Steelers undefeated: Heres a look at the other 16 teams that started 10-0 in Super Bowl era – CBS Sports

Two weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers became the first team in franchise history to win their first eight games. In Week 10, Pittsburgh became the NFL‘s first 9-0 team since the 2015 Panthers. This past Sunday, the Steelers improved to 10-0 after blowing past the Jaguars in Jacksonville, 27-3. The NFL’s last undefeated team, the Steelers currently have a one-game lead over the defending champion Chiefs for the race to secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed. They also have a three-game lead over the Browns for first place in the AFC North. 

Since the start of the Super Bowl era, 17 teams, including the 2020 Steelers, have won at last 10 games before losing their first game. Out of those teams, 10 reached the Super Bowl, with six teams ending the year with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. 

Here’s a look at each 10-0 NFL team since the start of the Super Bowl era. As you can see below, teams that started hot had more success down the road than in recent seasons. 

While it’s way too early to predict the Steelers’ playoff fortunes, Pittsburgh’s depth at various positions should enable them to withstand possible injuries better than most clubs. It will also give them more versatility as it relates to their possible playoff matchups. 

One-dimensional teams seldom win the Super Bowl; just ask the ’84 Dolphins, whose prolific passing attack was not able to deliver a third Lombardi Trophy to Miami. Conversely, the ’06 Colts, after falling short of their goal the previous season, received vastly better play from their defense that allowed them to win the franchise’s first title since moving from Baltimore to Indianapolis. 

Pittsburgh’s 1978 team, whose 7-0 start stood as the franchise’s best mark until being passed by the current team, is another example of a team that possessed a complete team in all three phases. The Steel Curtain defense, albeit a little older, was still the league’s most dominant unit. Pittsburgh’s offense received a career year from quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who that season became the first and last Steeler to win league MVP. And while Bradshaw and the passing game was the focal point of the offense, Bradshaw certainly did not forget about his talented backfield duo of Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, who both scored touchdowns during Pittsburgh’s 35-31 win over Dallas in Super Bowl XIII. 

The right arm of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been the Steelers’ main mode of transportation on offense. Roethlisberger may be edged by Alex Smith for Comeback Player of the Year, but he is currently a front-runner to win league MVP. In Sunday’s win over Jacksonville, Roethlisberger threw two touchdowns while completing nearly 70% of his passes. He is now on pace to throw for 4,054 yards with 40 touchdowns against just eight interceptions. 

Roethlisberger has had success spreading the wealth as it relates to Pittsburgh’s skill position players. Five Steelers have caught at least 25 passes this season, with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool and Dionate Johnson leading the way with a combined 146 receptions for 1,631 yards and 17 touchdowns. are on pace to catch a combined 158 passes for 1,806 yards and 21 touchdowns. James Washington, a 2018 second-round pick, has made several clutch catches, while new tight end Eric Ebron has proven to be one of the NFL’s best free agent acquisitions of 2020. 

The Steelers’ defense, led by T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, Bud Dupree, Vince Williams, Joe Haden and Minkah Fitzpatrick, have not missed a beat after being one of the league’s top units in 2019. The Steelers’ defense is currently top-10 in the NFL in points allowed, passing yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, sacks, and turnovers forced. Watt, Dupree and Tuitt have combined to tally 24 sacks thus far, while Fitzpatrick leads the team with four interceptions that includes three picks in Pittsburgh’s last two games. On Sunday, Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds became the first pair of safeties this century to each record two interceptions in the same game. 

In Sunday’s win over the Bengals, the Steelers did not allow a third-down conversion in a game for the first time since defeating the eventual NFC champion Eagles midway through the 2004 season. Pittsburgh also boasts the league’s No. 1 defense on fourth down efficiency, as teams are converting on just 28.6% of their fourth down tries. 

Pittsburgh continues to employ one of the league’s best kickers in Chris Boswell, who has made all but three of his 48 field goal attempts since the start of last season. Ray-Ray McCloud, a surprising inclusion in the team’s initial 53-man roster, is averaging nearly 14 yards per punt return. His 58-yard return set up a first half touchdown in Pittsburgh’s Week 8 win over the Titans, while his 45-yard punt return in Week 10 set up the Steelers’ final score in a 36-10 win over the Bengals. 

The Steelers have addressed several of their perceived weaknesses in recent weeks. Their third down defense, which was a cause for concern earlier in the season, allowed their last two opponents to go a combined 4 of 26 on third down. Pittsburgh’s rushing attack, which failed to gain 50 years in each of their previous three games, gained 106 yards in Sunday’s win over Jacksonville. James Conner, who had 89 yards on Sunday on just 13 carries, is back on pace to become Pittsburgh’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Le’Veon Bell in 2017. 

“The guys are playing hard, and playing fast and collectively well,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said on Sunday when asked about his defense’s improvement on third down. “We’re getting turnovers. But I think, the catalyst for it all is that the guys are playing extremely hard and fast. And I think that creates the frenzy that provides the wave that we ride.” 

Can the Steelers go undefeated? They have the talent to do so, but health will likely play a significant role in that coming to fruition. The Steelers also have four games remaining against teams with winning records that includes matchups against divisional foes Baltimore and Cleveland. And while they may sew up the AFC North relatively early, the fact that only the No. 1 seed will earn a playoff bye will likely entice the Steelers to play their starters for all 16 games as long as the Chiefs are still on their heels. 

A more important question is whether or not Pittsburgh has what it takes to dethrone Kansas City as AFC champion. While they have their weaknesses (specifically on defense), the Chiefs, led by superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, should still be considered the team to beat in the AFC. That being said, the Steelers, through 10 games, have proven to be a worthy challenger to take the Chiefs’ crown come January.