1999 record: 6-10, fourth place in AFC Central.

Last five years: 45-35.

Coach: Bill Cowher (82-57 in eight years with Pittsburgh)

Playoff past: Since the 1970 merger, the Steelers are 21-14 in postseason play and that includes four Super Bowl victories during a six-year stretch in the '70s. But the sobering fact is Pittsburgh has been to the Super Bowl only once since 1979 and hasn't won since that year, in Super Bowl XIV. The Steelers lost to inferior teams in the '97 (Denver) and '94 (San Diego) conference championship contests, with both defeats coming at Three Rivers Stadium, where the team used to be invincible. Bottom line is, this is a team that has won only seven of its past 23 games and the famed "Steel Curtain" is just a tattered memory.

Outlook

After taking the Pittsburgh Steelers to the playoffs in his first six years on the job, a stretch that included five division championships, three conference title games and an appearance in Super Bowl XXX, coach Bill Cowher has missed postseason play the past two campaigns.

Despite that failure, Cowher prevailed in a much-ballyhooed internal power struggle with Tom Donahoe, the talented director of football operations who constructed the Pittsburgh rosters with tremendous drafts. So the accountability is all on the head coach now, with him having new clout within the organization.

Kordell Stewart must deliver this year because coach Bill Cowher won't stand behind the QB much longer.(AP)

A third consecutive season out of the playoffs probably won't cost Cowher his job. After all, Steelers ownership isn't likely to concede it might have dumped the wrong guy, right? Still, this is a very pivotal season for Cowher as he attempts to reinforce his imprint on his team. Certainly another subpar year would put Cowher on the hot seat in 2001, when Pittsburgh begins play in its new, unnamed stadium.

"I can take the (heat)," said Cowher, who at times in '99 seemed to lose some of his passion and the respect of a few key veterans. "And I think we're head and heels better than we were at the same time last year."

OK, so he isn't a wordsmith. In fact, he's master of the malapropism. But what Cowher really needs to be is master of his domain, and his ability to reinvigorate a roster that frankly lacks talent in critical areas will determine who has the last word in Pittsburgh.

For the first time since the salary cap was implemented eight years ago, the Steelers began to use some of the same monetary machinations other clubs have utilized in the past to create cap room.

The front office restructured some contracts, dumped overpaid veterans who no longer were producing, and demonstrated some negotiating creativity in finishing off the deal that got No. 1 draft pick Plaxico Burress into camp after a two-day holdout.

All of it may be, however, a classic case of too little too late.

As a small market franchise, and one that never ventured outside the letter of the salary cap law, Pittsburgh lost more starters during the first eight years of free agency than any other franchise in the NFL. And when the drafts stopped being as productive, there weren't enough reinforcements on hand to take up the slack. In this first season of a reshaped front office and reworked chain of command, that isn't likely to change overnight.

It used to be that, no matter how spotty the Pittsburgh offense, the defense would hold the team in most games. That has ceased to be the case, though, and the shoddy Steelers offense, with an ever-inconsistent Kordell Stewart at the controls, isn't good enough to win games on its own.

This was not a physical team in 1999, as indicated by a No. 26 defensive ranking against the run. And while the Steelers rated No. 10 in rushing offense, tailback Jerome Bettis is showing some erosion after years of workhorse duty.

"We're going to have to be more diverse," allowed offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. "We've got to be able to throw the football and throw it productively."

Toward that end, Pittsburgh has used its past two No. 1 draft picks on wide receivers, and it seems '99 top choice Troy Edwards will eventually win a starting job and pair up with Burress. But the key performer remains Stewart, in whom Cowher has invested great time and faith. There are some who contend that his "radar ears," which enable him to seemingly hear every derisive word from the opinionated Pittsburgh fans, means Stewart will never succeed in the city.

If that's the case, both the quarterback and the coach are on borrowed time in The 'Burgh.

Schedule preview: Pittsburgh will find out quickly how it stacks up in the improving AFC Central, with each of its first four games against division opponents. Other than having its "bye" week the second weekend of the season, this is a balanced schedule, with back-to-back road games on just two occasions. An oddity is the Steelers have no division games in the final month of the season. Notable is the final game at once rowdy Three Rivers Stadium is Dec. 16 against Washington, with the Steelers scheduled to move into their new, unnamed stadium for the start of the 2001 campaign.

1999 offensive ranking: No. 22 overall, No. 10 rushing, No. 26 passing.

1999 defensive ranking: No. 11 overall, No. 26 vs. the rush, No. 4 vs. the pass.

Key players lost from 1999: DT Joel Steed (retired), LB Carlos Emmons (to Philadelphia), DE Orpheus Roye (to Philadelphia), OG Brenden Stai (released), FS Travis Davis (released), OT Justin Strzelczyk (retired), QB Mike Tomczak (to Detroit), FS Chris Oldham (to New Orleans).

Key additions for 2000: QB Kent Graham (from Giants), OG Rich Tylski (from Jaguars), FS Brent Alexander (from Panthers), DT Kimo von Oelhoffen (from Bengals), LB Gabe Northern (from Bills), DE Chris Sullivan (from Patriots), OG Tom Myslinski (from Cowboys).

Rookies to watch: After seriously flirting with the idea of drafting Marshall quarterback Chad Pennington in the first round, Steelers brass instead decided the way to upgrade their anemic passing game was to take wide receiver Plaxico Burress. The former Michigan State standout on Sunday night demonstrated he might be a force as a rookie, displaying tremendous body control and dominating the Dallas cornerbacks throughout the preseason contest. Burress lack stopwatch speed but he is a huge target and goes after the ball aggressively. If Kordell Stewart can get it near him, Burress can make the tough and acrobatic grab. The Steelers hope offensive tackle Marvel Smith might be ready for full-time duty by midseason and fourth-round wideout Danny Farmer should get playing time as well in 2000. The big surprise of camp, however, has been undrafted free agent Al Lucas, who has a real shot at winning the starting nose tackle job.

Offensive line: Long before iron man center Dermontti Dawson went down with a season-ending hamstring injury, the Pittsburgh offensive line had begun to deteriorate. Pittsburgh overspent for tackle Wayne Gandy, and then found out as the Rams had previously, that he was not nifty enough to line up on the left side. The right side tackle spot was a revolving door. The most inexplicable move of the offseason was the release of four-year starting guard Brenden Stai, who somehow fell out of favor with Cowher. The team went cheaper at guard, signing veteran Rich Tylski of Jacksonville. Maybe the best and most consistent player in the unit is guard Alan Faneca, a tough in-line blocker who could develop into a Pro Bowl performer in coming years. This was a line that once prided itself on knocking people around. More often than not now, it's the Steelers who get shoved off the line of scrimmage.

Wide receivers/tight ends: A unit that is difficult to evaluate, since Kordell Stewart has done little the past couple seasons to make their jobs easier. The emergence of Troy Edwards and development of first-round pick Plaxico Burress, who looked terrific in the preseason opener Sunday night, could significantly upgrade things. That would allow steady Hines Ward, who does not have great deep speed, to be the No. 3 wideout. Pittsburgh made a savvy move re-upping Courtney Hawkins, a player who isn't often appreciated but who, when healthy, will make the tough, third-down catch. Another rookie who could force the coaches into giving him playing time is fourth-round pick Danny Farmer, who isn't particularly fast but is very athletic. Tight end Mark Bruener is a solid intermediate receiver, but the Steelers' scheme doesn't get him the ball very much at all.

Running backs: This figures to be a crossroads season of sorts for tailback Jerome Bettis, who is entering the final year of his contract and beginning to show undeniable signs of wear. One of the league's true workhorse backs his entire career, Bettis doesn't always keep himself in great shape and that could shorten his career. To his credit, he worked hard this offseason with a personal trainer, but still tweaked his hamstring early in camp and missed some time. The heir apparent is Richard Huntley, who the Steelers signed to a three-year, $4 million contract as a restricted free agent. Huntley claimed Cowher promised him the starting job if he stayed in Pittsburgh rather than sign with Miami. Promised or not, Huntley could wind up No. 1 if he can find a way to stay healthy. The youngster usually delivers in a spot role, but the lingering question is whether he would be as effective as the starter. Fullback Jon Witman isn't the blocker he was touted as being and has been a downgrade for Pittsburgh. Look for second-year tailback Amos Zeroue to get more playing time as the Steelers look for a change-of-pace back.

Quarterbacks: It's make-or-break time for Kordell Stewart, who has been brutal over the past two seasons and whose confidence seems shattered at times. Until he proves differently, the former "Slash" may be the most obvious recent example of an elite athlete who wasn't even an adequate quarterback. Some of the blame should fall on offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, who has restrained some of Stewart's improvisational skills. Plus Stewart has simply tried too hard at times to prove to the skeptics that he is more than a scrambler. The result is a reluctant pocket passer who is uncomfortable in his closed surroundings. Stewart suddenly seems afraid to throw the ball downfield and he averaged a paltry 5.3 yards per pass play in '99. The Steelers felt they would put some pressure on Stewart by signing free agent Kent Graham of the Giants, but in camp, he has been spotty. Some insiders feel second-year pro Anthony Wright has moved ahead of Graham on the depth chart.

Defensive line: Recurring knee problems kept the once-dominating Joel Steed from playing more than five consecutive snaps at nose tackle in '99, and his demise reflected the breakdown of a unit that always lacked physical size but never physical play. Steed retired a few weeks ago and what remains now is a makeshift line that lacks any standout players. The best player in the unit might be end Kevin Henry, who has a huge motor but still doesn't make a lot of plays. Pittsburgh signed former Bengals end Kimo von Oelhoffen to play nose tackle, but he might not even beat out undrafted free agent rookie Al Lucas of Troy State for the starting job. Another free agent signee, end Chris Sullivan formerly of New England, is totally nondescript. In fact, that kind of describes this entire unit now.

Linebackers: Once the pride of the Pittsburgh defense, and a position that annually sent at least one player to the Pro Bowl, the 'backers have fallen off but remain good enough to win with. The leader of the group is inside linebacker Earl Holmes, who has quietly supplanted Levon Kirkland as the standout player on the unit. Holmes is mouthy and arrogant at times, but he hits with sledgehammer power and has decent range between the tackles. His shortcoming is coming off the field on third down because he can't play the pass. Kirkland got too heavy in '99, playing much of the season at 290 pounds. He's down to 270 now and might be able to regain the skills that made him one of the best all-around interior linebackers in the league. Jason Gildon is an occasional force in the pass rush but has never had double-digit sacks. The Steelers hope second-year pro Joey Porter develops into a quick, upfield rusher. But just in case he doesn't, the team signed former Buffalo linebacker Gabe Northern as a safety net.

Secondary: Cornerbacks Dewayne Washington and Chad Scott possess big-play mentalities but their production didn't meet that mindset in 1999. But they both have the skills and mental toughness to bounce back this season. Washington gambles a little too much and Scott probably plays too much by the book. Strong safety Lee Flowers has blossomed into a terrific interior defender, one who still plays the run a lot better than the pass, but who stepped up his game exponentially the past two years. Flowers will have a new partner this year in second-year free safety Scott Shields, the 1999 No. 2 draft choice. Shields is the biggest safety in the NFL but lacks some ball skills, instinct and, obviously, experience. It may be that he eventually moves to strong safety and Flowers to the free safety spot. The Steelers lost some "nickel" help in free agency and will try to upgrade that spot with youngsters.

Special teams: Neither of the specialists, kicker Kris Brown nor punter Josh Miller, looked like world beaters in camp last summer, but both came through nicely. Brown demonstrated more range than the Steelers felt he had. Miller continued to develop into a Pro Bowl caliber punter, knocking 27 kicks inside the opponents' 20-yard line and averaging 38.1 net yards. Coverage units suffered way too many breakdowns and, while Hines Ward is a try-hard guy, he is not a gamebreaker. Rookie Hank Poteat, a third-round pick, could gain a long look here.