1988 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 1988 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 56th in the National Football League. Hall of Fame team founder and owner Art Rooney died at age 87 less than two weeks before the start of the season on August 25. The team wore AJR patches on the left shoulder the entire season in memory of "The Chief".
The team finished the season at 5–11 failing to improve on their 8-7 record from 1987, and had their worst record since finishing an NFL-worst 1–13 in 1969. As of 2018, the 5–11 mark remains the team's worst record since 1969, and they have only finished with ten losses twice since, in 1999 and 2003.
The Steelers got off to a disappointing start. After winning their home opener against the Dallas Cowboys, the team lost six straight, their first six-game losing streak since 1969. The team never recovered after the skid, and at one point had a 2–10 record after a 27–7 loss to the Cleveland Browns. It was the Steelers worst start to a season since the merger. The team had several horrible and forgetful games during the season. One of those games was their week 10 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, a game in which they lost, 42-7, the most points they had allowed in a game since 1985, when they allowed 54 points against the Chargers. The Steelers did, however, finish the season on a positive note, winning 3 of their last 4 games to finish the season 5-11.
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Offseason
The Steelers saw two of its last three remaining players who won all four Super Bowls retire in wide receiver John Stallworth and strong safety Donnie Shell, who were both from the team's famous Class of 1974 that saw four players go on to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and in the case of Stallworth, retired as the team's all-time leading receiver.Mike Webster, who was also from the Class of 1974, entered the season as the sole remaining member of all four Super Bowl teams. However, change appeared to be imminent when the team drafted Kentucky guard Dermontti Dawson in the second round of the 1988 draft. Although Dawson would be playing guard his rookie season alongside Webster, it was apparent that Dawson was drafted to be groomed as Webster's eventual replacement at center. Webster would be released by the Steelers in the following offseason, officially ending the team's link to all four Super Bowl clubs.
To the delight of Steelers fans, and even most of the players, the Mark Malone era officially ended in the offseason as well. Malone, who had lost the starting quarterback job to Bubby Brister the previous year, was traded to the San Diego Chargers during the offseason. Malone had also become hugely unpopular with fans and teammates for blaming his mistakes on other players and acting as if he were the "heir" to the QB position after the retirement of Terry Bradshaw. At one point, a locker room fight between Malone and the rest of the team ensued before being broken up by veteran offensive tackle Tunch Ilkin.
Preseason
Schedule
Regular season
Schedule
Game summaries
Week 1
Scoring Drives:- Dallas – Newsome 3 run
- Pittsburgh – Jackson 15 run
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 32
- Pittsburgh – Brister 1 run
- Dallas – Irvin 35 pass from Pelluer
- Pittsburgh – Jackson 29 run
- Dallas – Alexander 8 pass from Pelluer
Week 2
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 33
- Washington – Clark 55 pass from Williams
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 24
- Washington – FG Lohmiller 37
- Pittsburgh – Lipps 80 pass from Brister
- Pittsburgh – Brister 6 run
- Washington – Morris 1 run
- Washington – FG Lohmiller 46
- Pittsburgh – Stone 72 pass from Brister
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 43
- Washington – Bryant 7 pass from Williams
- Washington – FG Lohmiller 19
Week 3
Week 4
Scoring Drives:- Buffalo – FG Norwood 38
- Buffalo – Burkett 26 pass from Kelly
- PIttsburgh – Brister 1 run
- Buffalo – FG Norwood 39
- Pittsburgh – W. Williams 5 pass from Brister
- Buffalo – FG Norwood 39
- Buffalo – Riddick 1 run
- Buffalo – Riddick 5 blocked punt return
- Buffalo – FG Norwood 48
- Buffalo – FG Norwood 49
- Pittsburgh – Brister 1 run
- Pittsburgh – Thompson 42 pass from Brister
Week 5
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 49
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 35
- Cleveland – Manoa 1 run
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 45
- Cleveland – FG Bahr 22
- Cleveland – FG Bahr 21
- Cleveland – Washington 75 interception return
- Cleveland – FG Bahr 40
Week 6
- Phoenix – Awalt 32 pass from Lomax
- Pittsburgh – Woodson 92 kickoff return
- Phoenix – FG Del Greco 19
- Phoenix – Jordan 1 run
- Phoenix – J. T. Smith 13 pass from Lomax
- Phoenix – J. T. Smith 3 pass from Lomax
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 12 pass from Bono
Week 7
- Houston – Rozier 2 run
- Houston – FG Zendejas 50
- Houston – Safety, Seale blocked punt out of end zone
- Houston – Givins 43 pass from Moon
- Pittsburgh – Lockett 9 pass from Blackledge
- Houston – Pinkett 1 run
- Houston – FG Zendejas 27
- Houston – Hill 24 pass from Moon
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 1 run
Week 8
- Pittsburgh – Carter 64 run
- Pittsburgh – Blackledge 1 run
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 30
- Pittsburgh – Carter 10 pass from Blackledge
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 32
- Denver – Kay 17 pass from Kubiak
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 21
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 37
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 22
- Denver – Kay 14 pass from Kubiak
- Denver – Nattiel 74 pass from Karcher
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 30
Week 9
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 25
- Pittsburgh – Carter 24 pass from Brister
- New York Jets – FG Leahy 41
- New York Jets – Shuler 2 pass from O'Brien
- New York Jets – Hector 2 run
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 21
- New York Jets – McNeil 5 run
- PIttsburgh – Jackson 17 run
Week 10
Week 11
Scoring Drives:- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 52
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 13 pass from Lipps
- Philadelphia – Byars 1 run
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 21
- Philadelphia – Cunningham 7 run
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 29
- Philadelphia – FG Zendejas 34
- Pittsburgh – Lipps 89 pass from Brister
- Philadelphia – Cunningham 12 run
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 41
- Philadelphia – FG Zendejas 18
Week 12
- Cleveland – FG Bahr 32
- Cleveland – Tennell 2 pass from Kosar
- Cleveland – Minnifield 11 blocked punt return
- Pittsburgh – Carter 1 run
- Cleveland – Langhorne 77 pass from Kosar
- Cleveland – FG Bahr 34
Week 13
- PIttsburgh – FG Anderson 23
- PIttsburgh – FG Anderson 20
- Kansas City – Paige 4 pass from DeBerg
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 10 run
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 22
- Kansas City – FG Lowery 26
Week 14
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 45
- Houston – FG Zendejas 36
- Pittsburgh – Stone 92 kickoff return
- Houston – Rozier 6 pass from Moon
- Houston – FG Zendejas 41
- Pittsburgh – Lipps 80 pass from Brister
- Pittsburgh – 65 pass from Brister
- Houston – White 90 kickoff return
- Houston – Moon 2 run
- Pittsburgh – Hoge 2 run
- Houston – Moon 3 run
- PIttsburgh – Hoge 16 pass from Brister
Week 15
- San Diego – Flutie 6 pass from Malone
- San Diego – Malone 1 run
- San Diego – FG DeLine 24
- Pittsburgh – Gothard 3 pass from Brister
- Pittsburgh – Brister 3 run
- San Diego – FG DeLine 42
Week 16
- Pittsburgh – Woodruff 78 interception return
- Miami – Hampton 4 run
- Miami – FG Reveiz 20
- Pittsburgh – Lipps 39 run
- Miami – Hampton 1 run
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 34
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 43
- Pittsburgh – Carter 1 run
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 34
- Pittsburgh – Jordan 28 interception return
- Pittsburgh – FG Anderson 22
- Miami – Clayton 13 pass from Jaworski
Standings