2013-2016 Steelers

[FSF]

Just an observation:

This "generation" of Steelers reminds me a lot of the Steelers starting in 2000,

• There had been a very large roster turnover from the previous mid 90s Blitzburgh years, with only a few holdovers from the previous success.
• They finished 9-7 (after 0-2 start) and were one game from the playoffs, needing help to get in they played San Diego and won, but help didn't come. And that was the year the NFL apologized to them 3 times by blowing calls at the end of the game that cost the Steelers wins.
• The next year they exploded to win the final AFC Central Championship, have the 2nd best record in team history at the time and reached the AFC Championship.

Starting in 2013, there are some similarities:

• There has been a large roster turnover from the team that reached 3 Super Bowls in 6 years.
• They finished 8-8 (after 0-4 start) to come within one game of making the playoffs -- a game which San Diego won in OT vs. Kansas City. And that was the game the officials blew a Kansas City TD and the Chiefs lost in OT after missing an easy FG to win the game with their back ups while San Deigo was playing to get in.
• The Steelers had surprising run to win the division after a slow start and only the injury to LeVeon Bell derailed their post season run, which with him easily would have been AFC Championship Game.

It took a few years for that group to fully gel as the Super Bowl Champions, but I see two major differences -- the first is this group has a Hall of Fame Quarterback in his prime, which accelerates the learning curve.

The second, it goes against us. There was both in the 90s and 2000s a sense on those teams to get a Super Bowl ring to move on from the 1970s Dynasty. They were in that large shadow, and both groups felt it - for all the times the 70s teams were recognized, etc. The 1990s teams fell short and kind of have been forgotten for how good they were. The 2000s teams truly did make a legacy for themselves -- but that shadow galvanized the group.

I wonder just how "hungry" this group is in comparison to the previous decades and if they have had the same exposure to the Steeler Tradition. Those teams had games where they played in front of Steeler Nation tradition:

1. The 70s teams were celebrated for anniversaries to winning Super Bowls
2. In 2000, the final game in Three Rivers Stadium had a large number of former Steelers players in their old jerseys on the sidelines.
3. In 2007, the 75th Anniversary team had all the legends of the team on the sideline vs. Baltimore (and killed them).

I can think of a couple of times this group got that exposure:

1. In 2014, Joe Greene's #75 was retired and legends were on hand -- Ben threw for 6 TDs to crush Baltimore.
2. in 2016, Kevin Greene got his Hall of Fame Ring vs Kansas City and they blew away the Chiefs.

I wonder how hungry and galvanized this team is as a group just yet....hopefully as much as previous generations.

 

[steelermania]

Just an observation:

This "generation" of Steelers reminds me a lot of the Steelers starting in 2000,

• There had been a very large roster turnover from the previous mid 90s Blitzburgh years, with only a few holdovers from the previous success.
• They finished 9-7 (after 0-2 start) and were one game from the playoffs, needing help to get in they played San Diego and won, but help didn't come. And that was the year the NFL apologized to them 3 times by blowing calls at the end of the game that cost the Steelers wins.
• The next year they exploded to win the final AFC Central Championship, have the 2nd best record in team history at the time and reached the AFC Championship.

Starting in 2013, there are some similarities:

• There has been a large roster turnover from the team that reached 3 Super Bowls in 6 years.
• They finished 8-8 (after 0-4 start) to come within one game of making the playoffs -- a game which San Diego won in OT vs. Kansas City. And that was the game the officials blew a Kansas City TD and the Chiefs lost in OT after missing an easy FG to win the game with their back ups while San Deigo was playing to get in.
• The Steelers had surprising run to win the division after a slow start and only the injury to LeVeon Bell derailed their post season run, which with him easily would have been AFC Championship Game.

It took a few years for that group to fully gel as the Super Bowl Champions, but I see two major differences -- the first is this group has a Hall of Fame Quarterback in his prime, which accelerates the learning curve.

The second, it goes against us. There was both in the 90s and 2000s a sense on those teams to get a Super Bowl ring to move on from the 1970s Dynasty. They were in that large shadow, and both groups felt it - for all the times the 70s teams were recognized, etc. The 1990s teams fell short and kind of have been forgotten for how good they were. The 2000s teams truly did make a legacy for themselves -- but that shadow galvanized the group.

I wonder just how "hungry" this group is in comparison to the previous decades and if they have had the same exposure to the Steeler Tradition. Those teams had games where they played in front of Steeler Nation tradition:

1. The 70s teams were celebrated for anniversaries to winning Super Bowls
2. In 2000, the final game in Three Rivers Stadium had a large number of former Steelers players in their old jerseys on the sidelines.
3. In 2007, the 75th Anniversary team had all the legends of the team on the sideline vs. Baltimore (and killed them).

I can think of a couple of times this group got that exposure:

1. In 2014, Joe Greene's #75 was retired and legends were on hand -- Ben threw for 6 TDs to crush Baltimore.
2. in 2016, Kevin Greene got his Hall of Fame Ring vs Kansas City and they blew away the Chiefs.

I wonder how hungry and galvanized this team is as a group just yet....hopefully as much as previous generations.

Totally agree with most of this. After a great first draft, Cowher/Donahoe had a series of very uninspired drafts, with first round mediocrities such as Deon Figures, Charles Johnson, and Chad Scott, plus disaster Jamian Stephens, a player who makes Ziggy Hood, and Jarvis Jones look like hall of famers. As the Chuck Noll guys got old or left (Lloyd, Dawson, Woodson, Lake), the team began to struggle, exacerbated by the weakness at qb. In 1998, Cowher began to nail his drafts. By 2001, the new guys began to dominate (Ward, Smith, Porter), and the team began to win again, even with Kordell still at qb. This appears to be exactly what is happening now. After the weak drafts early in his tenure, Tomlin/Colbert have upped their game lately, and it's showing on the field.