the last time the steelers won a playoff game was 2009.
the last time the steelers won a playoff game was 2009.
when was the last time the steelers won a playoff game?
2009
the patriots took the opening kickoff and marched all the way to the steelers 13, but malcolm mitchell dropped a wide open pass on 3rd-and-1 and the patriots settled for a 31-yard gostkowski field goal. after the next few drives ended in punts, quarterback tom brady capped of an 80-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to chris hogan for a 10–0 lead. the steelers countered with an 11-play, 84-yard drive with deangelo williams scoring on a 5-yard touchdown run (with a missed pat) early in the second quarter. the patriots answered the steelers, though, storming 82 yards with a flea flicker from dion lewis to brady, resulting in a 34-yard touchdown pass to hogan. the touchdown pass increased brady's all-time playoff record to 19 as well as hogan having his first career 100-yard receiving playoff game in just his second career playoff game. the steelers then answered with a 70-yard, marathon drive, but were only able to score on a 23-yard field goal by chris boswell, trimming the deficit to 17–9 at halftime. on the drive, ben roethlisberger seemingly hit tight end jesse james for a 19-yard touchdown pass, but a review ruled james down at the 1, but the patriots kept the steelers out of the endzone. after forcing the steelers to punt on their opening drive, the patriots marched 55 yards in 9 plays with gostkowski increasing the patriots lead to 20–9 on a field goal on a 47-yard field goal by gostkowski. the steelers seemed primed to respond, driving to the patriots 39, but the patriots defense clamped down again, and the steelers punted. the patriots took advantage and stormed 88 yards with legarrette blount carrying half of the steelers to the 1-yard line then finishing off the drive on the next play and the patriots began to pull away leading 27–9. a 39-yard pass to hogan on the drive gave brady his 11th career 300-yard passing game in the playoffs and hogan with 180 yards receiving broke the previous record of 153 yards set by deion branch. the steelers situation grew worse on the first play of the steelers next drive, kyle van noy stripped eli rogers after a 5-yard catch with rob ninkovich recovering at the steelers 28-yard line. four plays later, brady found edelman for a 10-yard touchdown, widening the lead to 33–9 (with a missed pat). the steelers then stormed all the way to patriots 2-yard line, but turned the ball over on downs early in the fourth quarter. after forcing the patriots to punt, eric rowe intercepted roethlisberger and returned the ball 37 yards to the steelers 32, ending any hope of a miraculous comeback. eight plays later, gostkowski kicked a 26-yard field goal giving the patriots a 36-9 lead. roethlisberger struck back with a 30-yard touchdown pass plus a two-point conversion, trimming the deficit to 36–17. the onside kick went out of bounds and the patriots ran out the clock to win the game.
2016 new england patriots season
1972 was the year before the team's 40th year in the league, during which they had finished above .500 only nine times, and until then had never won a playoff game. in fact, before this game, the only playoff game the team had ever played was a loss to the philadelphia eagles in 1947 after the two teams finished tied for the eastern division championship. the immaculate reception was actually the first touchdown the steelers ever scored in the postseason (they were shut out against the eagles in the 1947 playoff game). (the steelers also lost to the detroit lions in the 1962 playoff bowl, though this was considered an exhibition game between the two second place teams in league record books and not an actual playoff game.) they had long been regarded as one of the league's doormats (as the 1944 card-pitt merger was 0–10 and was ridiculed as the "carpitts," a play on the word "carpet"). as recently as 1969 the team had posted a 1–13 record, thus securing the first draft choice in the subsequent nfl draft (in which the steelers chose terry bradshaw) and seeding their remarkable turnaround. since the afl-nfl merger, the steelers have the nfl's best record (surpassing miami in 2007 because of the dolphins' recent struggles), have had a league-low three head coaches, and have had only nine losing seasons, none worse than 5–11. only twice since the immaculate reception has the team had losing seasons two years in a row and none three years in a row.
immaculate reception