PITTSBURGH — The last time the Steelers played a home playoff game with fans in the building, it did not go well.

They fell behind the Jacksonville Jaguars, 28-7, in the second quarter on that January day in 2017 and lost 45-42. Blake Bortles ate them alive.

Ben Roethlisberger unbelievably threw for 469 yards and five touchdowns — statistically one of the greatest postseason performances of all time. But just as unbelievably, he threw his final TD with one second left on the clock.

Why didn't the Steelers kick a field goal before that and try an onside kick? We'll never know.

We know this much, though: That game basically repeated itself three years later, when the Cleveland Browns raced to a 28-0 lead and beat the Steelers, 48-37, despite Roethlisberger again going crazy, with 501 yards and four touchdowns (and four interceptions).

There were no fans in the stands that night, on account of COVID, but you better believe the place will be packed Monday night when the Houston Texans pay a visit.

It will be the Steelers' 15th playoff game at Acrisure Stadium, formerly known as Heinz Field. As you might have heard, they have not won a playoff game of any kind since the 2016 season.

Will the home crowd help them end the slide? It sure can't hurt to have the Texans on a silent count, but home cooking hasn't always been the recipe at Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers are just 8-6 in playoff games there, although it has rarely been boring.

Those 14 games include some of the franchise's greatest triumphs and most devastating defeats. So let's rank them, worst to first.

The quality of the game, combined with the emotional impact (devastation versus elation), will factor in our extremely unscientific criteria.

Envelopes, please ...

14. Wild card, Jan. 10, 2021: Browns 47, Steelers 38

What an unmitigated disaster, from Browns defensive lineman Karl Joseph falling on a fumble in the Steelers' end zone 14 seconds into the game to Maurkice Pouncey snapping a ball to Station Square (on that same play) to Mike Tomlin punting on fourth-and-1 after the Steelers cut a 28-0 deficit to 35-23.

The Browns didn't even have their head coach on the sidelines. Kevin Stefanski was in COVID protocol and watched from home. Cleveland also used a player that quarterback Baker Mayfield had just met.

"We had Michael Dunn step in at left guard for Joel Bitonio," Mayfield said. "And then, Michael got hurt and a guy named Blake, that I introduced myself to literally in the locker room before the game, stepped up in the fourth quarter."

That would be Blake Hance, who still plays in the NFL, believe it or not. Truly one of the most horrifying losses in franchise history.

13. Divisional round, Jan. 14, 2018: Jaguars 45, Steelers 42

This was the year Tomlin guaranteed the Steelers would play the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game. He forgot about the Jags, who made it 28-7 on Telvin Smith's 50-yard return of a Roethlisberger fumble.

I won't forget former Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin, working in a different capacity for the team, absolutely losing his mind in the press box that day. I don't think he liked the officiating. Nobody around here liked the result. Only once had anybody seen a team put up that many points on the Steelers in a playoff game (and Bortles wasn't exactly Dan Marino, the first guy to get to 45).

12. AFC championship, Jan. 23, 2005: Patriots 41, Steelers 27

One question lingers from this game: Did the Patriots cheat? Did they use stolen signals from a regular-season matchup?

An ESPN investigative report from 2015 indicated as much:

"Some of the Steelers' defensive coaches remain convinced that a deep touchdown pass from Brady to Deion Branch came from stolen signals because Pittsburgh hadn't changed its signals all year, sources say, and the two teams had played a game in the regular season that (then-Patriots assistant Matt) Walsh told investigators he believes was taped.

"'They knew the signals, so they knew when it went in what the coverage was and how to attack it,' " says a former Steelers coach. " 'I've had a couple of guys on my teams from New England, and they've told me those things.' "

In any case, it qualified as one of the most crushing losses in franchise history. The only good news was that Jerome Bettis eventually decided not to retire.

11. AFC championship, Jan. 27, 2002: Patriots 24, Steelers 17

Some wonder if the Patriots also cheated in this one, but that had nothing to do with Steelers special teams disasters, which cost them a game in which they were favored by 9 1/2 points.

Drew Bledsoe came in to replace some guy named Tom Brady. Bettis had just 9 yards on eight carries. Kordell Stewart had a rough day.

Who knew this game would mark the beginnings of a Patriots dynasty? I'm pretty sure Bill Belichick made the right choice by going back to Brady for the Super Bowl.

10. Wild card, Jan. 3, 2015: Ravens 30, Steelers 17

This was about as forgettable as any game on this list. Just an awful football game. To make matters worse, two of the most unlikable men in sports — Jim Harbaugh and Tom Crean — joined Ravens coach John Harbaugh on the Baltimore sidelines.

If you can name the three running backs who filled in for an injured Le'Veon Bell, you're a football genius (answer below).

The most notable aspect of this game was that it was the final one for the great Troy Polamalu, who was far past his prime but still led the Steelers in tackles that day.

Trivia answer: Ben Tate, Josh Harris and Dri Archer.

9. Divisional round, Jan. 15, 2005: Steelers 20, Jets 17 (OT)

Long before Tyler Loop, there was Doug Brien. The main reason the heavily-favored Steelers won this game was because Brien, the Jets kicker, missed from 47 and 43 yards.

"There's blood out there on that field that's ours," said Jets running back and former Pitt star Curtis Martin. "We put ourselves in position to win. Football logic, football sense says we should have beaten the Steelers today."

The Patriots would take care of that a week later.

8. Wild card, Jan. 5, 2008, Jaguars 31, Steelers 29

Tomlin's first playoff game went off the rails several times and included him ordering a two-point conversion from the 12-yard line (after a penalty) with more than 10 minutes left and his team down five. That failed conversion forced him to try another one after their next touchdown. Both failed. If he'd simply kicked extra points, the game would have gone to overtime.

"Playing the charts, that is not out of bounds," Tomlin said. "That's just baseball."

Yes, but it might not have been football. Anyway, the Jaguars won it late after a David Garrard scramble on which James Harrison was blatantly held.

Please never forget that Najeh Davenport scored two touchdowns for the Steelers.

7. Wild card, Jan. 8, 2017: Steelers 30, Dolphins 12

The result here serves as a reminder of what could have been when the Steelers Killer B's — Roethlisberger, Bell and Antonio Brown — were all healthy for playoff games, which was rare.

Brown scored twice in the first 10 minutes. Bell rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns. And for good measure, Bud Dupree nearly beheaded Miami quarterback Matt Moore.

6. Divisional round, Jan. 11, 2009: Steelers 35, Chargers 24

This one seemed shaky until Santonio Holmes took a punt and raced 67 yards for a touchdown. LaMarr Woodley body slammed a talkative Phil Rivers. And "Fast" Willie Parker ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns.

We give extra points here because it led to a Steelers Super Bowl win.

5. Divisional game, Jan. 20, 2002: Steelers 27, Ravens 10

This was an immensely satisfying win, as it vanquished the defending Super Bowl champions. Elvis (Grbac) left the building with three interceptions. The Steelers beat him around like a piñata.

"We knew Grbac couldn't beat us," Joey Porter said.

This game also was memorable for the fact that Bettis couldn't play because of a pre-game injection gone bad. Amos Zereoue scored twice, and the Steelers controlled the ball for 41 minutes, handing Baltimore the worst defeat of any defending champion in 18 years.

4. AFC championship, Jan. 23, 2011: Steelers 24, Jets 19

Remember when the cocky, Rex Ryan-led Jets upset Tom Brady and the Patriots a week earlier and somebody mentioned to linebacker Bart Scott that the Steelers were next?

"Can't wait!" Scott said.

That was before the Steelers pushed the Jets all over the field in taking a 24-0 lead. They barely held on, clinching the deal on a short first-down pass from Roethlisberger to Brown. Rashard Mendenhall also had one of his best games, rushing for 121 tough yards on 27 carries.

3. Wild card, Jan. 5, 2003: Steelers 36, Browns 33

All you need to know is that after the game, Dan Rooney told the Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette that this win ranked second only to the Immaculate Reception game among most exciting Steelers playoff wins.

And it was exciting.

Played in a snow globe, the Steelers trailed 24-7 before mounting a wild comeback behind Tommy Maddox.

Bruce Arians was Cleveland's offensive coordinator. Ex-Pitt coach Foge Fazio was the defensive coordinator — and he raged when Browns head coach Butch Davis ordered him to stop blitzing.

The winning run came about when running backs coach Dick Hoak kicked coordinator Mike Mularkey in the shin in the press box and begged him to use a play called "42 Base."

It worked. Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala took a handoff out of the shotgun and ran 3 yards for the score.

2. Divisional game, Jan. 15, 2011: Steelers 31, Ravens 24

"Let's send him," Roethlisberger told offensive coordinator Arians, referring to one Antonio Brown. "Let's just chuck it deep."

The Steelers were facing a third-and-19 at their 38 with 2:07 remaining in a tie game. They wound up completing one of the greatest go-for-broke plays in team history.

Roethlisberger unleashed a monster throw down the right sideline. Brown pinned the ball against his helmet as he ran out of bounds for a 58-yard play that set up the winning touchdown.

The Steelers erased a 21-7 halftime deficit. Heinz Field shook amid the comeback. It ended when T.J. Houshmandzadeh, one of the Terrible Towel stompers when he played in Cincinnati, dropped Flacco's fourth-down pass at the Steelers' 38 with 1:03 remaining.

1. AFC championship, Jan. 18, 2009: Steelers 23, Ravens 14

This game had it all. One of the most violent football games I have ever witnessed, as evidenced by Ryan Clark's frightening hit on Willis McGahee.

If you love defense, you loved this one.

If you love Troy Polamalu, you loved it even more.

Polamalu's weaving 40-yard interception return for a game-clinching touchdown goes down in Steelers lore. As he crossed the goal line, he raised the ball to heavens, and Heinz Field fairly exploded.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco knew he'd made a mistake shortly after he threw it, with James Harrison crashing into his legs.

"I was young, and I probably kept my eyes on the corner stop [route] too long," Flacco told me years later. "I was staring at him a split second too long, and I think Troy just read my eyes. When the ball was halfway there, I was like, 'Oh geez, here we go.'

"I remember I was the last guy back, too, and he just hopped around me like it was nothing."

It was nothing. But it was also something: the greatest Steelers home playoff game of the 21st century (so far).

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