Flashback to 50 Years Ago: Can History Repeat Itself?

50 years ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers reached the pinnacle of the NFL. They won their first of six Super Bowl championships. Now we are in year 2024 and the current version of the Steelers are headed back to the playoffs with an 8-2 record before the Thursday night game with the Cleveland Browns. 

I contend that this is probably the best and most talented defense head coach Mike Tomlin has ever put together. It’s not possible to say that about the offense with Ben Roethlisberger retired and guys like Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell long gone, but as an entire team, this is one incredibly talented group of 53 players. 

Looking back at that 1974 team, it was the start of a dominating 1970s decade in which Pittsburgh won four Super Bowls in six years. It would be hard to argue that this current version of the Steelers was as good as that 1974 team, but I thought it would be interesting to compare the two teams, player by player, position by position. So, considering just the starting lineups, I have put each starter up against each other from the 1974 team and the 2024 team.

Quarterbacks

Terry Bradshaw vs. Russell Wilson. In trying to compare all these players against each other, I believe the best way to do this will be based on averages. That is for the offensive guys mostly. Bradshaw is the owner of four Super Bowl rings. Wilson has one and if Pittsburgh can take another Lombardi this season, he will have two. For the course of their careers, Bradshaw played in 192 games while Russ is catching up to him with 168. Bradshaw averaged 232 yards per game. As of now Wilson is at a clip of only 166. Advantage the Blonde Bomber.

Terry threw 340 touchdowns in 14 seasons for an average of 24 a year. Wilson? 212 in his 13 seasons or just 16 per season. Bradshaw was known for his running abilities, but Wilson isn’t afraid to take off with the rock either. Bradshaw ran for 5,321 yards in his career and a 5.3 yards per carry average. Russell Wilson is not far behind on the per carry average with a 5.1 mark. But Wilson has more rushing touchdowns (32-30) and he isn’t done yet. 

Bradshaw’s completion percentage is much better (64.7-51.9) but threw nearly double the number of interceptions (210 to 108). Obviously, Terry Bradshaw is in the Hall of Fame and who knows if Wilson lands there one day. But Bradshaw was named to the Pro Bowl eight times whereas Wilson was just thrice. It’s obvious here that the better QB must be Bradshaw. He was a big-time big game player; however, Wilson has resurrected his career this season and how much longer he plays we will have to wait and see. 

Running backs

Franco Harris vs. Najee Harris. Chances are Najee Harris will never catch Franco in career yards rushing unless Harris plays many more seasons. It’s sort of laughable that they share the same last name and are not related. However, Franco will forever be remembered for the “Immaculate Reception” although he was also a great running back that ended up with a bust in Canton. Najee has only played 61 games thus far while Franco ran in 173. For his career, Franco Harris averaged 70 yards rushing a game. At this point through 61 games the Najee version of Harris is averaging 65 yards. 

The styles of these two backs are somewhat similar. Franco Harris could run through defenders as Najee does, but I believe Najee Harris is a stronger runner who can push the pile better than did Franco. At the tail end of his career Franco Harris was often accused of avoiding contact by running out of bounds, but perhaps he was trying to avoid injuries and extend his career. Franco may have been a tad faster than Najee. 

Franco Harris scored 91 touchdowns in his career while Najee has just 25 but he has not been known to be an end zone guy as much as Franco was. If he stays injury free Najee Harris has a lengthy career ahead of him but I’m doubtful he earns the honors Franco Harris did. Franco, like Bradshaw, was on each of those four championship teams of the 1970s and went to nine Pro Bowls, won a Super Bowl M.V.P. and was All-Po three times. The 1974 version of a player wins again here.

Rocky Bleier vs. Jaylen Warren. While these two players were complements to the starting running backs, I thought it was worthy to compare them. After all, the Rock had a 1,000 rushing season joining Franco Harris in the same season to be a 2,000 yard plus tandem for the Steelers. Rocky Bleier’s story is heartwarming and famous having been injured in the Vietnam War and told his football career was over only to return to the NFL and be a major factor in Pittsburgh offense. 

Bleier played 140 career games and Warren like Najee Harris is just starting with 41 games thus far. Both players average under 50 yards rushing a game but Rocky and Jaylen are remarkably similar in styles. Rocky Bleier was an extremely tough runner. All guts. Warren runs with abandonment to a never say die attitude and it pays off well for him. In comparing these two, I say it’s a tossup, a dead heat.

Wide Receiver #1

Frank Lewis vs. George Pickens. Frank Lewis came to the Steelers via the draft in 1971 and his career was nearly split evenly between the Steelers and Buffalo Bills. Lewis became a Bill in 1978, but he would play 75 games with Pittsburgh where he caught 128 passes for 2,086 yards. His average per game was just 27 yards per game, but he was a long ball threat although just scoring 16 touchdowns. His longest receptions while in Pittsburgh came for 52, 53, 64, and 65 yards. As a Bill he did grab one for 92 yards.

Of the 75 games as a Steelers, Frank Lewis started in 40 games. As for the young George Pickens, he has already played in 44 games despite being just 23 years old. His yards per game is already impressive at nearly 61 yards. He has caught 11 touchdown passes but with Russell Wilson now throwing the ball to him, expect that number to climb rapidly. In comparing these two players, I’ve often said Pickens abilities remind me of Lynn Swann…graceful. Pickens, unlike Swann, can do more with his body than did his predecessor mostly in the way he is able to contort his body and toe tap when catching the ball. I don’t think this comparison is even close. George Pickens all day.

Wide Receiver #2

Ron Shanklin vs. Van Jefferson. Since both these players were on other teams and not just the Steelers (although Shanklin had just one season in Chicago), their entire career stats will be considered here. Shanklin had a short career for just seven seasons, Jefferson has already played in five. Jefferson, however, was with the Rams and Falcons before arriving in the ‘Burgh this year. 

Van Jefferson has nearly caught up to Ron Shanklin in career games and will surpass Shanklin’s 72 games in just two more games played. Jefferson averages about 14 yards per catch. Shanklin averaged 18. Shanklin’s per game yardage totaled 43 and Jefferson so far is at a 24-yard clip. Jefferson has been a touchdown threat with the Steelers this season but for his career he has 11 scores and Shanklin did it 24 times. Both players were utility players as Shanklin was dependable and I would have to give the edge to him.

Tight End

Larry Browns vs. Pat Freiermuth. This comparison is remarkably interesting simply because at the start of his career, all of which was with the Pittsburgh Steelers Larry Brown was an offensive lineman. Chuck Noll converted him to a tight end and the rest is history. He was as good a tight end as he was on the line. Since he got off to a late start catching passes in 167 career games Larry Brown caught just 48 passes. Those receptions totaled 636 yards which gave him a yards per reception average of 13.25. Freiermuth on the other hand is still in the initial stages of his career but already has 186 receptions and 1,832 yards. His average is a bit less at nearly 10 yards per, but he has already surpassed Brown in touchdown catches with 14 and Brown had just five. Pat Freiermuth is absolutely the better tight end in this battle with much better hands and better size (6’4”, 258 pounds to Brown’s frame of 6’4” 246 pounds). The current tight end also often hears what sounds like boos from the fans where they are screaming out “muth.”

Left Tackle

Jon Kolb vs. Dan Moore. Back in 1974 Jon Kolb had been with the Steelers for six seasons and as a part of the massive offensive line of the Steelers fans who remember him will remember the sleeveless men that were his counterparts of front showing off their massive biceps. These days to play the offensive line in the NFL you don’t have to be a muscular dude just have mass in weight. If a player is not over 300 pounds he probably doesn’t belong up front. Dan Moore was drafted by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2021 draft and has started every one of the 59 games he has played in. Moore weighs in at 315 pounds packed onto a 6’5” frame. 

To show you how times have changed with offensive lines, in his playing days Jon Kolb stood 6’2” but weighed just 262 pounds. Yet, he was one of the best offensive linemen of his era. From 1974 to 2024 the game of professional football in the NFL changed dramatically so comparing players that played the lines on both sides of the ball is a challenging task because of size and rule changes. However, Dan Moore, who has had some rough games and has yet to reach a steady level of consistency so with that said, I give the edge to Jon Kolb.

Left Guard

Sam Davis vs. Isaac Seumalo. When I spoke of Jon Kolb, I mentioned size. Sam Davis who played his entire career with the Steelers was even smaller than Kolb (6’1”, 255) but he was a solid offensive lineman. Seumalo has never left the state of Pennsylvania as a professional crossing the state from Philadelphia where he was an Eagle for year to wear the Black and Gold. Manning the current offensive line Seumalo outweighs Davis 48 pounds and is three inches taller. He is also a monster on the line and is an easy choice to say he is a better player than was Davis.

Center

Ray Mansfield vs. Zach Frazier. The position of the center is a fun one to talk about when talking about Pittsburgh Steelers football. That’s because like our head coaches, there haven’t been a lot of them since 1969. Not a lot of great ones anyway. The fact about the center position is that when there was one great center, when he retired not long after another great one came along. Since 1969 when Chuck Noll was hired, only two coaches have followed him, Bill Cowher and now Mike Tomlin. That’s an unthinkable stat, three coaches in 55 years. 

In comparing these two gentlemen, Ray Mansfield’s career began back in 1963. That’s 61 years ago. He was the first great center in the line of historic centers of the Steelers. He tragically died young when hiking after his career was over, but he was able to win himself a championship. Of course, 1974 represented the greatest draft in NFL history that brought Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Jack Lambert, and Mike Webster to Pittsburgh. Webster might be the greatest center in the history of the game and of course Mansfield was no match to beat him out for the job.

When Webbie hung up his cleats, along came Dermontti Dawson. Both are in the Hall of Fame. When Dawson called it a day in 2000, Jeff Hartings was brought in. He stayed at center until 2007 when Sean Mahan was the new center. A year later Justin Hartwig was snapping the ball to Ben Roethlisberger when the team won the Super Bowl. Justin Hartwig returned to the position in 2009. Then in 2010 the next great center was drafted, and his name was Maurkice Pouncey. 

After the disappointing playoff loss in 2020, Maurkice Pouncey was disappointed about the loss he decided to retire. Pittsburgh drafted Kendrick Green who took over. Then it was a revolving door of Mason Cole, and Nick Herbig until this year’s draft when Zach Frazier was drafted, and he became a day one starter. He is the next great center and is off to a fantastic career start not allowing a single sack this season up to the date of this article. In comparing him to Ray Mansfield, already we can say he is better than Mansfield was so the question remains can Frazier like Webster and Dawson before him be honored at the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day? That’s answer is a long way off. 

Right Guard

Gerry Mullins vs. Mason MCormick. “Moon.” That was Gerry Mullins nickname back in the day. But boy was he a good lineman. Again, a smallish offensive lineman for today’s standards he weighed just 244 pounds. McCormick is a big kid at 6’5” 315 and wow what a pleasant surprise this season. Drafted in 2024, McCormick was not thought to be a starter this year only to be groomed into a starting role one day. But after injuries to James Daniels and Nick Herbig that ended their seasons, he was thrusted him into the starting lineup and has not disappointed. In fact, he probably has earned a permanent starting role. It’s too early to gauge McCormick’s abilities but he is certainly done enough to say he’s a better guard than Mullins.

As we now look at the defensive side, comparing players here becomes tricky because keep in mind that in 1974 the Steelers were employing a 4-3 defense, thus the “Steel Curtain.” Four defensive linemen and three linebackers. Now it’s 3-4 with three players up front and utilizing four linebackers. 

Left Defensive End

L.C. Greenwood vs. Larry Ogunjobi. These two men play and played the same position. No comparison. It’s a downright injustice that the late Greenwood has never been voted into the Hall of Fame. He belongs there no question. No matter how Ogunjobi’s career pans out, he’ll never reach the level of Greenwood. “Hollywood Bags” was an incredibly tall defensive end that often knocked down passes and was overshadowed by the greatness of Joe Greene.

Left Defensive Tackle

Joe Greene/Ernie Holmes vs. Keeanu Benton. In 1974 there were four defensive linemen and no nose tackle. Benton is listed as a nose tackle the position once manned by “Big Snack” Casey Hampton, Joel Steed, and Ray Seals before him. So, it doesn’t seem fair comparing him to Joe Greene who is probably the greatest defensive lineman in the history of the NFL. “Mean Joe” was just that when on the field. He was downright nasty tossing around offensive players like they were rag dolls. He was in a word, “dominant.” 

As for Ernie “Arrowhead” Holmes was a trip. Plain and simple. He played crazy on and off the field. Famous for shooting at helicopters once as the story goes, he was a stud on the field, a tough tackler and an integral part of the Steel Curtin. Benton may one day surpass what Holmes accomplished on the field, but while he may develop into a better player than Holmes was, he will never be in the same league as Joe Greene.

Right Defensive End

Dwight White vs. Cameron Heyward. This is a tough call. Heyward is certainly going to be in the Hall of Fame one day. He’s one of the best d-linemen the Steelers have ever had. White, I believe, is in the same category of L.C. Greenwood where he belongs in Canton. He was a talented player who might best be remembered for playing in Super Bowl IX despite being sick that day. But he played on and earned his Super Bowl ring. In this comparison I would have to side with Heyward.

Left Linebacker/Middle Linebacker

Jack Ham/Jack Lambert vs. T.J. Watt/Patrick Queen. Jack and Jack, ALL DAY. Not to take anything away from Watt and Queen because like the two Jacks, T.J. Watt will probably join them one day in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Queen may very well be a candidate as well. But the thing I’ve always said about Jack Ham is that he was a technician on the field. Without having some of the physical skills other linebackers may have had, Jack Ham is sort of like a mad scientist on the field, knowing exactly what formulas to use when dissecting an offense. He was like a machine; his skills just came naturally. Lambert on the other hand was the Mr. Hyde to Ham’s Dr. Jekyll. 

Jack Lambert was one of the fiercest, intimidating, and physical linebackers of his day despite not having the muscular bodies some other athletes had. His tall, wiry frame resulted in some of the most bone crushing tackles you will ever see. Because of rule changes, hard hits like Lambert and Mel Blount laid on opponents you just won’t see anymore. For T.J. Watt, he simply has uncanny moves that enable him to get to the quarterback. He’s a great tackler and has fine tuned the ability to create fumbles with his punch move. Queen is a fantastic tackler and a ball hawk, but these two just are not in the league of the two Jacks.

Right Linebacker

Andy Russell vs. Payton Wilson/Alex Highsmith. Andy Russell began his career with the Steelers in 1963. He endured some terribly losing seasons including Chuck Noll’s rookie year when the team was 1-13. But he hung around long enough to be a part of two Super Bowl championship teams. Russell was much like Jack Ham. Not the most gifted athlete he made it up with effort and tenacity. A great tackler and many believe he too belongs in Canton. Russell was First Team All-Pro in 1975, his 13th year in the NFL. He would retire a season later. However, he is on the Steelers All-time team, in the Steelers Hall of Honor and in their own version of the Hall of Fame. In 1975 Russell set a then record for longest return of a fumble for a touchdown, 93 yards which many laugh at when watching because old number 34 was not the fastest man on the team. Sadly, Russell passed away just this year.

Payton Wilson came to the Steelers this via the NFL draft with many honors. He’s proven to be worth each of those with his play on the field. Highsmith has been a pleasant surprise over the years and a great complement to T.J. Watt. Given their athleticism I’d have to choose Wilson or Highsmith over the crafty veteran Andy Russell.

Left Cornerback

J.T. Thomas vs. Donte Jackson. Back in 1974 J.T. Thomas held his own in the league playing all but one season with the Steelers, 125 games overall. Jackson on the other hand is in his first season with Pittsburgh after arriving via free agency. Thomas played 125 games in his career and Jackson is already up to 91 games played and is now just one interception from matching Thomas’s career total of 20. In comparing the two I would give the edge to Jackson.

Right Cornerback

Mel Blount vs. Joey Porter. Porter has history with the Steelers because his father was a standout linebacker with the team. But when you are talking about Mel Blount, there is no comparison with JP Junior or any other cornerback Steelers or elsewhere. Blount is one of the best ever, most definitely a top five corner. He hit receivers like a mack truck. He was big, strong, and like Ronnie Lott could blast an opponent into the next world. The NFL has changed its rules so that hits like that can’t take place anymore. But there is no need for a comparison here, Blount was a way better player than Porter is now.

Strong Safety

Mike Wagner vs. DeShon Elliott. With Mike Wagner you had another athlete not with physical prowess but again more of a tactician like Jack Ham. In 119 games he picked off 36 passes and even registered five sacks. In 68 games, the free agent acquisition of Elliott brought in a guy who has just four interceptions in 68 games. But he is a good tackler and strong player who has raised his game as a Steelers. Advantage here however goes to Wagner.

Free Safety

Glen Edwards vs. Minkah Fitzpatrick. Glen Edwards played not just for the Steelers but for the San Diego Chargers as well until he retired in 1981. In seven seasons with the Steelers, he picked off 25 passes. He added 14 more in San Diego. Of 89 games with Pittsburgh, he was a starter in 71. Minkah Fitzpatrick came to the Steelers via trade from the Miami Dolphins and has been a centerfielder in the secondary making many tackles and timely interceptions. Fitzpatrick is absolutely a better athlete than was Edwards and may not catch Edwards 39 career interceptions as he is only at a career total of 19 but Fitzpatrick has already surpassed Edwards in pick sixes with four. Edwards had three. The current free safety has been named to four Pro Bowls and three All Pro selections where Edwards has two and one, respectively. However, Glen Edwards has two Super Bowl rings and Fitzpatrick is still waiting on the first.

So, there are your comparisons 50 years apart. If you are counting it is an even battle as I named nine players from each team as the better player. I didn’t compare coaches and while Chuck Noll built legendary teams, for football smarts Mike Tomlin wins that and I would choose him over Noll. But in gauging the overall picture for which team is better, it must be the 1974 version first because they became champions.

The 1974 squad also had much better depth behind the starters than what Mike Tomlin’s roster has today. Guys like Ed Bradley, Jim Clack, John Fuqua, Steve Furness, Joe Gilliam, Gordon Gravelle, Terry Hanratty, Marv Kellum, John McMakin, Reggie Harrison, and Loren Toews could have easily been starters on any other team. In 1974 the Steelers won Super Bowl IX. They would win Super Bowl X as well. A few years later they came home with the Lombardi for Super Bowl XIII and then repeated a season later in Super Bowl XIV.



The 2024 Steelers have had a particularly good season thus far, but it doesn’t appear they are quite good enough to win the Super Bowl. But this is a young team and could very well develop into a powerhouse the same way the 1974 Steelers did.