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.
Offseason
NFL draft
Staff
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
Game time: 9:00 pm EDT
Game weather: Game attendance: 72,874 Referee: Larry Nemmers TV announcers: (ABC) Al Michaels (play by play), Frank Gifford & Dan Dierdorf (color commentators), Lynn Swann (sideline reporter)
Scoring drives:
Miami – FG Stoyanovich 37
Miami – Parmalee 2 run (Stoyanovich kick) Pittsburgh – FG Johnson 40 Miami – Kirby 28 pass from Marino (Stoyanovich kick) Miami – FG Stoyanovich 39 Miami – FG Stoyanovich 21 Pittsburgh – Mills 27 pass form Miller (Johnson kick)
Week 4 (Sunday September 24, 1995): vs. Minnesota Vikings
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Game time: 1:00 pm EDT
Game weather: (Partly Cloudy) Game attendance: 57,853 Referee: Gordon McCarter TV announcers: (FOX) Kenny Albert (play by play), Anthony Muñoz (color commentator)
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
Game time: 4:00 pm EDT
Game weather: (Sunny) Game attendance: 57,012 Referee: Gerald Austin TV announcers: (NBC) Dick Enberg (play by play), Phil Simms & Paul Maguire (color commentators)
Scoring drives: