5 most insane Wild Card weekend games in Steelers history

The Steelers pulled one out in overtime on the road against the Houston Oilers

This game, for me, was insane on many levels.  The Steelers finished the 1989 season with a record of nine wins and seven losses, which was one game above mediocre.  Ironically, our then AFC Central Division, the Houston Oilers, also finished with nine up and seven down.

We won our last three games.  The Oilers lost their last two; however, they beat us at home a few weeks prior. Although we had the momentum, this game was more about the Oilers just not playing well than it was about us playing well down the stretch.

All I was thinking when the game kicked off was this:  Let’s not get ‘blown out of the water’.  We played a physical style on both sides of the ball.  The Oilers were physical on defense but played more of a ‘finesse’ style of offense.

Our defense probably was not very well suited to match the ‘run and shoot’ style of the Oilers offense, but we had to play the game nonetheless.  Shockingly, at least to me, we found ourselves leading by four points at halftime.

This was really a back and forth game, with the Oilers eventually taking the lead in the fourth quarter; however, the Steelers hung in there and tied the game late in the fourth to force OT.  So, not only did we get into OT, but we won it in OT on a 50-yard FG.  That was truly insane because a 50-yard FG back then was cause to throw a parade.

Let’s wrap up this particular discussion, shall we?

The Steelers have had success in the playoffs, but not always in the Wild Card round

Look, I think it’s great that the Steelers have been able to get into the playoffs, but it hasn’t always worked out the way we would want it to work out in the Wild Card round.  So that begs the question of wanting to get into the playoffs as a Wild Card team or not getting into the playoffs at all.

For me, in the forty-plus years I have been watching Steelers football, I was always of the mindset of getting into the playoffs and seeing how it shakes out because you just never know what could happen.