Training camp officially begins this week for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team heads into the year with a lot of questions after a ton of change throughout the off-season. Ben Roethlisberger and Kevin Colbert are the two big losses and the team will need to find new leaders both on and off the field. While head coach, Mike Tomlin's team is not the favorite to even win the AFC North, there seems to be several potential similarities between Bill Cowher's team in 1995 that went on to lose in the Super Bowl to the Dallas Cowboys. The Steelers could have a similar offensive structure for starters.
1.) The Steelers Have The Potential To Have A Strong Rushing Attack This Season
Najee Harris is the best player on the offense. He only averaged 3.9 yards per rush last season, but with improvements to the offensive line and a year of experience under his belt, he has the potential to build on his record-setting rookie campaign. A boosted running game will open up plenty more of the playbook for offensive coordinator, Matt Canada.
One of the Steelers 1995 running backs, Bam Morris. (Doug Pensinger / Getty Images)
The AFC Champs back in '95 had a strong rushing attack behind Erric Pegram and second-year ball carrier Bam Morris who had nine rushing touchdowns. The main difference is Tomlin's refusal to give a second back touches, but there is still time to potentially pick up a reliable back up. The strength of the running game provided the opportunity for Neil O'Donnell to not have the full weight of the offense on his shoulders.
2.) 1995 Steelers Did Not Ask Too Much Of Quarterback, Neil O'Donnell
The NFL has changed drastically since the late 1990's, but Cowher and his staff did not put an overwhelming amount of pressure on O'Donnell. He threw for less than 3,000 yards and whether it is Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph at quarterback, none of them are likely to crack the 4,000 mark in passing yards. Whoever the guy is has the job to be more of a facilitator than a dominant force at quarterback.
3.) Steelers Defense Was Stout And Relied On
Cowher's defense from Week 1 up until the Super Bowl was the biggest reason for the team's successes. The defense in 2022 has a ton of dynamic players who have the ability wreak havoc as a group. Greg Lloyd, Kevin Greene and Ray Seals totaled 24 sacks back in the '95 regular season and the trio of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Cameron Heyward will lead the charge to the quarterback and be effective in their efforts.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers Kevin Greene (91) and Greg Lloyd play during an NFL game against the New England Patriots at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
Darren Perry was the key in the secondary with four interceptions and ironically he wore #39, the same jersey number as star safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick. The defense was third in the NFL allowing under 300 total yards per game and had three Pro Bowlers. Teryl Austin's defense this year absolutely has the capability to put up big numbers and win the team several games while taking the pressure off a young and newly formed offense.
Of course, the only main thing that Steelers fans care about is the result at the end of the season. The 1995 team made it to a Super Bowl and while it didn't result in a championship, Tomlin's crew hasn't won a playoff games since 2016. Replicating some of the strategies and play from the team over 25 years ago could be a recipe for success for the Steelers in 2022.
Do you see the potential for this year's Steelers team to be similar to the AFC Champions back in the '95-'96 season? Let us know in the comments below!
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