1995 Pittsburgh Steelers Season

Season Summary: The 1995 season looked lost early. Rod Woodson tore his ACL in Week 1, and after humiliating losses to expansion Jacksonville and Cincinnati in prime time, Pittsburgh sat at 3-4 with fans ready to revolt. Bill Cowher called a team meeting, wiped the slate clean, and everything changed.

They ripped off 8 straight wins. Carnell Lake shifted to corner and, after a shaky start, played brilliantly. Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene kept "Blitzburgh" ferocious, while Chan Gailey's 5-wide sets and rookie Kordell "Slash" Stewart transformed the offense. Neil O'Donnell stayed steady, and Yancey Thigpen emerged as a 1,300-yard star.

By January, momentum was theirs. They steamrolled Buffalo 40-21, then edged the Colts 20-16 in an AFC Championship classic, saved when Jim Harbaugh's last-second Hail Mary fell incomplete. The Steelers were back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 1979.

Against Dallas, O'Donnell's 1st interception set up a TD that made it 20-7. Pittsburgh clawed back on a Bam Morris score after a surprise onside kick to cut it to 20-17. Driving late with a chance to win, O'Donnell threw a 2nd interception straight to Larry Brown, and Dallas closed it out 27-17. Days later, O'Donnell left in free agency, sealing his legacy in Pittsburgh.