The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the more exciting teams in the NFL throughout the 2010s. They seemed to always be considered legitimate contenders going into each and every season, but unfortunately the group never got the job done. Ben Roethlisberger was playing at the top of his game for most of those years, while Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown were two of the best offensive players in the league. Most of the issues came on the defensive side of the football, as well as trying to manage the big personalities Pittsburgh had on offense.
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Former Steelers players Antonio Brown (#84) and Maurkice Pouncey (#53) prepare to embrace one another after the receiver made a big play during a home game at then-Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA.
The dynamic offensive trio for the Steelers got tabbed the "Killer B's" after a little while, with kicker Chris Boswell also being included in the mix after joining the team in 2015. The "Killer B's" played together on offense from 2013 through 2017, with Bell eventually holding out during the entire 2018 season after the organization tried to franchise tag him for the second season in a row. Brown departed after the 2018 season when he was traded.
Looking back on it, the group should have been able to at least get to a Super Bowl, but that never occurred. Maurkice Pouncey, who was the center for those teams, recently went on Not Just Football With Cam Heyward. He was asked by Cam Heyward why it never worked out for that group.
"If you just seen us on paper, we should have won what, two, three Super Bowls?" Pouncey claimed. "Sometimes, I think with social media, it was such a big pop at that point, right? Especially with all our guys. And I think it more like, it bled into, I'm very honest about it, I just felt like we wasn't playing as a team. I love all my guys to death, but I just felt like we played so well as a team and on the offense side of things during the regular season, but then when it started to count towards the very, very end, we was falling apart a little bit because maybe one guy went this way or another guy went that way."
It is disappointing that all of that talent for the Steelers was wasted as the group was never able to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, but it was clear that the players on the team did not always get along. Brown and Bell were two very large personalities, and that is ultimately what caused the "Killer B's" to part ways eventually. The group showed so much promise, but it was never able to reach its full potential.
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Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger looks on during a home game in the Steel City of Pittsburgh.
The farthest this group ever got was the AFC Championship Game at the end of the 2016 season, but the team was blown out by the New England Patriots. Bell did leave that game early due to a groin injury, but it was obvious the Steelers were going to lose that game regardless of who the team had on the field. They were just completely out-schemed by New England and the defense was outmatched.
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Former Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey prepares to snap the ball during a home game.
Steelers Had A Perfect Example Of What Maurkice Pouncey Referenced In 2016
Pouncey believes Pittsburgh never reached the Super Bowl during that era because players on the team were not playing together, and some guys cared more about their individual brand. A perfect example of that occurred during the playoffs in 2016. Brown livestreamed in the locker room after the Divisional Round victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, and his livestream showed Head Coach Mike Tomlin talking to the team and speaking rudely about the Patriots. This probably gave the Patriots some bulletin-board material, and Brown was disciplined by Tomlin in the locker room.
What do you think about Pouncey's comments on the "Killer B's?" Let us know in the comments below!
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