Next Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers face their tormentors of the last two decades. Before Tom Brady was drafted by the New England Patriots, the Steelers led the series 12-5 overall. That all changed with a loss to Brady in 2001 and now the Patriots lead 19-16. In New England the Steelers are behind 4-7.
The last time the Steelers travelled to New England in 2019 they were crushed 33-3. Ben Roethlisberger had a bad day with no touchdowns and one interception while Tom Brady was himself; he threw 3 touchdown passes.
The Steelers won the division title in 1996 behind Mike Tomczak and supported by Kordell Stewart. Before the first preseason game the following year, Coach Cowher named Stewart as the starter.
Following a 5-0 preseason, including a game in Dublin, the fans were anticipating a successful season. A 37-7 loss at home to Dallas in the season opener put a cloud over those expectations.
By their week 16 trip to New England, Stewart and the Steelers had put together ten wins with four defeats and were top of the AFC Central. With Jacksonville just one game behind, the Steelers needed to win to ensure another division title.
The Patriots were led by five-year veteran Drew Bledsoe, and they also sat at the top of their division along with Miami. The previous season, Bledsoe had led his team to Super Bowl XXXI where they lost 35-21 to Green Bay.
Both teams needed to win to keep their playoffs intent intact.
The (10-4) Steelers at the (9-5) Patriots; December 13, 1997
Coach Cowher made his intentions clear early. On Pittsburgh’s first possession, with the Steelers drive stalled with a fourth and one on their own 29, he went for it. The gamble paid off when Kordell Stewart ran for three yards. Six plays later the drive fizzled out forcing Josh Miller to punt, but the Patriots were in no doubt about the Steelers determination.
After a blank first quarter, it was a Stewart turnover that led to the first score. His interception saw Drew Bledsoe take over with a short field. Bledsoe’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Ben Coates gave New England a 7-point lead following Adam Vinatieri’s point after.
Another Stewart interception saw the Patriots extend their lead with Bledsoe’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Sam Gash.
Stewart was struggling but he eventually began to put it together. His runs and pass completions saw a Steelers drive of 72 yards finish with his 1-yard touchdown run. Norm Johnson kicked the point after to see the Steelers go into the locker room at the half 14-7 behind.
Stewart continued to exert his influence in the first drive of the second quarter. The Steelers 80-yard drive finished with Johnson’s 36-yard field goal. When the game went into the final period, Johnson added another field goal from 34 yards to put the Steelers a point behind.
New England hit back when Bledsoe threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Dave Meggett to extend their lead to 8 points.
As the clock ticked down to two minutes, the Steelers blitzed as Bledsoe was searching for a receiver. He found Steelers defensive end Kevin Henry who returned the ball 36 yards.
Stewart completed the Steelers drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Mark Bruener. The crucial two point conversation with Stewart’s completion to Yancey Thigpen sealed the tie to send the game into overtime. Stewart took advantage of the game’s extension moving the chains to enable Johnson to kick the winning 31-yard field goal.
The Pittsburgh Steelers 24 at the New England Patriots 21
It was the third overtime game the Steelers won in 1997. The others were against Jacksonville (23-17) and at Arizona (26-20). The Steelers won their fourteenth division title on a tie breaker with the Jaguars and went into the playoffs as the number two seed.
New England won their division and faced the Steelers in the divisional game. Kordell Stewart wasn’t at his best. He completed only 14 of his 31 pass attempts for 134 yards and one interception, but one spark in the first quarter won the game. Stewart’s 40-yard touchdown run ensured a 7-6 victory that advanced them to the Championship game where they faced Denver.
The Bronco’s John Elway was at his peak and led his team to a 24-21 win as the Steelers failed to overcome three interceptions, a fumble and a missed field goal. Despite the loss, the Steelers were positive about what the future held. “I’ve never been more proud of a bunch of guys,” Coach Cowher acknowledged. “We’ll be back.”
It proved to be a long wait, but eight years later the Steelers won Super Bowl XL.
