ClutchPoints
The biggest thing facing the Pittsburgh Steelers these days is whether to load up the cash truck and park it at T.J. Watt’s house. Apparently, the guaranteed money is a sticking point. But while the Steelers figure out that mess, it’s time to take a look at the 10 greatest Steelers teams of all time.
It’s a proud franchise. The Steelers have been mired in a recent playoff-victory drought, but they still win games. And this year could be a banner season. If, that is, if Aaron Rodgers can turn back the clock while also staying healthy. And if the Steelers work things out with Watt.
But the cream of the Steelers’ crop goes back to the 1970s.
Coming off back-to-back Super Bowl titles, the Steelers limped out to a 1-4 start. However, they closed the regular season with nine straight wins and blasted the Colts in the first round of the playoffs.
But their hopes of a threepeat came crashing to a halt in a 24-7 AFC Championship game loss to John Madden and the Raiders. Having two 1,000-yard rushers in Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier wasn’t enough to make history.
This team might not have made the list if not for a heroic play by Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris. The famous game-ending deflection that turned into a 60-yard touchdown pass lifted the Steelers into the AFC Championship game. As an interesting side note, Bradshaw had only 115 yards passing prior to that miracle play.
Pittsburgh fell short against powerhouse Miami in the AFC Championship game.
The Steelers got things done on both sides of the football while posting a 12-4 regular season. Then in the playoffs they took down the Ravens before edging the Jets, 24-19 in the AFC Championship game.
And they had their finger on the pulse of a Super Bowl title against the Packers. Roethlisberger’s 25-yard scoring strike to Mike Wallace with 7:34 left in the game pulled the Steelers to within three points. But Aaron Rodgers guided the Packers to a field goal with 2:07 remaining. The Steelers couldn’t muster a drive and fell by a score of 31-25, sealing the team’s fate outside of the top five in Steelers’ history.
Coming off the disappointment of the previous season, the Steelers put everything together. They overcame a late three-game losing streak to close the regular season with four straight wins. Forced to go through the wild-card route, the Steelers dispatched the Bengals, edged the Colts, and hammered the Broncos.
In the Super Bowl, the Steelers overcame a 9-for-21 passing performance by Roethlisberger to get the win. The turning point play came early in the fourth quarter as Antwaan Randle El hit Hines Ward for a 43-yard touchdown pass.
Pittsburgh found its groove in November, finishing the regular season with six wins in seven games. They brushed aside the Chargers and Ravens before meeting...
