Steelers’ home ‘MNF’ win streak has passed 3 decades, can reach 20 on Monday
To illustrate how long it has been since the Pittsburgh Steelerslost a home game on “Monday Night Football,” consider not only that 21-year-old Heinz Field was a full decade from opening and only four players on the Steelers’ current roster had even been born yet.
How about that Chuck Noll was the Steelers coach and fellow Hall of Famers Lawrence Taylor, Rod Woodson and Dermontti Dawson also were on the field that day?
When former Steelers Super Bowl-winning kicker Matt Bahr hit a 44-yard field goal with 4 seconds left to lift the New York Giants to a 23-20 victory Oct. 14, 1991, the Steelers walked off their home field on a late Monday night in defeat.
They haven’t done so since.
A franchise that is 25-5 at home on “Monday Night Football,” the Steelers have won 19 in a row in home games on Mondays.
The only current Steelers alive in October 1991 were Ben Roethlisberger, Cameron Heyward, Joe Haden and Chris Boswell.
“I don’t remember that,” Heyward quipped Friday.
Heyward was a couple of weeks shy of turning 2½ years old that day.
The Steelers will put their home “MNF” winning streak on the line when they host the Cleveland Browns on Monday.
Included in the Steelers’ win streak is an 11-0 record in Monday games at Heinz Field. The Steelers beat the Bears, 29-27, in their only prior “MNF” appearance this season.
Interestingly, despite the Steelers appearing in 75 Monday night games (tied for fourth-most of any franchise) since the concept was introduced in 1970, they’ve only played the rival Browns twice and not since 1995.
In an era of myriad entertainment choices and with primetime pro football now a staple of three evenings per week, “Monday Night Football” might not carry the same cache it did in its glory days of Howard Cosell. But it’s clear players still appreciate the stage.
“It’s like the Rose Bowl,” Heyward said, referencing college football’s most prestigious game. “It’s ‘The Granddaddy of Them All’ for the week. I just think it’s a stage where all of your peers are watching. Everybody gets to showcase their abilities and talents.
“I think it’s like a Friday night (high school) game. It’s what you’ve been building towards, and everybody at school is watching. I’m just excited for Monday.”
A win against the Browns would be the Steelers’ 51st all-time on “Monday Night Football,” breaking a tie for the most in league history.
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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