If not for Don Shula, the Steelers probably don’t win four Super Bowls.
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On Monday, the sports work got the tragic news that former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula had died at the age of 90. Shula will go down in history as the winningest coach in NFL history and the only head coach to lead his team to a perfect season.
Shula will also be known as the man who helped create the Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty of the 1970s. From 1963-1969, Shula was the head coach of the Baltimore Colts. His defensive coordinator from 1966-1968 was Chuck Noll. When the Steelers were on the market for a new head coach before the 1969 season, it was Shula who recommended Noll for the head coaching vacancy.
Noll came to the Steelers in 1969 and proceeded to turn the Steelers into one of the greatest NFL franchise of all time and lead them to four Super Bowl wins in 10 seasons.
Had it not been for Shula’s urging that the Steelers hire Noll, it is doubtful this franchise has even a fraction of the success they enjoyed because of the hire.
The interview portion kicked off with who Bradshaw thinks the greatest QB in Steelers history is.
After jokingly answering Bobby Layne (Steelers QB from 1958-62 who went on to win three pre-Super Bowl era NFL championships with the Detroit Lions), Bradshaw got serious.
“I would give it to Ben [Roethlisberger],” he said. “His numbers far exceed mine. I may have more Super Bowls, but he is a much better quarterback. I wasn’t bad in my era, but he’s big, strong, accurate, puts up monstrous numbers and he’s won two Super Bowls. I passed that baton to him gladly. I absolutely have no problem with that. He deserves it.”
The interview continued with the oft-debated Tom Brady/G.O.A.T. topic.
“I don’t think he’s the greatest quarterback of all time,” Bradshaw said. “It’s hard to say. He may be the best quarterback we’ve had in the last 30 years. Is he better than [Roger] Staubach? No. Is he better than Dan Fouts? No. Dan Marino? No. I’m talking talent-wise when you put all of it together.”
“Does he have more Super Bowls than anybody? Yes, therefore he’s the best. I absolutely have no problem saying it. If you’ve got the most Super Bowls, and he’s done it, you can be in there. But I don’t put anybody as the greatest of all time. I would never do that.”
Bradshaw then went on to share his thoughts on Brady leaving the Patriots for the Buccaneers.
“I’m a little bit tired of this soap opera that’s going on between [Tom Brady] and [Bill] Belichick.
“He left because he wanted to prove something, and he wants to prove to everyone he can win without Bill Belichick,” Bradshaw said. “In between all that, you say all the wonderful things. ‘I know he respects me. He knows I like him. We get along great. But after 20 years, I’m leaving.’ You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Now he’s going to Tampa Bay and he’s going to prove to us what he’s whatever he is… It’s like, golly, geez-Louise, get this over with.”
Leaving New England is not what Bradshaw would’ve done if he were in Brady’s cleats.
“I never wanted to leave Pittsburgh, no matter what my relationship with [former Steelers coach] Chuck [Noll] was, which was a good working relationship,” he said. “It wasn’t always pleasant, I didn’t always like him. But I respected him and I knew that if I listened to him and learned from him and followed his direction that we would win. That’s all I cared about was winning.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers had great success using two running backs in 1976. The team should give it a present-day whirl.
Picture it: Pittsburgh, 1976.
The Steelers had two starting running backs on the roster. You may remember them — Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier.
Bleier was drafted by two teams in 1968 — the Steelers in January and the U.S. Army in December. Once he returned to the team in 1970, he had a tough time earning a roster spot.
When Harris came on the scene in 1972, Bleier was a veteran, but still only had 238 carries to Harris’ 846 by the time 1976 rolled around. History was made that season when head coach Chuck Noll decided to utilize the two of them in the run game.
Bleier had a career season that year with 1,036 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 220 attempts. Harris had 1,128 yards and a career-high 14 touchdowns on 289 attempts. The two also logged 294 and 151 receiving yards, respectively.
The Steelers finished the season at 10-4 and became the second team in NFL history to have multiple 1,000-yard rushers. There have only been four league-wide ever since.
Fast-forward to recent history.
The Steelers have not had multiple 1,000-yard rushers, let alone multiple running backs. They’ve strictly been a feature back team. Head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t the only one to overwork his primary running back; Bill Cowher was guilty of it, too.
Although we saw flashes of it in 2018, James Conner was never meant to be a featured back — he was drafted to complement Le’Veon Bell. And since Bell parted ways with Pittsburgh, the Steelers have not found his replacement.
As The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly beautifully illustrated in his recent article, Conner’s yards-per-carry decrease, and injuries and fumblitis increase after 17 touches. Tomlin should take a moment to read it and limit Conner’s playing time this season for optimal results.
In the 2019 offseason, there was chatter about getting two RBs on the field. We’ll never know if the team was just blowing smoke as RB injuries never allowed it to play out.
I genuinely believe it’s time for the Steelers to evolve — not just consider 1976 but to employ its tactics. The NFL has changed dramatically since then, and more and more teams have been using multiple running backs, not only in running-back-by-committee but also in two running back sets.
It would keep defenses on their toes and allow the offensive game plan to open up even more. Not to mention, it would take some pressure off an aging Ben Roethlisberger.
This can be achieved by drafting an RB in the second or third rounds and rotate him with Conner and in tandem with Conner. Sprinkle in Benny Snell, Jr. and a dash of Jaylen Samuels and the Steelers have a recipe for the Super Bowl.
Terry Bradshaw provides his input on Ben Roethlisberger’s injury and eventual return.
Former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw and Roethlisberger have more in common than position, team, and Super Bowl rings. In 1983, Bradshaw underwent surgery for torn muscles and tendons in his throwing elbow. Roethlisberger’s elbow operation involved reattaching three flexor tendons.
“They tied the muscle together,” Bradshaw said of his surgery. “I took the whole summer off. I came back, and I just couldn’t play.”
So, when Bradshaw offers his advice on Roethlisberger and his elbow, it’s from experience.
“[Roethlisberger] had the surgery, which was good,” said Bradshaw in a recent interview with The Athletic’s Ed Bouchette. “Getting good doctor care, good instructions, good rehab. It’s going to be up to Ben listening to the doctors and what they say. And the doctors not lying to him, and Ben not lying: ‘I feel great.’ Well, maybe you don’t feel great. It takes a while.
According to Bradshaw, coach Chuck Noll urged him to return to game action too early, which ultimately caused permanent elbow damage and led to a necessary but unwanted retirement.
Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
There have been significant advancements in medical procedures and rehabilitation since 1983. And coach Mike Tomlin placed Roethlisberger on IR instead of rushing his QB back.
“I got the surgery, and nobody told me, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’” said Bradshaw. “Today, I would have had a strength coach; I would have had a passing coach, I would have had someone working with me how to do it. I was on my own, all by myself.”
“Today I would have had the Tommy John,” he continued. “I would have been out a year, and I would have come back at 36 and ready to go. That truly is something I regret.”
Bradshaw said the mentality Roethlisberger possesses is a vital aspect to consider, as well. “Yeah, in the back of his mind, he’s 38 now. He has to say to himself, ‘OK, take care of this thing.’ Don’t come back until your 100 percent strong, and you can make all the throws, and there is no pain.”
Roethlisberger’s surgeon gave him the green light to resume throwing activities on Feb. 21. He’s been throwing the ball about 40 times a day for 20 yards at most and plans to gradually increase the number of days, throws, distance, and velocity.
The QB has been throwing without pain for the first time in years and hopes to be close to 100 percent by organized team activities and minicamp. Clubs with returning head coaches initially were allowed to begin offseason programs on April 20. Now that OTAs have been delayed indefinitely, Roethlisberger has more time to rehab.
The season before his injury, Roethlisberger, then 36, led the league in passing with 5,129 yards and scored 34 touchdowns.
Roethlisberger personally has no doubts that he come back and play well this season. While there’s no telling how capable the QB will be until games get underway, his confidence is encouraging.
Throughout his 16-year career suffered 19 documented injuries, so it’s no doubt he’d played through pain on many occasions. In Dec. 2018, he suffered cracked ribs late in the first quarter and returned in the third quarter. He wore a protective flack jacket for the remainder of the season.
Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
Roethlisberger has never missed more than four games during a season and, when faced with injuries, seems to prefer playing rather than not. Before 2019, the last time he missed more than one game due to injury was in 2015 with an MCL sprain.
So, Roethlisberger’s return to game action is not about pain tolerance; he’s resilient. Instead, it’s about efficiency, which will require a wait-and-see approach.
Bradshaw is optimistic. “Let me say this: Under proper supervision, I would expect him to come back strong.”
Strong is Roethlisberger’s middle name. At 6-5 and 240 lbs., it often takes multiple defenders to take him to the ground. Despite his strength and build, however, he has been brought down – a lot. Roethlisberger is the most sacked among active QBs (503 sacks in 18 games).
