The2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 72nd season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of theNational Football League. It would be the first season the franchise would have under quarterbackBen Roethlisberger. He would play 18 seasons as a Steeler, a franchise record.

The team looked to come back after a disappointing 6–10 season the year before, which saw the team go through the entire season without winning consecutive games.^[1]

The team finished with a 15–1 record, topping the 14–2 team record from1978 and joined the1984 San Francisco 49ers, the1985 Chicago Bears, and the1998 Minnesota Vikings as the only teams in NFL history to that point since the league adopted a 16-game schedule in 1978 to finish with such a record. This also made the Steelers the first AFC team to achieve a 15–1 record, a conference-best at the time (the2007 Patriots would surpass that by going a perfect 16–0); they are also the only AFC team to do so. Along the way, the Steelers ended theNew England Patriots' NFL-record 21-game winning streak in Week 8, then defeated their cross-staterivalPhiladelphia Eagles the following week to hand the NFL's last two undefeated teams their first losses in back-to-back weeks, bothat home.

The season was highlighted by the surprising emergence ofrookiequarterbackBen Roethlisberger, the team's top pick inthat year's draft. Originally intended to sit behind veteranTommy Maddox the entire season, plans abruptly changed when Maddox was hurt in the team's Week 2 loss toBaltimore. Surrounded by talent, "Big Ben" went an NFL-record 13–0 as a rookie starting quarterback before being rested for the final game of the season, shattering the old NFL record (and coincidentally, also the team record) of 6–0 to start an NFL career set byMike Kruczek filling in for an injuredTerry Bradshaw in1976.

The Steelers hosted theAFC Championship for the fifth time in eleven years. However, for the fourth time in that same span, the Steelers lost at home one game away from theSuper Bowl, and, like in2001, lost to the Patriots in a rematch from Week 8.^[2]

The 2006 edition ofPro Football Prospectus^[3] listed the 2004 Steelers as one of their "Heartbreak Seasons", in which teams "dominated the entire regular season only to falter in the playoffs, unable to close the deal." SaidPro Football Prospectus, "In the playoffs, Roethlisberger hit an inconvenient slump, just like the Pittsburgh quarterbacks who came before him.^[4] He threw two killer interceptions against theJets, but the Steelers were bailed out when JetskickerDoug Brien missed a game-winning field goal. The next week against New England,head coachBill Cowher was clearly worried about Roethlisberger, letting him throw only once on first or second down in the first quarter. By the time the offense opened up, the Patriots were beating the Steelers by two touchdowns. A Roethlisberger interception was returned 87 yards for a touchdown byRodney Harrison, and the game was effectively over. For the second time in seven years,^[5] a 15–1 team had failed to make it to the Super Bowl. This was the first of, through the 2024 season, 21 consecutive non-losing seasons for the Steelers.

The Steelers led the NFL in rushing attempts for the 2nd time in 4 years, running the ball 618 times.

Free agent-wise, the Steelers would sign formerPhiladelphia Eaglesrunning backDuce Staley. Many thought this signing was the team preparing for a future withoutJerome Bettis. However, Staley's injury-prone history from Philly would continue with the Steelers. On theundrafted front, the team signedNorth Carolinarunning backWillie Parker. Although Parker would play sparingly his rookie season, he would become a major component of the offense in the future. The team also signed veteranpunterChris Gardocki (releasing longtime punterJosh Miller in the process), who up to that point was best remembered by Steelers fans for flipping head coachBill Cowherthe finger twice on live TV after being leveled byJoey Porter while Gardocki was with theCleveland Browns. (Porter would be penalized for roughing the punter.) Gardocki was fined $5,000 for the incident, and his signing by the team made him the only player to have played for Cowherand give him an expletive in public.

The most notable releases made in the offseason included releasing veteran defensive playersJason Gildon andDewayne Washington, who both would subsequently sign with theJacksonville Jaguars and would both play against the Steelers in Week 13.

In the personnel department, the Steelers wentback to the future with the return of"Mean Joe" Greene andDick LeBeau to the organization. Greene, who along with the entireArizona Cardinals coaching staff was fired after the dismissal of head coachDave McGinnis, retired from coaching and returned to the Black & Gold as the "special assistant of player personnel" for the team. Meanwhile, LeBeau, who popularized thezone blitz defensive schemes as the team'sdefensive coordinator in the mid-1990s (referred to as "Blitzburgh" by fans), returned to the team in that same capacity after a brief stint with theBuffalo Bills, replacing the firedTim Lewis.

This would also be the final season for longtime Steelers radiocolor commentatorMyron Cope, who missed several games this year due to poor health. It was one of only two times in 35 years that Cope would miss time broadcasting for the Steelers, the other being the1994 season after the death of his wife. Though Cope would later recover, he felt that it was best to retire, and did so at the end of the season.

The Steelers went into the NFL draft with the eleventh overall pick, their highest selection since selectingPlaxico Burress eighth overall in2000. Although the team was ready to selectMiami UniversityquarterbackBen Roethlisberger if he were to still be available, the team was ready to select other players at "need" positions. However, with Roethlisberger still available, the team snatched him up, making him the third quarterback selected. AlongsideEli Manning,Philip Rivers, andJ. P. Losman, Roethlisberger was part of the "Class of 2004" quarterbacks. In addition, "Big Ben" became the first quarterback the Steelers selected with their first-round pick since they selectedMark Malone in1980.

^[6]

Notable additions include Ben Roethlisberger and Willie Parker.

It was the 22nd lifetime meeting between the two clubs. The Raiders erased a 21-13 Steelers lead in the fourth quarter butJeff Reed connected on the winning field goal with seven seconds left. With the win, the Steelers started their season 1–0 for the 2nd straight year.Jerome Bettis scored 18 points (3 Touchdowns) on 5 carries, yet gained only 1 yard total for an average of 0.2 yards per carry.

With the loss, the Steelers fell to 1–1 for the 2nd straight year. 0–1 in division games and 1–1 in conference games.

The game was originally to be played at 1:00 pm, but was delayed until evening due toHurricane Jeanne. The game was not broadcast on CBS nationally, it was only shown on local stations in the primary and secondary markets of the two teams as well as on NFL Sunday Ticket. The halftime and in-game updates were produced by ESPN. With the win, the Steelers improved to 2–1. The contest markedBen Roethlisberger's first NFL start and victory.

With the win the Steelers improved to 3–1. 1–1 in division games.

With their 2nd straight win over the Browns, the Steelers improved to 4–1.

It was the 29th meeting between the two clubs. The Cowboys jumped to a 20–10 lead following aKeyshawn Johnson touchdown catch in the third, butBen Roethlisberger led two touchdown drives, the last aJerome Bettis run with thirty seconds to go. The Cowboys raced to the Steelers 30 but a last-second touchdown attempt was swatted away byRussell Stuvaints. With the win, the Steelers went on their bye week 5–1.

This was the game that ended New England's NFL-record 21-game winning streak. Following anAdam Vinatieri field goal in the first quarter, the Steelers erupted, asBen Roethlisberger twice hitPlaxico Burress for touchdowns and aTom Brady interception was run back byDeshea Townsend for a touchdown and a 21–3 Steelers lead after one quarter. Brady was picked off twice and Roethlisberger made no mistakes in throwing for 196 yards and amassing a quarterback rating of 126.4. The Steelers routed the Patriots 34–20 and wound up winning the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs as a result. With the win, the Steelers improved to 6–1.

The Steelers for the 2nd week in a row face an undefeated team, the 7–0 Eagles. With the win, the Steelers improved to 7–1 while the Eagles dropped to 7–1. The game gained wider notoriety in subsequent days following broadcast of footage from the Eagles sideline whereTerrell Owens was angrily barking atDonovan McNabb with McNabb striving to ignore him.

With their 3rd straight win over the Browns, the Steelers improved to 8–1.

The Bengals clawed to a 14–10 lead on twoCarson Palmer touchdowns, but Roethlisberger, despite being sacked seven times, tossed a touchdown late in the third quarter toDan Kreider, then late in the fourth Palmer dropped back to his own endzone and threw an incompletion; it was ruled intentional grounding and the resulting Pittsburgh safety finished off the game.

With the win the Steelers improved to 10–1 and went 3–0 against the NFC East.

For the first timeJerome Bettis was not the all-time active rushing leader in the NFL upon kickoff, as he andCurtis Martin dueled throughout the season for the title, Bettis would retake the title by game's end.

In an NFL first, both running backs came into the game ready to break the 13,000 career yards mark,Jerome Bettis having a 6-yard lead over nativeCurtis Martin. After the game Martin would lead Bettis by 9 yards.

This was the first meeting between rookie quarterbacksBen Roethlisberger andEli Manning and was part of a rare NFL Saturday triple-header. The game lead tied or changed seven times as Manning and Roethlisberger combined for 498 passing yards;Antwaan Randle El also got into the act with a ten-yard touchdown throw toVerron Haynes, this atop 149 receiving yards.Jerome Bettis rushed 36 times for 140 yards and the winning touchdown in the final five minutes. With 3:31 to go Eli was intercepted byWillie J. Williams. Giants coachTom Coughlin challenged the ruling but after review it was upheld, and the Steelers ran out the clock for the 33–30 win.

Jerome Bettis retook the all-time active rushing record from his season-long duel with nativeCurtis Martin by a margin of 81 yards, and also passEric Dickerson for fourth all-time.

The win also helped the team improve to 14–1. This would tie the team's franchise record in number of wins in a season.

With the win, the Steelers finish with a league-best 15–1 record.^[11]

After a brilliant 15–1 regular season the Steelers pulled one out of the fire in the divisional playoffs against the Jets.Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted at the Jets 14-yard line andReggie Tongue ran back an 86-yard touchdown in the third quarter. After tying the game at 17 in the fourth the Steelers had to sweat out a Jets drive in the final minutes of regulation. The Jets set up for aDoug Brien 47-yard field goal but the kick missed, hitting the crossbar. On the ensuing possession, Roethlisberger was intercepted again and another Brien field goal was set up, this one from 43 yards away – but it again missed, sailing wide left. In overtime, the Jets won the kick-off but failed to score on their first possession. The Steelers, then, drove down field and Jeff Reed's 33-yard field goal ended a 20–17 Pittsburgh win.

Revenge for theirHalloween loss drove the 14–2 Patriots back to Heinz Field and the conference championship. The shaky play of the Steelers against the Jets the week before was exploited by New England asBen Roethlisberger was intercepted almost right away, then on their next possession the Steelers were stopped on downs. The Patriots raced to a 17–3 lead in the second quarter before Roethlisberger drove them down field and threw a back-breaking interception toRodney Harrison at the Patriots 13-yard line; Harrison ran back the 87-yard touchdown and fans at Heinz began chanting forTommy Maddox to come in to replace Roethlisberger. The Steelers managed a pair of third-quarter touchdowns (a 5-yardJerome Bettis run and a 30-yard Roethlisberger pass toHines Ward) but these only sandwiched another Patriots score (a 25-yard run by ex-BengalCorey Dillon) and the Steelers simply could not overcome New England's offense as the Patriots finished off Pittsburgh 41–27, the third playoff win in four career tries by the Patriots over the Steelers.

The game is also significant as the final game by the team's radio broadcaster,Myron Cope. Cope had served as thecolor commentator on the team's radio broadcast for 35 years. He would publicly announce his retirement five months later.^[13]

• Ben Roethlisberger,AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
• Ben Roethlisberger,Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year

See:2005 Pro Bowl

• No. 36Jerome Bettis – Running back (alternate)
• No. 43Troy Polamalu – Strong Safety
• No. 51James Farrior – Inside linebacker
• No. 55Joey Porter – Outside linebacker
• No. 64Jeff Hartings – Center
• No. 66Alan Faneca – Offensive guard
• No. 77Marvel Smith – Offensive tackle (alternate)
• No. 86Hines Ward – Wide receiver
• No. 91Aaron Smith – Defensive end (alternate)

• 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season at Pro Football Reference
• 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season statistics at jt-sw.com

• Pittsburgh Steelers seasons
• 2004 NFL season by team
• AFC North championship seasons
• 2004 in sports in Pennsylvania

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from August 2023
• Pages using NFL final roster with unknown parameters