The Pittsburgh Steelers had a ton of rivalries within the AFC throughout the 2000s and the 2010s. Pittsburgh was seen as a serious contender for the Super Bowl essentially every season, and it was clear that the Steelers and the other top teams in the conference did not like each other. The obvious rivalry was with the Baltimore Ravens, and that is a rivalry that has not died not, nor will it. It is one of the premiere rivalries in the league, and that is due to the constant tension that is in the AFC North. Pittsburgh did have other rivalries, including one with the New England Patriots.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin and Patriots' Bill Belichick walk off the field after a game.
Pittsburgh and New England were often two of the top teams in the AFC, and the Patriots are widely considered the best franchise of the 21st century. The organization won six Super Bowls over that time, and they took down the Steelers on the way to the Lombardi Trophy several times.
One of the premiere players for New England during the 2010s was wide receiver Julian Edelman, who was also a punt returner. He recently told a story on his podcast Dudes On Dudes, and described how he almost got into a pre-game fight with Pittsburgh.
"Yeah he's trying to be a f***ing cannon-arm leg guy and show the whole stadium he can punt the ball 80 yards and I got to f***ing navigate through a Steelers' DB drill." Edelman said. "I'm going into uncharted, enemy territory. Behind enemy lines. Getting s**t talked because we're trying to show off our leg. We can't just do a nice Aussie punt, keep me in the middle. We almost got into fights, we had to dial that back."
Edelman was describing the pre-game routine in New England, and how he and the punter would warm up before a game. He would be fielding punts on one half of the field, while the Steelers would be warming up on the other half. One of the former receiver's pet peeves was when the punter would try to show off his leg and kick the ball onto the other side of the field, which would force Edelman to run onto that side, behind enemy lines.
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Steelers try to tackle Julian Edelman during a game in the 2018 season.
Emotions are high before a game in the NFL, and Edelman described how he would always be amped up before a contest, especially one during two of the top teams in the AFC. When he would go field the punt on the wrong end of the field, he would get into shouting matches with some of the Steelers players. It is easy to see how this could lead to a fight, and it was something that Edelman and the Patriots had to make an effort to dial back.
Pittsburgh and New England played in a lot of high stakes games against one another. The last one being at the end of the 2016 season when the two met in the AFC Championship Game, where New England handled Pittsburgh pretty easily.
Patriots Wire / USA Today
Former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman during a home game in Massachusetts.
Steelers Always Had Trouble With Julian Edelman
Edelman was a good player throughout his career, and he played against Pittsburgh four times once he became a legitimate fixture of New England's offense. He never scored a touchdown against the Steelers, but he always found a way to make an impact. In those four games he had 11, 9, 7, and 6 receptions for 330 yards.
He was always getting first downs to extend drives and put the Patriots in good position to put points on the board, and quarterback Tom Brady usually took advantage of those opportunities.
The former wide receiver had a great career that included a lot of team success, and he is widely considered one of the best wide receivers in postseason history. His career isn't quite Hall Of Fame-worthy, but he will always be well-respected for his illustrious career.
What do you think about the story from Edelman? Let us know in the comments below!
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