The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the best teams in the NFL through most of former head coach Bill Cowher’s tenure there. Sure, they had a lull or two along the way, but rarely were they not competitive. They were just incomplete, without ever truly having the answer under center until near the very end with Ben Roethlisberger, drafted in 2004.
The Steelers drafted the big quarterback from Miami of Ohio with an eye toward developing him. They were a veteran-laden team up and down the roster with a ready-to-compete defense. It’s no surprise they went 15-1 during his rookie season, and won the Super Bowl a year later.