1993 Steelers 37 vs Saints 14

[mcmillenandwife]

1993 Steelers 37 vs Saints 14

As a huge Rod Woodson fan, this is one of my favorite games. Woodson completely dominates from the outset, putting on one of the finest performances by a defensive back you will ever see. The first quarter is literally a Woodson highlight reel as Rod intercepts 2 passes (the first of which he returns 63 yards for a TD, the second setting up a Barry Foster TD) and bats away numerous other passes, not to mention some excellent punt returns. Wade Wilson finishes 6 of 23 for 85 yds, 0 TDs and 3 INTs and is sacked 5 times while Saints running backs muster only 22 rushing yards. Simply OUTSTANDING defense. A huge THANK YOU to Keith "Crash" Froehlich for graciously replacing my destroyed recording of this game!

[Crash]

One thing I remembered this was Tim Worley's last game before he was traded.

What Cowher did to Worley that year was awful. Barry Foster was in the middle of his second contract dispute and held out. So Cowher used that to showcase Worley as the teams leverage against Foster. Worley who was finally focused on football, looked great that preseason (Especially in a home preseason game vs. the Jets), but when Foster came back Worley was then the NUMBER THREE RB behind both Foster and Leroy Thompson.

Had the Steelers not traded Worley and used him as the #2 as they should have? IMO they don't finish the year 3-4 after Foster was injured. Leroy Thompson should have been the 3rd down back. Not the #2 behind Foster.

Another side note about that Jets preseason game, Cowher decided he wanted to change sidelines that season, the Jets game was the first game that occurred.

Season ticket holders were LIVID. They bombarded the Steelers office with calls all week. Dan Rooney told Cowher that wasn't going to fly anymore. And that's the first, and last time that happened. LOL

[mcmillenandwife]

Worley who was finally focused on football...

The comment above tells me that what Cowher did to Worley wasn't "awful" at all. Worley earned it.

"Finally focused on football." Really? Prove it. Where was he in 1992? Oh, that's right... suspended. I have no confidence that Worley would've made one iota of difference in '93. Talk about a wasted first round pick. 

Cowher did the exact right thing. The proof is in Chicago where Worley did the exact same thing he did in Pittsburgh: Nadda.  

I find the rest of your post extremely interesting, however.   Never knew there was an effort to change sidelines. I don't get it? Did Cowher want to be in the sun to stay warmer when cold weather came? Why did he want to switch sidelines?

P.S. -- Thanks again for replacing this game! One of my favorites. Woodson in full BEAST mode. 

[Guest]

Crash, you are the man. This was such a memorable game and I'm glad I got to watch it again.

Sal

[Crash]

"Finally focused on football." Really? Prove it. Where was he in 1992? Oh, that's right... suspended

Not for a positive test but a missed test because the NFL could't reach him as he went to the All Star game to watch Magic Johnson's "farewell". Back then you couldn't appeal and get leeway from the NFL. Pete Rozelle was more of a hard line commish than Goodell is.

Behind the scenes the Steelers STILL supported Worley. They gave him advances on his 1993 salary DURING his suspension.

Dan Rooney didn't have to do that, but he did it anyway.

I just didn't like the way Cowher used him. Used him as a pawn to get Foster in camp, and then demoted him for Leroy friggin' Thompson? As brittle as Foster was in 1991, and even during 1992 with nagging foot injuries you can never have had enough running backs. In 1993 and most of 1994 it finally caught up to Foster, who was then traded before 1995 after he told Cowher to "Go fuck yourself" after he was late for Cowher's one-on-one end of the season sit down because he was hanging out in the locker room with players and Cowher went to go get him.

You could say that three word "meeting" was the shortest of the Cowher Era. LOL

[Crash]

Crash, you are the man. This was such a memorable game and I'm glad I got to watch it again.

Sal

No problem Sal. I'm glad to be able to do it and keep Tim busy this off season with the box I sent him.  

[Guest]

The Saints went into this game 5-0, but they weren't the Saints of a few years prior.

I know they still had Rickey Jackson and Sam Mills, but other key cogs from those really good New Orleans teams were gone- Bobby Hebert, Pat Swilling, Dalton Hilliard, Ironhead Heyward.

The way this game played out, it was felt.

In prior years, you never ran on the Saints.

Here- over 201 yards!

Once upon a time, 201 rushing yards against the Saints was like a good game and a half for most teams.

[jschroe36]

Swilling left for Detroit but the Saints still had Jackson, Mills, V Johnson and Renaldo Turnbull who was a 1st Team All-Pro selection in 1993.

21 year old Jerome Bettis ran for what would be his single game high 212 yards despite missing the entire 2nd quarter in New Orleans (12/12/93).

Bettis also did some good work against the Steelers that year and made enough of an impression that it probably contributed to the trade in 96.

[ECboy]

This was a great game and this, along with the 1992 game against the Oilers, are the games I always think of when I think of Rod Woodson.
He was an absolute monster in this game.