The Pittsburgh Steelers avoided getting swept by the Cleveland Browns thanks to a 27-14 win, which took the team to 10-3. Numerous pundits throughout the offseason predicted that the Steelers would not even have a winning record, let alone have a shot to take the AFC North. Because of this surprising season in the eyes of the rest of the league, Head Coach Mike Tomlin is one of the favorites to win AP Coach of the Year. To Steeler Nation, however, this was supposed to happen. The unit was supposed to play well and prove to everyone that you can never count out a team led by Tomlin.
The Steelers have a tradition of winning, and they are proving it once again. During the postgame press conference, Russell Wilson spoke about that tradition and how he was starstruck by some of those elite players for the Steelers.
"From an organizational standpoint, you think about it, I think there's been three head coaches [for the Steelers] since 1969," Wilson said. "I don't even know how to explain it. It's a movie in of itself. I got to talk with Coach Bill Cowher. The first time I met him was in 2008 at NC State, and I just remember him talking to us... and my eyes lit up. I just loved watching the Pittsburgh Steelers and watching guys like [Troy] Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger, and these guys that were all-time greats, and just the defenses."
Wilson getting starstruck in 2008 was probably amplified by the fact that the Steelers had recently won Super Bowl XL. Of course, they were led by Cowher, Ben Roethlisberger, and Troy Polamalu. Polamalu would eventually go on to win AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2010.
Even though Wilson was in the locker room at halftime, a good chunk of his childhood was being honored at halftime. Jason Gildon, Casey Hampton, Dick LeBeau and Willie Parker were all officially inducted into Steelers' Hall of Honor the night before, and they were recognized on the field for everything they did for the organization.
Gildon, Hampton, Polamalu, and others were all part of LeBeau's legendary zone blitz defense, and all but Gildon won at least one Super Bowl. When you think of the Steelers, you think of the defense, and there was nothing that would stop this unit from having its way with the opposition in the end.
Meanwhile, Parker was an undrafted free agent at running back. In Super Bowl XL, he set the Super Bowl record for longest run at 75 yards. That record still stands to this day. He was supposed to be a backup in 2008, but a season-ending injury to first-round rookie Rashard Mendenhall gave him a path to continue starting, and he helped lead the team to their second Lombardi Trophy in the 2000s.
Steelers Look To Add A New Chapter To Organization's Legendary History
The Steelers have been mired in playoff futility for years now. Their games are never competitive in the first half, and they sometimes make comebacks in the second half against prevent defenses and base offenses. Steeler Nation has been very restless about the fact that the team doesn't even show up to these postseason matches.
While it seemed impossible at first, the Steelers may have secured themselves a team that is capable of winning in January after buying everything they could find in the bargain bin. For starters, Wilson and Justin Fields have both proven to be capable starters despite being acquired for peanuts.
Other players like Donte Jackson, DeShon Eliott, and Payton Wilson were picked up on the cheap. Wilson was a draft steal that has done nothing but make big plays. Even with all the star-power that the Steelers have, a lot of their talent has come from bargains that seemingly shouldn't be allowed. This is Wilson's chance to prove his legacy while also being the quarterback that others look up to, like how he looked up to Roethlisberger.
