The other night I had the chance to watch one of my favorite episodes of “America’s Game: The Super Bowl Champions.”
This one was the story of the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that went through their fair share of trials and tribulations before ultimately winning their first Super Bowl title in 26 years. A year removed from cruising to the best record in football, the Steelers reached their low point in a home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals who would win the division and force the Steelers to win their final four games just to earn a Wild Card berth.
The Steelers caught fire at the right time, and would carve out their place in history. Listening to Bill Cowher, Jerome Bettis and Joey Porter reflect on that improbable run was pure gold and it got me to thinking: Maybe the 2015 Steelers are ready for their own edition of America’s Game?
Considering most people seem to believe it’s a foregone conclusion that the New England Patriots will win the Super Bowl for a second consecutive year, it might seem like an even longer shot than it was for that legendary 2005 squad.
I’m here to tell you, you might just be in for a big surprise.
That’s because the Pittsburgh Steelers have a great chance of winning their seventh Super Bowl in franchise history this year.
I know, I know. Have I lost my mind?
When you look at the laundry of list of injuries and misfortune that has plagued this team since training camp, it’s easy to understand why you may feel that way. After all losing the likes of Le’Veon Bell, Kelvin Beachum and Maurkice Pouncey might be more than any team should be expected to overcome.
Replacing legendary defensive mastermind Dick LeBeau and many of the key pieces that make it run like Ike Taylor, Brett Keisel and Troy Polamalu could be too much for anyone to ask.
Dealing with a brutal schedule, considered the most difficult in the league compounds the issue, especially when your franchise quarterback has spent much of the season nursing injuries when facing it.
Yet somehow, the Steelers are in the driver’s seat to earn a playoff bid in a conference that outside of the Patriots, is looking pretty vulnerable at the moment.
Strike that. That looks really vulnerable.
The Denver Broncos? In spite of outstanding work on the defensive end of the ball, the Broncos look to be in real trouble. Despite of a career chocked full of NFL passing records that will earn him immediate entry into Canton, time and injuries have finally caught up to Peyton Manning.
It’s gotten so bad that Brock Osweiler will make his first career start this weekend in place of Manning. Say it out loud: “Osweiler leads the Broncos to the Super Bowl.”
Yeah, not so much. If Manning is finished, so are the Broncos.
Manning’s replacement in Indianapolis, Andrew Luck, might have many more years ahead, but this season has been a nightmare for one of the best young QB’s in the game. His latest injury is going to keep him out for up to two months, and by that time will the 4-5 Colts be able to hold off the Houston Texans in the miserable AFC South?
As the fifth seed, the Steelers would get the winner of this awful division. Whether it’s the Colts or Texans, do you really think they will beat the Steelers team that continues to build momentum heading toward the playoffs?
Then there are Bengals. A 9-1 record and as talented as any team in the game, it’s hard not to like them on paper. Unfortunately for Marvin Lewis, who has yet to win a single playoff game in 13 years, it’s hard to take them seriously in a big spot.
Once again, say it out loud; Roethlisberger or Andy Dalton in a do-or-die playoff game? Pretty easy answer, right?
That leaves the vaunted New England Patriots. As daunting as a trip to Foxboro might be to face Tom Brady and company, the Steelers are a team more than capable of pulling off the upset. Heck, despite of missing Bell and Pouncey and the team looking absolutely lost at times on defense, the Steelers still came a play or two away from winning opening night against the Patriots on the road.
The Patriots schedule has been soft and they have also lost key playmakers like Dion Lewis and Julian Edelman, leaving Brady without two of his favorite weapons. Edelman might be back, but even with Brady’s favorite wide receiver, the Patriots will face a much better defense than the one they saw in September.
Hard hitting, opportunistic and capable of pressuring Brady, this is a defense that is good enough to help spark an upset.
Finally, any team that has a franchise quarterback like Roethlisberger can make a run, and though he’d need to be at his best to be the Patriots, he’s proven to be great in big spot
If the Steelers can overcome the injury bug down the stretch, they are the biggest threat to a Patriots team that might be a touch overrated despite of their impressive record. You better believe the Patriots would prefer an easier route to the Super Bowl than through the Steelers.
When you look at the NFC’s best, it’s hard not to think if the Steelers can navigate through the AFC side of the bracket, they might just be in position to tell an even more unlikely story on America’s Game.
You can bet I’ll be tuning in.
