2022/1989 Pittsburgh Steelers

[74_75_78_79_]

Had Steelers made the playoffs after all two Sundays ago (the Jets putting on some semblance of an offense vs Miami), I would have not guessed they going into Rich and actually giving 2nd-seeded 13-3 Buffalo a game. But considering just how close a Tua-less Miami team with a 3rd-string QB kept things close along with Mike McD making that questionable mistake end-of-game, it does indeed make you wonder how a hot-Steeler team with their new starting QB coming into his own as of late would have fared? And, yes, a 38-3 defeat is a 38-3 defeat, but even in that drubbing at Rich back in early-October, I seriously at the time saw signs of possible good to come with Pickett & Co. I really can't imagine we would have had yet another '38-3' or anything close!

But neither here nor there. Even had the 'Burgh recorded such a 'miracle' 1st-Rd win at Rich (which would have been SUCH a greater upset than at Glanville's also-9-7 Oilers on 12/31/89), and then would have actually given Mahomes & Co a good game this coming week at Arrowhead before coming up just a point short (which, also, would be far more remarkable than what Steelers did at Mile High vs that just 11-5 team 33 post-seasons prior), the '89 Steelers would have still stayed more in my heart than this '22 version.

Had the 'Burgh simply just gotten by Denver on that first Sunday of the 1990s (or, perhaps, had they abandoned the shotgun to assist them through the Mile High crowd-noise end of game), we would have had ourselves a rubberband Steelers/Browns matchup for the conference title! Another high-stakes Noll vs Bud Carson chess match on the 10th Anniversary of SBXIV! And if Pittsburgh prevails, which likely-enough happens, we get ourselves the Ultimate David-vs-Goliath event EVER! Even more-so than Villanova/Georgetown '85! Even more-so than SBIII! I'm no odds-maker, but I'm thinking Vegas installs Mighty San Fran as a 20-point favorite at the very least; but I'm thinking 21 and a half! Simply the greatest point-spread in SB history either way.

For the longest time until recently I thought it would have been a colossal blowout, thus "Thank God" they got eliminated when they did to avoid Ultimate Embarrassment! But lately in life, the attitude has changed. No, it still may have been lopsided anyway. But, perhaps, more-so (as someone here opined quite some time ago) along the lines of the regular season affair that took place the following year. 27-7, but Steelers at least made it respectable a bit early on before making a costly mistake (Foster's gaffe) that you could simply ILL-afford to do against the 1989 San Francisco Forty Niners if you want a chance to keep up on the scoreboard! In either event (all-due-respect to the team that actually did win/earn the AFC title in '89) I can't at all see it being...55-10! Noll, a four-for-four-time Lombardi-winner simply tries to set the 'slow' tempo for the contest vs George Seifert and see what happens from there. You simply would...never KNOW (it's why they Play the Game)!

And what would have been the Greatest Upset in Sports History? Steelers winning SBXXIV vs those FORTY NINERS (which, let's face it, would have topped Villanova-over-Georgetown or SBIII...or Giants-over-Pats later on) or would that Greatest Upset in Sports History, instead, be what happened just THIRTEEN NIGHTS LATER in Tokyo?? I mean, can you IMAGINE both such events taking place within those two weeks to begin the 1990s?? Nostradamus-'fans' would sure have been saying, "See? This is the decade it all ends! This is a 'sign'...1999..."



Okay, more serious now as well as steering from any more hypothetical stuff, below is a nice interview from one of the many 'no-names' of that Classic Noll-led OVER-achieving Steeler squad from 33 seasons ago - WR Mark Stock! Only played that one year with the 'Burgh. Came out of VMI. Yes, that dropped pass right at the end of that divisional round game (again, the shotgun should have been abandoned), but still much to like reading this. He had an old-school attitude being a Military guy as well as a Christian. Like Junior Seau, he felt that you were a role model to youth whether you wanted to be one or not ("once you put on the uniform..."). Tom Moore was the one who brought him onboard. And when (two TEs) Joe Walton showed up the following year, that was the end for Stock in Steel Town. Enjoy the read...

https://steelersdepot.com/2018/03/inter ... ll-career/

[Brian wolf]

I remember being so mad at the Steelers for blowing that playoff game against the Broncos in 1989/90. It was the best game Hoge ever played but Elway worked his magic at the end. Had they won it would have been cool seeing a Brister-Kosar matchup. Maybe Kosar finally plays in the SB?
Neither the Steelers or Browns would have beaten SF however ...

[7DnBrnc53]

Had the 'Burgh simply just gotten by Denver on that first Sunday of the 1990s (or, perhaps, had they abandoned the shotgun to assist them through the Mile High crowd-noise end of game), we would have had ourselves a rubberband Steelers/Browns matchup for the conference title! Another high-stakes Noll vs Bud Carson chess match on the 10th Anniversary of SBXIV! And if Pittsburgh prevails, which likely-enough happens, we get ourselves the Ultimate David-vs-Goliath event EVER! Even more-so than Villanova/Georgetown '85! Even more-so than SBIII! I'm no odds-maker, but I'm thinking Vegas installs Mighty San Fran as a 20-point favorite at the very least; but I'm thinking 21 and a half! Simply the greatest point-spread in SB history either way.

That Pit@Cle Hypo AFC Title Game probably goes to the Black and Gold, in my opinion. That Cleveland team really shouldn't have gotten that far that year.

The AFC Title Game we should have had in 89 was Steelers@Bills. If Ronnie Harmon and Mark Stock don't drop those passes, it would have been interesting to see how the Steelers would have handled the no-huddle at Rich Stadium (Marchibroda and Levy planned to continue to use that after the Browns loss).

I hate to say it, but I see the Bills prevailing. They had Pittsburgh's number until that 1993 MNF game (where Foster got hurt, and where Steeler S Gary Jones put a lick on one of Buffalo's players).

That would have led to a Bills-49ers matchup that we seemed to barely miss out on back then (and what we could see this year). Earlier that year, the Bills played SF in Candlestick in December. The Bills should have jumped out to a 10-0 lead. They sacked Steve Young, and it was a clear fumble (and it should have been a return TD by Bruce Smith), but it was called down. In the second half, the 49ers pulled ahead and won 21-10, but that was off turnovers. The Bills used the no-huddle down 21-3, and went down and scored their only touchdown.

I see SF winning the SB rematch, but no way is it 55-10, and the Bills may have had the best chance out of the five AFC teams that year to beat the 49ers with their talent and the no-huddle angle.

[Brian wolf]

I still regard that Browns-Bills game as one of the best postseason games I have ever seen with lots of fireworks in Municipal Stadium. Kelly and Thomas had great games but that drop by Harmon prevented the comeback win. It was also NT Fred Smerlas' last game with the Bills before their run of SB losses. He was aging but might have made a difference against Ottis Anderson and the Giants in the first SB for Buffalo ... He deserves the HOF.

[7DnBrnc53]

I still regard that Browns-Bills game as one of the best postseason games I have ever seen with lots of fireworks in Municipal Stadium. Kelly and Thomas had great games but that drop by Harmon prevented the comeback win. It was also NT Fred Smerlas' last game with the Bills before their run of SB losses. He was aging but might have made a difference against Ottis Anderson and the Giants in the first SB for Buffalo ... He deserves the HOF.

I totally agree. And, that was a great week of playoffs sans the Viking execution by the bay. Besides that game, The Rams@Giants and Steelers@Broncos games were close games that either team could have won.

[JWL]

Too bad the 'burgh lost to the York (actual record 7-10, ReaL record 1-16) in Week 4. If everything else after that happened the same, then the 'burgh would have been in the playoffs.

[74_75_78_79_]

And here we go again one year later! Yet another final week in which the Steelers will have to win their finale with other teams each needing to lose!

Not as difficult as '89 in that just two additional games will have to go their way instead of three!

But the team that they'll have to beat, here, are not 39-year-old Joe Ferguson's 5-10 Buccaneers! Instead, it'll be the RAVENS at Baltimore! Yes, the 1-Seed is all wrapped up but will John Harbaugh actually rest his starters? And sure-enough the players would not want to go into the post-season allowing the hated Steelers in yet alone allowing them to sweep them! Also, Balt will already have a 1st-round bye! Why risk rusting things up with memories of 2019 oh so very fresh still?

As for the 'just' two teams who'll have to lose - do you actually see the Jags letting the Titans spoil things albeit the game being on the road?

Buffalo, the other team, losing at Miami in the 'AFC East Championship Game' seems the most likely scenario of the three but that's clearly no shoe-in! Steelers would get the tie-breaker over the Bills, I suppose, because in such an event they would have the better conference record over them, 7-5 to 6-6.

We'll see how this turns out! Hindsight always 20/20, of course, but end-of-day just a simple maybe installing Rudolph in sooner over Trubisky, thus an extra win or two, may have made all the difference going into this, here, Week #18!

Yes, put on that Weegie Thompson jersey and may the Ghosts of '89 hopefully do their thing next weekend as we, tonight, celebrate the 34th Anniversary of Glanville's last game in Houston (last game of the '80s-period) as the Emperor deflected the likes of Delton Hall & Co from carrying him off the Astrodome for his Last Hurrah!


Happy New Year to you All!


EDIT - very big mistake! The Jags/Titans game has no significance here! It’s simply the Steelers winning and the Bills losing. It’s still going to be tough for both to happen, but it makes things quite easier.

[Brian wolf]

Rudolph has made the difference in the last two games but as hot as the Ravens are, I think they will try to beat the Steelers before their playoff bye ... Buffalo will beat Miami, so if the Steelers could upset the Ravens, should Rudolph get a shot at the starting job next year? Remember, in his two year career, Pickett has only one game with multiple TD passes ...

[74_75_78_79_]

EDIT - very big mistake! The Jags/Titans game has no significance here! It’s simply the Steelers winning and the Bills losing. It’s still going to be tough for both to happen, but it makes things quite easier.

Excuse me yet again. I was looking at it all wrong. JAX@TEN is actually significant! It's either Jags losing/tying OR Bills losing-period along with, of course, a Steelers win. In addition to all that...if the Texans/Colts TIE, then the Burgh will get 6TH seed instead of 7th!

No comparison at all to '89, or even last year's final week. But beating Baltimore will be a serious tall order! It's a rivalry as evidenced in the Steelers actually upsetting them earlier on. If that can happen, then the Ravens can beat them with their backups.

But, as I said, why would John want to rest his starters if they already are going to have a bye week anyway? Simply look at 2019 - RGIII in for Lamar among other backups in instead. That finale was also at home against the Steelers, and they still won, but getting upended by the 9-7 Titans two weeks later may very well have been due to that extra week off. Of course a Steeler-fan would want Balt's backups in, but overall I've been bothered by 1st-Rd-bye-clinching teams in-general taking their foot off the pedal just to play it safe. Dungy/Peyton's '00s Colts and the '96 Broncos among fine examples.

Remembering the NE/NYG finale of 2007...Hoodie nor Coughlin cared that each of their playoff positions were already set. Put the starters in and let it all out there!

Rudolph has made the difference in the last two games but as hot as the Ravens are, I think they will try to beat the Steelers before their playoff bye ... Buffalo will beat Miami, so if the Steelers could upset the Ravens, should Rudolph get a shot at the starting job next year? Remember, in his two year career, Pickett has only one game with multiple TD passes ...

I'll confess that I wrote off Rudolph a while back. I felt we held onto him too long. But putting him in, albeit maybe too late, seemed to not only be the right move over Mitch, but considering the spark he already seems to set (better than anything we've seen yet out of Pickett), IMO now you got to play the 'hot hand' until. If Mason continues his recent performance this Saturday, and especially if the Steelers make the playoffs and he makes noise, at the very least let both compete equally in the off-season, or maybe - just maybe - make Pickett into Pipp.

[Brian wolf]

I cant presume the Dolphins will lose to Buffalo, its just they have more momentum right now and the Dolphins are dinged up. A big game from Hill could be the difference. I think the Ravens should go all out against Pittsburgh because this is the best passing I have seen out of student body Jackson. He needs to stay in that groove.