2008 Woodie Awards
Surprise NFL Teams
Rob MacKerchar
Issue date: 10/28/04 Section: Opinion
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Well, football fans, we've reached the halfway point in the season. Every team has played at least eight games thus far, with only one more week of byes to go. Now, every team will be in the homestretch for the playoffs, biting and clawing to stay on top, to upset, or at least to make their season respectable. There are a few teams who are doing exactly what we all expected them to do. The New England Patriots, despite losing a game two weeks ago, are atop their division and tied for the best record in football. No big surprise there. The Philadelphia Eagles finally lost this week, leaving them with a 7-1 record and tied atop the NFL standings. Not much of a surprise there, either. Indianapolis, Denver, Seattle, and even Atlanta, who plays in the weakest division in all of football, are all right on par with fan and league expectations. However, we've been blessed, and in some cases cursed, with a variety of teams who've played well above, or well below, their pre-season potential.
First, we have to talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bill Cowher has always gotten the most out of his team, and the Tommy Maddox-led Steelers have been competitive for the past few seasons, usually coming up just short to their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. This year, led by a rookie quarterback, the Steelers are tied atop the entire league with a 7-1 record and have single-handedly snapped the Patriots and Eagles undefeated streaks in back to back weeks. Everyone is talking about how well Ben Roethlisberger is playing and about how good receivers Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress are. The key in Pittsburgh, though, has been the running game and defense. Cowher has gotten the most out of newly acquired Deuce Staley and Jerome Bettis, whom many thought was all but done. The Steelers, as a team, have rushed for 1,286 yards, which is tops in the NFL, even ahead of the Priest Holmes powered Chiefs. Of those 1,286 yards, 985 of them have come from Staley and Bettis. Roethlisberger has only attempted 155 passes all season - even fewer than scramble-happy Michael Vick. The burden isn't put on Roethlisberger to get things done, so he doesn't feel the pressure.
First, we have to talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bill Cowher has always gotten the most out of his team, and the Tommy Maddox-led Steelers have been competitive for the past few seasons, usually coming up just short to their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. This year, led by a rookie quarterback, the Steelers are tied atop the entire league with a 7-1 record and have single-handedly snapped the Patriots and Eagles undefeated streaks in back to back weeks. Everyone is talking about how well Ben Roethlisberger is playing and about how good receivers Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress are. The key in Pittsburgh, though, has been the running game and defense. Cowher has gotten the most out of newly acquired Deuce Staley and Jerome Bettis, whom many thought was all but done. The Steelers, as a team, have rushed for 1,286 yards, which is tops in the NFL, even ahead of the Priest Holmes powered Chiefs. Of those 1,286 yards, 985 of them have come from Staley and Bettis. Roethlisberger has only attempted 155 passes all season - even fewer than scramble-happy Michael Vick. The burden isn't put on Roethlisberger to get things done, so he doesn't feel the pressure.