3 trap games that cost the Pittsburgh Steelers their season

2. Steelers vs Patriots – 2002 AFC Championship Game

Now years later even after the Tuck-Rule had been abolished, the Patriots didn’t belong in this game (should’ve been the Raiders, but I digress) and Pittsburgh treated it as such. At home as well, the Steelers were oozing with confidence thinking the Patriots got lucky after the controversial call, and Adam Vinatieri kicked his field-goals in the worst of conditions.

After a couple of drives as the game started, Tom Brady got injured and in came Drew Bledsoe who almost had a career and life-threatening Spleen injury from many weeks ago against the New York Jets. Ironically, Brady came in that game and it was the start of his career that we would know today. Don’t know if it was the players’ or the coaching staff’s fault in the AFC Championship Game, the Steelers on Defense forgot how good Bledsoe can be, and ripped up our entire secondary collecting 102 passing yards and scoring 1 touchdown.

Our Offense was going to be the reason we were going to defeat New England however, but their Defense had our number too and Kordell Stewart and the Bus weren’t up to par for what they were always capable of, giving up 4 turnovers in the process. Give the devil their due, because the Patriots ended-up winning the Super Bowl the following two weeks later. Since this game except for a couple of stunners, the Patriots have had the winning record of 9 – 4.