Pittsburgh Steelers 57th US football season
The 1989 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 57th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League. They were considered a rebuilding team filled with many young players, especially after the release of longtime center Mike Webster in the offseason. The young team showed its inexperience in the first game of the season, when they lost at home to the archrival Cleveland Browns 51–0. The loss marked the Steelers worst defeat in franchise history. The following week wasn't much better, losing 41–10 to another division rival, the defending AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals.
However, the Steelers clinched the final playoff spot in the last week in the season with a 9–7 record. Chuck Noll, in his 21st season as the team's head coach, was named the NFL's Coach of the Year for the only time in his coaching career.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Steelers would have a memorable come-from-behind overtime victory over the division-rival Houston Oilers 26–23, which saw Gary Anderson kick a game-winning, 50-yard field goal in the extra period. The following week, the Steelers nearly pulled off a major upset against the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium before losing 24–23 on a Melvin Bratton one-yard touchdown run with 2:22 remaining in the game.
Though the Steelers would not make the playoffs again under Chuck Noll (missing in 1990 with an identical 9–7 record and again in 1991 at 7–9 despite a second-place finish that year), the season did set the tone for the team's return to prominence in the 1990s under his successor, Bill Cowher.
Until 2015, it was the last season the Steelers made the playoffs in a season the Super Bowl aired on CBS. Each of the next six such seasons (1991, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012) would see the team missing the playoffs.
Offseason
NFL draft
Staff
Roster
Offseason
The offseason was marked with the team deciding not to renew the contract of longtime center Mike Webster. Webster's release marked the end of the Super Bowl-era players on the team. Although Dwayne Woodruff was still with the Steelers and had won a Super Bowl ring during his rookie year, Webster had been the last member on the team that won all four Super Bowls. Webster would be succeeded at center with a young Dermontti Dawson, who was drafted the year before to be groomed as Webster's replacement, and like Webster would go on to an All-Pro career as one of the best at his position.
Meanwhile, the team drafted UCLA safety Carnell Lake in the second round of the 1989 draft. Lake would be a key member of the team's defense through the 1998 season, although his accomplishments would often be underlooked as opposed to his teammate, Rod Woodson.
Preseason
Schedule
Regular season
Schedule
Game summaries
Week 1
The Steelers and Chuck Noll faced off against their divisional rival Browns and former defensive coordinator Bud Carson in the season opener.
at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati
Scoring drives:
- Cincinnati – FG Gallery 26
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 38
- Cincinnati – Brown 27 pass from Esiason (Gallery kick)
- Cincinnati – FG Gallery 47
- Cincinnati – Woods 1 run (Gallery kick)
- Pittsburgh – Hill 7 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
- CIncinnati – Jennings 1 run (Gallery kick)
- CIncinnati – Brooks 2 run (Gallery kick)
- Cincinnati – Jennings 43 pass from Esiason (Gallery kick)
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C) (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 50,744
- Referee: Dick Hantak
- TV announcers: (CBS) Steve Zabriskie (play by play), Hank Stram (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – Mularkey 15 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
- Minnesota – Wilson 1 run (Garcia kick)
- Pittsburgh – Worley 8 run (Anderson kick)
- Minnesota – Thomas 27 fumble return (Garcia kick)
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 2 run (Anderson kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 38
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 44
at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
- Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
- Game weather: Dome
- Game attendance: 43,804
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), Ahmad Rashad (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
- Detroit – FG Murray 37
- Pittsburgh – Lipps 48 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 20
- Pittsburgh – Carter 1 run (Anderson kick)
- Pittsburgh – Wallace 2 run (pass failed)
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
- Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C) (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 52,785
- Referee: Howard Roe
- TV announcers: (NBC) Joel Meyers (play by play), Paul Maguire (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – Carter 22 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
- Cincinnati – FG Breech 24
- Cincinnati – FG Breech 27
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 24
- Cincinnati – Martin 7 pass from Esiason (Breech kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 40
- Cincinnati – Brooks 13 run (kick failed)
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 34
- Cincinnati – Brooks 65 run (Breech kick)
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 49
- Pittsburgh – Carter 14 pass from Blackledge (Anderson kick)
- Cleveland – Metcalf 2 run (Bahr kick)
- Pittsburgh – Williams 1 run (Anderson kick)
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Scoring drives:
- Houston – Highsmith 3 pass from Moon (Zendejas kick)
- Houston – FG Zendejas 41
- Houston – Duncan 51 pass from Moon (Zendejas kick)
- Houston – Highsmith 5 pass from Moon (Zendejas kick)
- Houston – FG Zendejas 51
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time: 1:00 pm EST
- Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) (Mostly Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 54,194
- Referee: Tom Dooley
- TV announcers: (NBC) Joel Meyers (play by play), Paul Maguire (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 41
- Pittsburgh – Lipps 16 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 47
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 29
- Kansas City – FG Lowery 50
- Kansas City – Mandley 8 pass from DeBerg (Lowery kick)
- Kansas City – Maas 4 fumble return (Lowery kick)
- Pittsburgh – Lipps 64 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
Scoring drives:
- Denver – Humphrey 22 run (Treadwell kick)
- Denver – FG Treadwell 26
- Pittsburgh – Carter 15 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
- Denver – FG Treadwell 26
- Denver – Johnson 44 pass from Elway (Treadwell kick)
- Denver – Elway 2 run (Treadwell kick)
- Denver – Humphrey 12 run (Treadwell kick)
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time: 1:00 pm EST
- Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 56,505
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers: (CBS) Jim Nantz (play by play), Pat Haden (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
- Chicago – N. Anderson 2 run (Butler kick)
- Chicago – FG Butler 39
- Chicago – Muster 20 pass from Harbaugh (Butler kick)
- Chicago – FG Butler 35
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time: 1:00 pm EST
- Game weather: 31 °F (−1 °C) (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 44,203
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers: (NBC) Joel Meyers (play by play), Paul Maguire (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 49
- San Diego – A. Miller 20 pass from McMahon (Bahr kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 28
- San Diego – FG Bahr 27
- Pittsburgh – Woodson 84 kickoff return (Anderson kick)
- San Diego – A. Miller 18 pass from McMahon (Bahr kick)
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 1 run (Anderson kick)
at Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida
Steelers get first ever win against the Dolphins in Miami. This game was played in a driving rain storm.
Scoring drives:
- Miami – Smith 1 run (Stoyanovich kick)
- Miami – Clayton 66 pass from Marino (Stoyanovich kick)
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 1 run (Anderson kick)
- Pittsburgh – Woodruff 21 with lateral after Lake 2 fumble return (Anderson kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 27
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 5 run (Anderson kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 42
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 1 run (Anderson kick)
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time: 1:00 pm EST
- Game weather: 22 °F (−6 °C) (Light Snow Showers)
- Game attendance: 40,541
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers: (NBC) Jim Donovan (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 18
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 4 run (Anderson kick)
- Houston – Duncan 18 pass from Moon (Zendejas kick)
- Houston – Hill 27 pass from Moon (Zendejas kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 37
- Houston – Safety, McDowell tackled Newsome in end zone
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 18
- Houston – White 1 run (Zendejas kick)
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – Worley 35 run (Anderson kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 42
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 45
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game time: 1:00 pm EST
- Game weather: 5 °F (−15 °C) (Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 26,594
- Referee: Tom Dooley
- TV announcers: (NBC) Jim Donovan (play by play), Jimmy Cefalo (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – Worley 8 run (Anderson kick)
- New England – FG Staurovsky 20
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 1 run (Anderson kick)
- Pittsburgh – Lipps 58 run (Anderson kick)
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 2 run (Anderson kick)
- New England – C. Jones 12 pass from Wilson (Staurovsky kick)
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – Worley 1 run (Anderson kick)
- Tampa Bay – Carrier 7 pass from Ferguson (Igwebuike kick)
- Pittsburgh – Lipps 79 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
- Tampa Bay – FG Igwebuike 45
- Pittsburgh – Lipps 12 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 32
- Tampa Bay – FG Igwebuike 24
- Pittsburgh – Worley 1 run (Anderson kick)
- Tampa Bay – Safety Cocroft blocked punt out of end zone
- Tampa Bay – Carrier 39 pass from Ferguson (Igwebuike kick)
Standings
Playoffs
Game summaries
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – Worley 9 run (Anderson kick)
- Houston – FG Zendejas 26
- Houston – FG Zendejas 35
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 25
- Houston – FG Zendejas 26
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 30
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 48
- Houston – Givins 18 pass from Moon (Zendejas kick)
- Houston – Givins 9 pass from Moon (Zendejas kick)
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 2 run (Anderson kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 50
at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado
- Game time: 4:00 pm EST
- Game weather:
- Game attendance: 75,868
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Bill Walsh (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 32
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 7 run (Anderson kick)
- Denver – Bratton 1 run (Treadwell kick)
- Pittsburgh – Lipps 9 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
- Denver – FG Treadwell 43
- Denver – Johnson 37 pass from Elway (Treadwell kick)
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 35
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 32
- Denver – Bratton 1 run (Treadwell kick)
Awards and honors
References
- ^ 1989 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
- ^ 1989 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
- ^ 1990 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide.
- ^ "1989 Pittsburgh Steelers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
External links
- 1989 Pittsburgh Steelers season at Profootballreference.com
- 1989 Pittsburgh Steelers season statistics at jt-sw.com
