The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the best franchises in the NFL. They are tied with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl victories with six. Pittsburgh has had just three coaches since 1969 which is an incredible feat.
In 2020, Pittsburgh will look to squeeze out whatever is left of Ben Roethlisberger coming off an elbow injury. This team has a chance to get back to the postseason and attempt to make some more magic like they have many times in the past. These five teams certainly did just that.
5. 1974
The Steelers won their first of six consecutive AFC Central division titles in 1974. It is no surprise they had a strong season given their draft class. Pittsburgh added Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster during the 1974 NFL Draft.
They finished the regular season 10-3-1. Defensive Player of the Year Joe Greene led the defense that carried the Steelers to a Super Bowl title. The Steelers held O.J. Simpson and the Buffalo Bills to just 49 rushing yards in the divisional round. The Oakland Raiders mustered just 29 yards on the ground while watching Franco Harris and Pittsburgh eclipse 200 yards.
The Steelers defense dominated once again in the Super Bowl. The Minnesota Vikings were held to just 121 total yards and 17 on the ground.
4. 2008
The Steelers won six of their final seven games in 2008. They did not allow over 13 points in any of those victories. Pittsburgh allowed 13.9 points per game that season behind Troy Polamalu and Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison.
The 12-4 Steelers would take home the AFC North title and fly high into the postseason. After a double-digit win in the divisional round, Pittsburgh held the Baltimore Ravens to just 14 points in the AFC title game. They moved on to face the Arizona Cardinals in what turned into one of the best Super Bowls ever played.
There are two lasting images from that game. First, it was James Harrison intercepting Kurt Warner on the goal line and returning it 100 yards for a score on the final play of the first half. Then of course, Santonio Holmes. Arizona scored to go up 23-20 with 2:37 left in the game. Roethlisberger would lead a 78-yard drive in just over two minutes. It ended with Big Ben finding Holmes in the back corner of the end zone.
3. 2005
The Steelers made history in 2005 by becoming the first team to win a Super Bowl as a No. 6 seed. The title came a year later than expected. In 2004, Pittsburgh turned in one of the best regular seasons in NFL history with a 15-1 record, but they were not able to finish it off with a championship.
Fast forward one year and Pittsburgh finished 11-5 after four straight wins to close out the season. They entered the postseason as a six seed and won three straight road games against the top three seeds in the AFC. In the Super Bowl, Pittsburgh held the Seattle Seahawks to just 10 points.
2. 1975
The Steelers suffered a Week 2 loss to the Bills in 1975 and went on to win the next 11 games. Pittsburgh finished the season 12-2 and had eight defensive starters named to the Pro Bowl. They entered the postseason with a bang dominating the Baltimore Colts 28-10. A close call victory in the AFC title game set up a Super Bowl matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
Pittsburgh fell behind early in that game but they came back and took home a 21-17 victory. This gave the team back-to-back championships and the second of what would turn into four titles in five years. Swann was named MVP after catching four passes for 161 yards.
1. 1978
This 1978 team will go down as one of the best defenses in NFL history. The Steel Curtain was in full effect that year allowing just 12.2 points per game. Terry Bradshaw led the league with 28 passing touchdowns and was named MVP. Pittsburgh held opponents to 10 points or less eight times.
The Steelers entered the postseason winning their final five games in the regular season. They were not challenged in the first two playoff games. It began with a 33-10 win over the Denver Broncos and a 34-5 pounding of the Oilers. In the Super Bowl, Dallas took a 14-7 lead but the Steelers would score 28 of the next 31 points. Bradshaw was named MVP with 318 yards and four touchdowns.
The Steelers would go on to repeat in 1979 and become the first team in NFL history to win back-to-back titles twice. Pittsburgh was named “Team of the Decade” in the '70s. This 1978 team will be remembered as one of the best in league history.
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