US football sports season
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 championship for the fourth time under Cowher.
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 Indianapolis Colts , 42–14. The following their season would come to a halt as the Steelers lost to the New England Patriots , 28–3.
This would be the final season that the team wore block numerals, the next year they would switch to rounded numerals where it has remained ever since.
Personnel
Staff
1996 Pittsburgh Steelers staff
Front office
President – Daniel M. Rooney
Vice president – John R. McGinley
Vice president – Arthur J. Rooney, Jr.
Vice president and general counsel – Arthur J. Rooney II
Administration advisor – Chuck Noll
Director of marketing – Joe Gordon
Marketing coordinator – Mark Fuhrman
Merchandising manager – Tim Carey
Assistant marketing manager – Lynne Molyneaux
Media relations coordinator – Rob Boulware
Assistant/community relations – Ron Miller
Director of business – Mark Hart
Business coordinator – Dan Ferens
Accounts coordinator – Jim Ellenberger
Office/ticket manager – Geraldine Glenn
Football operations
Director of football operations – Tom Donahoe
Scouting staff
College personnel coordinator – Tom Modrak
Pro personnel coordinator – Charles Bailey
BLESTO College Scout – Mark Gorscak
College scout – Phil Kreidler
College scout – Bob Lane
College scout – Max McCartney
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
Conditioning coordinator – Chet Fuhrman
Medical staff
Physician, orthopedic – Dr. James P. Bradley
Ophthalmologist – Dr. Randy Beatty
Neurological surgery consultant – Dr. Joseph Maroon
Physician, M.D. – Dr. Richard Rydze
Physician, consultant – Dr. Abraham J. Twerski
Physician, M.D. – Dr. Anthony P. Yates
Training staff
Head trainer – John Norwig
Assistant trainer – Rick Burkholder
Equipment manager – Anthony Parisi
Field manager – Rodgers Freyvogel
Field assistant – Rich Baker
Video coordinator – Bob McCartney
Video assistant – Pat Dolan
Player development coordinator – Anthony Griggs
Administrative assistant – Lou Spanos
Photographers – Mike Fabus, Bill Amatucci
[1]
Notable additions include Jerome Bettis, Earl Holmes and Carlos Emmons.
Roster
1996 Pittsburgh Steelers final roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
Reserve lists
Practice squad
[1]
[2]
[3]
Rookies in italics
53 active, 5 inactive, 2 practice squad
Preseason
Schedule
Regular season
Schedule
Game summaries
1
2
3
4
Total
Steelers
3
3
3
0
9
Jaguars
7
7
0
10
24
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:
Week 2 (Sunday September 8, 1996): vs. Baltimore Ravens
1
2
3
4
Total
Ravens
7
10
0
0
17
Steelers
14
14
3
0
31
at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C) (Partly Sunny)
Game attendance: 57,241
Referee: Gerry Austin
TV announcers: (NBC) Marv Albert (play by play), Sam Wyche (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
Week 3 (Monday September 16, 1996): vs. Buffalo Bills
1
2
3
4
Total
Bills
3
0
3
0
6
Steelers
7
17
0
0
24
at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scoring drives:
Week 4 (Sunday September 22, 1996): Bye Week
Week 5 (Sunday September 29, 1996): vs. Houston Oilers
1
2
3
4
Total
Oilers
0
0
14
2
16
Steelers
17
3
0
10
30
at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C) (Mostly Sunny)
Game attendance: 58,608
Referee: Tom White
TV announcers: (NBC) Don Criqui (play by play), Beasley Reece (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
1
2
3
4
Total
Steelers
0
6
8
3
17
Chiefs
0
7
0
0
7
at Arrowhead Stadium , Kansas City, Missouri
Scoring drives:
Week 7 (Sunday October 13, 1996): vs. Cincinnati Bengals
1
2
3
4
Total
Bengals
0
0
3
7
10
Steelers
3
0
7
10
20
at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C) (Partly Sunny)
Game attendance: 58,875
Referee: Gary Lane
TV announcers: (NBC) Charlie Jones (play by play), Randy Cross (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
Week 8 (Sunday October 20, 1996): at Houston Oilers
1
2
3
4
Total
Steelers
7
3
0
3
13
Oilers
3
6
0
14
23
at Astrodome , Houston, Texas
Scoring drives:
Week 9 (Sunday October 27, 1996): at Atlanta Falcons
1
2
3
4
Total
Steelers
3
0
14
3
20
Falcons
7
3
0
7
17
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:
Week 10 (Sunday November 3, 1996): vs. St. Louis Rams
1
2
3
4
Total
Rams
0
3
3
0
6
Steelers
14
7
14
7
42
at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EST
Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C) (Partly Sunny)
Game attendance: 58,148
Referee: Jerry Markbreit
TV announcers: (FOX) Joe Buck (play by play), Bill Maas (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
Week 11 (Sunday November 10, 1996): at Cincinnati Bengals
1
2
3
4
Total
Steelers
0
17
7
0
24
Bengals
3
14
7
10
34
at Cinergy Field , Cincinnati, Ohio
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
1
2
3
4
Total
Jaguars
0
3
0
0
3
Steelers
14
14
0
0
28
at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EST
Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C) (Cloudy)
Game attendance: 58,879
Referee: Bernie Kukar
TV announcers: (NBC) Jim Lampley (play by play), Bob Golic (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
Week 13 (Monday November 25, 1996): at Miami Dolphins
1
2
3
4
Total
Steelers
3
7
7
7
24
Dolphins
7
7
3
0
17
at Pro Player Stadium , Miami, Florida
Scoring drives:
Week 14 (Sunday December 1, 1996): at Baltimore Ravens
1
2
3
4
Total
Steelers
7
3
7
0
17
Ravens
7
17
0
7
31
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:
Week 15 (Sunday December 8, 1996): vs. San Diego Chargers
1
2
3
4
Total
Chargers
0
0
3
0
3
Steelers
6
7
0
3
16
at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EST
Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C) (Partly Sunny)
Game attendance: 56,368
Referee: Gerry Austin
TV announcers: (NBC) Tom Hammond (play by play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)
Scoring drives:
Week 16 (Sunday December 15, 1996): vs. San Francisco 49ers
1
2
3
4
Total
49ers
16
6
0
3
25
Steelers
0
0
8
7
15
at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EST
Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C) (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)
Week 17 (Sunday December 22, 1996): at Carolina Panthers
1
2
3
4
Total
Steelers
0
14
0
0
14
Panthers
7
2
6
3
18
at Ericsson Stadium , Charlotte, North Carolina
Scoring drives:
Standings
Playoffs
Game summaries
AFC Wild Card Playoff (Sunday December 29, 1996): vs. Indianapolis Colts
1
2
3
4
Total
Colts
0
14
0
0
14
Steelers
10
3
8
21
42
at Three Rivers Stadium , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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
1
2
3
4
Total
Steelers
0
0
3
0
3
Patriots
14
7
0
7
28
at Foxboro Stadium , Foxborough, Massachusetts
Scoring drives:
Honors and awards
Pro Bowl Representatives
References
^ a b 1996 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide .
^ 1997 Pittsburgh Steelers Media Guide .
^ "1996 Pittsburgh Steelers" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved December 24, 2014 .
External links
Formerly the Pittsburgh Pirates (1933–1939)
Franchise Stadiums Culture Lore Rivalries Media Division championships (24) Conference championships (8) League championships (6) Retired numbers Hall of Fame members Current league affiliations