2005.
The first Steelers Super Bowl victory I laid eyes on. A record-setting run from “Fast” Willie Parker. A gorgeous deep ball from Antwaan Randle-El to Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward. The Bus rumbling into the sunset, a champion.
I loved that season. I loved that team. And I think the Steelers really love that team, too. Because as I look at what they are in 2023, I think that’s the blueprint they’re trying to follow.
2005 featured a two-running back system with Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker. They wanted to play smash mouth, physical offensive football. 2022 had Najee Harris and the pleasant surprise Jaylen Warren. Both were physical runners, especially after the bye week behind an offensive line that had improved.
2005 had a nasty, playmaking, dominant defense, arguably the best in the league. With TJ Watt, Cam Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers want to be that dominant defense again. Mike Tomlin himself said that was the expectation for them going into last season.
Finally, 2005 had a second year quarterback who was clearly the franchise guy but who they still wanted to protect and not ask too much of. More game manager than shouldering the offensive load. And what do we have but a 2nd year QB who showed signs that he’s franchise QB material in 2022 with Kenny Pickett.
The Steelers won games 20-10, 19-16, 24-17, 13-10, 24-16 & 16-13 this year. All 24 points or fewer. Sound familiar?
That 2005 team did much of the same, actually less frequently than this year’s team. That Super Bowl team only won five games scoring 24 or fewer while this one won eight like that.
I think that by the Steelers bringing Matt Canada back, they signified that they are ok with winning games like this. It’s not shooting for more. It’s taking the marginal improvement the offense showed under Canada along with the development of Kenny Pickett and saying it’s good enough to compete and win games moving forward.
The question then becomes…does that style still win big in today’s NFL? Is a standard 24-17 victory repeatable, even against the best of the best in the league?
My initial reaction is to say “no.” Especially after watching that 38-35 Super Bowl on Sunday night. But, there are arguments to be made that great defense still carries the day.
The Eagles had arguably the best defense in the league. The 49ers used Brock Purdy and Jimmy G behind a great defense to get to the NFC Championship Game.
The Patriots won a Super Bowl as recently as 2018 beating the Rams 13-3 while having an offense that was generally structured like the Steelers and a stifling defense.
But that was also 2018. Since then, Patrick Mahomes and the high-flying Chiefs have dominated the conference. Even in 2020, that Super Bowl Bucs team had a great defense, but Tom Brady also threw for over 1,000 yards just in that postseason alone.
Oh, and there’s a little point to be made that the Steelers have some improving to do before they become that ‘05 squad. Like beefing up their inside linebackers, offensive and defensive lines and getting Kenny Pickett to play at Big Ben-level consistently.
So can that model still be successful? I have my doubts. But barring a humongous jump from Kenny Pickett & Co. where they evolve into a Top 10 offense…I guess we’ll find out.