While they rarely meet when the games count, these two franchises share a fascinating, unique bond. For nearly two decades, the Steelers and Panthers made it a tradition to play each other in the final game of the NFL preseason. It became a legendary annual evaluation ground for coaches to decide the final 53-man rosters.
The story of this matchup actually began with a shock to the system. In just their second year of existence, the 1996 expansion Carolina Panthers pulled off a gritty 18-14 victory over a seasoned, battle-tested Steelers squad. It looked like the birth of a fiercely competitive cross-conference rivalry. NFL Pittsburgh Steelers vs Carolina Panthers
The peak of the onslaught came in Week 10 of 2018. In a highly anticipated matchup between Ben Roethlisberger and Cam Newton, the Steelers offense exploded for a historic 52-21 blowout at Heinz Field . Newton was sacked five times, while Roethlisberger threw for five touchdowns with a perfect passer rating. 🤝 The Preseason Tradition While they rarely meet when the games count,