By Edgaras Abracinskas
FortisMedia.net / SteelerNation.com
If you’re a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, your thoughts on the season so far will be determined by whether you’re a glass half full, or glass half empty kind of person as the team chugs along on a line of mediocrity.
It might only be the half way point and, although it’s not impossible, if you have any thoughts of betting on a Super Bowl 2020, it is highly implausible. Don’t be too downtrodden though for we've had better times and we've had worse times.
For now, we’re going to look on the bright side and remind ourselves of five of the brighter times of years gone by – and maybe you’ll even leave with an optimistic outlook on the remainder of the year:
NUMBER 5 – 2010
Unfortunately, this is the most recent season on the list and it’s fair to say the Steelers’ support would give their right arm for a similar campaign now – despite it ending in a Super Bowl loss. There was a first place finish in the AFC North as a solid defensive unit saw less than 15 points a game conceded and, having lost just four games, an eighth Super Bowl appearance would have ended in glory had it not been for a sensational Green Bay Packers side.
NUMBER 4 – 1979
The year of 1979 was a tremendous one for Pittsburgh; the Pirates set a high bar for sporting achievement with a World Series win and the Steelers equaled, maybe even eclipsed it, with their fourth Super Bowl of the seventies. Although defeat was tasted four times throughout the season, they had an unblemished record at Three Rivers Stadium and it rarely looked in danger as they kept their opponents scoring in single figures in half of their victories.
NUMBER 3 – 2005
Part way through the 2005 season, there was no way in hell anyone thought they were looking at the Super Bowl winners. Fast forward a few weeks and four wins on the spin – including a 41-0 crushing of the Cleveland Browns – and the Steelers were upsetting the odds as a wild card playoff side. They comprehensively brushed past the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos, and then a 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks saw Bill Cowher's men win the Super Bowl to complete one of the most remarkable campaign turnarounds ever.
NUMBER 2 – 1975
1975 served up what was, at the time, the greatest finale American Football has ever seen as the Steelers won their second Super Bowl with a four-point win over the Dallas Cowboys. The team was evenly balanced with an unforgiving backline – marshaled by defensive player of the year, Mel Blount – and a ruthless offense; the AFC Central division, as it was known then, simply couldn’t handle them as they dropped just two games on route to a first place finish to set up their journey through the playoffs and beyond.
NUMBER 1 – 1978
The 1978 season was an epic one for so many reasons; for starters, it saw Chuck Noll become the longest serving manager in Steelers history and, boy, did his men deliver. Throughout the regular season, quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who scooped the NFL MVP award, starred as the Steelers went 14-2 and even the two black marks on the record were narrow losses. The playoffs were a breeze for the rampant Steelers and when they triumphed 35-31 over the Dallas Cowboys at the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL, they became the first franchise to lift a trio of Super Bowls.
There you have it, five seasons where the Steelers showed all the qualities of greatness – attacking flair, defensive solidity, grit, determination and a togetherness that wouldn ’t let them quit. If the current crop of players can channel just a few of those, then who knows, this season could turn out alright after all.
Let us know what yinz thinks in the comment section below!
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