2013 Steelers' Season Preview - QBs

BEN ROETHLISBERGER whined about Todd Haley replacing his buddy Bruce Arians and seemed to resist changes to the system in 2012. However, he gradually bought in, but then he hurt his shoulder at Kansas City and things went to the nether regions (2-5 down the stretch). He's saying the right things about Haley and the offense this year and he might get a little more help with rookie LE'VEON BELL and the running game. However, Mike Wallace is gone and HEATH MILLER isn't likely going to be ready to play in the opener after shredding his knee in the season finale. ANTONIO BROWN is going to have to really step it up from an okay 2012 season.

Assuming he has recovered from last season's injury (Ben later admitted he wasn't ready and he came back too soon), Ben should still be one of the best QBs in the NFL again this year. It's funny that in a season when he got hit and sacked much less often (due to Haley's system), he suffered a serious injury that destroyed the season (No, that's not funny!). If he can stay healthy, he's got a couple years left as a dominating QB. I think, barring injury, he's going to have a big year.

In my 2012 prediction, I called for 11-5, with this comment: "This team goes as far as Ben carries them this year. More so than in previous seasons." At 5-3 with a big Monday Night win at the Giants, the Steelers were being touted as Super Bowl contenders. Then Ben got hurt and the season fell apart; he wasn't very good after he came back, killing them with key fourth quarter interceptions. Once again this year, with an aging defense, Ben is the key to a playoff season.

Charlie Batch (who was a rookie starting QB for the Lions during Barry Sanders' rookie season), was pushed into unofficial retirement this off season. He had spent the past eight seasons on the Steelers' bench, appearing in 31 games. Though Mike Tomlin favored first, Dennis Dixon, then Byron Leftwich, over Batch, Charlie was a capable fill-in who actually got less injury-prone over the years, and he was always a positive guy on the field and in the locker room. I hope he coaches somewhere: he's a good guy (I'll avoid a Terell Pryor comment here...).

TRIVIA: Who was the first QB taken after Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf went 1-2 in 1998? Good ol' Charlie Batch, in the second round.

Also gone is Byron Leftwich, who spent four seasons (with an aborted attempt to start in Tampa Bay mixed in) in the black and gold. Byron, who took about ten seconds to load up and release the ball, could NOT stay healthy, missing the entire 2011 season and getting injured when he was slated to fill in for Ben R. in two others. An okay QB, he won't really be missed.

The new #2 man this year is BRUCE GRADKOWSKI. Gradkowski was the Tampa Bay starter back in 2006 after Chris Simms ruptured his spleen. He lost the job to Tim Rattay, then in 2007 to Luke McCown. He went on to be a backup in Cleveland and Cincy. And of course, with Oakland in 1998, he was AFC Offensive Player of the Week when he led a ridiculous comeback in Pittsburgh, throwing for 308 yards and 3 TDs. It was a horrific loss, with Ben continuing to lead scoring drives and the D giving up score after score.

(Joe Burnett, who was well ahead of fellow rookie Bryant McFadden on the depth chart, came into the game late and on his first play, dropped an INT that hit him in the chest. The Raiders went on to the winning score. Burnett, who looked to be on his way to more PT in 2010, was cut during that season, instead. You could see his entire career turn on that one play. He's currently in the CFL).

Gradkowski is an established veteran who, at 30, is a couple years younger than Batch and Leftwich. He's also been mostly unsuccessful as a starter, which is why he's a backup. That said, I think he'll be a competent fill in for a game or two if Ben goes down, but I'm not convinced he's an improvement over Batch.

The Steelers took LANDRY JONES in the fourth round. The Oklahoma Sooner was one of the top QBs in the country in 2011 before he had a late season slump. He then had a pretty good (but not Heisman quality) senior season (many projected him as a first round pick midway through the 2011 season). So, he fell to Pittsburgh in the fourth round. The Steelers obviously have a couple years to try and develop him into a quality NFL QB, with Gradkowski manning the two spot in the interim. I liked Dennis Dixon (reunited with Oregon coach Chip Kelly this year in Philadelphia). And I was for Texas A&M's Jerrod Johnson last year (he's not on a roster). I'd like to see Pittsburgh find a young guy to try and bring along. Hopefully Jones is the one.

JOHN PARKER WILSON is playing well in camp. However, the former Crimson Tide star hasn't thrown a pass in four NFL seasons and seems to be a long shot.

As always, it's all about Ben. Pittsburgh usually has a solid #2 (though we seem to have to play our #3 guy far too often: Brian St. Pierre?), and I think Gradkowski fits the bill. Certainly, I hope Jones doesn't take a snap this year. If Ben is on his game (and he should be, this is a good unit.

GRADE - A-

HERE WE GO STEELERS!

Steelers - 5 Years at a Time (1970-1974)

This is a first

Chuck Noll was hired in 1969 and won his first game. Of course, he lost the next 13. 1970 was the year of the AFL/NFL merger and the foundation of the current NFL. The Steelers moved into the AFC Central, the forerunner of today's AFC North. And, they began playing in Three Rivers.

With a fair amount of Steeler Nation running a little short of perspective in a year when we will quite possibly miss the playoffs by just one game, I'm going to look at the last 40 years (the modern Steeler Era) in five year increments. At the end, I'll provide a bit of an overview of the past 40 years for Steeler Nation. And hopefully show that there's no reason to get worked up about 2009. Things aren't bad.

I was only 3 years old in 1970, so my earliest Steeler memories begin during this block.

Tag Line - The Steelers, after decades of futility, became an NFL power.

42-27-1 (.600 pct)

Close Losses %: 37% (10 of 27)

Winning Seasons: 3/5

Double Digit Win Seasons: 3/5

Playoffs: 3 seasons/3-2 record

Championship games: 2 (1-1)

Super Bowls: 1-0

The Steelers improved on their win total in 1970 and again in 1971, showing progress under Chuck Noll. Then, after only two playoff appearances in team history, three straight trips to the postseason, two AFC championship games and one Super Bowl win. Delirium for a long-suffering fan base that would shortly be known as Steeler Nation.

I define close losses as those by 7 points or less. An offensive play here, a key stop there, and a loss might have been a win. Even if it was a 'bad' game, I'm declaring it a competitive one, based on final score. The Steelers not only had a pretty good winning percentage for the block (about the equivalent of a 10-6 season today), they almost won over a third of their losses, including the 1972 AFC Championship Game.

KEY MOMENT - Many things happened that helped turn the franchise around in this block, but the breakthrough came in the 1974 AFC Championship game. Pittsburgh trailed rival Oakland (who had knocked them out of the playoffs the prior year) 10-3 at the start of the fourth quarter. The Steelers outscored the Raiders 21-3 in the fourth and secured the first of SEVEN Super Bowl appearances. Miami's reign would be over with the Steelers' emergence (the Dolphins had appeared in three consecutive Super Bowls, winning the prior two).

SUMMARY - 1970-1974 was a watershed block for the Steelers franchise. Chuck Noll transformed perennial losers into Super Bowl champions, stocking the roster with pro bowlers and future hall of famers. And this block featured perhaps the most famous play in football history, The Immaculate Reception.

TRIVIA - The Dolphins barely made it to the Super Bowl in their undefeated 1972 season. The Browns led Miami 14-13 in the fourth quarter of the playoffs. The Dolphins had an 80 yard drive to win 20-14. We almost had a Browns - Steelers AFC title game! And in the conference finale, the Dolphins converted a fake punt on a TD drive in what turned out to be a 4 point victory.

STEELERS - Laying the Foundation (1960s)

The man whom Dan Rooney used to
get rid of head coach Buddy Parker

The hiring of Chuck Noll essentially began in 1965. The AFL was establishing itself as a real rival to the NFL, The Chief (Art Rooney) was in his sixties and slowing down and head coach Buddy Parker still believed an over-the-hill veteran was worth two draft picks or untested rookies. It was the Same Old Steelers in a changing environment. Dan Rooney, ever more active in team operations, told Parker that things needed to change. As you might imagine, that went over poorly with the old-school Parker, who had won a pair of NFL championships with the Lions.

After an exhibition game in 1965, Parker called Rooney with another of his impetuous trade demands, wanting to dump future pro bowler Ben McGee. Rooney said that he’d talk to Parker the next morning. Parker, used to going around Dan to the Chief, replied “You don’t understand. I’ve made up my mind – I’m gonna do it. And if you don’t like it, I’ll resign.” It was a power struggle that could only have one outcome. Parker continued on with, “I’m the coach, you can’t tell me what to do,” and “I can’t work like this. Maybe it’s better if I leave.” The next morning, two weeks before the start of the season, Parker resigned. You can picture Rooney patting him on the back as he accepts the resignation, a befuddled Parker being pushed out the door, wondering what just happened. Dan Rooney would begin instituting a new way of doing things in Pittsburgh, though the system would not change overnight.

Bill Austin (kneeling) with his Steelers coaching staff

Assistant coach Mike Nixon was a stop gap hire for the 1965 season, going 2-12. Nixon, who had previously coached the Washington Redskins, was one of the most unsuccessful coaches in NFL history. His career record was 6-30-2.

Bill Austin replaced him in 1966, coming with a strong recommendation from Vince Lombardi. After another 2-12 season in 1968 (his three year run yielded an 11-28-3 record), Dan Rooney was ready to make a move. The Steelers had experienced just eight winning seasons in thirty-six years of football and he wanted to do things differently.

Noll almost ruined his mentor's perfect season
with narrow 17-21 loss in the 1972 AFC
Championship Game

Among the interviewees was Joe Paterno, having just finished his third season as Penn State’s head coach. The Steelers had enjoyed success under a former college coach one time before: Pitt's Jock Sutherland. 

Noll, an assistant to Don Shula with the Baltimore Colts, had been on the losing side of Super Bowl III. The very next day, he knocked Dan Rooney’s socks off with a two hour interview. Two weeks later, he had the job. Noll had learned from Paul Brown, Sid Gillman and Shula: three legendary coaches. He had a very clear idea of how to build a championship team.

Noll took his first step on the road to success in the 1969 NFL draft. Hall of Famer OJ Simpson was taken first, followed by Notre Dame All American tackle George Kunz (an eight time pro bowler) and then Heisman runner-up Leroy Keyes of Purdue. Keyes, a running back and safety and possibly the greatest player in Purdue history, had a short, unsuccessful pro career.

Trivia Time out: A distant third in the Heisman voting was Terry Hanratty of Notre Dame. The Steelers would take him in the second round of the draft. Hanratty didn’t have much of a career, but he did replace Terry Bradshaw as the team’s starting quarterback at the end of the 1970 and 1973 seasons.

So, on January 12, 1969, Chuck Noll was coaching in the Super Bowl with the Baltimore Colts. On January 13, he interviewed with the Steelers. On January 27, he was introduced as the new head coach. And on January 29 with the fourth pick in the draft, Noll took Joe Greene, an All American defensive tackle at North Texas State University. After decades of futility, Steelers history was being rewritten week by week. Well, off the field, at least.

THAT's who Joe Greene is!

This draft pick was not received with universal acclaim. “Who Is Joe Greene?” was the lead story in the next day’s Pittsburgh Press. Greene later said that Pittsburgh was the last team in the league he wanted to play for, since they were always losers. LC Greenwood was picked in the tenth round, providing the team with the guts of what was to become The Steel Curtain.

At one of his first team meetings, Noll told the players most of them just weren’t good enough and would soon be gone. Ouch. From day one, Chuck Noll was going to re-teach the fundamentals and get his kind of driven, disciplined players. There would be no sugarcoating that Pittsburgh Steelers football was going to change: who played and how they played.

Bradshaw was a 'sure thing' who barely lasted
long enough to lead the Steelers to four
Super Bowls

Noll’s 1969 Steelers won their first game and dropped the remaining thirteen, which gave them the first pick in the draft: Almost. The Chicago Bears also went 1-13 and the Steelers won a coin flip for the top pick. Terry Bradshaw, a strong armed quarterback at Louisiana Tech, was the consensus number one and teams tried to trade for the pick. The Steelers held firm and the Bears were so disappointed that they traded out of the number two spot. So, with his first two number one picks, Noll grabbed a pair of Hall of Famers he could build his offense and defense around. Three Rivers Stadium opened in 1970, the Steelers won five games and the Noll Era was moving forward.

More Trivia: Only five players on the 1968 team would still be Steelers for the first Super Bowl: Andy Russell (LB), Ray Mansfield (C), Sam Davis (G), Bobby Walden (P), and Rocky Bleier. Chuck Noll got rid of almost every single player in five seasons.

And A Little More Trivia: The Cleveland Browns had the third pick in 1970. Like the Steelers, they took a highly rated quarterback: Mike Phipps. Phipps had a mediocre career and lost the starting job to Brian Sipe in 1976. Bradshaw won four Super Bowls and went into the Hall of Fame. The Browns had long been the better team, tallying eight championships in the pre-Super Bowl Era. They had played in what we would now call the NFC Championship Game in 1968 and 1969.

A few weeks after the draft - 'Gosh, coach, you mean play
in front of all those people?'

But you can point to the 1970 draft as the moment the franchises reversed course. By 1973 the Steelers were clearly superior and that has continued to this day.

THE FORMATTING WAS COMPLETELY SCREWY ON THIS. SORRY

STEELERS HISTORY - A Recap

My team history of the Steelers has been on quite a hiatus, but I have the next entry (the hiring of Chuck Noll) ready to go. Here are the links to the prior posts if you want a little refresher.

Obviously, we're getting into the good years now! And not to strain my elbow patting myself on the back, but for an informative yet not overly detailed look at the Steelers' history, I think this is some pretty good stuff. Especially the photos.

The Thirties
http://woodson26.blogspot.com/2011/03/steelers-1930s-1933-1939.html

The Forties
http://woodson26.blogspot.com/2011/03/steelers-1940s-1940-1949.html

The Iron Men (The Forties)
http://woodson26.blogspot.com/2011/02/pittsburgh-iron-men.html

The Fifties
http://woodson26.blogspot.com/2011/04/steelers-1950s-decades-winning.html

Gary Glick (The Fifties)
http://woodson26.blogspot.com/2011/04/gary-glick-1950s.html

The Sixties
http://woodson26.blogspot.com/2011/08/steelers-sixties-1960-1969.html

Laying the Foundation (The Sixties)
http://woodson26.blogspot.com/2012/06/steelers-laying-foundation-1960s.html

The Steelers played thirty-ish seaons at
Forbes Field, better known as home of the Pirates

STEELERS - The 2012 Draft, Rounds 1-3

Well, the Steelers' draft has been widely hailed as an "A": I haven't seen one critical review yet. I'm sure SOMEBODY out there isn't happy with it, but it looks like the Steelers picked very well, though there are a few points worth mentioning. I'm going to break down the review into a couple emails due to time constraints.

1st Round/24th Pick

DAVID DECASTRO (Stanford)- There are no sure things in the NFL draft. And sure fire linemen miss, like at every other position (Steve Everitt, Tony Mandarich, Dean Steinkhuler, etc). But DeCastro, from Stanford, appears to be the best guard prospect since former Buckeye Orlando Pace, who went first overall in 1997. He could fail, but the odds for him to excel look good. DeCastro can block and pull. Think Alan Faneca (a borderline hall of famer). If he pans out and stays healthy, he and Maurkice Pouncey will anchor the Steelers line to the end of the decade. A TREMENDOUS first pick that fills the Steelers' biggest weak spot. Could not have done better here.

2nd Round/24th Pick

MIKE ADAMS (Ohio State) - I've thought more about this pick than any other. Some folks projected the Steelers to take him in the first round, so getting him in the second could be considered a bargain. Could be. Adams is considered a "soft" 6-7, 323 lbs. He has the size to dominate, but quite simply, he didn't. He was involved in TatooGate, which tells you he doesn't follow rules well. And he showed up to the Combine with marijuana in his system. Which tells you he's dumb. Then he lied about it. Which shows a further character issue.

A Pennsylvania kid who wanted to be a Steeler, he drove to Pittsburgh and basically apologized for being stupid. The Steelers told him to do some things to get back on their draft board; apparently he did so, whatever they were. And they took him. He can pass block well and knows how to use his size. But over all, he just didn't do a lot as a starter at OSU. And he's had knee and shoulder surgeries already. Because of the Combine debacle, he already has one NFL strike: his next offense will be a mandatory four game suspension. And he hasn't even put on a uniform yet.

Offensive line coach Sean Kugler has done a good job patching together a functioning offensive line. Adams will be a different kind of challenge: getting an under achiever to live up to his full potential. If Adams (a high school all american) stays healthy, stupid-free and utilizes his skills, he will be a starter on the Steelers line. And with Pouncey, Marcus Gilbert and DeCastro, would round out the nucleus of a solid, young, line. But that's a lot of hoping. Adams is clearly a gamble. And with his multiple off field problems (he was also arrested as a freshman), this is the type of player the Steelers' have shied away from in the past. Combined with his mediocre on-field production, it was an interesting pick. The Steelers, who clearly need tackle help, must have been convinced they can bring the best out in him. I hope so, but I'm not too impressed with this choice yet.

3rd Round/23rd Pick

SEAN SPENCE (Miami) - This is the pick that seems to have puzzled most draft pundits. Spence is a VERY quick outside linebacker who can cover and flies to the ball. But at only 5'-11", he's small. The Steelers' scheme uses fast, strong guys to rush the passer.He gets high scores for toughness and on field leadership (and he stayed out of trouble at Miami, which is uncommon). He fits the mold of the guy the Steelers take not for need, but as the best athlete on their board. Expect him to play special teams for a couple years. I kind of doubt he's going to become a starting OLB in Pittsburgh (based on his size) but he could impress the coaches. We'll see.

So, a grand slam in the first round, a casino gamble that's more likely to be a bust than a black jack in the second, and an athletic kid outside the mold in the third. Next up, the remaining four picks, which were pretty good.

It's Mike Wallace (and hockey) day

LET'S GO PENS!!!!

First off, the Penguins come home to Pittsburgh for game 5 tonight at 7:30. The Pens should have won any or all of the first three games: no way around that.

But I can't get over that if the official had called icing on that first Philly goal in game one (remember, it was unquestioned and the NHL apologized for blowing the call), and if EVERY second after that had gone exactly the way it played out, it would be 2-2 and the Pens would have home ice for the last three games. That's a BIG deal.

Ah well. Let's hope Fleury (who stopped his last 14 shots after a rough start in game 3) is ready to play tonight.

MIKE WALLACE

Today is the day, folks. Wallace has until midnight to sign an offer sheet from another team. If he does sign it, the Steelers can either match it, or let him go and receive a first round pick as compensation.

If Wallace doesn't sign an offer sheet from another team, he has until June 15 to sign the Steelers tender of $2.7 million. If doesn't sign it by then, the Steelers can reduce that offer to 110% of his 2011 salary (which was $525,000). Or, he can hold out. I think he'll take the tender.

So, Wallace reportedly wanted Larry Fitzgerald money (long term deal at about $15 million/year). He could end up with less than $600,000 if he plays hard ball. Wow.

I think he going to sign his tender and also that the Steelers will continue to try and work out a long term deal with him. If he doesn't like what the Steelers offer, he'll probably try to get a big contract from somebody again next year.

I'm a little surprised that nobody went after Wallace. The guy is a game breaker. He has put up big numbers in all three of his NFL seasons and he hasn't caused any problems off the field or in the locker room. He plays hard and isn't a diva on the field. I can't recall a star free agent with no baggage generating so little interest before. His agent's demands must have really scared people away.

So, I expect Wallace to grumpily be back in Pittsburgh this season. With rare exceptions, the Steelers don't negotiate once the season starts. So if they don't work something out before then, it will be an unhappy Wallace in 2012.

But that's better than no Wallace at all.

While the Steelers reworked the roster for salary cap puroses and some familiar names are gone, pending Wallace coming back, the only real loss of free agency was William Gay.And he wasn't going to play much this year. So, a 12-4 playoff team stays intact. Another good offseason by the front office.

Steelers - 2012 Free Agents/Part I

I've been working on a look at current Steelers who will be free agents in 2012, but with almost two dozen, it is taking awhile! So, I decided to break it down into three groups: Unrestricted, Restricted and Exclusive. We'll tackle the smallest group first.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS

This means that the player either takes the Steelers offer or he doesn't play. These guys have no power at all.

Jeremy Kapinos - The Steelers made an offer to Kapinos, who has supplanted the injury-prone Daniel Sepulveda as the team punter. He has no other option. He'll sign and do an adequate job with the punting duties in 2012. He's certainly better than Mitch Berger.

Steve McLendon - He'll be an unrestricted free agent next year. McClendon filled in well enough for the injured Casey Hampton in 2011, stepping up with Chris Hoke also going down with an injury. But I'm not sure he's a full time starter. Having said that, he has done well at times and may prove to be the guy with more experience and work with the coaches. With Hampton coming back from his ACL (and the Big Snack's age and weight..), I expect McClendon to be the starter on opening day. I hope he does well, as he could team with Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heywood to man the d-line for the next several years.

Isaac Redman - Pittsburgh made an offer of a bit under $600,000 to Redman, who showed some real ability in 2011. For a guy who is likely going to lead the team in rushing, and a guy who is pretty good, he's going to be quite a bargain. He will be an unrestricted free agent in 2013. If he has a successful 2012, I imagine that the Steelers will work out a deal with him after the season. I'm glad he's back.

MISC...

Chris Hoke - The Steelers took Hoke as an undrafted free agent out of Brigham Young in 2001 and he didn't make it onto the field until 2004. Having finally arrived, he spent a chunk of the past decade backing up pro bowler Casey Hampton. And it's a testament to him that very rarely was his entry into the game a step down for the defense. Hoke played hard and got the most out of his talent. And he picked up two Super Bowl rings along the way. Coming off of season-ending neck surgery, he'll be thirty-six in April and he wasn't going to play ahead of the twenty-six year old McLendon. Hoke was one of those Steelers who showed up every day, didn't cause waves and played hard when he was on the field. We need more guys like him.

Steelers 2011, 13-3 Season

Last year, the general consensus was that the Steelers needed to go 2-2 without Ben to have a chance at winning the division over the Ravens. They went 3-1 and ended up hosting the AFC title game. It's hard to find any media folks who think the Colts can even be .500 without Peyton: and there's no idea of when he will be able to play. The Steelers were set with Leftwich, Dixon and Batch. The Colts signed retired Kerry Collins, handed him the playbook and told him he'd be starting in a week. Again, it's great to root for a team run like the Steelers are.


Last year, coming off a non-playoff season, with Ben out for four games, a lot of folks figured it would be a down year for the Steelers. So, they almost won the Super Bowl. This team, while injury prone due to aging issues, is loaded on O and D and I think, along with New England, the best team in the NFL. So, I expect those two squads to meet in the AFC Championship game. Last year, the Steelers only scored more than 28 points three times en route to the Super Bowl. They could break that scoring level every single week this year. Except for the bye...

Roethlesbeger, Mendenhall, Redman, Ward, Wallace, Sanders, Brown, Cotchery and Miller can all make big plays. And even guys like David Johnson, Mewelde Moore and Jonathon Dwyer are dangerous. This is the best offense since the Bradshaw/Harris/Bleir/Swann/Stallworth days, And it might be even better.

SEASON PREDICTION
13-3

L - at Baltimore
W - Seattle
W - at Indianapolis
L - at Houston
W - Tennessee
W - Jacksonville
W - at Arizona
L - New England
W - Baltimore
W - at Cincinnati
W - at Kansas City
W - Cincinnati
W - Cleveland
W - at San Francisco
W - St. Louis
W - Cleveland

Yep. I actually think they could be realistically favored in all 16 games. I expect Baltimore and NE to be playoff teams and give them nods over the Steelers, but I will not be at all surprised to see the Steelers win. I actually do expect them to beat Houston, but if the Texans win over Manningless-Indy in their opener, I think they're going to be on an early tear and should play just well enough at home to win as they lay the groundwork for their first ever playoff appearance, saving Gary Kubiak's job.

The Road Clunker should be San Francisco, but they are inept at QB and the Steelers would have to really screw up to lose that one. KC could be tough but I think they're going to regress a bit after last year's suprising playoff run.

The game to watch is at Arizona. If Kevin Kolb is as good as so many people think he is (though his limited PT so far hasn't indicated such is the case), they should be a playoff contender this year and that will be a tough road game. If he's the latest Scott Mitchell or AJ Feely, however, they're going to struggle to score and the Steelers should handle them.


While Cleveland is improving and the west coast offense should make Colt McCoy better, the Steelers finish the season with six of seven games against teams with losing records in 2011. Even an under achieving 4-4start (say... losses to Baltimore, Houston, Arizona and New England) could still very well result in a 12-4 or 11-5 finish.

Last year's SB appearance was nice. Anything less than the title should be a disappointment this year.

Steelers - The Sixties (1960 - 1969)

Steelers – The 1960’s (1960-1969)

Eleven fewer wins than in the fifties meant the Steelers fans still qualified as long suffering.

Tag Line – The playoffs – sorta kinda…

43-61-6 (.391 pct)

Winning Seasons: 2/10

500 Seasons: 0/10

Playoffs: 1 season

Spoiled with almost annual playoff appearances and lots of Super Bowl appearances, it’s hard to imagine what being a Steelers fan must have been like for losing season after losing season. Pittsburgh was under .500 for eight of ten years in the sixties. Loyal fans had to wonder if they would ever be rewarded for their faith in the Rooneys.


1962 – The Steelers went 9—5, finishing alone in second place in the Eastern Conference. They actually won at the champion New York Giants and only lost to them at home by four points. But lopsided losses to Cleveland (twice) and Dallas kept them from a share of the title.


Back in the pre AFL-NFL Merger days, the two conference champions played for the NFL title. During the sixties, there was also the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl, commonly known as the Playoff Bowl. The AFL was starting up in 1960 and the NFL wanted to showcase its product on national television more. And so was born the Playoff Bowl. The two conference runner-ups played each other for third place. So, we have a post-season game, but it’s not actually a playoff game. After the Merger took place in 1970, the game was discontinued, though there was some discussion of having it played during the off-week before the Super Bowl.

After the 1962 season, the Steelers played the Lions. It was only the second “playoff” appearance in team history. The Steelers were led by three former Lions greats: Bobby Layne, John Henry Johnson and head coach Buddy Parker. Alas, former Cleveland Brown Milt Plum was MVP of the 10-17 Detroit win. Quarterbacks Ed Brown and Bobby Layne were sacked six times and threw two picks. Detroit had massacred the Steelers 7-45 in the season opener, so the Steelers started and finished their season with losses to the Lions.

Ernie Stautner (70) and Big Daddy (76).
Two superstar d-linemen

BIG DADDY – Eugene Lipscomb played in the NFL from 1953 to 1962, spending his last two years in Pittsburgh. Largely forgotten now, he was a dominating player and extremely popular in Pittsburgh and Baltimore. An MVP of the 1962 pro bowl, Lipscomb died of a heroin overdose in May of 1963. He was chosen, along with Ernie Stautner, as a defensive tackle on the Legends Team (a list of the greatest pre-1970 Steelers). Sports Illustrated featured Big Daddy in a long article in 1999. It’s not surprising Lipscomb died a victim of his huge appetites.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1014947/1/index.htm

JOHN HENRY – The Steelers’ fourth all-time leading rusher is Hall of Famer John Henry Johnson, who played in Pittsburgh from 1960 to 1965. Pittsburgh could have had a lot more from Johnson: they drafted him in the second round of the 1953 NFL draft, but he chose to go to Canada instead of Pittsburgh (heck, the weather isn’t much different…).

Descriptions I’ve read remind me a bit of Earl Campbell. Johnson was an absolutely bruising guy who ran over people, never went down on first contact and also had agility and speed to leave defenders out of position, making it even harder to tackle him. Was Johnson tough? He once broke the jaw of a teammate in an intra-squad scrimmage. Addressing the issue, he said, “What did you want me to do? Kiss the guy or tackle him?” Johnson was a fullback and by all accounts a devastating blocker who completely crushed defenders.

From 1954 through 1956, he was part of the San Francisco 49ers “Million Dollar Backfield,” alongside three other Hall of Famers: quarterback Y.A. Tittle and running backs Joe Perry and Hugh McElhenny. When Johnson retired, he was fourth on the all-time NFL rushing list, trailing only Jim Brown, Jim Taylor and Joe Perry. Johnson passed away in June of 2011. He and Perry (who died two months earlier) both donated their brains to Boston University for research into head injuries in sports, as they both suffered from a head trauma related ailment. Johnson was the first Pittsburgh Steelers back to rush for a thousand yards in a single season, doing it twice.

NFL.com actually has some footage of Johnson playing, commenting and being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d8202b1eb/Remembering-John-Henry-Johnson

MISTER STEELER – An awful lot of Steelers fans don’t know the name Dick Hoak. But even more so than the name “Rooney,” Dick Hoak embodies the Steeler way. Hoak played running back for the Steelers from 1961 through 1970, totaling over 5,000 yards rushing and receiving.


He coached at a West Virginia high school in 1971 and interviewed with Chuck Noll in 1972 to be an offensive backfield coach and got the job. He became running backs coach when Bill Cowher took over in 1993 and finally retired in 2007. He had spent 10 years as a player and THIRTY FIVE as a coach in Pittsburgh. Along the way he turned down offers such as coaching the USFL’s Pittsburgh Maulers and becoming Tony Dungy’s offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay.


I have never seen or heard about one negative comment regarding Dick Hoak. Not one grumbling from a former player or coach. I would be stunned if one other player/coach spent forty-five years with one team. He and the Rooneys embody the approach that has made the Pittsburgh Steelers the epitome of a successful NFL franchise.

The aftermath

The Hit

BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE – In 1964, the Steelers hosted the Giants, eking out a 27-24 win. Pittsburgh finished the season 5-9, ahead of only the 2-10-2 Giants. In that game, 6’-7” Steelers defensive lineman John Baker absolutely crushed Hall of Fame QB Y.A. Tittle. The pass was picked off by Chuck Hinton and returned for a touchdown. A Post Gazette photographer took a picture of the bloodied, groggy Tittle kneeling in the end zone. Tittle, concussed, didn’t remember the aftermath of the hit.
The paper didn’t use the photo, but it gained a life of its own and now hangs in the NFL Hall of Fame. Before the explosion of the internet and mass distribution of digital images, this was one of the most famous football photographs taken.


HIGHLIGHT OF FOUR DECADES – The Steelers went a combined 16-9-3 in 1962 and 1963. That would be the best two-year run in team history until the 1972-1973 playoff seasons. But things took a major downturn after 1963. After this mini-success, the Steelers would go 18-49-3 the next five years. Buddy Parker (1964), Mike Nixon (1965) and Bill Austin (1966-1968) were in charge during this disappointing period. Once again, the Pittsburgh Steelers were at the bottom of the NFL. But things would begin to change in 1969, though it certainly didn’t look like it.  

TRIVIA – The black helmet was born in 1962. Republic Steel (based in Cleveland) approached the team that season and suggested they use the American Steelmark logo on their helmets. A bit later, the team got permission from the American Iron and Steel Institute for permission to change “Steel” to “Steelers” on the inside of the logo. At this time the helmets were gold and team management decided to put the new logo on only one side of the helmet, beginning with the tenth game of the season. Wanting to do something exciting for their Playoff Bowl appearance, the team changed the helmet color to black for the game. The Steelers came onto the field with the now famous black helmet with the steel logo on one side only.


SUMMARY – Fans had something to be excited about with the 1962 season, culminating in the Playoff Bowl. But Bobby Layne was pushed into retirement by Buddy Parker following the season. The Steelers never sniffed the postseason for the rest of the decade (fourth in 1963) and they finally abandoned Forbes Field, playing all their homes games at Pitt Stadium beginning in 1964. There were some good players not previously mentioned, like middle linebacker Myron Pottios, wide receivers Buddy Dial and Roy Jefferson, as well as players who would be a part of the upcoming Super Bowl squads like Andy Russell and Ray Mansfield.

Jefferson had back to back thousand yard receiving seasons in 1968 and 1969 (the first ever for a Steeler) but was traded to the Colts because he couldn’t get along with new coach Chuck Noll. Jefferson went on to play in Super Bowls with the Colts and Redskins.

John Henry Johnson, Dick Hoak,
Bobby Layne and Buddy Dial hold
up the pre "er" logo.

But two things happened in 1969 that became the cornerstone of what is now the best franchise in the NFL. A mediocre former guard was hired as head coach and with his first pick in the NFL draft, the new coach took a defensive lineman from North Texas State.

Steelers - Gary Glick (The 1950s)

I know it says halfback,
but I didn't find evidence
of him playing there.

Who?  Starting in 1937, each NFL team went into a ‘pool’ to receive one bonus first round pick. In fact, it was the very first pick in the draft, back when it didn’t cost too much to sign that player. There was no free agency and players had jobs during the off season.The first pick in the draft was extremely valuable and practical, unlike today. After being selected, that team would be removed from future pools/drafts until every NFL team had gotten one of these bonus picks.

In 1956, only the Steelers, Chicago Cardinals and Green Bay Packers were left in the current pool. In a public drawing, Commissioner Bert Bell (former Steelers co-owner) put three slips, one marked with an X and B-O-N-U-S on it, into a gray felt fedora (classy, eh?). Then he told Dan Rooney to make the first selection. Rooney, from where he was standing, saw where the X slip was placed. So he snagged it, gaining the bonus pick. Rooney doesn’t think Bell did this intentionally, but…

A few weeks before, the coach of Colorado A&M (later to be Colorado State) sent a letter to Walt Kiesling (this guy was a Hall of Fame offensive lineman but a train wreck as a coach. You may remember the Unitas debacle from The Fifties entry), telling him about this phenomenal defensive back/quarterback named Gary Glick that he had. The defensive-minded Kiesling was determined to snatch this gem out from underneath everyone’s noses. Dan Rooney argued that nobody had scouted Glick: not even the Steelers! He could be taken in the third round: no need to use the bonus pick. 

 Kiesling refused to budge and Art Rooney, again letting his coaches make their own decisions, backed him. So, Pittsburgh took Glick with the bonus pick. They passed on future Hall of Famer Lenny Moore (Colts) and Super Bowl QB Earl Morrall in the first round, as well as Heisman Trophy winner Hop Along Cassady from Ohio State. That draft included future Hall of Famers Sam Huff, Willie Davis and Bart Starr.

A few weeks later, film of Glick came in. It showed a wind-swept stadium with open seats, dogs running onto the field and no benches for players on the side lines. The Glick Era was over before it began. Glick did play seven seasons in the NFL, three for Pittsburgh, as a safety, but didn’t exactly live up to his first pick status. Glick remains the ONLY defensive back ever chosen with the first pick. 

Just another example of the ineptitude that was the Pittsburgh Steelers before the Chuck Noll Era. 

Steelers - The 1950's (1950-1959)

The decade’s winning percentage crawled towards .500, but no playoff appearances. The game changed to feature more passing, and the defenses responded to this; but not so much in Pittsburgh, where the coaching staffs clung to ‘old style’ football, to predictably poor results.

Tag Line – The best yet: but still not very good.

54-63-3 (.450 pct)

Winning Seasons: 2/10

.500 Seasons: 3/10

Playoffs: 0 seasons

Buddy Parker

A combined 13-9-2 in the final two years of the decade: the only winning seasons in the fifties. On the one hand, a little bit of hope. On the other, eight painful years with a total record of 41-54-1. Quarterback Bobby Layne and head coach Buddy Parker gave the Steelers an identity of tough football, though history largely recalls them as hard drinking good old boys. Things unraveled after Jock Sutherland’s unexpected death and the team couldn’t get on track. Parker is a bit of a legendary Steelers character from the 'old' days. He seemed to fight with everybody from the ball boy up through the NFL Commissioner

THE SIGNAL CALLERS - Regarding Steelers QBs, the 1950s was quite an interesting decade. Jim Finks was at the helm for four seasons and set team records for passing as Pittsburgh grudgingly opened up the offense. Finks went on to a long career as an NFL executive. While in Minnesota, he traded away Fran Tarkenton and then traded back for him. He put together the 1985 (Super Bowl Shuffle) Bears and he was in New Orleans for that team’s first ever winning season.

He was replaced for one season in Pittsburgh by Ted Marchibroda. A successful NFL coach, Marchibroda would lead the Colts during the Bert Jones days. Jones was a really good QB in the late seventies. Marchibroda returned to Baltimore and was at the helm for Jim Harbaugh’s hail mary at the end of the 1996 AFC title game in Pittsburgh.

Next up was Earl Morrall. Morrall took over for an injured Bob Griese in 1972 and actually won more games than Griese did en route to the Dolphins’ perfect season. But he had a bad game in the AFC Championship game (a 21-17 win over the Steelers) and Griese got the nod for the Super Bowl start. Morrall may be best known as the losing QB when Joe Namath led the Jets to the biggest upset in NFL history in Super Bowl III.

Layne in action against the New York Giants

Then, it was Bobby Layne, who would go into the Hall of Fame for his earlier work with the Detroit Lions. For his combination of play and leadership, Layne was probably the greatest Steelers QB until Bradshaw. Lions fans still criticize the team for trading Layne and believe it caused a curse in effect today. There are three more notable quarterbacks I’ll mention below.

THE CHIEF CALLS A PLAY - Pittsburgh refused to shift to a passing mode, at one point starting every game with a run up the middle by Fran Rogel. Bob Drum of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, sitting in the press box, would sing “Hi diddle diddle, Rogel up the middle’ before the Steelers’ opening play of every game.

Art Rooney got so frustrated that he ordered Walt Kiesling to call a pass play to start one game. This was the only time he sent in a play. Grudgingly, the coach followed suit. It was an 80 yard TD! But the Steelers were called for off sides, the ball came back, and Rogel ran up the middle for one yard on the next play. Kiesling said to Rooney, “I told you it wouldn’t work.” That’s typical of how the Steelers crawled through the fifties, conceding progress in the game inch by inch.

TWO STARS ON D - The best player of the decade was defensive tackle Ernie Stautner, who spent his entire 13 year career as a Steeler. He was a nine time pro bowler, missed only six games and entered the Hall of Fame as a 100% Steeler. Stautner went on to a long coaching career, including serving as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator for sixteen years.


Jack Butler was a pro bowler every year from 1951 through 1959 and intercepted fifty-two passes in his career, including four in one game. Butler and Stautner would have fit right in on the great Steelers defenses of the seventies.

SUMMARY – Record-wise, Steeler fans didn’t have much to cheer for, but that shouldn’t have been a surprise. Layne (who did not wear a facemask) is remembered as one of the toughest, hardest playing QBs of all time. And stars like receiver Elbie Nickel, all around offensive threat Lynn Chandnois and defensive lineman Big Daddy Lipscomb were top flight NFL players. But the team just couldn’t put it all together for an entire season. 

TRIVIA – Man. It’s not too tough to single out the WORST personnel move in team history. Johnny Unitas was a high school legend in Pittsburgh before going on to play his college ball at Louisville, having a rather undistinguished career there. The Steelers took him in the ninth round of the 1955 draft. And they CUT him in camp. Walt Kiesling (remember him?) didn’t like Unitas, saying he was ‘too dumb.’ The entire summer and training camp, Kiesling didn’t let Unitas take a single snap in practice. JOHNNY UNITAS!!! The Rooney siblings all liked Unitas, but Art’s standard practice was to let his coaches make their own decisions. So even though Art Rooney thought that Unitas had potential, he backed Keisling.

Johnny U. took a construction job, then worked in a steel mill to feed his family and played semi-pro ball on weekends. In Pittsburgh. Not far from Forbes Field, where the Steelers were struggling. Seriously. Unitas got a last minute offer to try out for the Colts in 1956 and went on to become arguably the greatest QB in NFL history. The losing Steelers certainly couldn’t have used a guy like that now, could they?

The fledgling AFL gave NFL
backups like Len Dawson a
chance to shine

In 1957, they snagged Len Dawson, from Purdue with a first round pick. In three seasons he threw 17 passes, they cut him and he went on to the Hall of Fame as a Kansas City Chief. The Steelers drafted and cut TWO Hall of Fame QBs in an era when they stank. Lovely. And the very next pick after Dawson: some fellow named Jim Brown.

Ditto for Jack Kemp

And as if that weren't enough, in 1957, future Hall of Famer and presidential candidate Jack Kemp rode the bench in Pittsburgh. Yeesh!

Steelers - The 1940's (1940-1949)

Steelers – The 1940’s (1940-1949)

In 1940, the Pirates were renamed the Steelers through a public contest. Thank goodness. The NFL struggled to fill out rosters during World War II, as thousands of young men joined the military. Perhaps the Steelers’ greatest success was staying intact as a franchise during the forties.

Tag Line – From terrible to bad

40-64-6 (.364 pct)

Winning Seasons: 4/10

.500 Seasons: 1/10

Playoffs: 1 season

Well, they did get better. However, they still pretty much stunk. With World War II draining the supply of athletic-age males, the Steelers were forced in 1943 to combine rosters with the rival Eagles. After a 5-4-1 season (the first winning season in Philadelphia history and only the second for Pittsburgh, Art Rooney joined forces with the Chicago Cardinals for 1944. The Cardinals were 0-10 in 1943. The Card-Pitts (referred to as the ‘Carpits’ because everyone walked over them) went 0-10. It was the only winless season in Steelers history. Fortunately World War II ended and Pittsburgh returned as a solo franchise in 1946, leading to the successful 1947 season.

FIRST PLAYOFF GAME! (sort of…) – In 1947, the Steelers finished tied for first place in the Eastern Division. This meant they would host a ‘playoff game’ against the rival Eagles. The winner would go on to play the Western Division Chicago Cardinals for the NFL Championship. It was the first post season action in team history.Unfortunately, the team lost 0-21, the same score as the first game against the Eagles that year.

BULLET BILL - The decade did see their first real star player: Bullet Bill Dudley. Though he was only a Steeler for three seasons (1942, 1945-1946: he served in the military for two years), he was a two time pro bowler and had a fantastic 1946 season. He led the NFL in rushing, interceptions, punt returns and lateral passes attempted (no, I didn’t make up that last one). This was after leading the league in scoring the previous year.

Unfortunately, the team was only 7-13-1 those two years. Dudley was traded the Detroit Lions before the 1947 season (perhaps Pittsburgh would have been in the title game if Dudley were still around) and went into the Hall of Fame in 1966. Dudley was the first of many who would enter the Hall based on their on-field performances as a Steeler (Prior inductees and short-time Steelers  Johnny McNally and Walt Kiesling were inducted for their play with other teams).

JOCK – A FORGOTTEN LEGEND - The Steelers were coached by Jock Sutherland in 1946 and 1947. The Scottish-born coach had been a college legend, leading the Pittsburgh Panthers to nine national championships (it was quite different back then and multiple organizations declared champions. The University officially acknowledges five of Sutherland’s championships). Sutherland’s combined record of 13-9-1 accounted for the team’s best back-to-back seasons until 1962-1963 (16-9-3). His hiring marked the first time Art Rooney got really serious about the Steelers: he had hired friends and over the hill coaches up to that time, with poor results.

Studying film back in the day

Sutherland died somewhat unexpectedly of a brain tumor in the spring of 1948. It would take until 1972 (.786) for the Steelers to top the team’s 1947 winning percentage of .667. They would only have one other postseason appearance in the next 24 seasons: and that wasn’t even a real playoff game (see the Sixties). It’s possible that Jock Sutherland would have turned the woeful Steelers into a competitive NFL franchise, but his premature death ended the momentum he had generated.

You know what: someone needs to write a biography of Sutherland. He was born in Scotland; became one of the most successful American college football coaches in history; resigned after winning a national championship because the University of Pittsburgh president was de-emphasizing the football program; coached the Brooklyn Dodgers (yep, that was an NFL team) to the two most successful seasons in team history; joined the Navy in World War II and became a Lieutenant Commander; took over the Steelers after the war ended and guided them to their first ever playoff appearance; died suddenly at age 59 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as both  a player and a coach three years after his death. That’s quite a story!

SUMMARY – 1940-1949 saw a bit of growth in the franchise, but the Steelers largely remained losers. Back then, there were no baseball playoffs: just the winners of each league’s regular season meeting in the World Series. The Pirates wouldn’t make the World Series from 1928 to 1969. In 1946 and 1947, the Pirates finished a combined 66 games out of first place. So, fans in Pittsburgh weren’t getting much to cheer for in either sporting season.

TRIVIA – The Chicago Cardinals won the 1947 championship, 28-21. Violet Bidwell (owner via widowhood) moved the team to St. Louis after the 1959 season, effectively blocking the fledgling AFL from placing a team there. It also moved the Cardinals out of the Bears’ long shadow. Her son, Bill Bidwell (who is one of the NFL’s worst owners) would himself abandon St. Louis for Phoenix in 1988.

The Cardinals (on-going) sixty-three year title drought is the longest in the NFL. They were only 35 seconds away from ending that streak when Santonio Holmes caught the game-winning pass in Super Bowl 43. 

This is not THE program, but it's from the same season. And it's memorable.