One of the most successful franchises of all time, the Pittsburgh Steelers have etched their name in NFL history. They won four Super Bowls during the span of 1974-1979, a remarkable achievement that no other franchise has surpassed during a similar time span. Their dominance continued with their fifth Super Bowl victory in 2005 and their sixth in 2008, solidifying their status as a powerhouse franchise.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers owner, the late Dan Rooney (right), along side Head Coach Mike Tomlin (middle) and former quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger (left), after a victorious Super Bowl XLIII.
Throughout their impressive journey, Mike Tomlin, the head coach since 2007, has played a pivotal role. Under his leadership, the Steelers have consistently performed well, never experiencing a season where they lost more games than they won. Such sustained success has not gone unnoticed by sports bettors, who closely follow the team's performance and may engage in non GamStop sports betting sites, placing wagers on the Steelers' games in hopes of capitalizing on their strong track record.
Despite their undeniable achievements, the Steelers often face criticism and envy from detractors. Some argue that the Pittsburgh team isn't as good as their current record, casting doubt on the quality of their victories. However, it's important to examine the evidence and assess whether these claims hold merit or are merely baseless accusations.
Tomlin's Era & Building a Steelers Super Team
After Bill Cowher ended his career, Pittsburgh needed a new head coach. The task brought with it great pressure to perform, as the franchise had been a good playoff candidate for years. He was to be succeeded by Tomlin, who was 34 years old at the time and had only spent one year as defensive coordinator in Minnesota.
He quickly built a strong team and made it to the Super Bowl twice in his first five years, winning over the Arizona Cardinals in 2008 and losing to the Green Bay Packers in 2010.
After a few below-average years in which they never had a losing record, they reached the AFC Championship Game in 2016, which they unfortunately lost. But at this point, the team was already equipped with incredible players. The undisputed best player on the squad was wide receiver Antonio Brown. Another top performer was running back, Le'Veon Bell, who averaged 4.6 yards on rush attempts from 2014-2017.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro wide receiver, Antonio Brown (left) and Head Coach Mike Tomlin (right).
These two top performers, paired with a consistent Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback, a good offensive line, and a defense with key players like Ryan Shazier and Stephon Tuitt, promised a good chance of another Super Bowl participation. But things turned out differently.
Problems With Stars And Unhappiness
After a conference final in 2016, things went downhill for three years. Bell wanted more money and could not agree on an extension with the franchise. This led to him threatening not to play in 2017. The Steelers remained unimpressed which resulted in him sitting out the year and Pittsburgh having to forgo the All-Pro. Things got worse when Shazier was injured on December 4, 2017. At first they thought about an early end to the season, but after a while it became clear that the injury was too dangerous to ever play again. In 2017, they reached the playoffs weakened and were eliminated in the first game.
In 2018, things went up a notch again. Brown's fame got to his head and he recorded a number of misdemeanors such as throwing furniture out of his apartment window and ignoring speed limits. This escalated to the point that Brown had a huge argument with Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner and as a result had to sit on the bench in the last game of the season. He then left the team. Despite all the drama and criticism of the coaching staff, Tomlin has to be given credit for never having a negative record despite having little talent in 2019 without Roethlisberger, who was injured.
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Steelers quarterbacks Devlin 'Duck' Hodges and Mason Rudolph held down the fort at quarterback in 2019.
Outlook for the Future
The future brings with it many great hopes, but these are anything but set in stone. Tomlin is in his prime and shows no signs of stopping. The defense, around TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Cam Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick, form a core that can and will continue to play in top form. The offensive line is well positioned too. The Steelers are probably the best franchise in the NFL when it comes to drafting receivers. The team already consists almost entirely of young receivers, all of whom will play well for a long time and help the franchise. The big question mark, however, is the most important position on the field. At 25 years old, is quarterback Kenny Pickett truly the answer?
