1998 Pittsburgh Steelers season

1998 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Head coach Bill Cowher
General manager Tom Donahoe
Owner The Rooney Family
Home field Three Rivers Stadium
Results
Record 7–9
Division place 3rd in AFC Central
Playoff finish did not qualify
Pro Bowlers C Dermontti Dawson
AP All-Pros Dermontti Dawson (1st team)
Team MVP Levon Kirkland
Team ROY Alan Faneca
Timeline
Previous season Next season
< 1997 1999 >

The 1998 season marked the first time since 1991 that the Steelers failed to reach the playoffs. Pittsburgh finished 7–9 after starting the season 5–2, losing their last five games to knock themselves out of the playoffs. It was Bill Cowher's first losing record as coach of the Steelers.

The season was marked by a controversial ending to the team's Thanksgiving Day game against the Detroit Lions, where Jerome Bettis claimed he called the coin toss in overtime as "tails" although referee Phil Luckett heard "heads." The Lions won 19–16 and started the Steelers' losing streak to finish the season.

The poor play of Kordell Stewart was cited as another problem, as the fans slowly began to turn on him. After their 11–5 1997 season, Pittsburgh lost two key offensive components: Chan Gailey, the offensive coordinator who went on to become head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, and their leading receiver, Yancey Thigpen, a Pro Bowler for Pittsburgh in 1997, who joined the Tennessee Oilers.

Personnel

Staff

colspan="7" style="background: black; color:white; border: 2px solid #FFB612" text-align: center;" | 1998 Pittsburgh Steelers staff
Front office
  • President – Daniel M. Rooney
  • Vice President – John R. McGinley
  • Vice President – Arthur J. Rooney, Jr.
  • Vice President and General Counsel – Arthur J. Rooney II
  • Administration Advisor – Chuck Noll
  • Director of Business – Mark Hart
  • Business Relations Coordinator – Dan Ferens
  • Business Accounting Coordinator – Jim Ellenberger
  • Office/Ticket Coordinator – Geraldine Glenn
  • Communications Coordinator – Ron Wahl
  • Public Relations/Media Manager – David Lockett
  • Marketing Coordinator – Mark Fuhrman
  • Merchandising Manager – Tim Carey
  • Assistant Marketing Manager – Lynne Molyneaux
  • Marketing Assistant – Jill Sklar
  • Ticket Manager – Brian Bonifate
  • Football Operations
  • Director of Football Operations – Tom Donahoe
  • Personnel Staff
  • Pro Personnel Coordinator – Charles Bailey
  • College Scouting Coordinator – Max McCartney
  • College Scout – Mark Gorscak
  • College Scout – Phil Kreidler
  • College Scout – Bob Lane
  • College Scout – Dan Rooney
  • College Scout – Bill Scheider

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Conditioning Coordinator – Chet Fuhrman
  • Medical Staff
  • Ophthalmologist – Dr. Randy Beatty
  • Physician, Orthopedic – Dr. James P. Bradley
  • Neurological Surgery Consultant – Dr. Joseph Maroon
  • Physician, M.D. – Dr. Richard Rydze
  • Physician, Consultant – Dr. Abraham J. Twerski
  • Physician, M.D. – Dr. Anthony P. Yates
  • Training Staff
  • Head Trainer – John Norwig
  • Assistant Trainer – Rick Burkholder
  • Equipment Manager - Rodgers Freyvogel
  • Field Manager – Rich Baker
  • Field/Equipment Assistant – Paul Gallagher
  • Video Coordinator – Bob McCartney
  • Player Development Coordinator – Anthony Griggs
  • Photographers – Mike Fabus, Bill Amatucci

[1]

Notable additions include Hines Ward, Alan Faneca and Deshea Townsend.

Roster

colspan="10" style="background: black; color:white; border: 2px solid #FFB612" text-align: center;" | 1998 Pittsburgh Steelers final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad

  •  7 Pete Gonzalez QB
  • 90 Matt Harper DE
  • 22 Terrance Joseph CB
  • 55 Ryan Olson LB
  • 64 Tony Orlandini T
  • 19 Shawn Scales WR
  • 82 Bobby Shaw WR

[1] [2] [3] [4]


Rookies in italics
56 Active, 2 Inactive, 7 Practice squad

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Location Time (ET) TV Result Record
1 Sun. Sep. 6 at Baltimore Ravens Ravens Stadium 1:00 pm CBS W 20–13 1–0
2 Sun. Sep. 13 Chicago Bears Three Rivers Stadium 1:00 pm FOX W 17–12 2–0
3 Sun. Sep. 20 at Miami Dolphins Pro Player Stadium 1:00 pm CBS L 21–0 2–1
4 Sun. Sep. 27 Seattle Seahawks Three Rivers Stadium 4:05 pm CBS W 13–10 3–1
5 Sun. Oct. 4 Bye
6 Sun. Oct. 11 at Cincinnati Bengals Cinergy Field 1:00 pm CBS L 25–20 3–2
7 Sun. Oct. 18 Baltimore Ravens Three Rivers Stadium 1:00 pm CBS W 16–6 4–2
8 Mon. Oct. 26 at Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium 8:20 pm ABC W 20–13 5–2
9 Sun. Nov. 1 Tennessee Oilers Three Rivers Stadium 1:00 pm CBS L 41–31 5–3
10 Mon. Nov. 9 Green Bay Packers Three Rivers Stadium 8:20 pm ABC W 27–20 6–3
11 Sun. Nov. 15 at Tennessee Oilers Vanderbilt Stadium 1:00 pm CBS L 23–14 6–4
12 Sun. Nov. 22 Jacksonville Jaguars Three Rivers Stadium 1:00 pm CBS W 30–15 7–4
13 Thu. Nov. 26 at Detroit Lions Pontiac Silverdome 12:30 pm CBS L 19–16 OT 7–5
14 Sun. Dec. 6 New England Patriots Three Rivers Stadium 1:00 pm CBS L 23–9 7–6
15 Sun. Dec. 13 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Raymond James Stadium 1:00 pm CBS L 16–3 7–7
16 Sun. Dec. 20 Cincinnati Bengals Three Rivers Stadium 1:00 pm CBS L 25–24 7–8
17 Mon. Dec. 28 at Jacksonville Jaguars Alltel Stadium 8:20 pm ABC L 21–3 7–9

Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday September 6, 1998): at Baltimore Ravens

1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 3 0 10 7 20
Ravens 3 0 0 10 13

at Ravens Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Scoring Drives:

Week 2 (Sunday September 13, 1998): vs. Chicago Bears

1 2 3 4 Total
Bears 0 9 0 3 12
Steelers 0 7 10 0 17

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring Drives:

Week 3 (Sunday September 20, 1998): at Miami Dolphins

1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 0 0 0 0 0
Dolphins 0 14 7 0 21

at Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida

Scoring Drives:

Week 4 (Sunday September 27, 1998): vs. Seattle Seahawks

1 2 3 4 Total
Seahawks 0 7 3 0 10
Steelers 3 7 3 0 13

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring Drives:

Week 6 (Sunday October 11, 1998): at Cincinnati Bengals

1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 0 10 7 3 20
Bengals 0 9 3 13 25

at Cinergy Field, Cincinnati, Ohio

Scoring Drives:

Week 7 (Sunday October 18, 1998): vs. Baltimore Ravens

1 2 3 4 Total
Ravens 3 3 0 0 6
Steelers 3 0 7 6 16

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring Drives:

Week 8 (Monday October 26, 1998): at Kansas City Chiefs

1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 7 3 3 7 20
Chiefs 3 3 7 0 13

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Scoring Drives:

Week 9 (Sunday November 1, 1998): vs. Tennessee Oilers

1 2 3 4 Total
Oilers 3 14 10 14 41
Steelers 0 7 0 24 31

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring Drives:

Week 10 (Monday November 9, 1998): vs. Green Bay Packers

1 2 3 4 Total
Packers 0 0 3 17 20
Steelers 14 10 3 0 27

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring Drives:

Week 11 (Sunday November 15, 1998): at Tennessee Oilers

1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 0 14 0 0 14
Oilers 3 10 0 10 23

at Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

Scoring Drives:

Week 12 (Sunday November 22, 1998): vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

1 2 3 4 Total
Jaguars 0 0 7 8 15
Steelers 7 6 3 14 30

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring Drives:

Week 13 (Thursday November 26, 1998): at Detroit Lions

1 2 3 4OT Total
Steelers 0 6 7 30 16
Lions 0 3 3 103 19

at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan

Scoring Drives:

Week 14 (Sunday December 6, 1998): vs. New England Patriots

1 2 3 4 Total
Patriots 3 10 0 10 23
Steelers 6 3 0 0 9

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring Drives:

Week 15 (Sunday December 13, 1998): at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 3 0 0 0 3
Buccaneers 3 3 7 3 16

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Scoring Drives:

Week 16 (Sunday December 20, 1998): vs. Cincinnati Bengals

1 2 3 4 Total
Bengals 3 13 6 3 25
Steelers 0 7 14 3 24

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring Drives:

Week 17 (Monday December 28, 1998): at Jacksonville Jaguars

1 2 3 4 Total
Steelers 0 3 0 0 3
Jaguars 0 14 7 0 21

at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

Scoring Drives:

Standings

AFC Central
W L T PCT PF PA STK
(3) Jacksonville Jaguars 11 5 0 .688 392 338 W1
Tennessee Oilers 8 8 0 .500 330 320 L2
Pittsburgh Steelers 7 9 0 .438 263 303 L5
Baltimore Ravens 6 10 0 .375 269 335 W1
Cincinnati Bengals 3 13 0 .188 268 452 L1

[5]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1998 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
  2. 1999 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
  3. "1998 Pittsburgh Steelers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-12-24.
  4. "1999 Pittsburgh Steelers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-12-24.
  5. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2