Steelers' Patrick Peterson Compares Legendary 2005 Team To The Unit In 2023

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had more success in their team's history than nearly every other organization in the NFL. They have found continued success in multiple decades, as they won four Super Bowls in the 1970s and two during the 2000s. Their team that won their first Super Bowl in the 2000s, which came in Super Bowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks, has a lot of similarities to the Steelers in 2023 which Patrick Peterson has taken notice of. 

Steelers Patrick Peterson Notices Similarities Between Current Team And The 2005 Steelers

The 2005 Steelers were in a similar situation to the 2023 team, they were in danger of missing the playoffs late in the year after falling to 7-5. This was back when the regular season was only 16 games long, so they only had four games remaining to try and earn a playoff spot. They ended the regular season on a four-game win streak, and finished second in the AFC North and clinched the sixth seed in the AFC which at the time was the last playoff spot. 

The 2023 Steelers were 7-7 after a three-game losing streak, and had to win out and get some help from the outside to have a chance of making the postseason. Led by Mason Rudolph, they managed to win their last three games of the year, and with the Tennessee Titans beating the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18, clinched the seventh seed. Peterson noticed this similarity and brought it up during his press conference. 

"I do remember watching that 2005 run those guys at the time had, it wasn't seven teams. They were the sixth seed if I'm not mistaking, and just got hot at the right time. I believe it was they had to win the last four or five games, it was something like that, and they ended up ending the regular season on a high note. You know, a lot of resemblance here, but now we have to go into the playoffs with that same tenacity, that same fire that we ended the season with and just see how far it takes us. We're really hot right now."

Peterson was only 15 years old during that historic Steelers run to a Super Bowl victory, but he was watching intently because he had a family member on that Steelers roster. Former Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden and Peterson are cousins, and they also host a podcast together called All Things Covered where they exchange stories from their careers. 

McFadden was an integral part of that 2005 Steelers team that captured a Super Bowl victory. In the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the Indianapolis Colts, he had two pass breakups late in the fourth quarter which forced the Colts to attempt a game-tying field goal, which they missed. 

The Steelers were the last seed in the AFC during those 2005 playoffs, which meant they had to play every playoff game on the road. They travelled to play the Cincinnati Bengals, the Colts, and the Denver Broncos along their way to Super Bowl XL. If the 2023 Steelers have Super Bowl aspirations, they will have to do the same thing, starting with their first matchup against the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round.

The Steelers are set to play the Bills on Monday, after the game was postponed from its' original start time due to weather conditions in Buffalo. Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin has coached against Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott four times in his career, and has only won one of the contests. It will be the first time the two have gone head-to-head in the postseason, which will add to their long history together since the two were college teammates at William & Mary. 

This Steelers team is in for a challenge if they plan on taking after the 2005 team. The 2005 Steelers were the first team since the merger to win all of their playoff games on the road en route to a Super Bowl victory, and only three teams have done it since. The 2007 New York Giants, the 2010 Green Bay Packers, and the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

What do you think of the similarities between the two Steelers teams? Let us know in the comments below!

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