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2023 Pittsburgh Steelers season

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2023 Pittsburgh Steelers season
OwnerThe Rooney Family
General managerOmar Khan
Head coachMike Tomlin
Home fieldAcrisure Stadium
Results
Record10–7
Division place3rd AFC North
Playoff finishLost Wild Card Playoffs
(at Bills) 17–31
Pro BowlersFS Minkah Fitzpatrick
OLB T.J. Watt
ST Miles Killebrew
AP All-ProsEDGE T.J. Watt (1st team)
ST Miles Killebrew (1st team)
Team MVPOLB T.J. Watt
Team ROYCB Joey Porter Jr.
Uniform

The 2023 season was the Pittsburgh Steelers' 91st in the National Football League (NFL), their 2nd under general manager Omar Khan and their 17th under head coach Mike Tomlin. With their third win of the season against the Ravens in Week 5, the Steelers reached 700 wins in the club's history, joining the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and New York Giants in reaching 700 franchise victories. With their Week 17 win over the Seattle Seahawks, the Steelers became the first team in AFC history to post 20 consecutive non-losing records. With a Week 18 win over the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers improved upon their 2022 record, and also qualified for the playoffs after a one-year absence the following day when the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Tennessee Titans and the first without Ben Roethlisberger since 2002. The Steelers were defeated in the Wild Card Round by the Buffalo Bills 31–17.

Draft

[edit]
2023 Pittsburgh Steelers Draft
Round Selection Player Position College Notes
1 14 Broderick Jones OT Georgia from New England
2 32 Joey Porter Jr. CB Penn State from Chicago
2 49 Keeanu Benton NT Wisconsin
3 80 Traded to Carolina
3 93 Darnell Washington TE Georgia from Carolina
4 120 Traded to New England
4 132 Nick Herbig LB Wisconsin from Carolina
5 151 Traded to Seattle
6 195 Traded to Denver
7 241 Cory Trice CB Purdue from Denver
7 251 Spencer Anderson OL Maryland from LA Rams

Notes

  • Chicago traded their own second-round selection to Pittsburgh in exchange for wide receiver Chase Claypool.
  • Pittsburgh traded their fifth-round selection to Seattle in exchange for cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon.
  • Pittsburgh traded their sixth-round selection to Denver in exchange for linebacker Malik Reed and a seventh-round selection.
  • Pittsburgh traded their seventh-round selection (234th overall) to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for wide receiver Allen Robinson and Los Angeles' seventh-round selection (251st overall)
  • Pittsburgh traded their first-round selection (17th overall) and fourth-round selection (120th overall) to New England in exchange for New England's first-round selection (14th overall)
  • Pittsburgh traded their third-round selection (80th overall) to Carolina for a third-round selection (93rd overall) and a fourth-round selection (132nd overall) which originally belonged to San Francisco.

Undrafted free agent additions

[edit]
2023 Undrafted Free Agents
Position Player College
WR Jordan Byrd San Diego State
RB Alfonzo Graham Morgan State
QB Tanner Morgan Minnesota
DT James Nyamwaya Merrimack
LB David Perales Fresno State
FB Monte Pottebaum Iowa
K B. T. Potter Clemson

Staff

[edit]
2023 Pittsburgh Steelers staff

Front office

  • Owner/president – Art Rooney II
  • Vice president – Art Rooney Jr.
  • Vice president of player personnel – Dan Rooney Jr.
  • General manager – Omar Khan
  • Assistant general manager – Andy Weidl
  • Director of player scouting – Mark Sadowski
  • Director of college scouting – Dan Colbert
  • Director of pro scouting – Sheldon White
  • Assistant director of pro scouting – Dave Pettet
  • Senior scouting assistants – Phil Kreidler, Kelvin Fisher
  • Director of football administration – Cole Marcoux

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches
  • Defensive coordinator – Teryl Austin
  • Defensive line – Karl Dunbar
  • Outside linebackers – Denzel Martin
  • Inside linebackers – Aaron Curry
  • Secondary – Grady Brown
  • Assistant defensive backs – Gerald Alexander
  • Defensive quality control – Jason Brooks

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams coordinator – Danny Smith
  • Quality control – Matt Tomsho

Strength and conditioning

  • Senior conditioning coordinator – Garrett Giemont
  • Head strength and conditioning coach – Marcel Pastoor
  • Strength and conditioning assistant – Rodain Delus
  • Director of player development – Darrel Young


Final roster

[edit]
2023 Pittsburgh Steelers roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics

Preseason

[edit]

The Steelers' preseason opponents and schedule were announced in the spring. All preseason games were televised on KDKA. Their finale against the Falcons was also broadcast nationally on NFL Network.

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 August 11 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 27–17 1–0 Raymond James Stadium Recap
2 August 19 Buffalo Bills W 27–15 2–0 Acrisure Stadium Recap
3 August 24 at Atlanta Falcons W 24–0 3–0 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap

Regular season

[edit]

Schedule

[edit]
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 10 San Francisco 49ers L 7–30 0–1 Acrisure Stadium Recap
2 September 18 Cleveland Browns W 26–22 1–1 Acrisure Stadium Recap
3 September 24 at Las Vegas Raiders W 23–18 2–1 Allegiant Stadium Recap
4 October 1 at Houston Texans L 6–30 2–2 NRG Stadium Recap
5 October 8 Baltimore Ravens W 17–10 3–2 Acrisure Stadium Recap
6 Bye
7 October 22 at Los Angeles Rams W 24–17 4–2 SoFi Stadium Recap
8 October 29 Jacksonville Jaguars L 10–20 4–3 Acrisure Stadium Recap
9 November 2 Tennessee Titans W 20–16 5–3 Acrisure Stadium Recap
10 November 12 Green Bay Packers W 23–19 6–3 Acrisure Stadium Recap
11 November 19 at Cleveland Browns L 10–13 6–4 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap
12 November 26 at Cincinnati Bengals W 16–10 7–4 Paycor Stadium Recap
13 December 3 Arizona Cardinals L 10–24 7–5 Acrisure Stadium Recap
14 December 7 New England Patriots L 18–21 7–6 Acrisure Stadium Recap
15 December 16 at Indianapolis Colts L 13–30 7–7 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
16 December 23 Cincinnati Bengals W 34–11 8–7 Acrisure Stadium Recap
17 December 31 at Seattle Seahawks W 30–23 9–7 Lumen Field Recap
18 January 6 at Baltimore Ravens W 17–10 10–7 M&T Bank Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

[edit]

Week 1: vs. San Francisco 49ers

[edit]
Week 1: San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
49ers 10 10 7330
Steelers 0 7 007

at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game information

The Steelers opened their season at home for the first time since 2014. The team was blown out by the 49ers 30–7, and suffered their worst loss at home since 2006. With the loss, the Steelers started 0–1.

Week 2: vs. Cleveland Browns

[edit]
Week 2: Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Browns 3 11 8022
Steelers 7 9 3726

at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game information

The Steelers opened their season with two home games for the first time since 1997.

Alex Highsmith opened the scoring 9 seconds in with a 30-yard pick-six. However, just over 6 minutes later, Dustin Hopkins kicked a 43-yard field goal to cut Pittsburgh's lead to 4 points.

In the second quarter, the Steelers trailed for the first time when Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson hit Jerome Ford with a 4-yard touchdown pass followed by a two-point conversion to make the score 11–7 in favor of the Browns. Chris Boswell kicked a 52-yard field goal to bring Pittsburgh within one point. Kenny Pickett then hit George Pickens with a 71-yard touchdown pass to put the Steelers back up, 16–11. The Browns made it a 2-point game when Dustin Hopkins kicked a 55-yard field goal just before halftime.

In the third quarter, Chris Boswell pushed the Steelers' lead back to five points by converting a 50-yard field goal. However, Pierre Strong, Jr. ran for a 1-yard touchdown, with a 2-point conversion, to put the Browns up, 22–19, 1 minute and 46 seconds later.

In the fourth quarter, with 6:58 to go, T. J. Watt recorded a 16-yard fumble return for a touchdown, to reach the final score of 26–22 in favor of Pittsburgh.

With the win, the Steelers improved to 1–1. The Steelers' defense sacked Deshaun Watson 6 times for 25 yards.

Despite the win, the Steelers allowed 408 yards of offense and 20 first downs, while only picking up 255 yards of offense and 9 first downs.

Week 3: at Las Vegas Raiders

[edit]
Week 3: Pittsburgh Steelers at Las Vegas Raiders – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Steelers 7 6 10023
Raiders 7 0 01118

at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada

Game information

The Steelers upset the Raiders, winning in Las Vegas for the first time ever under the new Raiders city moniker. They also beat the Raiders on the road for the first time since 1995 when the Raiders were based in Oakland. With the win, the Steelers improved to 2–1, and moved into a three-way tie for first in the AFC North with the Ravens and Browns. It was Kenny Pickett's first game of the season without throwing an interception, and his first career game with multiple TD passes. Also, with the win, the Steelers have won at least one road game against all other 15 AFC teams since Mike Tomlin's hiring.

Week 4: at Houston Texans

[edit]
Week 4: Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Steelers 0 0 606
Texans 10 6 01430

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

The Steelers continued their road trip, traveling to take on the Texans in which would be their second loss of the season, being blown out 30–6. With the upset loss, the Steelers fell to 2–2. They lost to the Texans for just the third time ever. On a side note, T. J. Watt was able to witness his brother get inducted into the Houston Texans' Ring of Honor.

Week 5: vs. Baltimore Ravens

[edit]
Week 5: Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Ravens 7 3 0010
Steelers 0 3 01417

at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game information

The Steelers went home for Round 1 against the Ravens. The Ravens went up 10–0 in the second quarter before the Steelers managed to score the remaining points to win 17–10. The win improved them to 3–2 as they headed into their bye week.

Week 7: at Los Angeles Rams

[edit]
Week 7: Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Steelers 0 3 71424
Rams 0 9 8017

at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

  • Date: October 22
  • Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: Sunny, 74 °F (23 °C) (retractable roof open)
  • Game attendance: 73,471
  • Referee: Craig Wrolstad
  • TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Coming off of their bye week, the Steelers then went on the road to take on the Rams. After a scoreless first quarter, the Steelers scored first when Chris Boswell kicked a 53-yard field goal to make it 3–0. Though, the Rams would take the lead before halftime when their kicker Brett Maher tied the game with a 41-yard field goal, followed by a 31-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Tutu Atwell (with a failed PAT) to make it 9–3. In the third quarter, the Steelers retook the lead when Kenny Pickett ran for a 1-yard touchdown to make it 10–9. However, the Rams took the lead back when Darrell Henderson Jr. ran for a 1-yard touchdown (with a successful 2-point conversion) to make it 17–10. In the fourth quarter, it was all Steelers as they would win the game 24–17 with a pair of rushing touchdowns from Jaylen Warren from 13 yards out and Najee Harris from 3 yards out.

With the win, the Steelers improved to 4–2 and had defeated the Rams for the fifth time in a row.

Week 8: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

[edit]
Week 8: Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 6 3 8320
Steelers 0 3 7010

at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Date: October 29
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Rain, 58 °F (14 °C)
  • Game attendance: 67,225
  • Referee: Alan Eck
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

After a tough road win, the Steelers returned home for a game against the Jaguars. Brandon McManus got the Jaguars on the board 6–0 with field goals from 50 and 51 yards out. In the second quarter, the Steelers made it 6–3 when Chris Boswell kicked a 22-yard field goal of his own. However, McManus kicked his third field goal of the game from 38 yards out to put his team up 9–3 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Jaguars moved up by double digits when Travis Etienne caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence (with a successful 2-point conversion) to make it 17–3. The Steelers responded later on in the quarter shortening the lead to 17–10 by way of Mitchell Trubisky's 22-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens. The Jaguars were able to seal the victory in the fourth quarter however with McManus kicking his fourth field goal of the day from 37 yards out to make the final score 20–10.

With the loss, the Steelers fell to 4–3.

Week 9: vs. Tennessee Titans

[edit]
Week 9: Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Titans 3 10 3016
Steelers 7 3 3720

at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game information

After a tough loss at home, the Steelers stayed at home for a Thursday Night game against the Titans. The Steelers scored first in the first quarter when Najee Harris ran for a 10-yard touchdown to make it 7–0. The Titans got on the board later on when Nick Folk kicked a 36-yard field goal to make it 7–3. In the second quarter, the Titans moved into the lead 10–7 by way of a 2-yard touchdown run by Derrick Henry. Though, the Steelers tied it at 10–10 when Chris Boswell kicked a 29-yard field goal. The Titans moved back into the lead at halftime Folk kicked another 36-yard field goal to make it 13–10. After the break, the Steelers tied it up in the third quarter 13–13 when Boswell kicked a 30-yard field goal. Later on though, the Titans took the lead back when Nick Folk kicked a 48-yard field goal to make the score 16–13. In the fourth quarter, the Steelers scored the eventual game-winning touchdown to make the final score 20–16. They narrowly escaped with the victory when Kwon Alexander intercepted a pass by Will Levis in the end zone with six seconds left in the game.

With the win, the Steelers improved to 5–3.

Week 10: vs. Green Bay Packers

[edit]
Week 10: Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Packers 7 6 6019
Steelers 7 10 3323

at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Date: November 12
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 50 °F (10 °C)
  • Game attendance: 67,617
  • Referee: Scott Novak
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

After yet another tough win, the Steelers stayed home for a game against the Packers. The Steelers scored first in the first quarter when Najee Harris ran for a 4-yard touchdown to take a 7–0 lead. The Packers were able to tie it up later on when Jordan Love found Romeo Doubs on an 8-yard pass to make it 7–7. The Steelers score twice in the second quarter to move up by 10: Jaylen Warren's 16-yard touchdown run, followed up by Chris Boswell's 42-yard field goal to make it 17–7. The Packers were able to come within 4 before halftime when Love connected with Jayden Reed for a 35-yard pass (with a failed PAT) to make it 17–13 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Packers went back to work taking a 2-point lead when Anders Carlson kicked 2 field goals from 31 and 28 yards out to make it 19–17. The Steelers retook the lead later on in the quarter when Boswell kicked a 49-yard field goal to make it 20–19. The Steelers wrapped up scoring of the game when Boswell kicked a 35-yard field goal to make it 23–19. The Packers got the ball back, but in a similar close ending to the Steelers' win over the Tennessee Titans the previous week, Damontae Kazee intercepted a potential game-winning touchdown pass by Love outside the Steelers end zone as time expired, sealing another narrow victory for the Steelers.

With the win, the Steelers improved to 6–3.

Week 11: at Cleveland Browns

[edit]
Week 11: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Steelers 0 0 7310
Browns 7 3 0313

at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

  • Date: November 19
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 48 °F (9 °C)
  • Game attendance: 67,919
  • Referee: Shawn Hochuli
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Steelers then traveled to Cleveland for Round 2 against the 6–3 Browns. The first half scoring was all Browns as they led 10–0 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Steelers were able to cut that lead to 3 when Jaylen Warren ran for a 74-yard touchdown to make it 10–7. They tied it up at 10–10 when Chris Boswell kicked a 28-yard field goal. However, getting the ball back later on in the quarter, the Steelers' defense was unable to prevent the Browns' comeback when Dustin Hopkins kicked the game-winning 34-yard field goal to make the final score 13–10.

With the loss, the Steelers fell to 6–4 and third place in the AFC North. This would also be the final game for Matt Canada as the Steelers' offensive coordinator before his firing.

Week 12: at Cincinnati Bengals

[edit]
Week 12: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Steelers 0 3 7616
Bengals 0 7 0310

at Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Date: November 26
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Rain, 48 °F (9 °C)
  • Game attendance: 65,090
  • Referee: Brad Rogers
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

After a tough loss on the road, the Steelers headed southwest to Cincinnati for Round 1 against the Bengals. After a scoreless first quarter, the Steelers managed to take the lead in the second with Chris Boswell's 41-yard field goal to make it 3–0. The Bengals made it 7–3 at halftime when Jake Browning found Drew Sample on an 11-yard touchdown pass. The Steelers went back to work in the second half, scoring 3 straight times into the fourth quarter as they made it 16–7. The Bengals wrapped up the scoring of the game late in the quarter as Evan McPherson kicked a 47-yard field goal to make the final score 16–10.

With the win, the Steelers improved to 7–4.

Week 13: vs. Arizona Cardinals

[edit]
Week 13: Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 3 7 7724
Steelers 3 0 0710

at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game information

After a tough road win, the Steelers returned home to take on the Cardinals. After the Steelers grabbed an early 3–0 lead by way of Chris Boswell's 29-yard field goal, the Cardinals scored 24 unanswered points well into the fourth quarter. The Steelers however were able to make the final score 24–10 when Mitchell Trubisky found Diontae Johnson on a 2-yard touchdown pass. The game featured 2 delays due to thunderstorms in the area.[1]

With the upset loss, the Steelers fell to 7–5.

Week 14: vs. New England Patriots

[edit]
Week 14: New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 7 14 0021
Steelers 3 7 0818

at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Date: December 7
  • Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 42 °F (6 °C)
  • Game attendance: 66,376
  • Referee: Clay Martin
  • TV announcers (WPXI/Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

After a tough home loss, the Steelers stayed home for a Thursday Night duel against the Patriots. The Pats scored first when Bailey Zappe found Ezekiel Elliott on an 11-yard pass to make it 7–0. The Steelers made it 7–3 by way of Chris Boswell's 56-yard field goal later on in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Patriots would score their remaining points of the entire game, making the lead 21–3 when Zappe connected with Hunter Henry on 2 touchdown passes from 8 and 24 yards. The Steelers managed to shorten the deficit at halftime when Mitchell Trubisky found Diontae Johnson on a 25-yard pass to make it 21–10. After a scoreless third quarter, the Steelers came within 3 in the fourth when Trubisky ran for 1-yard touchdown (with a successful 2-point conversion) to make it 21–18. However, the Steelers would fail to score again.

With the upset loss, the Steelers fell to 7–6. They also became the first team in NFL history to be above .500, play 2 consecutive games against teams 8 games below .500, and lose both of them. [2]

Week 15: at Indianapolis Colts

[edit]
Week 15: Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Steelers 6 7 0013
Colts 0 14 10630

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

After a couple of home losses, the Steelers traveled to take on the Colts. The Steelers would put up a promising 13–0 lead well into the second quarter. However, the Colts were able to score 30 consecutive points throughout the rest of the first and throughout all the second half, handing the Steelers a 30–13 loss.

With their third straight upset loss, the Steelers fell to 7–7. Combined with the Bengals' win over the Vikings earlier in the day, the Steelers dropped to last place in the AFC North. This became the Steelers' first loss against the Colts since 2008 and first loss against them on the road since 2005. Following the loss, the Steelers playoff chances dropped to 9%.[3]

Week 16: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

[edit]
Week 16: Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bengals 0 0 11011
Steelers 7 17 7334

at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game information

After yet another tough loss, the Steelers returned home for game 2 against the Bengals. At halftime, the Steelers were able to build a 24–0 lead. In the third quarter, the Bengals finally scored when Jake Browning found Tee Higgins on an 80-yard touchdown pass (with a successful 2-point conversion) to make it 24–8. The Steelers however pulled away as Mason Rudolph connected with George Pickens on a 66-yard touchdown pass to make it 31–8. The Bengals ended the third quarter when Evan McPherson kicked a 35-yard field goal to make it 31–11. In the fourth quarter, the Steelers scored the only points as Chris Boswell kicked a 30-yard field goal to make the final score 34–11.

With their 3-game losing streak snapped, the Steelers improved to 8–7. They also swept the Bengals for the first time since 2019.

Week 17: at Seattle Seahawks

[edit]
Week 17: Pittsburgh Steelers at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Steelers 7 10 7630
Seahawks 0 14 3623

at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington

Game information

After a huge win at home, the Steelers traveled west to take on the Seahawks. In the first quarter, the Steelers scored the only points, making it 7–0 by way of an 18-yard touchdown run by Jaylen Warren. In the second quarter, the Seahawks tied it up at 7–7 by way of Kenneth Walker III running for a 13-yard touchdown. The Steelers then moved ahead by 3 after Chris Boswell kicked a 39-yard field goal to make it 10–7. The Seahawks however moved into the lead when Geno Smith found Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a 12-yard touchdown pass to make it 14–10. A 9-yard touchdown run by Najee Harris gave the Steelers a 17–14 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, the Seahawks tied the game up at 17–17 when Jason Myers kicked a 43-yard field goal. The Steelers retook the lead when Harris ran for a 4-yard touchdown to make it 24–17. In the fourth quarter, the Seahawks came closer when Myers kicked a 42-yard field goal to make it 24–20. Boswell would make it 30–20 when he kicked 2 field goals from 26 and 21 yards out. Later on, Myers shortened the deficit to 7 with a 24-yard field goal to make it 30–23. The Steelers were then able to run down the Seahawks' defense and seal the victory.

With the win, the Steelers improved to 9–7. They also defeated the Seahawks on the road for the first time since 1983. With the Bengals' loss to the Chiefs, they assured a third place finish in the AFC North.

Week 18: at Baltimore Ravens

[edit]
Week 18: Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Steelers 7 0 01017
Ravens 0 7 0310

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Game information

After a tough road win, the Steelers then traveled to Baltimore for Round 2 against the Ravens. In a game that meant possibly getting into the postseason for them, the Steelers would score in the first quarter to make it 7–0 by way of a Najee Harris 6-yard touchdown run. The Ravens tied it up in the second quarter for a 7–7 halftime lead when Tyler Huntley found Isaiah Likely on a 27-yard touchdown pass. After a scoreless third quarter, the Steelers made it 17–7 when Mason Rudolph found Diontae Johnson on a 71-yard touchdown pass, followed by Chris Boswell kicking a 25-yard field goal. The Ravens then made it 17–10 when Justin Tucker kicked a 36-yard field goal with 16 seconds left in the game. The Ravens failed to recover an onside kick, sealing the victory for the Steelers.

With this win, the Steelers ended the regular season with a 10–7 record and swept the Ravens for the third time in four years. With the Titans' win over the Jaguars the following day, the Steelers qualified for the postseason.

Standings

[edit]

Division

[edit]
AFC North
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(1) Baltimore Ravens 13 4 0 .765 3–3 8–4 483 280 L1
(5) Cleveland Browns 11 6 0 .647 3–3 8–4 396 362 L1
(7) Pittsburgh Steelers 10 7 0 .588 5–1 7–5 304 324 W3
Cincinnati Bengals 9 8 0 .529 1–5 4–8 366 384 W1

Conference

[edit]
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1 Baltimore Ravens North 13 4 0 .765 3–3 8–4 .543 .529 L1
2[a][b] Buffalo Bills East 11 6 0 .647 4–2 7–5 .471 .471 W5
3[a] Kansas City Chiefs West 11 6 0 .647 4–2 9–3 .481 .428 W2
4 Houston Texans South 10 7 0 .588 4–2 7–5 .474 .465 W2
Wild cards
5[c] Cleveland Browns North 11 6 0 .647 3–3 8–4 .536 .513 L1
6[b][c] Miami Dolphins East 11 6 0 .647 4–2 7–5 .450 .358 L2
7 Pittsburgh Steelers North 10 7 0 .588 5–1 7–5 .540 .571 W3
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[d] Cincinnati Bengals North 9 8 0 .529 1–5 4–8 .574 .536 W1
9[d][e] Jacksonville Jaguars South 9 8 0 .529 4–2 6–6 .533 .477 L1
10[e] Indianapolis Colts South 9 8 0 .529 3–3 7–5 .491 .444 L1
11[f] Las Vegas Raiders West 8 9 0 .471 4–2 6–6 .488 .426 W1
12[f] Denver Broncos West 8 9 0 .471 3–3 5–7 .488 .485 L1
13 New York Jets East 7 10 0 .412 2–4 4–8 .502 .454 W1
14 Tennessee Titans South 6 11 0 .353 1–5 4–8 .522 .422 W1
15 Los Angeles Chargers West 5 12 0 .294 1–5 3–9 .529 .388 L5
16 New England Patriots East 4 13 0 .235 2–4 4–8 .522 .529 L2
Tiebreakers[g]
  1. ^ a b Buffalo finished ahead of Kansas City based on head-to-head victory.
  2. ^ a b Buffalo finished ahead of Miami based on head-to-head sweep.
  3. ^ a b Cleveland finished ahead of Miami based on conference record.
  4. ^ a b Cincinnati finished ahead of Jacksonville based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Indianapolis (see below).
  5. ^ a b Jacksonville finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head sweep.
  6. ^ a b Las Vegas finished ahead of Denver based on head-to-head sweep.
  7. ^ 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.

Postseason

[edit]

The Steelers would make the NFL Playoffs with a record of 10–7 as the 7th seed.[4] The team would be scheduled to face off against the 2nd Seed Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on January 14, 2024.[5] The game would be postponed to the following day due to high amounts of snow collection in the stadium.[6] The Steelers would lose to the Bills within regulation by the score of 31–17.[7]

Schedule

[edit]
Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Recap
Wild Card January 15 at Buffalo Bills (2) L 17–31 0–1 Highmark Stadium Recap

Game summaries

[edit]

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (2) Buffalo Bills

[edit]
AFC Wild Card Playoffs: (7) Pittsburgh Steelers at (2) Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Steelers 0 7 3717
Bills 14 7 3731

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

The 7-seeded Steelers traveled to Orchard Park to take on the 2-seeded Bills. Through the first 2 quarters, the Bills made it 21–0 before the Steelers made it 21–7 at halftime when Mason Rudolph found Diontae Johnson on a 10-yard touchdown pass. The Steelers went back to work in the third quarter when Chris Boswell kicked a 40-yard field goal to make it 21–10. Later on, the Bills made it a 2-touchdown game when Tyler Bass kicked a 45-yard field goal to make it 24–10. The Steelers came within a touchdown when Mason Rudolph found Calvin Austin III on a 7-yard touchdown pass to make it 24–17. But the Bills sealed the game later on when Josh Allen found Khalil Shakir on a 17-yard touchdown pass to make the final score 31–17.

With the loss, the Steelers would go on to lose their fifth straight postseason game and finished the season with a total record of 10–8.

References

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  1. ^ Steelers and Cardinals game delayed twice for inclement weather before Arizona wins 24-10, AP News, December 3, 2023
  2. ^ Steelers have made the worst kind of NFL history, NBC Sports, December 7, 2023
  3. ^ Steelers playoff picture: Pittsburgh's updated chances make 2023 NFL playoffs after Week 15 loss to Colts, Sporting News, December 17, 2023
  4. ^ "Steelers secure a playoff spot". www.steelers.com. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "2024 NFL Playoff Schedule: Steelers vs. Bills pushed back due to extreme weather | Goal.com US". www.goal.com. January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  6. ^ "Bills vs. Steelers game postponed: New date, time announced for NFL wild card in Buffalo | Sporting News". www.sportingnews.com. January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  7. ^ "Buffalo Bills 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 17: Final score, stats, highlights". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
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