All good things must end

It was home to a lifetime of memories for Steelers fans, but on December 16, 2000, the final game ever was played at Three Rivers Stadium.

And the Steelers sent their treasured home out in style.

On a cold, rain soaked, Saturday afternoon, the Steelers defeated Washington, 24-3, in front of a crowd that included 50 Steelers legends, led by Hall of Fame Coach Chuck Noll.

And when the game ended, they joined the current team on the field for a celebration reminiscent of winning a championship, complete with fireworks and a victory lap where they shook hands and thanked fans.

“What an atmosphere,” said Coach Bill Cowher after the game. “Last night at the hotel, you see all of the former players, Commissioner Paul Tagliabue was there, Hank Williams Jr. coming into town to sing the National Anthem. It just had a tremendous buzz about it. When we came out of the locker room, you could see all of the black-and-gold in the stands, and it had that feel about it. It’s a special day.”

Washington got on the board first when Eddie Murray hit on a 32-yard field goal, giving them a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. But that would be it for them. The defense forced five turnovers, including forced fumbles by Kendrick Clancy, Jason Simmons and Kimo von Oelhoffen, while Chad Scott and Dewayne Washington both intercepted quarterback Jeff George.

“We knew we were going to come out and play Steelers football,” said Washington. “We knew we had to run the ball with Jerome (Bettis). We knew we had to make some plays on defense. We did that early and got up on them.”

The Steelers put up 17 points in the second quarter, with kicker Kris Brown tying the game, 3-3, with a 28-yard field goal. Special teams continued to provide a spark when rookie Hank Poteat returned a punt 53 yards to give the Steelers their first lead of the game, 10-7.

While Jerome Bettis led the ground game with 25 carries for 104 yards, for the…