Time to compare Super models
The Pittsburgh Steelers had just won their fourth Super Bowl title in six years with a resounding 31-19 thrashing of the Los Angeles Rams in 1980 when Steelers defensive back J.T. Thomas piped up, ''I'll tell you what. I am going to give all of you a J.T. fact. We may often be imitated, but never duplicated; there are none as good before us and none better to come after us." Now, if the Patriots can win another Super Bowl in the next two seasons, there's sure to be some debate on that ''J.T. fact." Nonetheless, the Patriots -- winners of three Super Bowls in the last four years -- certainly have carved their niche in the modern NFL.
A closer look at the similarities and the differences in how the two franchises built teams that will go down in NFL history:
Patriots owner Bob Kraft used the Rooney family as one of his models (along with the 49ers) for building his franchise -- starting with great coaching in Bill Belichick and a philosophy of player acquisition (through free agency, trades, and the draft) that fit perfectly with the salary cap era. The Steelers of the 1970s relied exclusively on the draft.
Players such as Joe Greene (drafted in 1969); Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount (1970); Jack Ham, Dwight White, and Mike Wagner ('71); Franco Harris ('72); Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Jack Lambert, and Mike Webster ('74) all became superstars. Nine of them have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. On the flip side, the Patriots have had only seven players go to the Pro Bowl since 2001, but they, too, have had significant contributions from Belichick draft picks during their run, starting with Tom Brady (2000); Richard Seymour and Matt Light (2001); Daniel Graham, Deion Branch, David Givens, and Jarvis Green (2002); Ty Warren, Eugene Wilson, Asante Samuel, and Dan Koppen (2003); and Vince Wilfork and Benjamin Watson (2004).
The Steelers were known for their ''Steel Curtain" and ''Immaculate Reception" and Swann's great catch and Greene's classic Coke commercial; the Patriots had their 21-game winning streak (snapped by the Steelers, of course), their ''One for All" approach, and being introduced as a team rather than individually.
The Steelers had their franchise QB in Terry Bradshaw, and the Patriots had Brady.
The Steelers had their bruising runner in Harris; the Patriots had Corey Dillon and Antowain Smith.
Both teams had shutdown defenses.
One of the most interesting comparisons is the coaching. Chuck Noll, the only head coach to win four Super Bowls, was a tough, no-nonsense guy (much in the manner of Belichick) who went 1-13 in 1969, his first season. Belichick was a bust in Cleveland after being the defensive architect of the New York Giants' run and started his Patriots' career 5-11 in 2000.
Steelers players certainly had great affection for Noll. ''I think winning this fourth Super Bowl should put us in a special category," said Blount after defeating the Rams. ''I think this is probably the best team ever assembled. They talk about the Vince Lombardi Era, but I think the Chuck Noll Era is even greater."
Noll was in charge of the entire Steelers operation, but he never cared to be the ''out front" guy, which Belichick demands with his ''one voice" mantra.
Like Belichick, Noll never made too much of the Super Bowl wins. As he stood by the Vince Lombardi trophy after his fourth title, he was asked about the Steelers' legacy. ''I don't think I have to answer that," Noll responded. ''The facts speak for themselves. I don't have to say it. The Steelers have proven themselves."
As for why he shunned publicity, Noll once said, ''I don't need publicity to survive. I don't believe in the public's right to know. Publicity doesn't help to win. If it did, I'd be more interested in it."
''Coach Noll is not a great one for speeches," said Swann. ''He's not the rah-rah type trying to fire us up in the locker room. He gets us ready to play and gives us a game plan that we've grown to believe is going to work. Usually it does."
Sound familiar?
Even Law, the player who butted heads with Belichick the most, once said, ''I can't wait to see the game plan every week. I know it's going to be unbelievable. I know there are going to be things we'll scratch our heads about for the first five minutes until we realize, 'Wow! How could he think of that?' "
Former Patriots offensive lineman Pete Brock, now a mortgage broker in Norwood, played against those Steelers teams and has followed the Patriots through his radio work at WBCN.
''The comparison between the Steelers of the '70s and the Patriots now are they both found a way to win," Brock said. ''The Steelers did it with defense and a balanced offense. Bradshaw wasn't the greatest QB of all time, but he won. He handed off and threw it deep to spectacular receivers. He had [tight end] Bennie Cunningham underneath.
''It was a slugfest with their defensive line and you could never get to Lambert. He was flowing freely back and forth. [Andy] Russell and Ham on the outside, who could contain. Those four guys set the tone. The Patriots had Rodney Harrison, but the Steelers had Donnie Shell and Mel Blount."
There'll always be much debate on which era was easier to have built a dynasty.
''Just an opinion, but I think it would be more difficult to build through the draft," Brock said. ''It would be tougher to do it with draft picks and keeping guys healthy through those kinds of runs. If you make a mistake with draft picks it sets you back. In free agency, you just can't splurge at the grocery store because you have the cap, but you can replace talent. And the Patriots have three No. 1 picks on their three-man front, but they've been able to augment them with free agents such as Mike Vrabel and Rosevelt Colvin. In the past era, the longer you stayed in a system, the stronger you were. Offensive lines played five or six years together. So then you had the advantage of not being ripped apart by free agency."
The consensus is great organizations would have adapted to any era.
The Patriots have won their three Super Bowls by 3-point margins, while the Steelers had a 16-6 win over Minnesota in Super Bowl IX; a 21-17 win over Dallas in Super Bowl X; a 35-31 win over Dallas in Super Bowl XIII, and the 31-19 squashing of the Rams.
In the years the Steelers didn't make it to the Super Bowl, they were still very good. In 1976 (a year in which Dan Rooney felt Pittsburgh had its best team), the Steelers won nine consecutive games (including five shutouts) after a 1-4 start and lost to Oakland in the AFC Championship game. In the '70s, the Steelers won six straight division titles, earned eight straight playoff berths, and won four Super Bowls. By comparison, halfway into the 2000 decade, the Patriots have won three division titles, made three playoff appearances, and won three Super Bowls. They failed to make the playoffs in 2002 with a 9-7 record.
