The 2001 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 69th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League (NFL). After finishing the previous three seasons a combined 22–26, the Steelers returned to the top seed in the AFC, rolling to a 13–3 record in their first playoff berth and AFC Central title since 1997 and playing at Heinz Field. The Steelers went 7–1 in their new home stadium, with the only loss coming to the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens (a loss the Steelers avenged in the divisional playoffs).
However, for the third time in Bill Cowher's coaching tenure, the Steelers fell in the AFC Championship Game at home. This time, the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots upset the top-seeded Steelers.
The Steelers ran the ball 580 times in 2001, the most in the NFL.
Offseason Additions SubtractionsC Jeff Hartings (Lions) LB Levon Kirkland (Seahawks)S Mike Logan (Jaguars) RB Richard Huntley (Panthers)QB Tommy Maddox (XFL) LB Mike Vrabel (Patriots)LB Mike Jones (Rams) C Dermontti Dawson (retirement) QB Kent Graham (Redskins)
NFL draft
Undrafted free agents + 2001 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeLuis Almanzar Defensive tackleSouthwest Missouri StateTim BakerWide receiverTexas TechDavid BoboGuardTCUChad EvittsLinebackerTennessee TechEddie FaulknerRunning backWisconsinRob FehrmanTackleBowling GreenRob FrazierFullbackFloridaJoey GetherallWide receiverNotre DameChris HokeDefensive tackleBYUAndy KohlKicker/PunterNew Mexico StateJustin KurpeikisLinebackerPenn StateVanness ProvittWide receiverOhio StateAdrian SadlerCornerbackRiceRyan SpragueTight endFlorida StateNigel TharpeDefensive tackleIowa StateKeydrick VincentGuardOle Miss
Personnel
Notable additions include Casey Hampton, Jeff Hartings and Kendrell Bell.
Roster
Preseason
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue 1 at Atlanta Falcons W 17–16 1–0 Georgia Dome 2 at Minnesota Vikings L 10–24 1–1 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 3 Detroit Lions W 20–7 2–1 Heinz Field 4 Buffalo Bills W 20–0 3–1 Heinz Field
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 9 at Jacksonville Jaguars L 3–21 0–1 Alltel Stadium Recap 2 Bye 3 September 30 at Buffalo Bills W 20–3 1–1 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap 4 October 7 Cincinnati Bengals W 16–7 2–1 Heinz Field Recap 5 October 14 at Kansas City Chiefs W 20–17 3–1 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 6 October 21 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 17–10 4–1 Raymond James Stadium Recap 7 Tennessee Titans W 34–7 5–1 Heinz Field Recap 8 November 4 Baltimore Ravens L 10–13 5–2 Heinz Field Recap 9 November 11 at Cleveland Browns W 15–12 6–2 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 10 November 18 Jacksonville Jaguars W 20–7 7–2 Heinz Field Recap 11 November 25 at Tennessee Titans W 34–24 8–2 Adelphia Coliseum Recap 12 December 2 Minnesota Vikings W 21–16 9–2 Heinz Field Recap 13 December 9 New York Jets W 18–7 10–2 Heinz Field Recap 14 December 16 at Baltimore Ravens W 26–21 11–2 PSINet Stadium Recap 15 December 23 Detroit Lions W 47–14 12–2 Heinz Field Recap 16 December 30 at Cincinnati Bengals L 23–26 12–3 Paul Brown Stadium Recap 17 January 6 Cleveland Browns W 28–7 13–3 Heinz Field Recap
Standings
Game summaries
Week 1 (Sunday September 9, 2001): at Jacksonville Jaguars
at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Game time: 1:00 pm EDT Game weather: (sunny and rain) Game attendance: 63,785 Referee: Mack Gentry TV announcers: (CBS) Don Criqui (play by play), Craig James (color commentator), Beasley Reece (sideline reporter)
- (Sunday September 16, 2001): vs. Cleveland Browns Due to the September 11th attacks the National Football League postponed all games. It was played after the rest of the scheduled season had been completed.
Week 2 (Sunday September 23, 2001): Bye Week
Week 3 (Sunday September 30, 2001): at Buffalo Bills
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Game time: 1:00 pm EDT Game weather: (sunny) Game attendance: 72,874 Referee: Tom White TV announcers: (CBS) Ian Eagle (play by play), Solomon Wilcots (color commentator)
Week 4 (Sunday October 7, 2001): vs. Cincinnati Bengals
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EDT Game weather: (Partly Cloudy) Game attendance: 62,335 Referee: Larry Nemmers TV announcers: (CBS) Bill Macatee (play by play), Trevor Matich (color commentator)
This was the first game at Heinz Field. Also Jerome Bettis passed 10,000 yards rushing for his career.
Week 5 (Sunday October 14, 2001): at Kansas City Chiefs
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Game time: 1:00 pm EDT Game weather: (sunny) Game attendance: 78,413 Referee: Ron Blum TV announcers: (CBS) Gus Johnson (play by play), Brent Jones (color commentator)
Week 6 (Sunday October 21, 2001): at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Game time: 1:00 pm EDT Game weather: (partly cloudy/rain) Game attendance: 65,588 Referee: Ed Hochuli TV announcers: (CBS) Dick Enberg (play by play), Dan Dierdorf (color commentator), Bonnie Bernstein (sideline reporter)
Week 7 (Monday October 29, 2001): vs. Tennessee Titans
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 9:00 pm EST Game weather: (Cloudy) Game attendance: 63,763 Referee: Terry McAulay TV announcers: (ABC) Al Michaels (play by play), Dan Fouts & Dennis Miller (color commentators), Eric Dickerson & Melissa Stark (sideline reporters)
Week 8 (Sunday November 4, 2001): vs. Baltimore Ravens
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EST Game weather: (Partly Cloudy) Game attendance: 62,906 Referee: Bob McElwee TV announcers: (CBS) Dick Enberg (play by play), Dan Dierdorf (color commentator), Bonnie Bernstein (sideline reporter)
Week 9 (Sunday November 11, 2001): at Cleveland Browns
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
Game time: 1:00 pm EST Game weather: (cloudy) Game attendance: 73,218 Referee: Dick Hantak TV announcers: (CBS) Ian Eagle (play by play), Solomon Wilcots (color commentator)
Week 10 (Sunday November 18, 2001): vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 4:05 pm EST Game weather: (Mostly Cloudy) Game attendance: 62,644 Referee: Ron Winter TV announcers: (CBS) Ian Eagle (play by play), Solomon Wilcots (color commentator)
Week 11 (Sunday November 25, 2001): at Tennessee Titans
at Adelphia Coliseum, Nashville, Tennessee
Game time: 1:00 pm EST Game weather: (sunny) Game attendance: 68,801 Referee: Bill Leavy TV announcers: (CBS) Dick Enberg (play by play), Dan Dierdorf (color commentator), Bonnie Bernstein (sideline reporter)
Week 12 (Sunday December 2, 2001): vs. Minnesota Vikings
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EST Game weather: (Sunny) Game attendance: 62,661 Referee: Tony Corrente TV announcers: (Fox) Dick Stockton (play by play), Troy Aikman & Daryl Johnston (color commentators), Pam Oliver (sideline reporter)
Week 13 (Sunday December 9, 2001): vs. New York Jets
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 4:15 pm EST Game weather: (Cloudy) Game attendance: 62,884 Referee: Terry McAulay TV announcers: (CBS) Greg Gumbel (play by play), Phil Simms (color commentator), Armen Keteyian (sideline reporter)
Week 14 (Sunday December 16, 2001): at Baltimore Ravens
at PSINet Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
Game time: 8:30 pm EST Game weather: Game attendance: 69,506 Referee: Tom White TV announcers: (ESPN) Mike Patrick (play by play), Joe Theismann & Paul Maguire (color commentators), Suzy Kolber (sideline reporter)
Week 15 (Sunday December 23, 2001): vs. Detroit Lions
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EST Game weather: (Light Rain) Game attendance: 62,809 Referee: Johnny Grier TV announcers: (Fox) Kenny Albert (play by play), Tim Green (color commentator), Jennifer Hammond (sideline reporter)
Week 16 (Sunday December 30, 2001): at Cincinnati Bengals
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
Game time: 1:00 pm EST Game weather: (Partly Cloudy) Game attendance: 63,751 Referee: Jeff Triplette TV announcers: (CBS) Gus Johnson (play by play), Brent Jones (color commentator)
Week 17 (Sunday January 6, 2002): vs. Cleveland Browns
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EST Game weather: (Rain & Snow) Game attendance: 59,189 Referee: Bernie Kukar TV announcers: (CBS) Gus Johnson (play by play), Brent Jones (color commentator)
Playoffs
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Game Site NFL RecapDivisional January 20 Baltimore Ravens W 27–10 Heinz Field Summary Conference January 27 New England Patriots L 17–24 Heinz Field Summary
Game summaries
AFC Divisional Playoff (Sunday January 20, 2002): vs. Baltimore Ravens
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 12:30 pm EST Game weather: (Mostly Cloudy) Game attendance: 63,976 Referee: Tony Corrente TV announcers: (CBS) Dick Enberg (play by play), Dan Dierdorf (color commentator), Bonnie Bernstein (sideline reporter)
AFC Championship Game (Sunday January 27, 2002): vs. New England Patriots
at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 12:30 pm EST Game weather: (Mostly Cloudy) Game attendance: 64,704 Referee: Ed Hochuli TV announcers: (CBS) Greg Gumbel (play by play), Phil Simms (color commentator), Armen Keteyian & Bonnie Bernstein (sideline reporters)
Honors and awards
Pro Bowl Representatives See: 2002 Pro Bowl
No. 10 Kordell Stewart-Quarterback No. 36 Jerome Bettis-Running Back No. 66 Alan Faneca-Offensive Guard No. 86 Hines Ward-Wide Receiver No. 92 Jason Gildon-Outside Linebacker No. 97 Kendrell Bell-Inside Linebacker (as "need" player)
Notes
References
External links 2001 Pittsburgh Steelers season at Pro Football Reference 2001 Pittsburgh Steelers season statistics at jt-sw.com Recap at NFL.com