victory.

Week 4: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

1 2 3 4 Total Bengals 7 3 7 0 17 •Steelers 7 7 0 14 28 Date: Sunday, October 3 Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 62,402 Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) (Sunny) Referee: Terry McAulay TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots

With the win the Steelers improved to 3–1. 1–1 in division games.

Week 5: vs. Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers

1 2 3 4 Total Browns 10 3 3 7 23 •Steelers 14 13 7 0 34 Date: Sunday, October 10 Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 63,609 Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C) (Cloudy) Referee: Gerald Austin TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker

With their 2nd straight win over the Browns, the Steelers improved to 4–1.

Week 6: at Dallas Cowboys

Pittsburgh Steelers at Dallas Cowboys

1 2 3 4 Total •Steelers 7 3 0 14 24 Cowboys 7 3 10 0 20 Date: Sunday, October 17 Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas Game start: 4:15 p.m. EST Game attendance: 64,162 Referee: Mike Carey TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, and Bonnie Bernstein Source: ESPN

Scoring summary 1 9:14 Cowboys Richie Anderson 21-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick) Cowboys 7–0 1 5:22 Steelers Plaxico Burress 5-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Jeff Reed kick) Tie 7–7 2 4:27 Steelers Jeff Reed 51-yard field goal Steelers 10–7 2 :15 Cowboys Billy Cundiff 47-yard field goal Tie 10–10 3 5:38 Cowboys Billy Cundiff 39-yard field goal Cowboys 13–10 3 2:57 Cowboys Keyshawn Johnson 22-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Billy Cundiff kick) Cowboys 20–10 4 11:48 Steelers Jerame Tuman 7-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Jeff Reed kick) Cowboys 20–17 4 :30 Steelers Jerome Bettis 2-yard run (Jeff Reed kick) Steelers 24–20

It was the 29th meeting between the two clubs. The Cowboys jumped to a 20–10 lead following a Keyshawn Johnson touchdown catch in the third, but Ben Roethlisberger led two touchdown drives, the last a Jerome Bettis run with thirty seconds to go. The Cowboys raced to the Steelers 30 but a last-second touchdown attempt was swatted away by Russell Stuvaints. With the win, the Steelers went on their bye week 5–1.

Week 8: vs. New England Patriots

New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers

1 2 3 4 Total Patriots 3 7 3 7 20 •Steelers 21 3 10 0 34 Date: Sunday, October 31 Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game start: 4:15 p.m. EST Game attendance: 64,737 Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) (Sunny) Referee: Walt Coleman TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, and Bonnie Bernstein

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: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers

1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 0 3 0 0 3 •Steelers 14 7 3 3 27 Date: Sunday, November 7 Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 64,975 Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C) (Sunny) Referee: Bill Carollo TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, and Pam Oliver Source: ESPN

Scoring summary 1 8:56 Steelers Hines Ward 16-yard run (Jeff Reed kick) Steelers 7–0 1 2:27 Steelers Hines Ward 20-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Jeff Reed kick) Steelers 14–0 2 10:51 Steelers Jay Riemersma 2-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Jeff Reed kick) Steelers 21–0 2 6:14 Eagles David Akers 33-yard field goal Steelers 21–3 3 2:36 Steelers Jeff Reed 42-yard field goal Steelers 24–3 4 7:58 Steelers Jeff Reed 31-yard field goal Steelers 27–3

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. The game gained wider notoriety in subsequent days following broadcast of footage from the Eagles sideline where Terrell Owens was angrily barking at Donovan McNabb with McNabb striving to ignore him.

Week 10: at Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns

1 2 3 4 Total •Steelers 7 7 0 10 24 Browns 3 0 0 7 10 Date: Sunday, November 14 Location: Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 73,703 Referee: Jeff Triplette TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf, and Armen Keteyian

With their 3rd straight win over the Browns, the Steelers improved to 8–1.

Week 11: at Cincinnati Bengals

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

1 2 3 4 Total •Steelers 3 7 7 2 19 Bengals 7 7 0 0 14 Date: Sunday, November 21 Location: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 65,780 Referee: Larry Nemmers TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots

The Bengals clawed to a 14–10 lead on two Carson Palmer touchdowns, but Roethlisberger, despite being sacked seven times, tossed a touchdown late in the third quarter to Dan Kreider, then late in the fourth Palmer dropped back to his own endzone and threw an incompletion; it was ruled intentional grounding and the resulting Pittsburgh safety finished off the game.

Week 12: vs. Washington Redskins

Washington Redskins at Pittsburgh Steelers

1 2 3 4 Total Redskins 0 0 7 0 7 •Steelers 3 10 0 3 16 Date: Sunday, November 28 Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 63,707 Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C) (Cloudy) Referee: Bernie Kukar TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen and Bill Maas

With the win the Steelers improved to 10–1 and went 3–0 against the NFC East.

Week 13: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars

1 2 3 4 Total •Steelers 7 7 0 3 17 Jaguars 7 0 6 3 16 Date: Sunday, December 5 Location: Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida Game start: 8:30 p.m. EST Game attendance: 76,877 Referee: Bill Vinovich TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire, and Suzy Kolber

For the first time Jerome Bettis was not the all-time active rushing leader in the NFL upon kickoff, as he and Curtis Martin dueled throughout the season for the title, Bettis would retake the title by game's end.

Week 14: vs. New York Jets

New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers

1 2 3 4 Total Jets 0 0 3 3 6 •Steelers 3 0 0 14 17 Date: Sunday, December 12 Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game start: 4:05 p.m. EST Game attendance: 63,581 Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C) (Cloudy) Referee: Walt Anderson TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, and Bonnie Bernstein

In an NFL first, both running backs came into the game ready to break the 13,000 career yards mark, Jerome Bettis having a 6-yard lead over native Curtis Martin. After the game Martin would lead Bettis by 9 yards.

Week 15: at New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Giants

1 2 3 4 Total •Steelers 10 10 3 10 33 Giants 14 0 10 6 30 Date: Saturday, December 18 Location: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey Game start: 1:30 p.m. EST Game attendance: 78,836 Referee: Gerald Austin TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, and Bonnie Bernstein Source: ESPN

Scoring summary 1 14:45 Giants Willie Ponder 91-yard kickoff return (Steve Christie kick) Giants 7–0 1 7:26 Steelers Verron Haynes 10-yard pass from Antwaan Randle El (Jeff Reed kick) Tie 7–7 1 4:02 Giants Jeremy Shockey 2-yard pass from Eli Manning (Steve Christie kick) Giants 14–7 1 :19 Steelers Jeff Reed 33-yard field goal Giants 14–10 2 5:36 Steelers Antwan Randle El 35-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Jeff Reed kick) Steelers 17–14 2 :14 Steelers Jeff Reed 21-yard field goal Steelers 20–14 3 8:35 Giants Steve Christie 22-yard field goal Steelers 20–17 3 4:24 Steelers Jeff Reed 36-yard field goal Steelers 23–17 3 :29 Giants Marcellus Rivers 1-yard pass from Eli Manning (Steve Christie kick) Giants 24–23 4 11:35 Steelers Jeff Reed 28-yard field goal Steelers 26–24 4 8:15 Giants Tiki Barber 1-yard run (pass failed) Giants 30–26 4 4:57 Steelers Jerome Bettis 1-yard run (Jeff Reed kick) Steelers 33–30

This was the first meeting between rookie quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning and was part of a rare NFL Saturday triple-header. The game lead tied or changed seven times as Manning and Roethlisberger combined for 498 passing yards; Antwaan Randle El also got into the act with a ten-yard touchdown throw to Verron Haynes, this atop 149 receiving yards. Jerome Bettis rushed 36 times for 140 yards and the winning touchdown in the final five minutes. With 3:31 to go Eli was intercepted by Willie J. Williams. Giants coach Tom Coughlin challenged the ruling but after review it was upheld, and the Steelers ran out the clock for the 33–30 win.

Week 16: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

1 2 3 4 Total Ravens 7 0 0 0 7 •Steelers 7 3 7 3 20 Date: Sunday, December 26 Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 64,227 Game weather: 27 °F (−3 °C) (Cloudy) Referee: Jeff Triplette TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones

Jerome Bettis retook the all-time active rushing record from his season-long duel with native Curtis Martin by a margin of 81 yards, and also pass Eric Dickerson for fourth all-time.

The win also helped the team improve to 14–1. This would tie the team's franchise record in number of wins in a season.

Week 17: at Buffalo Bills

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills

1 2 3 4 Total •Steelers 10 6 0 13 29 Bills 7 3 7 7 24 Date: Sunday, January 2 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 73,414 Referee: Terry McAulay TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross

With the win, the Steelers finish with a league-best 15–1 record. ^[11]

Standings

Division

AFC North
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(1) Pittsburgh Steelers	15	1	0	.938	5–1	11–1	372	251	W14
Baltimore Ravens	9	7	0	.563	3–3	6–6	317	268	W1
Cincinnati Bengals	8	8	0	.500	2–4	4–8	374	372	W2
Cleveland Browns	4	12	0	.250	2–4	3–9	276	390	W1

Conference

AFC [12] view talk edit
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	15	1	0	.938	5–1	11–1	.484	.479	W14
2	New England Patriots	East	14	2	0	.875	5–1	10–2	.492	.478	W2
3 [a]	Indianapolis Colts	South	12	4	0	.750	5–1	8–4	.500	.458	L1
4 [a]	San Diego Chargers	West	12	4	0	.750	5–1	9–3	.477	.411	W1
Wild cards
5 [b]	New York Jets	East	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.523	.406	L2
6 [b]	Denver Broncos	West	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.484	.450	W2
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 [c] [d]	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	9	7	0	.563	2–4	6–6	.527	.479	W1
8 [c] [d]	Baltimore Ravens	North	9	7	0	.563	3–3	6–6	.551	.472	W1
9 [c]	Buffalo Bills	East	9	7	0	.563	3–3	5–7	.512	.382	L1
10	Cincinnati Bengals	North	8	8	0	.500	2–4	4–8	.543	.453	W2
11 [e]	Houston Texans	South	7	9	0	.438	4–2	6–6	.504	.402	L1
12 [e]	Kansas City Chiefs	West	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	.551	.509	L1
13 [f]	Oakland Raiders	West	5	11	0	.313	1–5	3–9	.570	.450	L2
14 [f]	Tennessee Titans	South	5	11	0	.313	1–5	3–9	.512	.463	W1
15 [g]	Miami Dolphins	East	4	12	0	.250	1–5	2–10	.555	.438	L1
16 [g]	Cleveland Browns	North	4	12	0	.250	1–5	3–9	.590	.469	W1
Tiebreakers [h]
Indianapolis clinched the AFC #3 seed instead of San Diego based upon head-to-head victory. New York Jets clinched the AFC #5 seed instead of Denver based upon better record against common opponents (New York Jets were 5–0 to Denver’s 3–2 against San Diego, Cincinnati, Houston, and Miami). Jacksonville and Baltimore finished ahead of Buffalo because they each defeated Buffalo head-to-head. Jacksonville finished ahead of Baltimore based upon better record against common opponents (Jacksonville were 3–2 against Baltimore’s 2–3 versus Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Buffalo and Kansas City). Houston finished ahead of Kansas City based upon head-to-head victory. Oakland finished ahead of Tennessee based upon head-to-head victory. Miami finished ahead of Cleveland based upon head-to-head victory. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

Playoffs

Schedule

Week	Date	Kickoff (ET)	TV	Opponent	Result	Game Site	NFL Recap
Divisional	January 15	4:30 p.m.	CBS	New York Jets	W 20–17 (OT)	Heinz Field	Summary
Conference	January 23	6:30 p.m.	CBS	New England Patriots	L 27–41	Heinz Field	Summary

Game summaries

AFC Divisional: vs. New York Jets

AFC Divisional Playoff
New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers

1 2 3 4 OT Total Jets 0 10 7 0 0 17 •Steelers 10 0 0 7 3 20 Date: Saturday, January 15 Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game start: 4:30 p.m. EST Game attendance: 64,915 Game weather: 26 °F (−3 °C) (Clear) Referee: Bill Leavy TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf, and Armen Keteyian

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. The Jets set up for a Doug Brien 47-yard field goal but the kick missed, hitting the crossbar. On the ensuing possession, Roethlisberger was intercepted again and another Brien field goal was set up, this one from 43 yards away – but it again missed, sailing wide left. In overtime, the Jets won the kick-off but failed to score on their first possession. The Steelers, then, drove down field and Jeff Reed's 33-yard field goal ended a 20–17 Pittsburgh win.

AFC Championship: vs. New England Patriots

AFC Championship game
New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers

1 2 3 4 Total •Patriots 10 14 7 10 41 Steelers 3 0 14 10 27 Date: Sunday, January 23 Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Game start: 6:30 p.m. EST Game attendance: 65,242 Game weather: 12 °F (−11 °C) (Clear) Referee: Walt Anderson TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Bonnie Bernstein, and Armen Keteyian

Revenge for their Halloween loss drove the 14–2 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 a 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. ^[13]

Honors and awards

• Ben Roethlisberger, AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
• Ben Roethlisberger, Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year

Pro Bowl representatives

See: 2005 Pro Bowl

• No. 36 Jerome Bettis – Running back (alternate)
• No. 43 Troy Polamalu – Strong Safety
• No. 51 James Farrior – Inside linebacker
• No. 55 Joey Porter – Outside linebacker
• No. 64 Jeff Hartings – Center
• No. 66 Alan Faneca – Offensive guard
• No. 77 Marvel Smith – Offensive tackle (alternate)
• No. 86 Hines Ward – Wide receiver
• No. 91 Aaron Smith – Defensive end (alternate)

References

1. Wexell, Jim (August 24, 2004). "Steelers looking to bounce back in 2004". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
2. Fleming, Todd (May 17, 2009). "Reflections on the 2004 Steelers: The Year of the Quarterback". Bleacher Report. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
3. Pro Football Prospectus 2006 ( ISBN   0761142177), p. 73–75
4. The article mentions Neil O'Donnell, Mike Tomczak, Kordell Stewart, and Tommy Maddox.
5. 1998 Minnesota Vikings
6. 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
7. 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
8. 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
9. "2004 Pittsburgh Steelers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
10. Football Database. Retrieved 2014-May-11.
11. Westhead, Rick (January 3, 2005). "Reality of Steelers Puts a Quick End to the Bills' Dream". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 18, 2022.
12. "2004 Conference Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
13. "Cope also created Terrible Towel". ESPN.com . AP. June 21, 2005. Archived from the original on October 10, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2011.

External links

• 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season at Pro Football Reference
• 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season statistics at jt-sw.com