▁season ▁was ▁highlight ed ▁by ▁the ▁surprising ▁emer gence ▁of ▁ro ok ie ▁quarter back ▁Ben ▁Ro eth lis berger , ▁the ▁team ' s ▁top ▁pick ▁in ▁that ▁year ' s ▁draft . ▁Origin ally ▁intended ▁to ▁sit ▁behind ▁veter an ▁Tommy ▁M add ox ▁the ▁entire ▁season , ▁plans ▁ab rupt ly ▁changed ▁when ▁M add ox ▁was ▁hurt ▁in ▁the ▁team ' s ▁Week ▁ 2 ▁loss ▁to ▁Baltimore . ▁S urr ounded ▁by ▁talent , ▁" Big ▁Ben " ▁went ▁an ▁NFL - record ▁ 1 3 – 0 ▁as ▁a ▁ro ok ie ▁starting ▁quarter back , ▁sh atter ing ▁the ▁old ▁NFL ▁record ▁( and ▁coinc ident ally , ▁also ▁the ▁team ▁record ) ▁of ▁ 6 – 0 ▁to ▁start ▁an ▁NFL ▁career ▁set ▁by ▁Mike ▁Kru c zek ▁filling ▁in ▁for ▁an ▁injured ▁Terry ▁Brad sh aw ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁Ste el ers ▁hosted ▁the ▁A FC ▁Championship ▁for ▁the ▁fifth ▁time ▁in ▁eleven ▁years . ▁However , ▁for ▁the ▁fourth ▁time ▁in ▁that ▁same ▁span , ▁the ▁Ste el ers ▁lost ▁at ▁home ▁one ▁game ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁Super ▁Bowl , ▁and ▁as ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁lost ▁to ▁the ▁Patri ots ▁in ▁a ▁rem atch ▁from ▁Week ▁ 8 . ▁ ▁The ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁edition ▁of ▁Pro ▁Football ▁Pro spect us ▁listed ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁Ste el ers ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁their ▁" He art break ▁Se asons