The running game was the best in the NFL, the passing game stunk, and the defense was great.
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Kordell Stewart has struggled with his passing, but he contributed 61 yards rushing Sunday. (Matt Freed, Post-Gazette) |
There are enough parallels between the 1976 Steelers and their 25th anniversary version to beg the question: Can this collection of run-don't-pass Steelers reach the playoffs -- and beyond?
They did it in '76, the team its founder, Art Rooney Sr., called his best. And, to make things more current in a changed NFL, so did the defending Super Bowl champions.
"Well, we saw it last year with Baltimore," said Jerome Bettis, who has 295 yards rushing after three games.
The Ravens proved last season that a team does not need even an average passing game to win a Super Bowl. They ranked 22nd passing but rode the No. 2-ranked defense and No. 5 rushing offense to a championship.
In 1976, the Steelers ranked 22nd passing (out of 28 teams), first rushing and first in defense to reach the AFC championship game. Injuries kept Franco Harris and Rockey Bleier out of the game, however, and that ended their Super Bowl hopes.
The current Steelers rank No. 1 in the NFL in rushing, No. 29 in passing and No. 2 in defense. They are on a team-record pace of 3,008 yards rushing and have a stable of runners that might be unequaled in the league.
A team such as Tennessee might be able to match the production from its halfback and quarterback that the Steelers are getting from Bettis and Kordell Stewart on the ground. But no team has that plus that Amos Zereoue, a breakaway threat on pace for 837 yards, gives the Steelers. They also have Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, who ran 22 yards for a touchdown on his only carry this season.
Stewart played his second game in a row without throwing an interception, something vital to a team built on defense and the run.
"It takes a defense to keep getting you the football and keep putting you in positions, and then the passing game comes through in areas like it did yesterday -- some critical third downs, get down the field and make some plays," Bettis said. "Those are the types of things that having a dominating running game will allow you to do offensively. It allows you to create one-on-one matchups outside and get some easy passes going."
Coach Bill Cowher's early teams were built around the philosophy of playing good defense and controlling the ball with the run. That's why he hired Ron Erhardt as his first offensive coordinator. He was the coach who directed the old-time philosophy with the Super Bowl champion New York Giants in 1990.
Cowher's teams did well from the start in 1992, but as the years wore on, teams that won Super Bowl championships displayed a more balanced attack between the run and the pass. The Steelers figured they had better jump on that wagon. They did become a better passing team and went to the Super Bowl after the 1995 season.
But they are no longer a dominant passing team and have come to realize that no matter how many times they kiss that frog it's not going to turn into a prince. That, and Baltimore's Super Bowl victory last season, have shown teams like the Steelers that they can strive for a championship even if they don't have a sophisticated offense.
"Yes, they've proven that it can be done that way," Stewart said of Baltimore. "That's not saying that's the way we want to get it done."
The Ravens had one of the most dominant defenses in NFL history, one many compared to the '76 Steelers. While the Steelers do not have that kind of dominance on defense, they do have a good one, a better running game and their quarterback has more versatility than Trent Dilfer did in Baltimore last season.
The NFL continues to rank its quarterbacks based on passing statistics alone. The league does not count rushing yards, rushing touchdowns or sacks when it computes a passer rating. They call it a passer rating but it continues to be mislabeled as a "quarterback" rating.
That's not fair to quarterbacks such as Stewart, Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb and Rich Gannon, who benefit their offenses on the ground as well. Stewart believes a true "quarterback" rating should include rushing totals.
"I think it would benefit the QBs who like to run around a little bit. I think it's going to give you the whole spectrum, the true meaning, in my opinion, of a quarterback. That is a guy who can make plays, not just one who is going to sit in a pocket and get hit all day," he said.
"Sometimes you have a defense running upfield, and if you have a quarterback who can scamper around and give you 20, 30 yards sometimes and a total of 60, 70 yards, it's going to help Jerome out and everyone else in this offense."
Stewart's record as a starting quarterback is 32-25. His team is 9-5 in his past 14 starts. In none of those nine victories has he passed for 200 yards.
"Obviously, you can have your prolific quarterback stats -- 20 of 25 for 350 yards and three touchdowns and one interception, and still lose the game," Stewart said.
"I'll go ahead and give you 14 of 22, give you 150 yards, rush for 60, give you a touchdown and win the game."
That's what he did Sunday. Coupled with the NFL's best running game and it's second-best defense, it should be enough in most games. It's proven to be enough to win championships.
Like Ravens, Steelers could go places with running game, defense 
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