Terry Bradshaw

Just now per the FOX halftime show

The Steelers have had a remarkable run of consistency and success for the last nearly 50 years.

Since the NFL expanded to 16-game seasons in 1978, the Pittsburgh Steelers have only finished worse than 6-10 once (5-11 in ’88). They’ve had three 6-10 seasons (’03, ’99, ’86) and three 7-9 seasons (’98, ’91, ’85). Every other year they’ve been at least 8-8 or better.

The Steelers certainly had some clunkers in their early days. 2-12 in ’65, 2-11-1 in ’68, and 1-13 in Chuck Noll’s first season in 1969. In their second season in 1934, when they were still the Pittsburgh Pirates, they finished an abysmal 2-10. Since the franchise stabilized in the 70s and became a contender, they’ve never once been the worst team in the league.

One effect of this success is that they’ve haven’t had very high draft picks for decades, either because of ineptitude or because they felt the need to trade assets to take a chance on a highly touted prospect.

As mentioned their worst season since 1978 was a lone 5-11 season near the end of Chuck Noll’s tenure in 1988. Their starting QBs that year were Bubby Brister and Todd Blackledge, Merril Hoge led the team in rushing with 705 yards, and their defense was ranked dead last in points allowed. Despite how bad they were, there were still 6 teams worse (Cowboys, Packers, Lions, Chiefs, Falcons, and Bucs) and the Steelers only got the 7th pick that year. They took runningback Tim Worley out of Georgia. In his career with the Steelers, Worley amassed just 1,338 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns, missed the entire 1992 season after missing two mandatory drug tests, and was out of the league by 1995. 4 Hall of Famers were selected ahead of him in the 1989 Draft (Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, and Deion Sanders). So the Steelers highest draft pick of the last 40+ years didn’t even pan out for them, and their bad fortune that season wasn’t even good enough to get the top line Hall of Fame talent at the top of the draft.

So since that 1970 draft the Steelers have been able to stock multiple championship rosters with talent without ever having a chance at the highest rated prospects in the draft.

Some other top 6 draft pick oddities since 1970:

-24 of 32 NFL teams have had at least 8 picks in the top 6.

-21 of 32 teams have had the #1 overall pick.

-The Vikings have the next fewest top 6 picks with just 2 (#4 overall in ’12 and ’85)

-The teams with the next fewest top 6 picks are the Dolphins and Panthers (3), Ravens, Texans, and 49ers (4), and Broncos (5).

-The Colts have the most top 6 picks during this time with 20. Two are currently in the Hall of Fame (Elway and Faulk) and one more will be there soon (Manning).

Terry Bradshaw had a passer rating of 30.4 with 1,410 yards, 6 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in 13 games in his rookie season in 1970.

In 1971, he went 13 TD, 22 INT, with a rating of 59.7.

In today's times, this guy would be like Zach Wilson with people calling his entire career to be over and that is he a bust.

But, Terry recovered and went on to be a 4 time superbowl champion and get into the hall of fame.

Is Zach Wilson the next Terry Bradshaw? Stumbling early in his career, then leading the Jets to 4 superbowl wins and getting a gold jacket.

Terry Bradshaw, shots fired.

On Texas QB Sam Ehlinger: "He ain't that good."

(*By 5-A he means 5-star)