What was your toughest, hardest, most depressing, gut-wrenching loss to take as a Steelers fan?

What was your toughest, hardest, most depressing, gut-wrenching loss to take as a Steelers fan?

Super Bowl loss to Dallas?
Super Bowl loss to Green Bay?
AFC CG loss to San Diego?

For me, it's the loss to Oakland in the AFC CG that would have been a chance at a 3-peat and we were without Rocky and Franco.

What was your hardest loss to take?

 

We've been over this a hundred times. January '95 AFC Championship loss to the Chargers will go down in infamy. That was, by far, the worst loss in Steelers history. Losing to Tebow, SBXXX and SBXLV losses pale in comparison. The epic loss to the Chargers is up there with the biggest choke jobs in NFL history... up there with Patriots losing to Giants in SBXLII to go 18-1 and done.

Losing SBXLV to Packers and SBXXX to Cowboys was justified. The Cowboys were a better overall team in XXX and the Steelers beat themselves in SBXLV with turnovers against a good Packer team. Losing to an inferior Chargers team the way they did was inexcusable. It was pitiful and pathetic.

 

It's always the last Steeler loss. That would mean the debacle at Lambeau Field last Thursday night. OK, just kidding. That one doesn't count in spite of the drama melt downs around here. I'd have to say all the ones you mentioned above plus the loss to the Pats last year when it seemed like we finally had them after all these years only to have the refs snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. It was quite traumatic.

 

the last one.

 

AFC championship game against San Diego

 

SB loss to dallas. we would be sitting 7-4 vs them and I can just kick back with my feet up top living in Texas lol.

 

Tie between AFCCG vs Chargers and SBXXX

 

SB to Dallas is #2 for me. They were better than us, but Cowher ball gave us a chance to beat a better team and in the last 5 minutes it looked like we were going to tie or win the game. Then....the unspeakable happened. Sheer pain goes to game against SD. I WILL NEVER FORGET THE TORTURE.

Edit: Surprisingly I found the GB loss not so tough. I knew we would not win and we were lucky to have a small chance to pull it out at the end.

The third worst loss was a game against the Ravens and I don`t remember exactly which one. I remember posting on this site for hours and until late in the night to relieve some steam.

 

AFC CG 2004 loss against Patriots.

Thank god 2005 happened!

 

This!

 

Exactly.

 

2001 loss to the Patriots. Everyone wanted to see the greatest show on turf vs the big nasty D. Would have been epic.

 

Definitely the Chargers AFCC loss. The Steelers were the vastly superior team and choked. They might not have beaten the 9ers in the SB anyway but it would have been a good game at least. That loss was simply terrible. Nothing has come close since. Worst loss of my fandom in any sport.

 

Now there is the squeaky pot calling the kettle black.

 

AFC Championship December 26,1976.

Raiders 24 Steelers 7

We were out of running backs. Win that game and we most likely would have won 3 SBs in a row.

IMHO, that was the best NFL team that walked on a field.

 

The last one. I'm still confused how they allowed blake bortles to do what he did. This is the same guy that his own team wont put their first team def against him in practice to not hurt his confidence.

 

I think a bunch of these people believe it was last weeks preseason game.

They already have coaches on hot seats.

 

1977 - losing to the Broncos and a 38 year old QB on one leg in the playoffs. What an ugly game that was.

 

Honorable mention: Dec 8, 2013 - snow game against Miami..... we get outplayed, but then have a miracle multi-lateral play.... that ends when AB touches the chalk on his way to the end zone. Steelers are eliminated from playoff contention....

But THEN.... they miraculously win their next 3 games.... 20 other things happen in their favor, but it boils down to the KC backups needing to beat the Chargers' starters. No way that would happen....

But THEN.... the Chiefs backups play their guts out.... and Ryan Succop lines up for the 41 yard field goal that would send the Steelers to the playoffs (I don't watch the game knowing that the Chiefs will never win, except I turn it on with 9 seconds to play)..... and misses it right.... overtime.....no way the Chiefs win....

But THEN.... the Chiefs appear to strip the ball from the Chargers and run it back for a score....but a whistle that was never blown apparently ended the play.... and this type of stuff keeps happening until the Chargers win....

But THEN.... the league apologizes and says Chargers had an obvious illegal formation on Succop's FG attempt.... he should have had another chance at a 36-yarder..... Soooooooorry!

Given the year the Steelers had (where there were a LOT of gut punches), nobody would have expected them to make noise in the playoffs, so this type of loss is quickly written off as "It wouldn't have mattered, Steelers shouldn't have put themselves in that position, can't rely on other people, blah blah blah.... but when you're dead and come back to life, only to be killed again before you get out of the grave (twice)..... it sort of stings.....

 

Personally, for me it was the SB XXX loss. They really outplayed the heavily favored cowboys in all 3 phases of the game except for the 2 terrible INT's.

Second is the loss to SD. I will never forget the look on Cowher's face as game clock ran out.

Third would be the Green Bay SB loss. They had all the momentum going their way towards victory and then the missed block and Mendenhall fumble. A true gut punch still felt to this day.

 

The AFC championship game to the Chargers by far.The Steelers had just dominated the Browns in the a divisional game the week before and were heavy favorites against the Chargers.They almost doubled the amount of yardage gained by the Chargers and had a big time of possession advantage leading 13-3 at one point in the third quarter.The final drive by the Steelers was a heartbreaker as O’Donnell’s 4th down three yard pass to Barry Foster was tipped and broken up.They would have given the 49ers a run for their money definitely if ONLY!!

 

I’m suprised the Tebow playoff loss doesn’t come up more often, talk about a game you shouldn’t have lost. I know it was a road game but come on!!

 

SB xxx for me. It broke our perfect SB record, we should have won it, & against the Cowboys which I despise.
Still has a bad taste.

 

The Broncos Orange Crush defense was bad ass though.

 

All of them