The Pittsburgh Steelers celebrated history really begins in the 1970s, nearly 40 years after the franchise first took the field. Up until then Steelers playoffs tickets had been something dreamed up in lunch rooms and steel mills. That decade Chuck Noll assembled players like running back Franco Harris, defensive lineman Joe Greene, wide receiver Lynn Swann, linebacker Jack Lambert, and quarterback Terry Bradshaw to win seven division titles in eight seasons and win four Super Bowls in six years. Beating the Vikings in 1974, the Cowboys in 1975 and 1978, and the Rams in 1979, the Steelers became a dynasty.
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Years of great defensive teams and Pro Bowl running backs like Barry Foster and Jerome Bettis could not take the respected franchise beyond the AFC Championship game. Steelers playoff tickets seemed to guarantee a great run that always fell short. It was not until 2005 that great story lines collided and the Pittsburgh and all the fans at Heinz Field would be able to relive the glory of the 1970s. Ben Roethliberger was the young quarterback becoming the face of the team. Jerome was the kind-hearted veteran needing only a Super Bowl victory to close out his career, and Bill Cowher was the great coach known for motivating his team that needed a championship to complete his resume. The Steelers rolled through the Bengals, barely beat the Colts, decimated the Broncos, and defeated the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.
Three years later the Steelers want to regain that glory that they knew not so long ago. The faces have not changed too much. Roethlisberger is still the leader on offense, Willie Parker has become the full time back, Hines Ward is still the favorite receiver, and the defense is still led by Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, James Farrior, Ike Taylor, and Troy Polamalu. The new faces include Santonio Holmes as the game breaking receiver and rookie Rashard Mendenhall ready to punch the ball in near the goal line. The team carries the experience and the talent ready to make Steelers playoff tickets a ride again in 2008.
The division offers its challenges. The scheduled games against the Bengals will test the defense, the games against the Ravens will test the potency of the offense, and the games against the Browns will test the team’s ability to handle the unexpected. Playoff tickets may seem like a guarantee, but how far they will go will be showcases in the division match ups.