No AFC team had won 15 games during the regular season before.

More than a few AFC teams have been more dominant than the 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers, however.

Of the team's 15 wins this year, six were by a margin for fewer than six points, eight were by 10 points or fewer and only one was by more than two scores.

By taking advantage of their depth, the Steelers were able to go 15-1 despite losing a starting quarterback, guard, receiver, tight end, nose guard, cornerback and two linebackers to injuries along the way.

As the Steelers prepare to play the New York Jets in the NFL Division Series at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, here is a week-by-week review of the season:

Defensive end Aaron Smith began a string of big defensive plays this year by returning a fumble 49 yards to set up a go-ahead touchdown late in the first half.Despite giving up a late touchdown pass that tied the game, the Steelers prevailed on a Jeff Reed 42-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining.Duce Staley rushed for 91 yards and Jerome Bettis had five carries for one yard - and three touchdowns.

In the season's only defeat, quarterback Tommy Maddox went down with an elbow injury. Baltimore's Jamal Lewis was held to 62 yards, but scored two touchdowns.Matt Stover kicked three field goals for the Ravens. Ben Roethlisberger threw his first two touchdown passes as a pro - three yards to Antwaan Randle El and 12 yards to Hines Ward - but Chris McAlister returned an interception 51 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal the Ravens' win.

The game was moved to Sunday night because of hurricane threats in South Florida and much of the contest was played in monsoon-like rain.Reed kicked field goals of 40 and 51 yards and Roethlisberger connected with Ward for a 7-yard scoring pass with 6:16 remaining. The Dolphins managed just 169 yards offensively.Staley had 22 carries for 101 yards.

This game was tight until Steeler safety Troy Polamalu intercepted former USC roommate Carson Palmer late in the fourth quarter and returned the theft 26 yards for a touchdown.Staley ran for 123 yards and Bettis scored two more touchdowns on short runs. Roethlisberger threw for 174 yards and a touchdown.

Roethlisberger threw a 51-yard pass to Plaxico Burress to set up one score and later found Burress for a 37-yard touchdown pass.The rookie quarterback ran six yards up the middle for another score. He threw for 231 yards while Burress caught six passes for 136.Staley rushed for 117 yards, recording his third straight 100-yard game. Cleveland converted only two of 12 third downs.

Roethlisberger became the first rookie quarterback to go 4-0 since Phil Simms did so with the Giants in 1979. He completed 21 of 25 passes, inckluding touchdown tosses of five yards to Burress and seven yards to tight end Jerame Tuman.Dallas took a 20-10 lead into the fourth quarter and was poised to hang on for victory until quarterback Vinny Testaverde fumbled deep in his own territory late in the game.Bettis scored on a 2-yard run with 30 seconds left to give the Steelers the win.

New England's 21-game winning streak - dating back to last year's Super Bowl championship season - came to an end.Roethlisberger found Burress for two first-quarter touchdown passes as the Steelers took a 21-3 lead. The Patriots played without injured running back Corey Dillon and lost cornerback Ty Law to a foot injury in the first quarter.The Pats' early woes continued when Steeler cornerback Deshea Townsend returned an interception 26 yards for a score.Staley rushed for 125 yards in the victory.

Bettis stepped in for the injured Staley and had 33 carries for 149 yards as the Steelers knocked off an undefeated opponent for the second straight week.Ward scored on a 16-yard run to snap the scoreless tie and Pittsburgh scored touchdowns on its first three possessions to lead 21-0 before Terrell Owens even caught a pass.The Steelers had a 420-113 advantage in total yardage. Roethlisberger became the first rookie quarterback to go 6-0 since the Steelers' Mike Kruczek in 1976.

Linebacker Joey Porter and Cleveland running back William Green were ejected for a pre-game fight, but the Steelers rolled on.Bettis rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns and Russell Stuvaints returned a fumble 24 yards for a score.Roethlisberger became the first rookie quarterback to go 7-0 since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.

Cincinnati put plenty of pressure on Roethlisberger, sacking him seven times and holding him to 138 yards passing.But Bettis ran for 119 yards - his third straight 100-yard game - and fullback Dan Kreider caught a rare touchdown pass.Linebacker James Farrior got in the act, returning an interception 14 yards for a score.

Randle El had punt returns of 60 and 43 yards to help set up a 4-yard Bettis scoring run and one of three Reed field goals as the Steeler offense struggled.Bettis rushed for exactly 100 yards, recording his 47th 100-yard game as a Steeler, tying Franco Harris for most in club history.

Reed's 37-yard field goal with 18 seconds left extended the Steelers' winning streak on prime-time national TV.Jacksonville kicker Josh Scobee had booted a 36-yard field goal with 1:55 left to give his team the lead before Roethlisberger engineered a six-play, 56-yard march with 1:47 remaining and no timeouts. Lee Mays made two critical receptions during the winning drive.Scobee's 60-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the game was just short and wide right.

With the score 3-3 in the fourth quarter, Bettis gave the Steelers the lead for good with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tuman. He later scored himself on a 12-yard run.Bettis and the Jets' Curtis Martin both went over 13,000 yards rushing for their careers. The Jets were penalized 12 times and Chad Pennington threw three interceptions.

Roethlisberger threw for a season-high 316 yards, connecting on four straight passes to set up Bettis' 1-yard plunge for the game-winning score with 4:57 remaining.Randle El caught five passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. He also threw a shovel pass to Verron Haynes for a score.Reed kicked four field goals and Ward caught nine passes for 134 yards. Bettis rushed for 140 yards.

The Steelers clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs despite losing Roethlisberger to bruised ribs. The injury occurred on a late hit by Terrell Suggs after a 2-yard touchdown pass to Tuman.Bettis and Haynes combined to run the ball on 12 successive plays during an eight-minute scoring drive to begin the third quarter and put the game away.Burress returned to the lineup from as hamstring injury and caught a 36-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.

Despite playing mostly second and third-string players, the Steelers ended Buffalo's playoff hopes and became the first AFC team to win 15 games in a regular season.Maddox threw a 16-yard scoring pass to Randle El, James Harrison returned a fumble 18 yards for a touchdown and Reed booted five field goals, increasing his streak to 17 consecutive successful field goal attempts.Ike Taylor recovered an on-sides kick to preserve the victory.