2003 Pittsburgh Steelers season
Pittsburgh Steelers 71st US football season
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The 2003 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 71st season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League.
| 2003 Pittsburgh Steelers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | The Rooney Family |
| General manager | Kevin Colbert |
| Head coach | Bill Cowher |
| Home stadium | Heinz Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 6–10 |
| Division place | 3rd AFC North |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| All-Pros | Alan Faneca (2nd team) Hines Ward (2nd team) |
| Pro Bowlers | 3 |
| Team MVP | Hines Ward |
| Team ROY | Troy Polamalu |
Their season began with the team trying to improve on their 10–5–1 record from 2002 in which they lost to the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round of the playoffs.
With the team suffering through injuries as well as less reliance on the running game than normal, the Steelers stumbled to a 6–10 record, going the entire season without winning consecutive games. Since moving to Heinz Field in 2001, this was the Steelers' first season with a losing record and their first season missing the playoffs. The team's record is tied with that of the 1999 season as the worst for a season under head coach Bill Cowher. This was the Steelers' only losing season from 2000 to 2025.
In his final season with the team, linebacker Jason Gildon became the franchise's career sack leader during a game against the Arizona Cardinals on November 9.
Since then, this represents the most recent losing season for the Steelers, as well as the only time they've lost to the Browns on Heinz Field in the regular season.
Offseason
| Additions | Subtractions |
|---|---|
| TE Jay Riemersma (Bills) | QB Kordell Stewart (Bears) |
| T Todd Fordham (Jaguars) | K Todd Peterson (49ers) |
| LB Clint Kriewaldt (Lions) | T Wayne Gandy (Saints) |
| WR Chris Doering (Redskins) |
NFL draft
| 2003 Pittsburgh Steelers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Troy Polamalu * † | Safety | USC | |
| 2 | 59 | Alonzo Jackson | Linebacker | Florida State | |
| 4 | 125 | Ike Taylor | Cornerback | Louisiana–Lafayette | |
| 5 | 163 | Brian St. Pierre | Quarterback | Boston College | |
| 7 | 242 | J. T. Wall | Running back | Georgia | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Armstead | Wide receiver | Ole Miss |
| Roy Attieh | Defensive Tackle | Kent State |
| Phil Braxton | Wide receiver | West Virginia |
| Dante Brown | Running back | Memphis |
| Nashville Dyer | Cornerback | Kent State |
| Jack Fadule | Tackle | Harvard |
| Rashad Faison | Safety | South Carolina |
| Casey Poppinga | Tight end | Utah State |
| Dan Rumishek | Defensive end | Michigan |
| Jonathan Ruffin | Kicker | Cincinnati |
| Leonard Scott | Wide receiver | Tennessee |
| Russell Stuvaints | Safety | Youngstown State |
Personnel
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Notable additions include Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor.
Roster
Preseason
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | NFL Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 9 | at Detroit Lions | L 13–26 | 0–1 | Ford Field | |
| 2 | August 16 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 16–21 | 0–2 | Heinz Field | |
| 3 | August 21 | Dallas Cowboys | W 15–14 | 1–2 | Heinz Field | |
| 4 | August 29 | at Carolina Panthers | L 14–21 | 1–3 | Bank of America Stadium | |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game Site | NFL Recap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | Baltimore Ravens | W 34–15 | 1–0 | Heinz Field | Summary | |
| 2 | September 14 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 20–41 | 1–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | Summary | |
| 3 | September 21 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 17–10 | 2–1 | Paul Brown Stadium | Summary | |
| 4 | September 28 | Tennessee Titans | L 13–30 | 2–2 | Heinz Field | Summary | |
| 5 | October 5 | Cleveland Browns | L 13–33 | 2–3 | Heinz Field | Summary | |
| 6 | October 12 | at Denver Broncos | L 14–17 | 2–4 | Invesco Field at Mile High | Summary | |
| 7 | Bye | ||||||
| 8 | October 26 | St. Louis Rams | L 21–33 | 2–5 | Heinz Field | Summary | |
| 9 | November 2 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 16–23 | 2–6 | Seahawks Stadium | Summary | |
| 10 | November 9 | Arizona Cardinals | W 28–15 | 3–6 | Heinz Field | Summary | |
| 11 | November 17 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 14–30 | 3–7 | San Francisco Stadium | Summary | |
| 12 | November 23 | at Cleveland Browns | W 13–6 | 4–7 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Summary | |
| 13 | November 30 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 20–24 | 4–8 | Heinz Field | Summary | |
| 14 | December 7 | Oakland Raiders | W 27–7 | 5–8 | Heinz Field | Summary | |
| 15 | December 14 | at New York Jets | L 0–6 | 5–9 | Giants Stadium | Summary | |
| 16 | December 21 | San Diego Chargers | W 40–24 | 6–9 | Heinz Field | Summary | |
| 17 | December 28 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 10–13 (OT) | 6–10 | M&T Bank Stadium | Summary | |
Note: Intra-divisional opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1
Week One: Baltimore Ravens (0–0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (0–0)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravens | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 15 |
| Steelers | 6 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 34 |
at Heinz Field • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: September 7
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Mostly cloudy • 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h; 2.6 kn)
- Game attendance: 63,157
- Referee: Ron Winter
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Pittsburgh won their season opener for the first time since 1999.[6]
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Week 2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| • Chiefs | 7 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 41 |
- Date: September 14
- Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 78,416
- Referee: Larry Nemmers
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross
Week 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Steelers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
| Bengals | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
- Date: September 21
- Location: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 64,596
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
Week 4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Titans | 0 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 30 |
| Steelers | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
- Date: September 28
- Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 63,244
- Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C) (Cloudy)
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
Week 5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Browns | 10 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 33 |
| Steelers | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
- Date: October 5
- Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 64,595
- Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C) (Clear)
- Referee: Gerald Austin
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire & Suzy Kolber
This was Pittsburgh's last loss at home against Cleveland until 2020. As of 2025, this is the Steelers last regular season loss at home to Cleveland.
Week 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| • Broncos | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
- Date: October 12
- Location: Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
- Game start: 4:15 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 75,974
- Referee: Mike Carey
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Phil Simms, and Armen Keteyian
Week 8
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Rams | 7 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 33 |
| Steelers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
- Date: October 26
- Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 62,665
- Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C) (Light Rain)
- Referee: Johnny Grier
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen & Bill Maas
This was the 1,000th game in Steelers history.
Week 9
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 16 |
| • Seahawks | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 23 |
- Date: November 2
- Location: Seahawks Stadium, Seattle
- Game start: 4:05 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 66,507
- Referee: Bill Leavy
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Enberg, Dan Dierdorf, and Bonnie Bernstein
Week 10
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 15 |
| • Steelers | 0 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 28 |
- Date: November 9
- Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 59,520
- Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C) (Sunny)
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts & Tim Ryan, and Alby Oxenreiter
Week 11
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| • 49ers | 7 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 30 |
- Date: November 17
- Location: San Francisco Stadium, San Francisco
- Game start: 9:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 67,877
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, John Madden & Lisa Guerrero
Week 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Steelers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Browns | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
- Date: November 23
- Location: Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 73,658
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle & Solomon Wilcots
The Steelers were the only team in the 2003 season to play on the road following a Monday night road game. The NFL at that time had typically given teams that traveled for a Monday night game either a home game or their bye week the following week. Steelers head coach Bill Cowher objected to the team playing a road game after a Monday night road game. Team president Dan Rooney said that he would not pursue the matter with the NFL, noting that the second game was in Cleveland, only 112 miles (180 km) from Pittsburgh.[7]
Week 13
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Bengals | 7 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| Steelers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 20 |
- Date: November 30
- Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 58,797
- Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C) (Sunny)
- Referee: Bernie Kukar
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui & Steve Tasker
Week 14
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| • Steelers | 0 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
- Date: December 7
- Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 53,079
- Game weather: 30 °F (−1 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
- Referee: Johnny Grier
- TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson & Brent Jones
Week 15
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • Jets | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
- Date: December 14
- Location: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 77,900
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson & Brent Jones
With the loss, the Steelers would be eliminated from playoff contention at 5-9, their first and only losing season since 1999.
Week 16
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| • Steelers | 14 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 40 |
- Date: December 21
- Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Game start: 4:05 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 52,527
- Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C) (Sunny)
- Referee: Bill Carollo
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui & Steve Tasker
Week 17
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| • Ravens | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
- Date: December 28
- Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Game start: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 70,001
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire & Suzy Kolber
With the loss the Steelers would finish their season at 6-10, their most recent losing season as of 2025.
Standings
| AFC North | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (4) Baltimore Ravens | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 391 | 281 | W2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 346 | 384 | L2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 300 | 327 | L1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 3–9 | 254 | 322 | W1 |