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1995 Pittsburgh Steelers season

The 1995 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 63rd season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League (NFL).

This season saw the Steelers return to the Super Bowl for the first time in sixteen years (Super Bowl XIV). The team's 11–5 finish was good enough for the AFC Central championship and the second seed in the conference.

For the second consecutive season, Pittsburgh hosted the AFC Championship game, by virtue of the Indianapolis Colts' upset of the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Steelers won the conference championship game, but lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl in a matchup of teams that were looking to join the San Francisco 49ers as the only other team (at the time) to win five Super Bowls. It was the first time in three Super Bowl meetings that the Steelers had lost to the Cowboys, and also their first Super Bowl loss overall. Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher became (at the time) the youngest head coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl.

After the Super Bowl loss, quarterback Neil O'Donnell signed as a free agent with the New York Jets. The Steelers would not return to the Super Bowl until ten years later.

As of 2025, this is the last time the Steelers defeated the Bears in Chicago.

Offseason

1995 expansion draft

NFL draft

Undrafted free agents

Personnel

Coaches / Staff

Final roster

Preseason

Schedule

Regular season

Schedule

Standings

Game summaries

Week 1 (Sunday September 3, 1995): vs. Detroit Lions

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
  • Game weather: (Sunny)
  • Game attendance: 58,002
  • Referee: Tom White
  • TV announcers: (FOX) Kevin Harlan (play by play), Jerry Glanville (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 39
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 47
  • Detroit – Perriman 5 pass from Mitchell (Hanson kick)
  • Detroit – FG Hanson 43
  • Pittsburgh – Morris 5 run (Johnson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Morris 1 run (Johnson kick)
  • Detroit – Moore 27 pass from Mitchell (Hanson kick)
  • Detroit – FG Hanson 36
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 31

Week 2 (Sunday September 10, 1995): at Houston Oilers

at Astrodome, Houston, Texas

  • Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
  • Game weather: Dome
  • Game attendance: 44,122
  • Referee: Bob McElwee
  • TV announcers: (NBC) Dan Hicks (play by play), Tunch Ilkin (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

  • Pittsburgh – Hastings 72 punt return (Johnson kick)
  • Houston – FG Del Greco 43
  • Pittsburgh – Bruener 15 pass from Tomczak (Johnson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 43
  • Pittsburgh – McAfee 22 run (Johnson kick)
  • Houston – Chandler 1 run (Del Greco kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Lake 32 interception return (Johnson kick)
  • Houston – Thomas 6 run (Del Greco kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 40

Week 3 (Monday September 18, 1995): at Miami Dolphins

at Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida

Scoring drives:

Week 4 (Sunday September 24, 1995): vs. Minnesota Vikings

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring drives:

  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 32
  • Minnesota – R. Smith 58 run (Reveiz kick)
  • Minnesota – FG Reveiz 33
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 35
  • Minnesota – Fuller 12 fumble return (Reveiz kick)
  • Minnesota – Carter 18 pass from Moon (Reveiz kick)
  • Minnesota – Thomas 45 lateral from Del Rio (Reveiz kick)
  • Minnesota – FG Reveiz 40
  • Pittsburgh – Pegram 5 run (run failed)
  • Pittsburgh – Thigpen 42 pass from Miller (pass failed)
  • Minnesota – Carter 22 pass from Moon (Reveiz kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Pegram 1 run (run failed)

Week 5 (Sunday October 1, 1995): vs. San Diego Chargers

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring drives:

  • Pittsburgh – Morris 1 run (Johnson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – W. Williams 63 interception return (Johnson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Mays 32 interception return (Johnson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 25
  • San Diego – Means 13 run (pass failed)
  • Pittsburgh – Morris 2 run (Johnson kick)
  • San Diego – Martin 19 pass from Humphries (Carney kick)
  • San Diego – FG Carney 28

Week 6 (Sunday October 8, 1995): at Jacksonville Jaguars

at Alltell Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 72,042
  • Referee: Mike Carey
  • TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), Beasley Reece (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

Week 7 (Sunday October 15, 1995): Bye Week

Week 8 (Thursday October 19, 1995): vs. Cincinnati Bengals

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring drives:

  • Cincinnati – Scott 47 pass from Blake (Pelfrey kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 25
  • Cincinnati – FG Pelfrey 31
  • Cincinnati – To. McGee 12 pass from Blake (Pelfrey kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 28
  • Cincinnati – Pickens 41 pass from Blake (Pelfrey kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG N. Johnson 38
  • Cincinnati – FG Pelfrey 23
  • Pittsburgh – O'Donnell To Thigpen 60 yard touchdown

Week 9 (Sunday October 29, 1995): vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time: 1:00 pm EST
  • Game weather: (Partly Cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 54,516
  • Referee: Tom White
  • TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), Beasley Reece (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

Week 10 (Sunday November 5, 1995): at Chicago Bears

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

  • Game time: 4:00 pm EST
  • Game weather:
  • Game attendance: 61,838
  • Referee: Howard Roe
  • TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Phil Simms & Paul Maguire (color commentators)

Scoring drives:

  • Chicago – FG Butler 40
  • Pittsburgh – Pegram 1 run (Johnson kick)
  • Chicago – Conway 6 pass from Kramer (Butler kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 40
  • Pittsburgh – Pegram 7 pass from O'Donnell (Johnson kick)
  • Chicago – Carter 12 pass from Kramer (Butler kick)
  • Chicago – Wetnight 14 pass from Kramer (Butler kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 46
  • Chicago – FG Butler 27
  • Pittsburgh – Pegram 6 run (Johnson kick)
  • Chicago – Minter 2 interception return (Johnson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Mills 11 pass form O'Donnell (Johnson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 24

With the win, the Steelers recorded their first-ever road victory in Chicago, ending a 10-game road losing streak to the Bears. As of 2025, this remains their only win in Chicago.

Week 11 (Monday November 13, 1995): vs. Cleveland Browns

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring drives:

Week 12 (Sunday November 19, 1995): at Cincinnati Bengals

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Scoring drives:

  • Cincinnati – Scott 4 pass from Blake (Pelfrey kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 50
  • Cincinnati – Blake 1 run (Pelfrey kick)
  • Cincinnati – Pickens 1 pass from Blake (Pelfrey kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Mills 42 pass from O'Donnell (Johnson kick)
  • Cincinnati – FG Pelfrey 27
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 26
  • Cincinnati – McGee 20 pass from Blake (Pelfrey kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Morris 1 run (Johnson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Hastings 15 pass from O'Donnell (Pegram run)
  • Pittsburgh – Stewart 71 pass from O'Donnell (Johnson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Morris 3 run (Johnson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Morris 8 run (Johnson kick)

Week 13 (Sunday November 26, 1995): at Cleveland Browns

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Scoring drives:

Week 14 (Sunday December 3, 1995): vs. Houston Oilers

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring drives:

Week 15 (Sunday December 10, 1995): at Oakland Raiders

at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

Scoring drives:

  • Pittsburgh – Mills 37 pass from O'Donnell (Johnson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 41
  • Oakland – Bruce 1 interception return (Jaeger kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 35
  • Pittsburgh – Mills 14 pass from O'Donnell (Johnson kick)
  • Oakland – FG Jaeger 39
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 32
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 20
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 22

The Steelers would not win another road game against the Raiders until 2023.

Week 16 (Saturday December 16, 1995): vs. New England Patriots

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Game time: 12:30 pm EST
  • Game weather: (Sunny)
  • Game attendance: 57,158
  • Referee: Bernie Kukar
  • TV announcers: (NBC) Tom Hammond (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)

Scoring drives:

  • New England – FG Bahr 23
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 32
  • New England – FG Bahr 22
  • Pittsburgh – Thigpen 14 pass from O'Donnell (Johnson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Buckner 46 fumble return (Johnson kick)
  • New England – Coates 6 pass from Bledsoe (run failed)
  • Pittsburgh – Stewart 22 run (Johnson kick)
  • New England – Coates 6 pass from Bledsoe (run failed)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 32
  • New England – Martin 22 pass from Bledsoe (Meggett pass from Bledsoe)
  • Pittsburgh – Mills 62 pass from O'Donnell (Johnson kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Oldham 23 fumble return (Johnson kick)

Week 17 (Sunday December 24, 1995): at Green Bay Packers

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Scoring drives:

  • Green Bay – Bennett 9 run (Jacke kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 33
  • Green Bay – Brooks 19 pass from Favre (Jacke kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Mills 8 pass from O'Donnell (Johnson kick)
  • Green Bay – Chmura 1 pass from Favre (Jacke kick)
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 25
  • Green Bay – FG Jacke 47
  • Pittsburgh – Lester 2 run (pass failed)

Playoffs

Game summaries

AFC Divisional Playoff (Saturday January 6, 1996): vs. Buffalo Bills

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring drives:

AFC Championship game (Sunday January 14, 1996): vs. Indianapolis Colts

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Scoring drives:

  • Indianapolis – FG Blanchard 34
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 31
  • Indianapolis – FG Blanchard 36
  • Pittsburgh – Stewart 5 pass from O'Donnell (Johnson kick)
  • Indianapolis – FG Blanchard 37
  • Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 36
  • Indianapolis – Turner 47 pass from Harbaugh (Blanchard kick)
  • Pittsburgh – Morris 1 run (Johnson kick)

Super Bowl XXX (Sunday January 28, 1996): vs. Dallas Cowboys

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

Scoring drives:

Honors and awards

Pro Bowl Representatives

See: 1996 Pro Bowl

References

External links