2000 Pittsburgh Steelers Season

Season Summary: The 2000 Steelers got off to a horrid start, dropping their first 3 games behind the completely ineffective Kent Graham. Kordell Stewart reclaimed the job and things stabilized. He wasn't spectacular, but he went 7-4 as the starter and showed massive improvement over his disastrous 1999 season. Stewart managed games, made plays, showed toughness, and delivered leadership in wins like the hard-fought victory over Oakland.

Jerome Bettis powered the ground game with over 1,300 yards, but the defense was the real story. In a remarkable 5-game stretch, Pittsburgh allowed just 18 total points, including back-to-back shutouts and a win over the eventual Super Bowl champion Ravens.

By December, it was clear this was a team on the rise. The Steelers narrowly missed a playoff berth, but after 2 miserable seasons, they seemed back on track and headed for bigger things. Fittingly, the turnaround came in the final year at Three Rivers Stadium, capped by a farewell win over Washington in the stadium's last game.