Steelers Football Throughout the Decades: The Beginning of Ben (2000's)

If you missed my count up of the Steelers history via decades, check out the 30's through 50's, the 60's through 80's, and the 90's by clicking on either of those links. The 90's weren't the prettiest in Steelers history... but then came a QB named Ben.

The 2000s would kick off for the Steelers with an improved 9-7 record but, ultimately, no playoffs. For the first time since 1988, the Steelers had 3+ years with no playoff berth. And 2000 would be the final year with Three Rivers Stadium as the newly branded and built Heinz Field would host the Steelers home games. 

2001 would serve the Steelers well as they went 13-3, won the division, and made it to the AFC Championship before losing to the Patriots, who were led by some random guy named Tom Brady at QB; I'm sure he won't be a problem in the future. 

Now it's time for AFC North football! The newly formed divisional alignments by the NFL pit the Steelers with the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, and Cleveland Browns. The Steelers would finish 10-5-1 in 2002 and become the first winners in AFC North history. They would face the Browns in the wild card and win an instant classic but come up short vs. the Titans in the divisional round. With the 2003 season coming up, it was time for the draft, and the Steelers would go with a defensive back out of the University of Southern California named Troy Polamalu.

The 2003 season would be a less-than-stellar year as the Steelers would go 6-10. However, the 2003 season became famous for the Steelers because it was their last losing record and the longest active streak in the NFL for a team without a losing record. And it was also the final season before the Steelers would draft a man out of Miami (OH). Arguably, the best QB in Steelers franchise history, Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger, or as the Steeler fans call him, Big Ben. 

The 2004 season could've been extraordinary as the Steelers, with rookie Big Ben, would dominate and end the season with a 15-1 record. However, struggles would hit the Steelers in the playoffs as they didn't play their best game against the Jets but got bailed out by a missed field goal. The Patriots would beat the Steelers in the AFC Championship, costing them a trip to the Super Bowl in Ben's rookie year. 2004 was overall a good year for Pittsburgh despite the ending, as they found their guy in Roethlisberger. How long will it take to get the former Redhawk a ring? 

Literally, a year. That's right, baby! The Steelers would win their fifth Super Bowl in 2005 after going 11-5, besting the AFC North winners in the Bengals, the Colts, and Broncos in the playoffs, and then beating the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Ben would make everyone believe in the divisional round against the Colts, not because of a touchdown, a first down, or even a good decision. It was an Immaculate Redemption.

The Colts were down 21-18 with 1:20 left in the game, and Pittsburgh had the ball at the Colts goal line, looking to put the game away. Jerome Bettis would get the football, and it would be knocked out of his hands by Gary Brackett, and a Jerome Bettis fumble hadn't happened in 2005. Heck, almost never happened. Colts cornerback Nick Harper would pick up the ball. Harper was running with the ball, looking to win the game with only Ben Roethlisberger in front of him. Roethlisberger didn't need to outrun Harper, but he needed to stay in front of him. But Ben was losing leverage on Harper and had to make a desperate move. Ben would dive at the shoe of Harper and tackle him with his shoestring. This would help as the Colts failed to convert first down and tried a field goal, but a lousy miss by Mike Vander-jagoff allowed the Steelers win the game and put the shoestring tackle by Ben in the record books. 

The Steelers went on to defeat the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, becoming the first ever 6 seed in NFL history to do so.

After 2005, the Steelers would suffer from the Super Bowl hangover and go 8-8 in 2006. This would be the final season of Bill Cowher as head coach, as he would retire in early 2007. In the 75th season of the Steelers, they would welcome new head coach, Mike Tomlin.

Tomlin's first season in Pittsburgh would go well as the team would go 10-6, win the AFC North, but not make it far in the playoffs as the Jaguars beat them. Remember that 4th down scamper by David Garrard? You should try and forget. The damn Jags, man.

The 2008 season was on the horizon as the Steelers are considered early Super Bowl contenders with one of the best defenses in the league and a talented offense. The Steelers would prove elite as they went 12-4 and won the AFC North. The Steelers would beat the Chargers and face their divisional rivals, the Ravens, for a shot to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. 

The Steelers had the lead late in the game, and the Ravens had to score some points to get back in. Ravens QB Joe Flacco threw a pass that would be intercepted by Troy Polamalu, who would miraculously run the ball in for a touchdown which would seal it for Pittsburgh and send them to the Super Bowl for a chance to become the first franchise to win six Lombardi's.

The Steelers would face off against the Arizona Cardinals in Tampa, Florida.

The Cardinals were down by 3 points and looking to capitalize in the red zone with a touchdown or field goal. Cardinals QB Kurt Warner would throw towards the endzone and he was intercepted by James Harrison, who would run the whole field, return for a 100-yard touchdown, and give the Steelers a 17-7 lead going into the second half. This play has been called "The Immaculate Interception." Quite frankly, it's one of the greatest plays in NFL history.

Going into the second half, the game was looking good for Pittsburgh. Entering the fourth quarter, the Steelers were up 20-7. But the Cardinals fought tooth and nail, got two touchdowns, including one from Larry Fitzgerald, and a safety, and were up 23-20 with about 2:30 left to go in the fourth. The Cardinals were looking to be the better half of the old Card-Pitt squad of the 40s. But the Steelers were lead down the field to the Cardinals 6-yard line, as Big Ben connected with Santonio Holmes on multiple incredible plays. With 42 seconds left, Ben Roethlisberger threw a strike to the back right corner of the endzone to Santonio Holmes, and Holmes caught the ball and got ten toes down in the endzone, and the Steelers would win the game and their sixth Super Bowl title!

This win would make Mike Tomlin the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl, and this would also be the final game to be commentated by the late, great John Madden.

In the final year of the 00s, the Steelers would suffer another Super Bowl hangover. They would still retain a positive record but fail to make a postseason appearance with a 9-7 record. The end of another decade comes to Pittsburgh as the second-best ten-year stretch of the Steeler franchise comes to a 103-56-1 record.