Former Steelers Rival Gave Away His Secrets On How He Took Advantage Of Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers were dominant in the AFC North throughout the 2000s and 2010s, especially over the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. The Baltimore Ravens provided more competition and often sat at the top of the division with Pittsburgh, while Cincinnati and Cleveland typically filled out the bottom of the division. Even though Pittsburgh often won their matchups over the Bengals, the games were always exciting due to the intriguing matchups that were presented.

Pittsburgh and Cincinnati always had a good cast of characters on both sides of the ball. For Cincinnati, this included the receiver tandem of Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmandzadeh. Houshmandzadeh was a solid wide receiver in the 2000s, but he isn't mentioned along with the elite receivers of that time. 

The receiver always managed to have good games against Pittsburgh, despite the Steelers often having one of the best defenses in the league. Houshmandzadeh was on The Everything Big Willie Show with his former teammate and Hall of Famer Willie Anderson, where he shared how he always performed well against Pittsburgh.

"I ain't gonna lie, every time I played the Steelers, it was like a fun game," Houshmandzadeh said. "I don't know why, but playing the Steelers, like teams that play single-high safety — we're going to eat. That was the Steelers who would play single-high safety; the Ravens would play single-high safety unless they play two-man. They don't even play two-man anymore because the quarterbacks are too athletic. But I enjoyed playing the Steelers because they were so good on defense that it was like a challenge. Playing the Steelers for real, was always a favorite moment for me."

The Steelers had the label of rostering one of the league's best defenses for years during the 2000s and early 2010s. Oftentimes, this would put a target on their backs and bring out the best from their opponents. This is how it was for Houshmandzadeh, as he always rose to the occasion when going up against the elite players on the Pittsburgh defense.

Houshmandzadeh played in 15 games against the Steelers over his 11 year career. In those 15 games, he caught 78 passes for 808 yards and six touchdowns. He caught about five passes each time he played Pittsburgh for an average of nearly 54 yards, as the Steelers were one of the teams he had the most success against during his career. He never recorded a 100-yard game against them, but he did average over 10 yards per catch when facing off against the Black and Gold. 

The wide receiver finished his career with the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, and Oakland Raiders after leaving the Bengals in free agency. He played well against Pittsburgh as a member of the Ravens as well, even catching a game-winning touchdown pass against Pittsburgh during the 2010 season. Baltimore and Pittsburgh met in the Divisional Round of the playoffs that season and the Steelers won the game by a score of 31-24. Houshmandzadeh dropped a pass that would have converted a fourth down attempt which could have changed the outcome of the contest.

Steelers' Pat Freiermuth Has Been Learning From TJ Houshmandzadeh

Houshmandzadeh has been very active in the NFL world since his retirement. He trains receivers and tight ends while they prepare for the NFL Combine, and he also trains professionals during the offseason. He revealed during the interview that one of the players he trains is Pittsburgh's tight endPat Freiermuth. 

The retired wide receiver also serves as an analyst, and he often appears on Fox Sports' The Facility, where he gives his opinion on certain situations unfolding throughout the league. As a former Bengal and Raven, he often speaks down on the Steelers and doesn't have much hope for the current team in Pittsburgh.

What do you remember about Houshmandzadeh taking on the Steelers? Let us know in the comments below!

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