The Pittsburgh Steelers were founded in 1933 and are one of the oldest teams in the league. The Pittsburgh Steelers were established as the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1933 and were renamed the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1940. The Steelers are one of the most storied franchises in the Super Bowl era of the NFL having won the most number of Lombardi Trophies along with the New England Patriots.
The Steelers also rank one of the highest in playoff appearances with 34 appearances as of 2024. With 24 Division Championships and 8 Conference Championships, the Steelers have had their most successful run of form during the 1970s (when they won 4 Super Bowl titles). Although the 2023-2024 season has been a bit lackluster for the Steelers, they have made it to the NFL Playoffs (in the Wild Card Round). The Steelers have most recently made it to the playoffs in the 2023 season after placing 3rd in the AFC North. Let us take a look back at the Pittsburgh Steelers' extensive playoff history and stats.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Playoff Appearances by Year
1947- Lost Divisional round of the playoffs to Philadelphia Eagles (0-21)
1972- Lost Conference Championship to Miami Dolphins (17-21)
1973- Lost Divisional round 14-33 to the Oakland Raiders
1974- Became Super Bowl Champions by defeating the Minnesota Vikings 16-6
1975- Won the Super Bowl by defeating the Dallas Cowboys 21-17
1976- Lost the Conference Championship to the Oakland Raiders (7-24)
1977- Lost Divisional round to the Denver Broncos (21-34)
1978- The Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl by defeating the Cowboys in a close match ending 35-31
1979- Won the Super Bowl by defeating the L.A. Rams 31-19
1982- Lost the Wild Card round 28-31 to the San Diego Chargers (now known as L.A. Chargers)
1983- Lost the Divisional round to the Las Vegas Raiders (10-38)
1984- Lost the Conference Championship to Miami Dolphins (28-45)
1989- Lost the Divisional round to the Denver Broncos in a close match (23-24)
1992- Lost the Divisional round with a blowout against the Buffalo Bills (3-24)
1993- Lost the Wild Card round against the Kansas City Chiefs in a match extending to overtime (24-27)
1994- Lost the Conference Championship against the San Diego Chargers (13-17)
1995- Lost the Super Bowl to the Dallas Cowboys (17-27)
1996- Lost the Divisional round against the New England Patriots (3-28)
1997- Lost the Conference Championship to the Denver Broncos (21-24)
2001- Lost the Conference Championship to the New England Patriots (17-24)
2002- Lost the Divisional round to the Tennessee Titans in overtime (31-34)
2004- Lost the Conference Championship 27-41 to the New England Patriots
2005- The Steelers won the Super Bowl by defeating the Seattle Seahawks 21-10
2007- Lost the Wild Card round to the Jacksonville Jaguars (29-31)
2008- Won the Super Bowl by defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27-23
2010- Lost the Super Bowl to the Green Bay Packers (25-31)
2011- Lost the Wild Card round to the Denver Broncos (23-29)
2014- The Steelers did not qualify past the Wild Card round with a loss to the Baltimore Ravens (17-30)
2015- Lost Divisional round to the Denver Broncos (16-23)
2016- Lost the Conference Championship to New England Patriots (17-36)
2017- Lost the Divisional round 42-45 to the Jacksonville Jaguars
2020- Lost the Wild Card round to the Cleveland Browns (37-48)
2021- Lost the Wild Card round to the Kansas City Chiefs (21-42)
2023- Lost the Wild Card round to the Buffalo Bills (17-31)
Playoff Games Won by Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have a playoff record of 36 wins and 28 losses
Wins in Wild Card Round- 6 from 14
Wins in Divisional Round- 16 from 26
Wins in Conference Championship- 8 from 16
Super Bowl Wins- 6 from 8
How many playoff games has ‘Mean’ Joe Greene played at the Three Rivers Stadium?
The Pittsburgh Steelers put themselves on the map during the 1970s with the arrival of legendary coach Chuck Noll. One of the players drafted by Chuck Noll who made a difference is Steelers Hall of Famer Joe Greene. Greene was a defensive tackle regarded as one of the best in the game’s history.
Nicknamed as ‘mean’ Joe Greene, the defensive tackle drafted by the Steelers in 1969, led the Steelers to 4 Super Bowl wins. The Pittsburgh Steelers currently play at the Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, but during the Steelers' most definitive years in the NFL, they used to play at the Three Rivers Stadium. Between 1972 and 1979, Joe Greene appeared in 18 playoff games with the Steelers and led them to 4 Conference Championships, 4 Super Bowls, and 7 Divisional titles.
How many times have the Pittsburgh Steelers made the playoffs with Terry Bradshaw, Jack Lambert, and Joe Greene?
Terry Bradshaw (quarterback), Jack Lambert (linebacker), and Joe Greene (Defensive lineman) are NFL Hall of Famers who were vital players for the Steelers team that enjoyed success during the 1970s. Jack Lambert is regarded as the best linebacker of his era. The three Hall of Famers are part of the Pittsburgh Steelers team that won four Super Bowls in six appearances (the only team to do so). Here are the Pittsburgh Steelers playoff games that featured all three of these players:
| Week | Date | Opponent | Points Scored | Points Allowed | Stadium |
| 1979 Playoffs - Divisional Round | 30 Dec, 1979 | Miami Dolphins | 34 | 14 | Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh |
| 1979 Playoffs- Conference Championship | Jan 6, 1980 | Houston Oilers | 27 | 13 | Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh |
| 1979 Playoffs- Super Bowl | Jan 20, 1980 | L.A. Rams | 31 | 19 | Rose Bowl, California |
| 1978 Playoffs- Divisional Round | Dec 30, 1978 | Denver Broncos | 33 | 10 | Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh |
| 1978 Playoffs-Conference Championship | Jan 7, 1979 | Houston Oilers | 34 | 5 | Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh |
| 1978 Playoffs- Super Bowl | Jan 21, 1979 | Dallas Cowboys | 35 | 31 | Miami Orange Bowl, Miami |
| 1977 Playoffs- Divisional Round | Dec 24, 1977 | Denver Broncos | 21 | 34 | Mile High Stadium, Colorado |
| 1976 Playoffs- Divisional Round | Dec 19, 1976 | Baltimore Colts | 40 | 14 | Memorial Stadium, Maryland |
| 1976 Playoffs- Conference Championship | Dec 26, 1976 | Oakland Raiders | 7 | 24 | Oakland Coliseum, California |
| 1975 Playoffs- Divisional Rounds | Dec 27, 1975 | Baltimore Ravens | 28 | 10 | Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh |
| 1975 Playoffs- Conference Championship | Jan 4, 1976 | Oakland Raiders | 16 | 10 | Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh |
| 1975 Playoffs- Super Bowl | Jan 18, 1976 | Dallas Cowboys | 21 | 17 | Miami Orange Bowl, Miami |
| 1974 Playoffs- Divisional Rounds | Dec 22, 1974 | Buffalo Bills | 32 | 14 | Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh |
| 1974 Playoffs- Conference Championship | Dec 29, 1974 | Oakland Raiders | 24 | 13 | Oakland Coliseum, California |
| 1974 Playoffs- Super Bowl | Jan 12, 1975 | Minnesota Vikings | 16 | 6 | Tulane Stadium, New Orleans |
Pittsburgh Steelers Championships and Rings Won
The Pittsburgh Steelers have won 6 Championship Rings with 6 Super Bowl wins having been to the Championship game on eight occasions.
1974 (Super Bowl IX)
1975 (Super Bowl X)
1978 (Super Bowl XIII)
1979 (Super Bowl XIV)
2005 (Super Bowl XL)
2008 (Super Bowl XLIII)
Pittsburgh Steelers Overall Playoff Stats
Total Playoff Games Played: 64
Overall Playoff Record (Wins-Losses): 36-28
Total Super Bowls Won: 6 (8 Appearances)
All-time Passing Leader: Ben Roethlisberger 5,440/8,443, 64,088 yds, 418 TD
All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD
All-time Receiving Leader: Hines Ward 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD
All-time Scoring Leader: Gary Anderson 1,343 points
All-time AV Leader: Ben Roethlisberger 208 AV
Coach with most wins: Chuck Noll 193-148-1
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl Stats
Total Super Bowl Appearances: 8
Super Bowls Won: 6
Super Bowl Winning Seasons: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2005, 2008
Most Scoring Super Bowl Win: 31-19 win against Los Angeles Rams in 1979
Lowest Scoring Super Bowl Loss: 17-27 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in 1995
Also check out:
Chicago Bears Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
Philadelphia Eagles Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
San Francisco 49ers Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
Seattle Seahawks Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
Cleveland Browns Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
Las Vegas Riders Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
Buffalo Bills Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
New Orleans Saints Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
Baltimore Ravens Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
FAQs
A. Between 1933 and 1939, the team was known as the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1940, the team changed their name to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A. The current quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers is Kenny Pickett.
A. The Steelers catchprhase is "Here We Go, Steelers". While it seems like a simple chant, there's some history behind this one too. Here We Go, originally written by Rodger Wood and recorded in 1994, was and still is intended as a Steelers fight song.
A. Pittburgh Steelers have a large and loyal fanbase who are known as the Steelers Nation.
A. The ownership of the Steelers has been within the Rooney family since the organization's founding. Currently, the Steelers are being run majorly by Art Rooney II.
