2020 Pittsburgh Steelers season | |
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Owner | The Rooney Family |
General manager | Kevin Colbert |
Head coach | Mike Tomlin |
Home field | Heinz Field |
Results | |
Record | 12β4 |
Division place | 1st AFC North |
Playoff finish | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Browns) 37β48 |
Pro Bowlers | |
AP All-Pros | 3
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Team MVP | T. J. Watt |
Team ROY | Chase Claypool |
Uniform | |
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The 2020 season was the Pittsburgh Steelers' 88th in the National Football League (NFL), their 20th playing home games at Heinz Field, their 21st under general manager Kevin Colbert, and their 14th under head coach Mike Tomlin. The team vastly improved on their 8β8 record from 2019 beginning the season 11β0, a franchise-best. They became the first NFL team to do so since the Carolina Panthers in the 2015 season. However, that streak was broken after a Week 13 loss to the Washington Football Team. The Steelers clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2017 after the Miami Dolphins' Week 14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and clinched their first AFC North title since 2017 with a Week 16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
The season marked the return of Ben Roethlisberger, who was sidelined for 14 games the season prior. However, despite entering Week 13 at 11β0, the Steelers collapsed and lost four of their last five games to finish 12β4 and join the 1969 Los Angeles Rams as the only teams in NFL history to go 11β0 and lose 3 consecutive games afterwards. In the playoffs, the collapse continued as Steelers faced the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card round, allowing Cleveland to break a substantial playoff drought defeating the Steelers 48β37.
The Steelers swept the Ravens for the first time in three seasons. Their 11β0 start marked the longest the Steelers have gone before their first loss in a season in franchise history. They also went undefeated against the AFC South for the first time in six seasons.
Because the Patriots went 7β9, their first losing season in 20 years, the Steelers ended the year as the only team from 2004 to 2020 that didn't have a single losing season. As of the end of the 2023 NFL season, the streak is still ongoing.
Transactions
The Steelers have been involved in the following transactions during the 2020 season:
Trades
Player | Acquired from | Traded to | Date | Trade terms |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE Chris Wormley | Baltimore Ravens | March 20 | 2021 7th round pick to Pittsburgh 2021 5th round pick to Baltimore | |
ILB Avery Williamson | New York Jets | November 1 | 2022 7th round pick to Pittsburgh 2022 5th round pick to New York |
Free agent signings
Lost
Player | Lost to | Date | Contract terms |
---|---|---|---|
DT Javon Hargrave | Philadelphia Eagles | March 21 | 3 years / $39 million |
C B. J. Finney | Seattle Seahawks | March 23 | 2 years / $8 million |
FS Sean Davis | Washington Football Team | March 23 | 1 years / $4 million |
CB Artie Burns | Chicago Bears | March 26 | 1 year / $1.05 million |
ILB Tyler Matakevich | Buffalo Bills | March 30 | 2 years / $7.1 million |
TE Nick Vannett | Denver Broncos | April 2 | 2 years / $5.7 million |
Acquired
Player | Acquired from | Date | Contract terms |
---|---|---|---|
FB Derek Watt | Los Angeles Chargers | March 26 | 3 years / $9.75 million |
G Stefen Wisniewski | Kansas City Chiefs | March 26 | 2 years / $2.85 million |
TE Eric Ebron | Indianapolis Colts | March 30 | 2 years / $12 million |
Cuts
Position | Player | Date |
---|---|---|
ILB | Mark Barron | March 16 |
OLB | Anthony Chickillo | March 16 |
FB | Roosevelt Nix | March 18 |
Draft
Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 49 | Chase Claypool | WR | Notre Dame | |
3 | 102 | Alex Highsmith | OLB | Charlotte | Compensatory pick |
4 | 124 | Anthony McFarland Jr. | RB | Maryland | |
4 | 135 | Kevin Dotson | G | Louisiana | From Miami |
6 | 198 | Antoine Brooks | S | Maryland | |
7 | 232 | Carlos Davis | DT | Nebraska |
Notes
- Pittsburgh traded 2020 first and fifth round selections and a 2021 sixth round selection to Miami in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2020 fourth round selection.
- Pittsburgh traded a third-round selection along with 2019 first- and second-round selections to Denver in exchange for Denver's 2019 first-round selection.
- Jacksonville traded a fifth-round selection to Pittsburgh in exchange for quarterback Joshua Dobbs.
- Pittsburgh traded a fifth-round selection to Seattle in exchange for tight end Nick Vannett.
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Final roster
Preseason
The Steelers would have played the Dallas Cowboys in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 6, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, and the Steelers were to be represented by former head coach Bill Cowher and safeties Troy Polamalu and Donnie Shell. However, the game, the annual Hall of Fame enshrinement and the remainder of the preseason were later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Hall of Fame game between the Steelers and Cowboys was rescheduled for 2021.
Week | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
HOF | August 6 | vs. Dallas Cowboys | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
1 | August 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Heinz Field | |
2 | August 23 | New Orleans Saints | Heinz Field | |
3 | August 28 | at New York Jets | MetLife Stadium | |
4 | September 3 | at Carolina Panthers | Bank of America Stadium |
Regular season
Schedule
The Steelers' 2020 schedule was announced on May 7.
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 14 | at New York Giants | W 26β16 | 1β0 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
2 | September 20 | Denver Broncos | W 26β21 | 2β0 | Heinz Field | Recap |
3 | September 27 | Houston Texans | W 28β21 | 3β0 | Heinz Field | Recap |
4 | Bye | |||||
5 | October 11 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 38β29 | 4β0 | Heinz Field | Recap |
6 | October 18 | Cleveland Browns | W 38β7 | 5β0 | Heinz Field | Recap |
7 | October 25 | at Tennessee Titans | W 27β24 | 6β0 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
8 | November 1 | at Baltimore Ravens | W 28β24 | 7β0 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
9 | November 8 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 24β19 | 8β0 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |
10 | November 15 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 36β10 | 9β0 | Heinz Field | Recap |
11 | November 22 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 27β3 | 10β0 | TIAA Bank Field | Recap |
12 | December 2 | Baltimore Ravens | W 19β14 | 11β0 | Heinz Field | Recap |
13 | December 7 | Washington Football Team | L 17β23 | 11β1 | Heinz Field | Recap |
14 | December 13 | at Buffalo Bills | L 15β26 | 11β2 | Bills Stadium | Recap |
15 | December 21 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 17β27 | 11β3 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap |
16 | December 27 | Indianapolis Colts | W 28β24 | 12β3 | Heinz Field | Recap |
17 | January 3 | at Cleveland Browns | L 22β24 | 12β4 | FirstEnergy Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at New York Giants
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 3 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 26 |
Giants | 3 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: September 14
- Game time: 7:10 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Clear, 71 Β°F (22 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (ESPN): Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Maria Taylor
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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The Steelers started their season on the road against the Giants on Monday Night Football. In the first quarter, the Giants scored first when Graham Gano kicked a 21-yard field goal to make it 3β0. Later on in the quarter, Chris Boswell would tie the game at 3β3 with a 41-yard field goal. The Giants took the lead in the second quarter when Daniel Jones found Darius Slayton on a 41-yard TD pass to make it 10β3. The Steelers responded when Ben Roethlisberger found JuJu Smith-Schuster on a 10-yard TD pass (with a failed PAT) to make the score 10β9. Finally, the Steelers took the lead before halftime when Roethlisberger connected with James Washington on a 13-yard TD pass to make the score 16β10. After a scoreless third quarter, the Steelers got back to work when Boswell kicked a 36-yard field goal to make it 19β10. This was followed up by Roethlisberger connecting with Smith-Schuster again on an 8-yard TD pass to make it 26β10. Finally, the Giants wrapped up the scoring of the game when Jones and Slayton connected again for a 7-yard TD pass to make the final score 26β16.
With the win, the Steelers started their season 1β0. They won their regular season-opening game for the first time since 2017.
In Roethlisberger's first game in 364 days, he went 21 of 32 for 229 yards and 3 touchdown passes, giving him a 117.8 passer rating.
The win was the third straight time that they have beaten the Giants.
Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Broncos | 0 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 21 |
Steelers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 26 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: September 20
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 64 Β°F (18 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: Adrian Hill
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon and Jay Feely
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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After a road win on Monday Night Football, the Steelers headed home for a game against the Broncos. In the first quarter, the Steelers made it 7β0 after James Conner ran for a 2-yard TD for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the Broncos managed to get on the board when Brandon McManus kicked a 49-yard field goal to make it 7β3. Ben Roethlisberger then found rookie WR Chase Claypool on an 84-yard TD pass to make it 14β3. Chris Boswell then put the Steelers up by a couple touchdowns at halftime with a 21-yard field goal to make it 17β3.
After the break, the Broncos eventually came within 3 when McManus kicked a 28-yard field goal to make it 17β6. Backup QB Jeff Driskel then found Noah Fant on a 20-yard TD pass (with a successful 2-point conversion) to make it 17β14. In the fourth quarter, the Steelers responded when Roethlisberger found Diontae Johnson on a 28-yard TD pass to make it 24β14. This would be followed on the next Broncos drive by Derek Watt tackling Broncos punter Sam Martin in the end zone for a safety to make it 26β14. Driskel then found Melvin Gordon III on a 16-yard TD pass to get the Broncos within 5, 26β21. The Broncos were able to drive late, getting to the Steelers' 15-yard line at the two-minute warning. However, the Steelers forced an incompletion on 3rd and 2, and then Terrell Edmunds sacked Driskel on 4th down, giving the ball back to the Steelers. On the second play of the next Steelers' drive, Conner carried for 59 yards, sealing the victory.
With the win, the Steelers improved to 2β0 for the first time since 2017. In addition, the quarterback/head coach duo of Roethlisberger and Tomlin won their 117th regular season game together, moving to third all-time.
Week 3: vs. Houston Texans
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texans | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
Steelers | 3 | 14 | 3 | 8 | 28 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: September 27
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
- Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 79 Β°F (26 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: Shawn Smith
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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After a tough win at home, the Steelers stayed home for a game against the Texans, known as the "Watt Bowl" for T.J. & Derek Watt on the Steelers going against their older brother, J.J., on the Texans for the first time ever. In the first quarter, the Steelers took an early 3β0 lead after Chris Boswell kicked a 33-yard field goal. However, the Texans took the lead later on in the quarter when DeShaun Watson found Randall Cobb on a 28-yard TD pass for a 7β3 lead. In the second quarter, the Texans made it 14β3 when David Johnson ran for a 2-yard TD. The Steelers fired back to take the lead with Ben Roethlisberger finding Eric Ebron a 10-yard TD pass, followed up by Roethlisberger finding JuJu Smith-Schuster on a 26-yard TD pass for a 17β14 lead. The Texans then scored on a Watson pass to Will Fuller to take back the lead at 21β17 before half. Chris Boswell scored the only points of the third quarter, kicking a field goal to bring the Steelers within one point with a score of 21β20. In the fourth quarter, James Conner ran for a touchdown and Smith-Schuster then caught a two-point conversion pass from Roethlisberger to put the Steelers ahead with what would be the final score of 28β21.
With the win, the Steelers go into their bye week 3β0. It would be the team's first 3β0 start since 2010. For the 60th consecutive game, the Steelers recorded at least one sack on defense, reaching the second longest streak in NFL history. The game also snapped a streak of 25 games with at least one turnover committed by the Steelers. In addition, the Steelers scored 28 points for the first time since December 23, 2018. With his 221st game played for the Steelers, Roethlisberger set a new franchise record. With the Ravens' loss to the Chiefs on Monday Night Football, the Steelers took the lead in the AFC North.
With the win, the Steelers beat the Texans for the third straight time.
Week 5: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eagles | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 29 |
Steelers | 7 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 38 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: October 11
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 70 Β°F (21 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 4,708
- Referee: Ronald Torbert
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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After coming off their bye week, the Steelers stayed home for a game against the Eagles in the Battle of Pennsylvania. The Steelers were led by rookie Chase Claypool's 4 touchdowns. In the first quarter, the Steelers scored first when Chase Claypool ran for a 2-yard TD for a 7β0 lead. The Eagles tied it up when Miles Sanders ran for a 74-yard TD to make it 7β7. In the second quarter, the Steelers retook the lead when Ben Roethlisberger found Claypool on a 32-yard TD pass to make it 14β7. The Eagles tied the game back up when Sanders ran for a 1-yard TD for a 14β14 game. The Steelers then retook the lead before halftime when Chris Boswell kicked a 41-yard field goal to make it 17β14. The Steelers made it 24β14 and then 31β14 when Roethlisberger and Claypool hooked up again on a 5-yard touchdown pass, followed by James Conner's 1-yard TD run. The Eagles then drew closer after Carson Wentz found Greg Ward on an 8-yard TD pass (with a successful 2-point conversion) to make it 31β22. Then, they came closer in the fourth when Wentz found Travis Fulgham on a 4-yard TD pass to make it 31β29. Roethlisberger and Claypool closed out the scoring of the game when they hooked up for a 35-yard TD pass to make the final score 38β29.
With the win, the Steelers started their season 4β0 for the first time since 1979.
Week 6: vs. Cleveland Browns
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Browns | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Steelers | 10 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: October 18
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
- Game weather: Mostly sunny, 61 Β°F (16 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 5,260
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Gene Steratore
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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After another tough victory, the Steelers stayed home for their first game against the Browns. The Steelers jumped out to a 24β0 lead before the Browns got on the board via Baker Mayfield's 13-yard TD pass to Rashard Higgins just before halftime. From the third quarter onwards, the Steelers scored the remaining 14 points to make the final score 38β7.
With the win, the Steelers improved to 5β0 for the first time since 1978. The Steelers extended their home winning streak over the Browns to 17 games, dating back to 2004.
Week 7: at Tennessee Titans
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 7 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
Titans | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
- Date: October 25
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 55 Β°F (13 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 10,355
- Referee: Shawn Hochuli
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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After going 4β0 in their 4-game home stand, the Steelers then traveled for the first of a 3-game road trip against the Titans. They scored first in the first quarter when Ben Roethlisberger found Diontae Johnson on an 11-yard TD to make it 7β0. They made it 14β0 in the second quarter when Benny Snell ran for a 1-yard TD. The Titans then got on the board when Corey Davis caught a 4-yard TD pass from Ryan Tannehill to make it 14β7. The Steelers closed out the half with 10 straight points: Chris Boswell kicked a 38-yard field goal to make it 17β7 and then Johnson and Roethlisberger connected again on a 9-yard TD pass to make it 24β7. In the third quarter, the Steelers scored again to move up by 20 with Boswell's 30-yard field goal to make it 27β7. It would be all Titans the rest of the game. Tannehill found A.J. Brown on a 73-yard TD pass to make it 27β14. Stephen Gostkowski closed out the third quarter when he kicked a 51-yard field goal to make it 27β17. Derrick Henry then ran for a 1-yard TD in the fourth to make the score 27β24. Getting the ball back with seconds left, Gostkowski missed the game-tying field goal, sealing yet another win for the Steelers.
With the win, the Steelers improved to 6β0 for the second time in their franchise history; their first such start since 1978. They stand as the AFC's only undefeated team. With the Seahawks' loss to the Cardinals on Sunday Night Football, the Steelers stand as the NFL's only undefeated team through 7 weeks.
In the game, the Steelers scored an opening drive touchdown for the first time since Week 15 of the 2018 season.
This game was originally supposed to be played during Week 4, but was postponed due to the positive cases of COVID-19 within the Titans' organization.
This win marked the third straight time the Steelers have beaten the Titans.
Week 8: at Baltimore Ravens
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Steelers | 7 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
Ravens | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: November 1
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 52 Β°F (11 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 4,345
- Referee: Brad Allen
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Gene Steratore
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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After a tough road win, the Steelers then traveled again for their first game against the Ravens. The Steelers scored first in the first quarter when Robert Spillane returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown to make it 7β0. The Ravens then scored 17 straight points to make it 17β7 in their favor at halftime, beginning when Lamar Jackson found Miles Boykin on a 6-yard pass to tie the game up, followed by Gus Edwards running for a 1-yard touchdown, and concluded by Justin Tucker's 51-yard field goal. In the third quarter, it was all Steelers, as they retook the lead when they made it 21β17 with Ben Roethlisberger's 18-yard touchdown pass to TE Eric Ebron followed up by James Conner's 1-yard touchdown run. In the fourth quarter, the Ravens would retake the lead when Jackson found Marquise Brown on a 3-yard touchdown to make it 24β21. Roethlisberger got the Steelers the lead back when he connected with Chase Claypool on an 8-yard touchdown pass, making the score 28β24. After stopping the Steelers and forcing them to punt with under one minute left, the Ravens were able to drive down the field. Jackson attempted a pass to the end zone on the final play to win the game, but it fell incomplete, sealing yet another win for the Steelers.
With the win, the Steelers improved to 7β0, their second 7β0 start in franchise history and first such start since 1978. They also defeated the Ravens for the first time since Week 9 of the 2018 season, defeating Lamar Jackson as a starter for the first time.
By shutting out Baltimore in the third quarter, the Steelers stopped an NFL-record 26 consecutive quarters of scoring by the Ravens. The game marked the first time in his career that Lamar Jackson lost a game after leading at halftime, and also marked the most giveaways by Jackson in a game with four.
Week 9: at Dallas Cowboys
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 0 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 24 |
Cowboys | 3 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 19 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
- Date: November 8
- Game time: 4:25 pm. EST/3:25 pm. CST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 70 Β°F (21 Β°C) (retractable roof open)
- Game attendance: 31,700
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Gene Steratore
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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After another close win, the Steelers traveled again to Arlington, Texas to take on the Cowboys. From the first into the second quarter, the Cowboys jumped to a 13β0 lead before the Steelers managed to score twice within the final two minutes of the half to make it a 13β9 game at halftime. In the third quarter, the Cowboys moved up by 10 with Greg Zuerlein's 45 and 39-yard field goals, making it 19β9. However, in the fourth quarter, it was all Steelers, who managed to come back with three straight scores: a Ben Roethlisberger to JuJu Smith-Schuster 31-yard TD pass (with a failed PAT); a Chris Boswell 43-yard field goal; and then finally a Roethlisberger to Eric Ebron 8-yard TD pass (with a failed 2-point conversion) to take a 24β19 lead. After forcing a turnover on downs, the Cowboys got the ball back to drive into Steelers territory with under a minute left in the game. However, Garrett Gilbert's pass fell incomplete in the end zone, sealing yet another Steelers win.
With the win, the Steelers improved to 8β0, the team's first 8β0 start in franchise history. The 8-game winning streak is the Steelers' longest regular season win streak since Weeks 6β14 of the 2017 season.
Week 10: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bengals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
Steelers | 12 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 36 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game information | ||
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After another tough road win, the Steelers headed home for Round 1 against the Bengals. In the first quarter, the Steelers jumped out to a 12β0 lead after 2 field goals from Chris Boswell, from 41 and 30 yards out, followed by Ben Roethlisberger connecting with Diontae Johnson on a 12-yard TD pass (with a failed 2-point conversion). The Bengals responded, coming within 5 when Joe Burrow found Tee Higgins on a 2-yard TD pass to make it 12β7. However, the Steelers would pull away by double digits before halftime when Roethlisberger found JuJu Smith-Schuster on an 8-yard TD pass to make it 19β7. Finally, Boswell kicked a 45-yard field goal to make it 22β7 at halftime. The Steelers scored the only points of the third quarter when Roethlisberger connected with Chase Claypool for an 11-yard TD pass to make it 29β7. In the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger and Claypool connected again for a 5-yard TD pass, putting the team up 36β7. The Bengals wrapped up the scoring of the game with Randy Bullock's 37-yard field goal to make the final score 36β10.
With the win, the Steelers improved to 9β0 for the first time in their history. The team also won their 11th straight game over the Bengals and won 9 games in a row for the first time since 2004.
Week 11: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 0 | 17 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
Jaguars | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
- Date: November 22
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 72 Β°F (22 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 17,244
- Referee: Scott Novak
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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After a huge win at home, the Steelers traveled south to take on the Jaguars. In the first quarter, the Jags would score a 41-yard field goal kicked by Chris McLaughlin to take a 3β0 lead for the quarter's only score. However, the Steelers would score all of the game's remaining points and win 27β3 for their biggest road victory of the season.
With the win, the Steelers improved to 10β0 for the first time ever in franchise history, and became the 18th team in NFL history to open 10β0 in the Super Bowl era. The Steelers also won 10 straight games for the first time since 2004.
Week 12: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ravens | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Steelers | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 19 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: December 2
- Game time: 3:40 pm. EST
- Game weather: Sunny, 37 Β°F (3 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 500 ( Friends and family of players )
- Referee: Ronald Torbert
- TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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After a road win, the Steelers returned home for their second game against the Ravens. In the first quarter, the Steelers made it 6-0 when Joe Haden returned an interception 14 yards for a touchdown (with a failed PAT). The Ravens took the lead later on with Gus Edwards's 1-yard touchdown run to make it 7β6. In the second quarter, the Steelers took the lead with Chris Boswell field goals from 25 and 27 yards out to make it 12β7. After a scoreless third quarter, the Steelers increased their lead in the fourth quarter when Ben Roethlisberger found JuJu Smith-Schuster on a 1-yard touchdown pass, making it 19β7. Later on in the quarter, the Ravens would wrap the scoring of the game up when third-string QB Trace McSorley found Marquise Brown on a 70-yard touchdown pass to make the final score 19β14.
With the win, the Steelers improved to 11β0 for the first time ever. The team swept the Ravens for the first time since 2017 and for the first time in the Lamar Jackson era. They also won 11 in a row for the first time since 2004.
Week 13: vs. Washington Football Team
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 23 |
Steelers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: December 7
- Game time: 5:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 34 Β°F (1 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 500 (Family Members and Friends)
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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After a tough home win, the Steelers stayed home for a game against the Washington Football Team. After a scoreless first quarter, the Steelers jumped out to a 14β0 lead. Dustin Hopkins kicked a 49-yard field goal, making it 14β3 at halftime. Then in the third quarter, Peyton Barber ran for a 1-yard touchdown, making it 14β10. In the fourth quarter, the Steelers moved up by a touchdown after Matthew Wright kicked a 37-yard field goal, making it 17β10. However, Washington came back with 3 straight scores to win it 23β17, upsetting the Steelers.
With their 11-game winning streak snapped, the Steelers fell to 11β1. They also lost at home on Monday for the first time since 1991, which was also the last year that the Steelers lost to the Washington Football Team (then the Washington Redskins), who went on to win Super Bowl XXVI. With the New York Jets standing at 0β12, the Steelers' loss also ended the possibility of the 2020 season becoming the first to feature both an undefeated and winless team in one season.
With Robert Spillane's sack of Alex Smith in the first quarter, the Steelers tied the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' league record set in 2003 for the longest streak of games with at least one team sack, at 69 games.
Week 14: at Buffalo Bills
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 15 |
Bills | 0 | 9 | 14 | 3 | 26 |
at Bills Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: December 13
- Game time: 8:20 pm. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy with snow flurries, 35 Β°F (2 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: Shawn Smith
- TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Kathryn Tappen, and Terry McAulay
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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The game was a defensive struggle for most of the first half. Both teams combined for eight three-and-outs for the first twenty minutes of the game before a Dawson Knox fumble gave Pittsburgh the ball inside Buffalo territory, enabling Roethlisberger to find James Washington in the endzone. After an exchange of punts, Buffalo responded with their first red zone drive of the night producing a Tyler Bass 34-yard field goal, and a Taron Johnson 51-yard pick six shortly after Pittsburgh got the ball back, for a halftime score of 9β7 in favor of the hosts. Both teams improved offensively in the second half as the snow let up, but a fourth-quarter interception by the Buffalo defense was enough to seal a 26β15 Steelers loss, only their second of the season and their first loss by more than one score with Roethlisberger under center since Week 1 of 2019. This was their first loss at Buffalo since 1999.
With the loss, the Steelers fell to 11β2 and fell from first to second place in the overall AFC standings, even with their best winβloss record through thirteen games since 2017.
With Tyson Alualu's sack of Josh Allen in the second quarter, the Steelers passed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the league record for the longest streak of games with at least one team sack.
Week 15: at Cincinnati Bengals
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
Bengals | 3 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Date: December 21
- Game time: 8:15 pm. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 43 Β°F (6 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 10,249
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (ESPN): Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick and John Parry
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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After another loss, the Steelers traveled to Cincinnati for Round 2 against the Bengals. The Bengals would jump out to a 17β0 halftime lead, with all of their points coming off turnovers, before the Steelers came within 7 after a touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Diontae Johnson from 23 yards out, followed by Chris Boswell kicking a 25-yard field goal, making it 17β10. The Bengals pulled away in the fourth quarter when Ryan Finley ran for a 23-yard touchdown, making it 24β10. Benny Snell ran for a 1-yard touchdown to make it 24β17, but Austin Seibert kicked a 33-yard field goal to make the final score 27β17 in favor of the Bengals.
With their third straight loss, the Steelers fell to 11β3, and their lead in the AFC North shrunk to one game ahead of the Browns. They also had their 11-game winning streak against the Bengals snapped, having lost to them for the first time since Week 8 of 2015, which was at home. The Steelers were defeated by the Bengals in Cincinnati for the first time since Week 2 of 2013.
Week 16: vs. Indianapolis Colts
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colts | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
Steelers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game information | ||
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After another tough loss, the Steelers went back home to take on the Colts in their final home game of the season. The Colts scored the only points of the first quarter when Jonathan Taylor ran for a 6-yard TD to make it 7β0. The Steelers would tie it up in the second quarter when James Conner ran for a 1-yard TD. The Colts would go up 21β7 at halftime after Taylor ran for another TD, followed up by Philip Rivers finding Zach Pascal on a 42-yard pass. In the third quarter, the Colts moved up by 17 after Rodrigo Blankenship kicked a 28-yard field goal for a 24β7 lead. Starting in the third quarter and info the fourth, the Steelers went on a 21β0 run, with Ben Roethlisberger finding 3 different receivers for TD passes: a 39-yard pass to Diontae Johnson late in the third; a 5-yard pass to Eric Ebron in the fourth; and then finally a 25-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster to take a 28β24 lead. Getting the ball back with a little over two minutes in the game, the Colts were able to drive into Steelers' territory after a pass interference penalty on the defense. However, the Colts would eventually wind up with a turnover on downs, giving the ball and the game to the Steelers, snapping the team's losing streak.
With their 3-game losing streak snapped, the Steelers improved to 12β3 and won the AFC North division title.
The Steelers defeated the Colts for the 7th consecutive time and improved to 25β6 all-time against the Colts, with a 16β2 record in Pittsburgh (both including playoffs). The win ensured the team of entering the playoffs as the #3 seed.
Week 17: at Cleveland Browns
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 0 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 22 |
Browns | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: January 3, 2021
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 38 Β°F (3 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 11,989
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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After a tough win at home, the Steelers traveled to Cleveland for their regular season finale and Round 2 against the Browns. Having already clinched the AFC North, the Steelers rested many of their starters. In the first quarter, the Browns made it 7β0 after Nick Chubb ran for a 47-yard TD. They then made it 10β0 in the second quarter after Cody Parkey's 23-yard field goal. The Steelers then scored 3 times in a row; Matthew Wright kicked two field goals from 29 and 46 yards out to make it 10β6 at halftime and hit a 46-yarder to make it 10β9 in the third quarter. But the Browns quickly went back ahead by double digits with two touchdowns: Baker Mayfield found Austin Hooper on a 2-yard pass later on in the third, while in the fourth, Jarvis Landry ran for a 3-yarder, making the score 24β9. The Steelers then scored two straight touchdowns of their own: Mason Rudolph found Chase Claypool on a 28-yard pass, followed by JuJu Smith-Schuster catching a 2-yard pass to make it 24β22. After the second touchdown, the Steelers attempted to tie the game by going for a 2-point conversion, but they failed as Mason Rudolph's pass was incomplete. The Steelers defense was unable to stop the Browns with just under two minutes left and the Browns were able to kneel out the clock for the win.
With the loss, the Steelers finished 12β4 and ended up with the #3 seed in the AFC.
Standings
Division
AFC North | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4β2 | 9β3 | 416 | 312 | L1 |
Baltimore Ravens | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4β2 | 7β5 | 468 | 303 | W5 |
Cleveland Browns | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3β3 | 7β5 | 408 | 419 | W1 |
Cincinnati Bengals | 4 | 11 | 1 | .281 | 1β5 | 4β8 | 311 | 424 | L1 |
Conference
# | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division leaders | |||||||||||
1 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 4β2 | 10β2 | .465 | .464 | L1 |
2 | Buffalo Bills | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 6β0 | 10β2 | .512 | .471 | W6 |
3 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4β2 | 9β3 | .475 | .448 | L1 |
4 | Tennessee Titans | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5β1 | 8β4 | .475 | .398 | W1 |
Wild Cards | |||||||||||
5 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4β2 | 7β5 | .494 | .401 | W5 |
6 | Cleveland Browns | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3β3 | 7β5 | .451 | .406 | W1 |
7 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4β2 | 7β5 | .443 | .384 | W1 |
Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
8 | Miami Dolphins | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3β3 | 7β5 | .467 | .347 | L1 |
9 | Las Vegas Raiders | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4β2 | 6β6 | .539 | .477 | W1 |
10 | New England Patriots | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3β3 | 6β6 | .527 | .429 | W1 |
11 | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3β3 | 6β6 | .482 | .344 | W4 |
12 | Denver Broncos | West | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1β5 | 4β8 | .566 | .388 | L3 |
13 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 4 | 11 | 1 | .281 | 1β5 | 4β8 | .529 | .438 | L1 |
14 | Houston Texans | South | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2β4 | 3β9 | .541 | .219 | L5 |
15 | New York Jets | East | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0β6 | 1β11 | .594 | .656 | L1 |
16 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 1 | 15 | 0 | .063 | 1β5 | 1β11 | .549 | .688 | L15 |
Tiebreakers | |||||||||||
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Postseason
Schedule
Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wild Card | January 10, 2021 | Cleveland Browns (6) | L 37β48 | 0β1 | Heinz Field | Recap |
Game summaries
AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (6) Cleveland Browns
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Browns | 28 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 48 |
Steelers | 0 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 37 |
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: January 10, 2021
- Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Clear, 34 Β°F (1 Β°C)
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: Shawn Smith
- TV announcers (NBC/Peacock): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
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After falling behind 28β0 in the first quarter, the Steelers were knocked out the Wild Card round and lost to the Browns in Pittsburgh for the first time since 2003.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed an NFL record 47 passes, which passed Drew Bledsoe and Jared Goff's joint record of 45 passes, for 501 yards and 4 touchdowns, but also threw 4 costly interceptions and lost a fumble.
Notes
- ^ Due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Tennessee Titans' organization, the SteelersβTitans game, originally scheduled during Week 4 (October 4), was moved to Week 7 (October 25), which originally would have been the Titans' bye week. The SteelersβRavens game in Baltimore, originally scheduled during Week 7, was moved to Week 8 (November 1), which was the original bye week for both teams.
- ^ The Steelers' home game vs. the Baltimore Ravens, originally scheduled for November 26 on Thanksgiving, was delayed three times: first to November 29, then to December 1, and then finally to December 2. The scheduling change was made due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Ravens' organization as at least twelve players were tested positive. This also caused the Steelers game against the Washington Football Team to be moved from December 6 to December 7.
Awards
The following Steelers were awarded for their performances:
AFC Offensive Player of the Week/Month
W/M | Player | Line |
---|---|---|
5 | WR Chase Claypool | 7 rec, 110 yds, 3 TD; 3 rush, 6 yds, 1 TD |
10 | QB Ben Roethlisberger | 27β46, 333 yds, 4 TD |
AFC Defensive Player of the Week/Month
W/M | Player | Line |
---|---|---|
2 | OLB T. J. Watt | 4 TKL, 2.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks |
Sept. | OLB T. J. Watt | 9 TKL, 3 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 PD, 1 INT |
8 | DE Stephon Tuitt | 9 TKL, 3 TFL, 2 sacks |
Nov. | OLB T. J. Watt | 18 TKL, 5 TFL, 5.5 sacks |
16 | CB Mike Hilton | 4 TKL, 2 PD, 1 INT, 1 FR |
References
- "Chiefs clinch fifth straight AFC West title with win over Dolphins; Steelers secure playoff berth".
- "Pittsburgh Steelers clinch first playoff berth since 2017 with Miami Dolphins' loss". December 13, 2020.
- "Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers to Play in 2020 Hall of Fame Game". NFL Communications. March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^ Shook, Nick (July 27, 2020). "Roger Goodell writes letter to NFL fans as training camps start across U.S." NFL. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- Schefter, Adam (June 25, 2020). "Cowboys-Steelers Hall of Fall Game being called off; enshrinement ceremony postponed". ESPN. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- "Week 7 and Week 8 Schedule Changes". NFL Communications. October 2, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- "Ravens-Steelers game moved from Thursday to Sunday". NFL. November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
- Selbe, Nick. "Browns Ambush Steelers for First Playoff Win Since 1994". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 11, 2021.