The Pittsburgh Steelers bring the physicality and aggression, which is a trait that has spanned generations. It started with Joe Greene and the Steel Curtain in the 1970s, Greg Lloyd in the 1990s, and then Troy Polamalu and James Harrison during the 21st century. Opposing team's knew they were in for a battle when taking on Pittsburgh, and many retired players have shared that thought when reminiscing on contests with the Black and Gold.
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Steelers legend Troy Polamalu wearing the iconic "Bumblebee" uniform.
Opposing teams that saw the bulk of the Steelers' physicality were their rivals in the AFC North, but anyone in the NFL should have been concerned going into a game against Pittsburgh. All-Pro running back Chris Johnson, who most notably played for the Tennessee Titans, was asked by Kay Adams on the Up & Adams Show which players he knew he would have a long four quarters against.
"Not just one player, but anytime we played against Pittsburgh, we always knew it was going to be a bloodbath, it was going to be a battle. You gotta come with your chin strap tight and your mouthpiece in, especially going against Troy Polamalu. That was a great time for me and it was always a great battle between us two, I love it, I miss those days."
Johnson and Polamalu were each in the prime of their careers at around the same time, the late 2010s. Johnson had rushed for 2,000 yards and Polamalu was consistently named an All-Pro, even winning the NFL's AP Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2010. The two headlined their position group throughout the entire NFL, and had some great matchups.
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Steelers' Troy Polamalu makes a tackle on Titans' Chris Johnson.
Johnson faced the Steelers eight times in his career, and seven of those eight games were when Polamalu was with Pittsburgh. The safety was only active for five of the matchups between the two All-Pros. Polamalu and the rest of the Steelers defense usually managed to keep Johnson in check. He never managed to eclipse 100 yards, and was never really a factor in the receiving game.
In his five games against the Steelers that Polamalu played in, Johnson averaged 17.2 carries for 56.2 yards on the ground, and he only scored 2 touchdowns in all the matchups combined. He was arguably the league's best running back during that time aside from Adrian Peterson, yet he couldn't find any momentum against Pittsburgh.
Polamalu and the Steelers led the series against the Titans during that span of time, although it was close. Polamalu won three of the five matchups he played against Johnson and Tennessee. Polamalu has already been enshrined in the Hall of Fame, while Johnson is a part of the great run of running backs in Tennessee.
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A plethora of Steelers fans wave the infamous Terrible Towel during a home football game in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers' Terrible Towel Once Got Revenge On Johnson's Titans
Tennessee infamously disrespected the Terrible Towel by stomping and stepping on it after they beat the Steelers during the 2008 season, which was the first matchup of Polamalu and Johnson. They did this after beating Pittsburgh 31-14 in Week 16, which gave them the top seed in the AFC for the postseason. The curse of the Terrible Towel hit the Titans hard, as they lost their Week 17 matchup and their first playoff game after earning a first-round bye.
The curse didn't stop there. It continued into the 2009 season. Pittsburgh beat Tennessee Week 1, and the Titans went on to start the year with an 0-6 record - going into their bye week having not won a game since stomping on the towel. The losing streak ended at eight games, with a brutal finale as they lost 59-0 to the New England Patriots.
To add insult to injury for Tennessee, the Steelers wound up representing the AFC in the Super Bowl during the 2008 season. This was just seven weeks after the Titans' antics, and Pittsburgh captured their sixth Lombardi Trophy.
What do you think about Johnson's comments about Polamalu and the Steelers' defense? Let us know in the comments below!
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