linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who had also inflicted a season-ending injury on Bell during the regular season. The hit resulted in a personal foul penalty against the Bengals that, combined with an unsportsmanlike penalty against Bengals cornerback Adam Jones, set up the Steelers' game-winning field goal. Without Brown, the Steelers managed to keep pace with the Denver Broncos, led by an aging Peyton Manning, in the Divisional round, but the Steelers lost 23–16. 2016: Return to AFC Championship Game and the death of Dan Rooney The Steelers were the first team since the 2011 Green Bay Packers to play on both Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The Steelers won the AFC North for the second time in three years and made the playoffs for the third straight year. The team also improved upon their 10–6 record from 2015. Le'Veon Bell made his career first playoff appearance in the 2016–17 playoffs, as he was injured during the Steelers' previous playoff appearances. The Steelers went on to defeat the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card round and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional round before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots 36–17 in the AFC Championship Game. This was the Steelers' first appearance in the AFC Championship Game since the 2010 NFL Season. This was also the final season under the ownership of Dan Rooney, as he died on April 13, 2017. 2017: Dominant season, abrupt playoff exit Le'Veon Bell was slated to become a free agent, but the Steelers signed him to a franchise tag prior to the season. For Antonio Brown, however, the team signed a new five year, $68-million contract, making him the highest paid receiver in the NFL. Notable draft additions included linebacker T. J. Watt, brother of All-Pro defensive end J. J. Watt, and wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Steelers finished with a dominant 13–3 record, barely missing out on the number 1 seed in the AFC due to a loss to the New England Patriots that involved a potential Steelers go-ahead touchdown getting controversially called back. Despite the hype surrounding the team, the Steelers were upset in the Divisional round of the playoffs 45–42 by the Jacksonville Jaguars, who made their first playoff appearance in ten years. After the loss to the Jaguars, Pittsburgh faced heavy criticism from the media and their fans for looking past the Jaguars and anticipating a rematch with the