Steelers' Charlie Batch Encouraged By Undeniable Similarities To 2005 Squad: "This Team Is Loaded"

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a franchise rich in history, tradition, and championships. Unfortunately, the last real shot at another Lombardi was in 2011. The Steelers have spent several years rebuilding the team since that previous championship era. They started overhauling their defense and have recently moved on to their offense, particularly the offensive line. 

While every team dreams of standing under falling confetti victorious, the Black and Gold are leveraging all of their resources to get there for their exceptional defense. They might be closer to realizing those dreams than anyone knows. Recently, longtime Steelers backup quarterback, Charlie Batch spoke about what he sees being built in Pittsburgh now.  

Batch, who played for the Steelers for 11 seasons, supported starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger during three Super Bowls, helping him win two. He recently spoke to current Steelers long snapper Christian Kuntz on the Christian Kuntz Podcast. He said this team reminds him of the team that ultimately won Super Bowl XL. 

"This team reminds me of where we were prior to 2005 because there were shortfalls between the last Super Bowl and all of a sudden, we got to 2005 and then the players have to answer the question, 'When is the next one going to happen? When are you going to win the Super Bowl?' We had to answer that until we actually went out and proved it."

While it was inspiring for the players to view the Hall of Honor and the previous Lombardi Trophies, Batch said the players were aware that the Super Bowl that followed the 1995 season left a bad taste in fans' mouths. Of course, they wanted to be the team that erased that taste and brought victory back to the city.

Batch believes that Head Coach Mike Tomlin and General Manager Omar Khan are building a team that can do that again. Except this time, the bad taste is from the loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV.    

"The team is loaded. This team would not surprise me if they went deep into the playoffs and ultimately to the Super Bowl. Yes, it's a defensive-driven team, but you add the leadership presence of Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, experienced guys who have been there. Russell's resume speaks for itself, but Justin's resume ain't bad either, this dude can play. You add that veteran presence to this, you add a coordinator in Arthur Smith who is going to control the ball. It looks great right now in practice. It reminds me of what we were doing back in 2005, when the rest of the country were writing this team off."

He said that there is so much undeniable talent on this team and that having this new, improved offense will allow the defense to rest the way they should be able to — allowing the defense to make the stops it needs to make when it is back on the field. Batch also credits returning players on the offense, including Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, and "freakish" wide receiver, George Pickens. 

Batch said another way this team is similar to the one from 2005 is the focus on rebuilding their offensive line. They didn't just sign talented playmakers, they focused on the trenches. Batch carries the same cautious optimism as much of the fan base after seeing the player's passion at camp. 

Steelers' Quarterback Controversy Exposed By Players

The Steelers weren't supposed to have a quarterback controversy this season. Tomlin had named Wilson the starter practically from day one. But Fields has thrown a spanner in the works with his outstanding performance in camp so far. 

That has led to questions about whether Wilson should start. According to Bucky Brooks, the fans need to listen more to what the players say than what the coaches say. He said that the players will always be honest about who they prefer or who they believe should start, while coaches may need to be more tight-lipped. They will tip the fans off to what is really happening. 

Does the 2024 Steelers team remind you of the 2005 team? Click to comment below. 

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