2006 Pittsburgh Steelers season
| 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Heinz Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | 3rd AFC North |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | 4 |
| AP All-Pros | Alan Faneca (1st team) |
| Team MVP | Willie Parker |
| Team ROY | Santonio Holmes |
The 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 74th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League (NFL). It was the 7th season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert and the 15th and last under head coach Bill Cowher, as he retired on January 5, 2007. The team failed to improve on their 11–5 record from 2005 and also failed to defend their Super Bowl XL championship, Instead, they finished the season with an 8–8 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2003. In the first half of the season, the Steelers record was 2-6.[1] However, the team dramatically improved during the second half of the season, flipping their record from the first eight games and going 6-2 in their last eight.[2]
Personnel
Staff
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Notable additions include Santonio Holmes, Ryan Clark and Willie Colon
Offseason
On March 3, 2006, backup quarterback
The team used the 2006 NFL draft to fill in the remaining holes on the depth chart. In the first round, Pittsburgh traded up to select Ohio St. wide receiver Santonio Holmes. Then, they used their next pick (acquired from the Vikings) on Syracuse Safety Anthony Smith. The rest of their picks included Florida St. wide receiver Willie Reid, Hofstra guard Willie Colon, Miami University (Fl.) defensive end Orien Harris, Bowling Green quarterback Omar Jacobs, Purdue tight end Charles Davis, California center Marvin Philip, and Virginia Tech running back Cedric Humes.
On June 2, members of the Super Bowl Champion Steelers were invited to the White House to meet President George W. Bush in a celebration to honor the Steelers' successful 2005 season.
Ben Roethlisberger's motorcycle accident
On June 12, Ben Roethlisberger suffered a near-death accident while riding his motorcycle in downtown Pittsburgh. He was not at fault, and an out-of-state vehicle failed to yield and hit him. Ben reportedly was moments away from dying due to a cut artery, however medics stopped the bleeding in time.
This accident set Ben back for training camp and the preseason. However, he managed to play in part of the preseason games.
Shortly after the preseason, however, Ben required an emergency appendectomy, causing him to miss the season opener against the Miami Dolphins. Between both of these events, Ben reportedly lost 15 pounds and was not up to form with the team due to lack of practice time and time spent in camp. His health early in the year is pointed to as the cause for a rough season. He experienced continued problems against Atlanta in week 7. After throwing the ball, he was hit by multiple defenders, one of whom caused a helmet-to-helmet collision. Roethlisberger was diagnosed with a concussion, had to sit out the rest of the game, and appeared to have difficulties in the next two games against Oakland and Denver.
2006 NFL Draft
| 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | Santonio Holmes | WR | Ohio State | |
| 3 | 83 | Anthony Smith | FS | Syracuse | |
| 3 | 95 | Willie Reid | WR | Florida State | |
| 4 | 131 | Willie Colon | T
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Hofstra
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| 4 | 133 | Orien Harris | NT | Miami | |
| 5 | 164 | Omar Jacobs | QB | Bowling Green | |
| 5 | 167 | Charles Davis | FB | Purdue | |
| 6 | 201 | Marvin Philip | G
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California | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Preseason
Schedule
| Week | Date | Kickoff ( ET )
|
Opponent | Result | TV | Game Site | Record | NFL Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 12 | 4:00 p.m. | at Arizona Cardinals | L 13–21 | KDKA | University of Phoenix Stadium
|
0–1 | |
| 2 | August 19 | 8:00 p.m. | Minnesota Vikings | L 10–17 | KDKA | Heinz Field
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0–2 | |
| 3 | August 25 | 8:00 p.m. | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 7–16 | ESPN | Lincoln Financial Field | 0–3 | |
| 4 | August 31 | 7:30 p.m. | Carolina Panthers | L 13–15 | KDKA | Heinz Field
|
0–4 |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | Miami Dolphins | W 28–17 | 1–0 | Heinz Field
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Summary | ||
| 2 | September 18 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 0–9 | 1–1 | Alltel Stadium
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Summary | ||
| 3 | September 24 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 20–28 | 1–2 | Heinz Field
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Summary | ||
| 4 | October 1 | Bye week | ||||||
| 5 | October 8 | at San Diego Chargers | L 13–23 | 1–3 | Qualcomm Stadium
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Summary | ||
| 6 | October 15 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 45–7 | 2–3 | Heinz Field
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Summary | ||
| 7 | October 22 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 38–41 (OT) | 2–4 | Georgia Dome | Summary | ||
| 8 | October 29 | at Oakland Raiders | L 13–20 | 2–5 | McAfee Coliseum
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Summary | ||
| 9 | November 5 | Denver Broncos | L 20–31 | 2–6 | Heinz Field
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Summary | ||
| 10 | November 12 | New Orleans Saints | W 38–31 | 3–6 | Heinz Field
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Summary | ||
| 11 | November 19 | at Cleveland Browns | W 24–20 | 4–6 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Summary | ||
| 12 | November 26 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 0–27 | 4–7 | M&T Bank Stadium | Summary | ||
| 13 | December 3 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 20–3 | 5–7 | Heinz Field
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Summary | ||
| 14 | December 7 | Cleveland Browns | W 27–7 | 6–7 | Heinz Field
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Summary | ||
| 15 | December 17 | at Carolina Panthers | W 37–3 | 7–7 | Bank of America Stadium | Summary | ||
| 16 | December 24 | Baltimore Ravens | L 7–31 | 7–8 | Heinz Field
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Summary | ||
| 17 | December 31 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 23–17 (OT) | 8–8 | Paul Brown Stadium
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Summary | ||
Note: Intra-divisional opponents are in bold text.
Week 1 roster
Game summaries
Week 1 (Thursday September 7, 2006): vs. Miami Dolphins
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Steelers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
at
- Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT(sideline reporter)
- Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 64,927
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels (play by play), John Madden (color commentator), Andrea Kremer
The Steelers opened the regular season in the annual Thursday
Week 2 (Monday September 18, 2006): at Jacksonville Jaguars
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
at
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT(sideline reporters)
- Game weather: 86 °F (30 °C) (Clear)
- Game attendance: 67,164
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico (play by play), Joe Theismann & Tony Kornheiser (color commentators), Michele Tafoya & Suzy Kolber
The Steelers traveled to play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night on September 18. Despite not allowing a touchdown, the Steelers gave up three field goals to the Jaguars, with Kicker Josh Scobee making a 31, a 32, and a 41-yard field goal. The Steelers were defeated 9–0. They became the first defending Super Bowl champion team to be shut out since the 1981 Oakland Raiders, and it was the lowest-scoring game in Monday Night Football history. With the shutout loss, the Steelers fell to 1–1. Stats
Week 3 (Sunday September 24, 2006): vs. Cincinnati Bengals
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Steelers | 7 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 20 |
at
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT(color commentator)
- Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C) (Partly Sunny)
- Game attendance: 64,922
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play by play), Phil Simms
The Steelers went back home for an AFC North fight against the Cincinnati Bengals. In the first quarter, running back Willie Parker scored on a 3-yard touchdown run. However, on the very first play of the second quarter, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception and Cincinnati was able to score shortly after with quarterback Carson Palmer completing a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chris Henry. On Cincinnati's next drive, the Bengals scored on a three-yard touchdown pass to Henry.
In the third quarter, the Steelers rallied a comeback, as kicker
On the very last drive, the Steelers tried to fight back and tie the game, but the game ended as Roethlisberger was intercepted by DB Kevin Kaesviharn, eliminating any hope of a comeback. The Steelers headed into their bye week at 1–2. Stats
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Pittsburgh on offense against the Bengals -
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Hines Ward and Tory James -
Kicker Jeff Reed warms up against Cincinnati -
Cincinnati prepares to face a Ben Roethlisberger snap -
Pittsburgh with possession against Cincinnati -
Willie Parker is pursued by the Bengals defense -
Week 4 (Sunday October 1, 2006): Bye Week
Week 5 (Sunday October 8, 2006): at San Diego Chargers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Chargers | 0 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 23 |
at
- Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT(sideline reporter)
- Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) (Clear)
- Game attendance: 67,837
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels (play by play), John Madden (color commentator), Andrea Kremer
Hoping to end their two-game skid, the Steelers traveled to
Week 6 (Sunday October 15, 2006): vs. Kansas City Chiefs
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Steelers | 14 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 45 |
at
- Game time: 4:15 p.m. EDT(color commentator)
- Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C) (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 64,727
- Referee: Scott Green
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel (play by play), Dan Dierdorf
Hoping to end their three-game losing skid, the Steelers went home for a Week 6 battle with the
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Hines Ward attempts to break an opponent's tackle -
Bill Cowher challenges a call on the field -
Willie Parker is tackled by the Chiefs
Week 7 (Sunday October 22, 2006): at Atlanta Falcons
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 10 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 38 |
| Falcons | 7 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 41 |
at
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT(color commentator)
- Game weather: Dome
- Game attendance: 71,151
- Referee: Ron Winter
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play by play), Phil Simms
Hoping to build on their dominating win over the Chiefs, the Steelers flew to the
Week 8 (Sunday October 29, 2006): at Oakland Raiders
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Raiders | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
at
- Game time: 4:15 p.m. EST(color commentator)
- Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C) (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 62,385
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan (play by play), Rich Gannon
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Falcons, the Steelers flew to
Despite the Steelers out-gaining the Raiders 360–98 in total offense, Roethlisberger threw four interceptions (two of which were returned for touchdowns), which led to Oakland's first back-to-back victory of the year.
Week 9 (Sunday November 5, 2006): vs. Denver Broncos
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 14 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
| Steelers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at
- Game time: 4:15 p.m. Walt Anderson(color commentator)
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz (play by play), Phil Simms
Hoping to rebound from their two-game losing streak, the Steelers came back home to host the 5–2 Denver Broncos. Despite Ben Roethlisberger throwing for 433 yards and one touchdown, the Steelers had six turnovers with three interceptions and three fumbles in a 31–20 loss to the Broncos. The Steelers were trailing by four points at halftime, but in the third quarter, wide receiver Javon Walker scored on a 72-yard reverse to put the Broncos up 21–10. It looked like the Steelers had a comeback when receiver Hines Ward caught a pass and jumped towards the end zone, but the ball popped out and the Broncos recovered and were able to run out the clock. With a third-straight loss, the Steelers fell to 2–6. There was a suspected terror event that day.[1] Stats
Week 10 (Sunday November 12, 2006): vs. New Orleans Saints
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 7 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
| Steelers | 14 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
at
- Game time: 4:15 p.m. EST(sideline reporter)
- Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C) (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 61,911
- Referee: Bill Carollo
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck (play by play), Troy Aikman (color commentator), Pam Oliver
The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in a shoot out. Pittsburgh jumped to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter after Hines Ward caught a touchdown pass and when the Steelers capitalized on a Saints turnover with another touchdown pass to Heath Miller. The Saints came marching back and took the lead with Reggie Bush's rush TD on the double reverse and pulled further ahead with a Deuce McAllister 4-yd TD run near the end of the half. A Reggie Bush fumble, a missed field goal, and Willie Parker's two 70+ yard runs set up two scores, which allowed the Steelers to come back and take the lead to win. The Steelers went to 3–6 with the win while the Saints fell to 6–3. Stats
Week 11 (Sunday November 19, 2006): at Cleveland Browns
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 24 |
| Browns | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. Gerry Austin(color commentator)
- TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson (play by play), Steve Tasker
Hoping to build off their victory over the Saints, the Steelers flew to
Week 12 (Sunday November 26, 2006): at Baltimore Ravens
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ravens | 7 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST(color commentator)
- Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C) (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 70,946
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel (play by play), Dan Dierdorf
Coming off a two-game winning streak, the Steelers flew to M&T Bank Stadium for their AFC North fight with the Baltimore Ravens. However, the problems that had plagued Pittsburgh all season continued to haunt them. In the first quarter, QB Steve McNair completed a 20-yard TD pass to TE Todd Heap for the only score of the quarter. In the second quarter, RB Jamal Lewis got a 1-yard TD run, while kicker Matt Stover nailed a 37-yard field goal. In the third quarter, things worsened as QB Ben Roethlisberger was hit and fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Ravens OLB Adalius Thomas. Thomas returned it 57 yards for a touchdown and the only score of the quarter. In the fourth quarter, Stover put the game away with a 40-yard field goal. Stats
Not only did Baltimore's offense help contribute to the Steelers dropping to 4–7, the Ravens defense (anchored by the return of veteran LB
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Casey Hampton and Bill Cowher during the warmup -
Pittsburgh captains approach midfield for the coin toss -
Steelers and Ravens players before the coin toss -
Ben Roethlisberger hands off to Willie Parker -
The Ravens face Willie Parker -
Chris Gardocki punts for Pittsburgh -
Roethlisberger warming up for the week 12 game -
Steelers pregame huddle -
Ray Lewis tackles Willie Parker -
Baltimore on offense -
Baltimore sacks Ben Roethlisberger -
Handoff to Parker -
Hines Ward catches -
Roethlisberger prepares to throw
Week 13 (Sunday, December 3, 2006): vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Steelers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at
- Game time: 4:15 p.m. EST(color commentator)
- Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C) (cloudy)
- Game attendance: 59,843
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts (play by play), Jesse Palmer
Following a road loss to the Ravens, the Steelers went home for a Week 13 fight with the
Week 14 (Thursday December 7, 2006): vs. Cleveland Browns
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Steelers | 7 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 27 |
at
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST(color commentator)
- Game weather: 18 °F (−8 °C) (Snow)
- Game attendance: 55,246
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (NFL Network): Bryant Gumbel (play by play), Cris Collinsworth
After a rebounding win against the Bucs, the Steelers stayed at home for a Thursday night fight in Round 2 of the Rust Belt rivalry against the
Week 15 (Sunday December 17, 2006): at Carolina Panthers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 17 | 10 | 10 | 37 |
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST(color commentator)
- Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C) (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 73,798
- Referee: Ron Winter
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg (play by play), Randy Cross
Following their season-sweep over the Browns, the Steelers flew to
Week 16 (Sunday December 24, 2006): vs. Baltimore Ravens
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravens | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST(color commentator)
- Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C) (Partly Sunny)
- Game attendance: 63,224
- Referee: Larry Nemmers
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan (play by play), Rich Gannon
The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Steelers on December 24, 2006, therefore eliminating the Steelers from playoff contention, and ending their defense of their Super Bowl championship. The Steelers became the first Super Bowl champion since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003 to not reach the playoffs the following season. They fell to 7–8 and were swept by the Ravens for the first time.Stats
Week 17 (Sunday December 31, 2006): at Cincinnati Bengals
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 23 |
| Bengals | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
at
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST(color commentator)
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C) (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 66,049
- Referee: Bill Carollo
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle (play by play), Solomon Wilcots
Hoping to end their season on a high note, the Steelers flew to
Final roster
Standings
| AFC North | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2) Baltimore Ravens | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 353 | 201 | W4 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 373 | 331 | L3 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 353 | 315 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 0–6 | 3–9 | 238 | 356 | L4 |
References
- ^ "Steelers Record In The First 8 Games Of The 2006 Season". StatMuse. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Steelers Record In The Last 8 Games Of The 2006 Season". StatMuse. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
- ^ Cook: Batch meets the challenge. Retrieved 11–11–06.
- ^ Stats
- ^ "2006 Pittsburgh Steelers". Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ^ 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
- ^ 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
- ^ "2006 Pittsburgh Steelers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
- ^ "2007 Pittsburgh Steelers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
- ^ "2006 Pittsburgh Steelers Roster Archive". Archived from the original on January 1, 2007.
External links
- 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers season at Pro Football Reference
- 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers season statistics at jt-sw.com