The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most significant franchises in the league. Founded in 1933, they're the seventh oldest NFL franchise and the oldest in the AFC. Since then, Pittsburgh already has six Super Bowl victories with several appearances in the playoffs.
Founder, Art Rooney, allegedly used all his horse betting wins to establish this franchise. However, the franchise had a rough start and struggled to find early success. They only qualified for the playoffs once in their first 37 years of playing.
Two Hall of Famers, Art Rooney and his son Dan, signaling that Terry Bradshaw is the Steelers’ pick, and the first player taken in the 1970 NFL Draft. Art began the club and created its culture; Dan turned them into the NFL’s best team ever in the 1970's. (Pittsburgh Steelers Collection)
In 1947, they were tied for the NFL Eastern Division Title. However, they were obstructed 21-0 by the Philadelphia Eagles in a playoff match. Rooney witnessed this very rough start for the franchise. The team only got to see the light and turned their records around when Chuck Noll became the head coach in 1969. In the post-merger era of the NFL, the team has become one of the most successful NFL franchises.
Stats for the new-age Steelers
The 2021 season was the 89th season for the franchise in the NFL. Despite their long history of success, the team struggled both offensively and defensively. Despite that, they have achieved back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 2014-2017. Unfortunately, the Steelers exited the first round of the playoffs against the Kansas City Chiefs with a painful 42-21 loss. All in all, the Steelers acquired a 9-7-1 record last season.
The 2021-2022 NFL season was also the Steeler great, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s last season. He led the team to 12 playoff appearances and three Super Bowl appearances, where they won in 2006 and 2009. Roethlisberger left the NFL as the fifth all-time in passing yards. His departure was a massive loss for the franchise. He announced his retirement on January 27, 2022.
To make matters worse, on February 12, Steeler Nation received devastating news when center Maurkice Pouncey announced his retirement. He had played for the Steelers since 2009 and had been with the team for 11 seasons. Steelers former guard, David DeCastro, also did not make it to the roster after he was released on June 24th, 2021.
With the significant losses to the team, you can only imagine how the NFL odds for the 2022-2023 season can turn out for the Steelers.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) is punched by Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey (53) and tackled by offensive guard David DeCastro (66) during the second half of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, in Cleveland after Garrett assaulted quarterback Mason Rudolph (2). (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
2021-2022 summary
The Steelers were off to a good start after winning 1-0 against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 of the NFL regular season. However, they may have celebrated too early. In Week 2 of the season, they came face-to-face with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders' Daniel Carlson kicked a 46-yard field goal to make it 3-0 in the first quarter. The Steelers barely caught up, but achieved 7-6 in the second quarter. However, the Raiders took the lead back with 9-7 halftime. Unfortunately, the game ended 26-17, making the Steelers' second game of the season their first loss. Unknowingly, it was also the start of their three-week losing streak.
The Steelers lost against the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers in the following weeks.
It was only in Week 5 where the Steelers redeemed themselves. They won against the Denver Broncos, 27-19. This win was followed by another win in Week 9, having all concerningly close matches. Overall, the team finished 9-7-1.
Final Thoughts
The Pittsburgh Steelers have suffered losses that are considered significant because of their clear records for the past seasons. Although it is only natural for a team to lose and gain members, it can be rather sad and disappointing to have the aces retire almost simultaneously. Now, all fans are left to wonder, what would happen next?
#SteelerNation
