After the Pittsburgh Steelers became part of the NFL in 1933, they played the Green Bay Packers regularly until the 1970 merger. At the time they joined the league, Green Bay and Chicago were the giants of pro football. The Same Old Steelers lost the first 12 contests against the Packers.
At the time of the merger, they had a more respectable 7-18 record. Since the merger, the Steelers have won 10 and lost 5. The teams’ record of games played in Pittsburgh is tied at 9-9 while the only time they met post regular season, the Steelers lost Super Bowl XLV 31-25.
The Steelers entered the 1998 season following a disappointing 21-24 loss in the AFC Championship game the previous year.
They used their first draft pick on Alan Faneca. Hines Ward followed in the third, Deshea Townsend in the fourth and Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala in the sixth. All would contribute to the team in the years ahead.
The Packers had made it to the previous two Super Bowls. They beat the Patriots 35-21 in Super Bowl XXXI and lost 31-24 to the Broncos the following season. They were hoping to win their fourth straight division title.
The Steelers 41-31 loss to the Tennessee Oilers in week 9 saw them slip behind Jacksonville in the AFC Central standings. Their aim of winning their fifth straight division title took a hit and they needed to beat the Packers to get back on track.
Coach Cowher blamed the Oilers defeat on “Poor tackling and poor technique.” He acknowledged, “That was uncharacteristic of our football team because the one thing we’ve always done well is tackle.”
The (5-3) Steelers vs (6-2) Packers; November 9, 1998
The Steelers certainly showed they meant business, scoring on their first two possessions. Kordell Stewart led the team on a 9-play drive of 85 yards which included a third down pass of 53 yards to Courtney Hawkins. Charles Johnson’s 8-yard touchdown catch, and Norm Johnson’s extra point opened the scoring.
After Green Bay missed a 51-yard field goal attempt, Stewart directed the team on a drive of 59 yards. On the ninth play, Stewart took it over with a 1-yard run for the touchdown to extend the Steelers advantage.
In the second quarter, the Steelers continued to control the game as their defense kept their opponents quiet. Johnson kicked a field goal from 45 yards before Stewart oversaw another scoring drive. His third down pass of 45 yards to Hines Ward extended a series which finished with a 5-yard touchdown run from Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala. The Steelers went into the locker room at the half 24-0 ahead.
As Green Bay attempted to come back at the start of the second half, Dewayne Washington’s interception brought it to an abrupt halt.
The teams exchanged field goals before the game went into the final period. Johnson was successful from 21 yards before Ryan Longwell kicked one from 42 yards.
As the Steelers were leading by twenty four points and the game in the fourth quarter, Coach Cowher decided the time was right to call a trick play. With a third down on the Packers’ 4, Mike Tomczak came in at quarterback and Stewart moved to wide receiver.
Packers defensive end Reggie White, who had been kept at bay all night, burst around tackle Jamain Stephens and slammed into Tomczak. The resulting fumble was picked up by Keith McKenzie who returned it 88 yards for the touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, but the score rejuvenated a previously muted Green Bay offense.
After the Steelers went three and out, Brett Favre led his team on a 10-play drive of 74 yards that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run from Raymond Harris. Favre’s 2-point conversion succeeded and put the Packers within ten points after being down and out.
Green Bay recovered their onside kick to stop the early exodus of Steeler fans intent on beating the traffic. Favre moved his team to Pittsburgh’s 19 before the Steelers defense held him to three incomplete passes. The Packers’ 37-yard field goal took them within seven points.
When their second onside kick was pick up by Mark Bruener, the home fans breathed a sigh of relief and made for the exits.
The Pittsburgh Steelers 27 vs the Green Bay Packers 20
The success saw the Steelers Monday Night Football record under Coach Cowher extend to seven wins with no defeats.
The 100 yards by Jerome Bettis was the 35th 100-yard game of his career and his 24th with the Steelers. It was also his seventh successive 100-yard game on Monday Night Football.
Hines Ward caught his third and fourth passes of the season. It would be the start of a streak that set a franchise record. Ward would go on to have at least one reception in his next 185 games beating Elbie Nickel’s record of 68 set in 1957.
The Steelers would win just one more game that season. It was against the eventual division champions Jacksonville. The season finale which was also against the Jaguars on Monday Night Football saw Coach Cowher’s winning streak on MNF end when Jacksonville triumphed 21-3.
