In the 2000s, the Pittsburgh Steelers added two Super Bowl trophies to their collection. The addition of Ben Roethlisberger was a big reason for that. However, the Steelers’ defense was still arguably the best part of their team. Players like Troy Polamalu and James Harrison made big plays at the right time, smothering opposing offenses. Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson recently stated that those defenses, along with the Baltimore Ravens’ of that era, were the hardest to solve.
“The Ravens and the Steelers from the 2000s, that 2000s era, all that Cover 2, and they had all type of exotic stuff that just, it was confusing,” Johnson said recently on his Nightcap podcast. “So, no matter how much film you watch, there was no telling what you’re gonna get on game day. I come out the huddle on my split tight, I’m looking at the safety, where the safety at?
“I’m looking, Troy Polamalu’s in the A gap. What in the fuck is you doing in the goddamn A gap? So, I’m hyped. I’m looking at Carson [Palmer], I’m hitting Carson over there, because I’m thinking it’s just me and Ike Taylor one-on-one. I’m looking inside at the snap of the ball, I look back up, I’m running my route. This goddamn Troy done got way back to the third at the snap of the ball. What is you doing?”
That unpredictability is one of the reasons why those Steelers defenses were so great. Not only were they loaded with talent, but they had an amazing scheme that terrorized offenses. Playing the Steelers in the 2000s meant having to be ready for anything.
A lot of the credit for that can be given to Dick LeBeau, the Steelers’ defensive coordinator from 2004-14. LeBeau is widely regarded as one of the greatest football minds in NFL history. His zone-blitz defenses kept offenses guessing, and his former players have only good things to say about him.
While LeBeau was the architect of those fantastic defenses, he needed the right players to execute it. Harrison, Taylor, Casey Hampton, and James Farrior are some of the players who were key parts of LeBeau’s unit. While some of the names changed over the years, the Steelers’ defense remained a tight-knit group.
However, maybe no one was as important to their success as Polamalu. Johnson is correct that LeBeau’s exotic blitzes kept offenses on their toes, but Polamalu added another element entirely to that. Johnson’s story is a perfect example of that.
Oftentimes, Polamalu wouldn’t be where he was supposed to be on defense. It would confuse opposing players, thinking they were facing a different defense than they originally believed. Then, almost like he could see the future, Polamalu would move to right where he was supposed to be, making an unbelievable play. It was part of what made him so special.
All those moving parts came together in 2008 to make one of the greatest defenses in NFL history. The 2000s Steelers carried on the team’s rich tradition of dominant defenses. Their Super Bowl victories mean they will live forever in NFL history. Despite playing the Steelers twice a year, it makes a lot of sense why Johnson found those defenses so hard to figure out.
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