2004 PITTSBURGH STEELERS Media Guide future HOF BEN ROETHLISBERGER rookie

Description

2004 PITTSBURGH STEELERS Media Guide  future HOF BEN  ROETHLISBERGER rookie
2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 72nd season in the NFL
2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Owner The Rooney family
General manager Kevin Colbert
Head coach Bill Cowher
Home field Heinz Field
Record  15–1
Division place 1st AFC North
Playoff finish
Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Jets) 20–17
Lost AFC Championship (vs. Patriots) 27–41
Pro Bowlers  9
G Alan Faneca
ILB James Farrior
C Jeff Hartings
OLB Joey Porter
DE Aaron Smith
OT Marvel Smith
WR Hines Ward
RB Jerome Bettis
SS Troy Polamalu
AP All-Pros     6
Alan Faneca (1st team)
James Farrior (1st team)
Jeff Hartings (1st team)
Troy Polamalu (2nd team)
Joey Porter (2nd team)
Hines Ward (2nd team)
Team MVP James Farrior
Team ROY  Ben Roethlisberger
The team finished with a 15–1 record, topping the 14–2 team record from 1978 and joined the 1984  49ers, 1985 Bears, and  1998  Vikings as the only teams in NFL history to that point since the league adopted a 16-game schedule in 1978 to finish with such a record.
This also made the Steelers the first AFC team to achieve a 15–1 record, a conference-best at the time (the 2007 Patriots would surpass that by going a perfect 16–0); they are also the only AFC team to do so. Along the way, the Steelers ended the  Patriots NFL-record 21-game winning streak in Week 8, then defeated their cross-state rival the  Eagles the following week to hand the NFL's last two undefeated teams their first losses in back-to-back weeks, both at home.
The season was highlighted by the surprising emergence of rookie QB  Ben Roethlisberger, the team's top pick. Originally intended to sit behind vet Tommy Maddox , plans  changed when Maddox was hurt in a  loss to Baltimore. Surrounded by talent, "Big Ben" went an NFL-record 13–0 as a rookie starting quarterback before being rested for the final game of the season, shattering the old NFL record
The Steelers hosted the AFC Championship for the fifth time in eleven years. However, for the fourth time in that same span, the Steelers lost at home one game away from the Super Bowl, lost to the Patriots.
The 2006 edition of Pro Football Prospectus listed the 2004 Steelers as one of their "Heartbreak Seasons", in which teams "dominated the entire regular season only to falter in the playoffs, unable to close the deal." Said Pro Football Prospectus, "In the playoffs, Roethlisberger hit an inconvenient slump, just like the Pittsburgh quarterbacks who came before him. He threw two  interceptions against the Jets, but the Steelers were bailed out when Jets kicker Doug Brien missed a game-winning field goal. The next week against New England,  Cowher was  worried about Roethlisberger, letting him throw only once on first or second down in the first quarter. By the time the offense opened up, the Patriots were beating the Steelers by two touchdowns. A Roethlisberger interception was returned 87 yards for a touchdown by Rodney Harrison, and the game was effectively over. For the second time in seven years, a 15–1 team had failed to make it to the Super Bowl."
2004 Pittsburgh Steelers final roster
7 Ben Roethlisberger
36 Jerome Bettis
39 Willie Parker
22 Duce Staley
80 Plaxico Burress
82 Antwaan Randle El PR/KR
86 Hines Ward
66 Alan Faneca G
64 Jeff Hartings C
77 Marvel Smith T
78 Max Starks T
99 Brett Keisel DE
91 Aaron Smith DE
67 Kimo von Oelhoffen DE
97 Kendrell Bell ILB
51 James Farrior ILB
50 Larry Foote ILB
92 James Harrison OLB
55 Joey Porter OLB
43 Troy Polamalu SS
30 Chad Scott CB
24 Ike Taylor CB/KR
26 Deshea Townsend CB
27 Willie Williams CB
3 Jeff Reed K
history, stats, bios roster, game logs, leaders, highlights, drafts
loaded with information for a PITTSBURGH STEELERS fan
420+ pgs
nice shape
not MINT but no abuse
some crease/ bends
back cover is creased