The 1988 Pittsburgh Steelers began the season with the death of Hall of Fame team founder & owner Art Rooney at age 87 less than two weeks before the start of the season on August 25. The team would wear AJR patches on the left shoulder the entire season in memory of "The Chief".
The team finished the season at 5–11, their worst record since finishing an NFL-worst 1–13 in 1969. As of 2015, the 5–11 mark remains the team's worst record since 1969, and have only finished with ten losses twice since, in 1999 and 2003.
The 1988 squad did not get off to a great start. After winning their home opener against the Dallas Cowboys, the team lost 6 straight, their first 6 game losing streak since 1969. The team never recovered after the skid, and eventually were at one point sitting at a 2-10 record after a 27-7 loss to the Cleveland Browns. It was the Steelers worst start to a season since their 1-13 1969 season. The team had several horrible and forgetful games during the season. One of those games was their week 10 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, a game in which they lost 42-7, the most points they had allowed in a game since 1985, when they allowed 54 points against the Chargers. The Steelers would, however, finish the season on a positive note, winning 3 of its last 4 games to finish the season 5-11.
The Steelers saw two of its last three remaining players who won all four Super Bowls retire in wide receiver John Stallworth and strong safety Donnie Shell, who were both from the team's famous Class of 1974 that saw four players go on to the Pro Football Hall of Fame (although Shell was undrafted, he was still from the same rookie class), and in the case of Stallworth, retired as the team's all-time leading receiver. (Stallworth's record was surpassed by Hines Ward in 2005.)
Mike Webster, who was also from the Class of 1974, entered the season as the sole remaining member of all four Super Bowl teams. However, change appeared to be imminent when the team drafted Kentucky guard Dermontti Dawson in the second round of the 1988 draft. Although Dawson would be playing guard his rookie season alongside Webster, it was apparent that Dawson was drafted to be groomed as Webster's eventual replacement at center. Webster would be released by the Steelers in the following offseason, officially ending the team's link to all four Super Bowl clubs.
To the delight of Steelers fans, and even most of the players, the Mark Malone era officially ended in the offseason as well. Malone, who had lost the starting quarterback job to Bubby Brister the previous year, was traded to the San Diego Chargers during the offseason. Malone had also become hugely unpopular with fans and teammates for blaming his mistakes on other players and acting as if he were the "heir" to the QB position after the retirement of Terry Bradshaw. At one point, a locker room fight between Malone and the rest of the team ensued before being broken up by veteran offensive tackle Tunch Ilkin.
Scoring Drives:
Dallas – Newsome 3 run (Zendejas kick)
Pittsburgh – Jackson 15 run (Anderson kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 32
Pittsburgh – Brister 1 run (Anderson kick)
Dallas – Irvin 35 pass from Pelluer (Zendejas kick)
Pittsburgh – Jackson 29 run (Anderson kick)
Dallas – Alexander 8 pass from Pelluer (Zendejas kick)
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 33
Washington – Clark 55 pass from Williams (Lohmiller kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 24
Washington – FG Lohmiller 37
Pittsburgh – Lipps 80 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
Pittsburgh – Brister 6 run (kick failed)
Washington – Morris 1 run (Lohmiller kick)
Washington – FG Lohmiller 46
Pittsburgh – Stone 72 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 43
Washington – Bryant 7 pass from Williams (Lohmiller kick)
Washington – FG Lohmiller 19
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – Safety, Montoya penalized for holding in end zone
Cincinnati – Wilson 13 pass from Esiason (Breech kick)
Pittsburgh – Lipps 9 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
CIncinnati – FG Breech 32
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 19
Cincinnati – Brown 65 pass from Esiason (Breech kick)
Scoring Drives:
Buffalo – FG Norwood 38
Buffalo – Burkett 26 pass from Kelly (Norwood kick)
PIttsburgh – Brister 1 run (Anderson kick)
Buffalo – FG Norwood 39
Pittsburgh – W. Williams 5 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
Buffalo – FG Norwood 39
Buffalo – Riddick 1 run (Norwood kick)
Buffalo – Riddick 5 blocked punt return (Norwood kick)
Buffalo – FG Norwood 48
Buffalo – FG Norwood 49
Pittsburgh – Brister 1 run (Anderson kick)
Pittsburgh – Thompson 42 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 49
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 35
Cleveland – Manoa 1 run (Bahr kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 45
Cleveland – FG Bahr 22
Cleveland – FG Bahr 21
Cleveland – Washington 75 interception return (Bahr kick)
Cleveland – FG Bahr 40
Scoring Drives:
Phoenix – Awalt 32 pass from Lomax (Del Greco kick)
Pittsburgh – Woodson 92 kickoff return (Anderson kick)
Phoenix – FG Del Greco 19
Phoenix – Jordan 1 run (Del Greco kick)
Phoenix – J. T. Smith 13 pass from Lomax (Del Greco kick)
Phoenix – J. T. Smith 3 pass from Lomax (Del Greco kick)
Pittsburgh – Hoge 12 pass from Bono (Anderson kick)
Scoring Drives:
Houston – Rozier 2 run (pass failed)
Houston – FG Zendejas 50
Houston – Safety, Seale blocked punt out of end zone
Houston – Givins 43 pass from Moon (Zendejas kick)
Pittsburgh – Lockett 9 pass from Blackledge (Anderson kick)
Houston – Pinkett 1 run (Zendejas kick)
Houston – FG Zendejas 27
Houston – Hill 24 pass from Moon (kick failed)
Pittsburgh – Hoge 1 run (Anderson kick)
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – Carter 64 run (Anderson kick)
Pittsburgh – Blackledge 1 run (Anderson kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 30
Pittsburgh – Carter 10 pass from Blackledge (Anderson kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 32
Denver – Kay 17 pass from Kubiak (Karlis kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 21
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 37
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 22
Denver – Kay 14 pass from Kubiak (Karlis kick)
Denver – Nattiel 74 pass from Karcher (Karlis kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 30
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 25
Pittsburgh – Carter 24 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
New York Jets – FG Leahy 41
New York Jets – Shuler 2 pass from O'Brien (Leahy kick)
New York Jets – Hector 2 run (Leahy kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 21
New York Jets – McNeil 5 run (Leahy kick)
PIttsburgh – Jackson 17 run (Anderson kick)
Scoring Drives:
Cincinnati – Brown 86 pass from Esiason (Breech kick)
Pittsburgh – Brister 9 run (Anderson kick)
Cincinnati – McGee 5 pass from Esiason (Breech kick)
Cincinnati – Brooks 3 run (Breech kick)
Cincinnati – Brooks 2 run (Breech kick)
Cincinnati – Brown 6 pass from Esiason (Breech kick)
Cincinnati – Brooks 9 run (Breech kick)
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 52
Pittsburgh – Hoge 13 pass from Lipps (Anderson kick)
Philadelphia – Byars 1 run (Zendejas kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 21
Philadelphia – Cunningham 7 run (Zendejas kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 29
Philadelphia – FG Zendejas 34
Pittsburgh – Lipps 89 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
Philadelphia – Cunningham 12 run (Zendejas kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 41
Philadelphia – FG Zendejas 18
Scoring Drives:
Cleveland – FG Bahr 32
Cleveland – Tennell 2 pass from Kosar (Bahr kick)
Cleveland – Minnifield 11 blocked punt return (Bahr kick)
Pittsburgh – Carter 1 run (Anderson kick)
Cleveland – Langhorne 77 pass from Kosar (Bahr kick)
Cleveland – FG Bahr 34
Scoring Drives:
PIttsburgh – FG Anderson 23
PIttsburgh – FG Anderson 20
Kansas City – Paige 4 pass from DeBerg (Lowery kick)
Pittsburgh – Hoge 10 run (Anderson kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 22
Kansas City – FG Lowery 26
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 45
Houston – FG Zendejas 36
Pittsburgh – Stone 92 kickoff return (Anderson kick)
Houston – Rozier 6 pass from Moon (Zendejas kick)
Houston – FG Zendejas 41
Pittsburgh – Lipps 80 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
Pittsburgh – 65 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
Houston – White 90 kickoff return (Zendejas kick)
Houston – Moon 2 run (Zendejas kick)
Pittsburgh – Hoge 2 run (Anderson kick)
Houston – Moon 3 run (Zendejas kick)
PIttsburgh – Hoge 16 pass from Brister (kick failed)
Scoring Drives:
San Diego – Flutie 6 pass from Malone (DeLine kick)
San Diego – Malone 1 run (DeLine kick)
San Diego – FG DeLine 24
Pittsburgh – Gothard 3 pass from Brister (Anderson kick)
Pittsburgh – Brister 3 run (Anderson kick)
San Diego – FG DeLine 42
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – Woodruff 78 interception return (Anderson kick)
Miami – Hampton 4 run (Reveiz kick)
Miami – FG Reveiz 20
Pittsburgh – Lipps 39 run (Anderson kick)
Miami – Hampton 1 run (Reveiz kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 34
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 43
Pittsburgh – Carter 1 run (Anderson kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 34
Pittsburgh – Jordan 28 interception return (Anderson kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 22
Miami – Clayton 13 pass from Jaworski (Reveiz kick)
