Pretty much everyone is stuck at home right now with the craziness going on in the world. Some of your normal weekend activities might not be available due to closures surrounding state mandates. Football fans are in luck as the NFL has made their online streaming platform NFL Game Pass free until May 31st of this year.
This means you can go back and watch any game, regular or postseason, dating back to 2009. That leaves 187 Steelers games, 11 playoff, that you can watch at your convenience for free online. I am going to countdown my top 10 Steelers games over the last 11 seasons.
Steelers vs. Colts Week 8 (2014):
In a year where the Steelers defense was featuring players such as Cortez Allen and Jason Worilds, the offense had to consistently put the team on its back – and they did. None more than this game against the Colts where Ben Roethlisberger went on an absolute tear, completing 40 of 49 passes for 522 yards and 6 touchdowns. In this shootout against Andrew Luck, the Steelers, donning the 1934 throwback bumblebee jerseys, out-gunned the Colts by a score of 51-34.
It is not often you start to look up the NFL single game passing record before halftime, but that is just what happened as Ben passed for over 320 yards in the first half. Ultimately, he fell short of Norm Van Brocklen‘s single game passing record, but that doesn’t keep this game from being incredibly memorable and entertaining. But what made the performance truly special was the very next week.
Steelers vs. Ravens Week 9 (2014):
Again, Ben Roethlisberger shines with 6 touchdowns to become the first QB in NFL history to throw for 12 touchdowns in back to back games. This was during the short stretch of time in which Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger, and Le’Veon Bell were all on the roster, healthy, and playing some of their best football together. Funny enough, despite all the star power on the team, the highest rated offensive player in this game by Pro Football Focus was TE, Matt Spaeth who pitched in a touchdown and a two point conversion reception.
The Steelers went on to win this game 43-23 in what capped a streak of 94 points scored over a two week span, or just 2 points less than the 2019 Steelers scored in their last 7 games combined.
Steelers vs. Bills Week 14 (2016):
This was the Le’Veon Bell show. Bell ran for a franchise record 236 yards and 3 TD’s. This game took place in the snow, which made Bell’s gaudy rushing stats all the more impressive. He also pitched in another 62 yards receiving for a whopping 298 yards from scrimmage. This was one of the single best running back performances in the history of the sport, so its well worth adding to your watch-list.
Steelers vs. Ravens Divisional Round (2010):
This was the game where Antonio Brown really started to make a name for himself. In one of the biggest moments of this playoff game, Antonio Brown made a ridiculous helmet catch for a 58 yard gain on a 3rd and 19. This play led to the go-ahead score that Pittsburgh never surrendered and sent the Steelers to the AFC Championship game, and ultimately the Super Bowl.
Steelers vs. Ravens Week 16 (2016):
The Steelers faced off against the Baltimore Ravens in a Christmas day game that essentially decided the AFC North title. The game came down to 2nd and 10 with 14 seconds remaining inside the 5 yard line. The Steelers were down 27-24 and were faced with the difficult decision to go for the win, or take the game to overtime. The Steelers put the ball in their best player, Antonio Brown’s hands and he extended his arm over the goal line to secure the AFC North.
Steelers vs. Broncos Week 15 (2015):
In this game, the first half isn’t for the feint of heart at the Steelers quickly dig themselves a hole. Entering halftime the Steelers were down 27-13 with their playoff hopes on the line. The Steelers followed Mike Tomlin‘s don’t blink mentality to scratch and claw their way back to a 34-27 victory. It was also really nice to see a Ryan Shazier interception in the 2nd half.
Steelers vs. Bengals Week 14 (2010):
Troy Polamalu was elected to the Hall of Fame recently, and this game is a tip of the cap to Troy. This was a dominating defensive effort in which Troy Polamalu returned one of his 2 interceptions for a touchdown. This game brought back a lot of nostalgia to a time when the Steelers defense consistently locked teams down. The 2010 season resulted in a Super Bowl loss, but Polamalu was named the Defensive Player of the Year.
Steelers vs. Lions Week 5 (2009):
This game makes the list due to the sack party that ensued from two of my favorites. James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley combined for 5 sacks and a forced fumble. This was the season that Woodley and Harrison combined for 23.5 sacks which was the most from a Steelers edge tandem until 2019 with Bud Dupree and TJ Watt accruing 26.
Steelers vs. Bengals Wildcard Round (2015):
While this game is better remembered for some of the ugly cheap shots and post-play antics, it was a big-time comeback with some big-time plays. The Bengals, on the hunt for their first playoff victory in 20 plus years, put up 16 points against the Steelers in what looked like a late game playoff collapse, but a series of plays and events led to an unlikely Steelers victory. One of my favorites was Ryan Shazier dislodging the ball from Jeremy Hill to turn the tide towards the end of the game.
Steelers vs Jaguars Week 11 (2018):
I was in attendance at this game as the Steelers looked to exact revenge from the year prior when the Jaguars smothered them not once but twice. At first, it looked like the same frustrating story was playing out, but the 2nd half, and particularly the 4th quarter saw the Steelers storm back for the victory.
Let me know what games you would put in your top 10 down in the comments!
