The 1996 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 64th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League.
This was Bill Cowher's fifth season as head coach of the Steelers, which resulted in yet another trip to the playoffs for the team, as Pittsburgh won the AFC Central Division championship for the fourth time under Cowher.
However, the team's 10–6 record was not enough to earn the Steelers a first-round bye. In their first playoff game, a rematch of the previous year's AFC Championship Game, the Steelers defeated the Colts, However their season would come to a halt a week later as the steelers lost to the New England Patriots, 28-3.
Notable additions include Jerome Bettis, Earl Holmes and Carlos Emmons.
at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
Game weather:
Game attendance: 70,210
Referee: Bob McElwee
TV announcers: (NBC) Marv Albert (play by play), Sam Wyche (color commentator)
Scoring Drives:
Jacksonville – Jackson 38 pass from Brunell (Hollis kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 48
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 29
Jacksonville – McCardell 15 pass from Brunell (Hollis kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 23
Jacksonville – FG Hollis 52
Jacksonville – J. Stewart 1 run (Hollis kick)
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
Game weather: 75°F (Partly Sunny)
Game attendance: 57,241
Referee: Gerry Austin
TV announcers: (NBC) Marv Albert (play by play), Sam Wyche (color commentator)
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – Woodson 43 interception return (Johnson kick)
Baltimore – Testaverde 6 run (Stover kick)
Pittsburgh – Bettis 1 run (Johnson kick)
Baltimore – Alexander 17 pass from Testaverde (Stover kick)
Pittsburgh – C. Johnson 5 pass from Tomczak (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – Hastings 20 pass from Tomczak (Johnson kick)
Baltimore – FG Stover 29
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 35
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 9:00 pm EDT
Game weather: 58°F (Cloudy)
Game attendance: 59,002
Referee: Larry Nemmers
TV announcers: (ABC) Al Michaels (play by play), Frank Gifford & Dan Dierdorf (color commentators)
Scoring Drives:
Buffalo – FG Christie 31
Pittsburgh – Bettis 1 run (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 30
Pittsburgh – Bettis 43 run (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – Lake 47 interception return (Johnson kick)
Buffalo – FG Christie 45
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
Game weather: 59°F (Mostly Sunny)
Game attendance: 58,608
Referee: Tom White
TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), Beasley Reece (color commentator)
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – Stewart 16 pass from Tomczak (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 33
Pittsburgh – C. Johnson 62 pass from Tomczak (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 36
Houston – Davis 4 pass from Chandler (Del Greco kick)
Houston – Lewis 36 interception return (Del Greco kick)
Pittsburgh – FG N. Johnson 36
Pittsburgh – Perry 13 interception return (Johnson kick)
Houston – Safety, Edge ran out of end zone
at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Game time: 9:00 pm EDT
Game weather:
Game attendance: 79,189
Referee: Howard Roe
TV announcers: (ABC) Al Michaels (play by play), Frank Gifford & Dan Dierdorf (color commentators)
Scoring Drives:
Kansas City – Allen 6 run (Stoyanovich kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 21
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 32
Pittsburgh – Bettis 5 run (Bruener pass from Tomczak)
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 43
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
Game weather: 64°F (Partly Sunny)
Game attendance: 58,875
Referee: Gary Lane
TV announcers: (NBC) Charlie Jones (play by play), Randy Cross (color commentator)
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 33
Cincinnati – FG Pelfrey 19
Pittsburgh – Stewart 32 pass from Tomczak (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 22
Pittsburgh – Woodson 42 fumble return (Johnson kick)
Cincinnati – Pickens 3 pass from Blake (Pelfrey kick)
at Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Game time: 4:00 pm EDT
Game weather: Dome
Game attendance: 50,337
Referee: Red Cashion
TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), Beasley Reece (color commentator)
Scoring Drives:
Houston – FG Del Greco 22
Pittsburgh – C. Johnson 70 pass from Tomczak (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 26
Houston – FG Del Greco 32
Houston – FG Del Greco 48
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 29
Houston – W. Davis 34 pass from Chandler (Del Greco kick)
Houston – George 2 run (Del Greco kick)
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Game time: 1:00 pm EST
Game weather: Dome
Game attendance: 58,760
Referee: Ron Blum
TV announcers: (NBC) Dan Hicks (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 27
Atlanta – Tobeck 1 pass from Hebert (Andersen kick)
Atlanta – FG Andersen 41
Pittsburgh – Hastings 112 pass from Tomczak (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – Bettis 1 run (Johnson kick)
Atlanta – Emanuel 4 pass from Hebert (Andersen kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 20
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EST
Game weather: 38°F (Partly Sunny)
Game attendance: 58,148
Referee: Jerry Markbreit
TV announcers: (FOX) Joe Buck (play by play), Bill Maas (color commentator)
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – Bettis 3 run (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – Bettis 50 run (Johnson kick)
Saint Louis – FG Lohmiller 25
Pittsburgh – Stewart 7 run (Johnson kick)
Saint Louis – FG Lohmiller 27
Pittsburgh- Pegram 91 kickoff return (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – Stewart 2 run (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – Pegram 17 run (Johnson kick)
at Cinergy Field, Cincinnati, Ohio
Game time: 1:00 pm EST
Game weather:
Game attendance: 57,265
Referee: Mike Carey
TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), Beasley Reece (color commentator)
Scoring Drives:
Cincinnati – FG Pelfrey 32
Pittsburgh- FG Johnson 46
Pittsburgh – Bettis 6 run (Johnson kick)
Cincinnati – Carter 1 run (Pelfrey kick)
Pittsburgh – Stewart 1 run (Johnson kick)
Cincinnati – Dunn 90 kickoff return (Pelfrey kick)
Pittsburgh – Bettis 1 run (Johnson kick)
Cincinnati – Bieniemy 33 run (Pelfrey kick)
Cincinnati – Carter 12 pass from Blake (Pelfrey kick)
Cincinnati – FG Pelfrey 34
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EST
Game weather: 50°F (Cloudy)
Game attendance: 58,879
Referee: Bernie Kukar
TV announcers: (NBC) Jim Lampley (play by play), Bob Golic (color commentator)
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – Thigpen 12 pass from Tomczak (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – Bettis 3 run (Johnson kick)
Jacksonville – FG Hollis 40
Pittsburgh – Lake 85 fumble return (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – Thigpen 28 pass from Tomczak (Johnson kick)
at Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida
Game time: 9:00 pm EST
Game weather:
Game attendance: 73,849
Referee: Walt Coleman
TV announcers: (ABC) Al Michaels (play by play), Frank Gifford & Dan Dierdorf (color commentators)
Scoring Drives:
Miami – McDuffie 2 pass from Marino (Nedney kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 47
Miami – Jackson 61 interception return (Nedney kick)
Pittsburgh- Lester 5 run (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – Stewart 5 run (Johnson kick)
Miami – FG Nedney 41
Pittsburgh – Mills 20 pass from Tomczak (Johnson kick)
at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
Game time: 1:00 pm EST
Game weather:
Game attendance: 51,882
Referee: Red Cashion
TV announcers: (NBC) Jim Lampley (play by play), Bob Golic (color commentator)
Scoring Drives:
Baltimore – Ogden 1 pass from Testaverde (Stover kick)
Pittsburgh – Hastings 30 pass from Tomczak (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh- FG Johnson 22
Baltimore – Alexander 24 pass from Testaverd (Stover kick)
Baltimore – Byner 7 run (Stover kick)
Baltimore – FG Stover 40
Pittsburgh – Hastings 5 pass from Tomzak (Johnson kick)
Baltimore – Green 3 pass from Testaverde (Stover kick)
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EST
Game weather: 40°F (Partly Sunny)
Game attendance: 56,368
Referee: Gerry Austin
TV announcers: (NBC) Tom Hammond (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 49
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 39
Pittsburgh – Hastings 11 pass from Tomzak (Johnson kick)
San Diego – FG Carney 25
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 21
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EST
Game weather: 38°F (Partly Sunny)
Game attendance: 59,823
Referee: Bob McElwee
TV announcers: (FOX) Pat Summerall (play by play), John Madden (color commentator)
Scoring Drives:
San Francisco – Rice 4 pass from S. Young (Wilkins kick)
San Francisco – Safety, B. Young sacked Tomczak in end zone
San Francisco – Rice 4 pass from S. Young (Wilkins kick)
San Francisco – Owens 20 pass from S. Young (kick failed)
Pittsburgh – Bettis 1 run (C. Johnson pass from Tomczak)
San Francisco – FG Wilkins 22
Pittsburgh – Stewart 42 pass from Tomczak (Johnson kick)
at Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game time: 1:00 pm EST
Game weather:
Game attendance: 72,217
Referee: Dick Hantak
TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), Beasley Reece (color commentator)
Scoring Drives:
Carolina – Walls 9 pass from Collins (Kasay kick)
Carolina – Safety, Tomczak intentional grounding in end zone
Pittsburgh – Hastings 6 pass from Tomczak (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – Stewart 80 run (Johnson kick)
Carolina – FG Kasay 35
Carolina – FG Kasay 30
Carolina – FG Kasay 29
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 12:30 pm EST
Game weather: 60°F (Partly Cloudy)
Game attendance: 58,078
Referee: Ed Hochuli
TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Phil Simms & Paul Maguire (color commentators)
Scoring Drives:
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 29
Pittsburgh – Stewart 1 run (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 50
Indianapolis – Daniel 59 interception return (Blanchard kick)
Indianapolis – Bailey 9 pass from Harbaugh (Blanchard kick)
Pittsburgh – Bettis 1 run (Farquhar pass from Stewart)
Pittsburgh- Bettis 1 run (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – Witman 31 run (Johnson kick)
Pittsburgh – Stewart 3 run (Johnson kick)
AFC Divisional Playoff (Sunday January 5, 1997): at New England Patriots
at Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Game time: 12:30 pm EST
Game weather: 40°F (Fog)
Game attendance: 60,188
Referee: Bernie Kukar
TV announcers: (NBC) Marv Albert (play by play), Sam Wyche & Randy Cross (color commentators)
Scoring Drives:
New England – Martin 2 run (Vinatieri kick)
New England – Byars 34 pass from Bledsoe (Vinatieri kick)
New England – Martin 78 run (Vinatieri kick)
Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 29
New England – Martin 23 run (Vinatieri kick)
No. 26 Rod Woodson-Cornerback
No. 36 Jerome Bettis-Running Back
No. 37 Carnell Lake-Safety
No. 63 Dermontti Dawson-Center
No. 94 Chad Brown-Outside Linebacker
No. 99 Levon Kirkland-Inside Linebacker
