The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most successful franchises in all of sports. Six Super Bowl titles, legendary Hall of Fame players and coaches, and memories that fans will never forget are all reasons for that. Even with all that history, however, there’s one chapter that still feels like a letdown: the “Killer B” era. From 2013 to 2017, the Steelers had one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, yet the story always seemed to end with the same question, "what could’ve been?”
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Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown talking during a game.
The Steelers experienced some incredible moments during the Killer Bs era. From 2013-2017, Pittsburgh went 53-27 which included three AFC North titles, three playoff wins, and numerous memorable plays from Le'Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, and Ben Roethlisberger. Despite all of the success during that period, Pittsburgh never achieved what mattered the most: a championship.
On a recent episode of the Football America! podcast with Dave Dameshek, former Pittsburgh safety and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark touched on a variety of Steelers topics, including playing for Head Coach Mike Tomlin. During the discussion, Clark pointed to one season in particular during the Killer Bs era that left an unpleasant mark on Tomlin’s coaching record.
"When I look at the Killer Bs, that's the one moment I'm like, 'Coach T underachieved there,'" Clark said. "That team had the talent. Jacksonville is not supposed to walk into Pittsburgh and win that game."
Clark was referring to the 2017 AFC Divisional Round loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That was the final time that Bell, Brown, and Roethlisberger all played together in the same game. For many fans, it’s a moment the franchise hasn’t fully recovered from. Some even argue that the 2017 Steelers were one of the most talented teams Pittsburgh has ever put on the field.
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Ryan Clark speaks on the Football America! YouTube Channel.
You could ask anyone to name a season in which the Steelers underachieved, and 2017 would almost certainly come up. But while it might have stung the most, 2017 wasn’t the only missed opportunity for Tomlin and the Killer Bs to win a Super Bowl. There were several seasons where the team had the pieces to go all the way but fell short.
In 2014, the Steelers won the AFC North but were upset at home in the first round of the playoffs by their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. In 2015, they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in the Wild Card Round, only to fall to the Denver Broncos the following week. In 2016, Pittsburgh made it all the way to the AFC Championship for the first time in six years, but a disastrous showing against the New England Patriots ended their season in blowout fashion.
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Le'Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, and Ben Roethlisberger celebrate after a Thanksgiving win in 2016.
In each of those playoff losses however, Pittsburgh played banged up. In the 2014 loss to the Ravens, the Steelers played without Bell, who injured his knee a week prior. In 2015, the Steelers played without Bell and Brown. In 2016, it appeared the Steelers were finally a full strength, only for Bell to leave the game early in the 1st half with an injury. In 2017, a neck injury to Ryan Shazier depleted the Steelers' defense, therefore leading them to giving up 45 points to Jacksonville.
Steelers Have Also Overachieved Under Mike Tomlin, According To Clark
Tomlin is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the NFL, and for good reason. Many praise him for overachieving, taking teams to the playoffs that otherwise might not have had a chance. Clark highlighted this point during his conversation with Dameshek.
"I look at some of these other teams, and I've talked to players that go, 'Those other teams actually weren't that good,'" Clark said. "We hold Mike Tomlin to this higher standard because of where he coaches, because of how quickly he won a championship, and I think that some of the teams that he has coached have overachieved."
The Steelers made the playoffs in 2021, 2023, and 2024, and in each season Pittsburgh lost by multiple scores in the first round of the playoffs. Would any other coach have gotten the Steelers to the playoffs in those seasons? It's debatable, but although Tomlin underachieved during the Killer Bs era, you can make the argument that he has overachieved with some teams in recent years.
Do you agree with Ryan Clark? Did Tomlin underachieve during the Killer B era? Has he overachieved with some teams since? Let us know in the comments!
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