Steelers linebacker James Harrison returns an interception for a touchdown against the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLII on Feb. 1, 2009, in Raymond James Stadium. The Steelers started that season 6-2 before becoming champions. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
As the motivational saying goes, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. But for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the two often go hand in hand.
The past three times the Steelers reached the Super Bowl, they started with a 6-2 record. But there’s more. The last three times the Steelers won the Super Bowl, they also started 6-2, dating back to the end of their 1970s dynasty.
And here they are again.
This year’s team owns a 6-2 record after eight games, but don’t start booking February flights to Los Angeles quite yet. There were 12 other times in franchise history the Steelers won six of their first eight games and didn’t play in the Super Bowl (one was prior to the Super Bowl era).
The most recent example was two years ago when quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson combined for a 6-2 start. A few years earlier, the 2017 team with Ben Roethlisberger under center started 6-2 before pushing its record to 11-2.
Neither team won a playoff game, however.
Roethlisberger did lead the franchise to a Super Bowl runner-up finish in 2011 and championships in 2008 and ’05 after starting 6-2 each time. The Super Steelers of 1979 were 6-2 at one point that season prior to winning the Lombardi Trophy.
Plus, there is a coaching connection to 6-2.
The three most recent coaches — including first-year coach Mike McCarthy — started 6-2 in their debut season with the franchise. Bill Cowher started 6-2 in 1992, Mike Tomlin was 6-2 in 2007 and McCarthy improved to 6-2 with last week’s win over the Cleveland Browns.
Here is a look at how the Steelers finished in previous seasons when they started 6-2.
2024
Record: 10-7
Playoffs: Lost in wild-card round
Fields got the Steelers off to a 4-2 start before coaches switched to Russell Wilson, who won six of the next seven games. But the team later lost four in a row to end the regular season, finished behind the Ravens in the division and lost a wild-card game in Baltimore.
2017
Record: 13-3
Playoffs: Lost in divisional round
The team won the AFC North title behind NFL receiving leader Antonio Brown (1,533 yards). The season included an eight-game winning streak in the middle but ended with a 45-42 loss to the visiting Jaguars despite five touchdown passes by Ben Roethlisberger.
2011
Record: 12-4
Playoffs: Lost in divisional round
The Steelers defeated Tom Brady and the Patriots on the eve of Halloween to improve to 6-2. They finished tied atop the division with the Ravens, who owned the head-to-head tiebreaker. They lost to the Tim Tebow-led Broncos in the playoff opener.
2010
Record: 12-4
Playoffs: Lost in Super Bowl
With Roethlisberger suspended for the first four games, quarterbacks Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch combined to go 3-1. Roethlisberger returned to win an AFC North title, but the team’s postseason run ended with a Super Bowl loss to McCarthy, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
2009
Record: 9-7
Playoffs: Missed postseason
The Steelers were riding high after a victory in Denver pushed their record to 6-2. The mood changed once they lost their next five games by margins of 6, 3, 3, 3 and 7 points. Two of the five losses came in overtime, a slide the ultimately kept them out of the playoffs.
2008
Record: 12-4
Playoffs: Super Bowl champion
The Steelers defense led the league in yards and points allowed, bolstered by Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison. The team started 6-2, won the AFC North title and defeated the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.
2007
Record: 10-6
Playoffs: Lost in wild-card round
The AFC North champions started 9-3 overall in Tomlin’s first season, but they stumbled into the playoffs by losing three of their final four games. They lost their playoff opener to the Jaguars.
2005
Record: 11-5
Playoffs: Super Bowl champions
After a hot start, the Steelers lost three in a row midseason. They rebounded to win four straight, slipped into the playoffs as the final wild card and beat the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.
2001
Record: 13-3
Playoffs: Lost in AFC championship
The AFC Central champions, behind quarterback Kordell Stewart and a No. 1-ranked defense, won seven of their final eight games after a 6-2 start. They defeated the Ravens in the wild-card round before losing to the Patriots in the conference championship.
1997
Record: 11-5
Playoffs: Lost in AFC championship
The Steelers won the division title under Stewart, who passed for 3,020 yards and rushed for 11 touchdowns. They defeated Drew Bledsoe and the Patriots in the divisional round before losing to John Elway and the Broncos in the conference championship.
1996
Record: 10-6
Playoffs: Lost in divisional round
Running back Jerome Bettis rushed for 1,431 yards and 11 touchdowns after being acquired in a blockbuster offseason trade. The Steelers defeated Jim Harbaugh and the Colts in the playoffs before losing to the Patriots when Curtis Martin ran for three touchdowns.
1983
Record: 10-6
Playoffs: Lost in divisional round
An elbow injury limited Terry Bradshaw to one game in his final NFL season. In his place, quarterback Cliff Stoudt oversaw a 9-2 start. The Steelers faded late, lost four of the last five and fell to the Raiders in the playoffs.
1979
Record: 12-4
Playoffs: Super Bowl champion
A roster with 11 Pro Bowl players, five first-team All-Pros and plenty of future Hall of Famers capped the decade with a fourth Super Bowl title. The offense led the league in yards and points that year behind Bradshaw and Franco Harris.
1972
Record: 11-3
Playoffs: Lost in conference championship
The Steelers had won 10 of 11 games before losing to the historically undefeated Dolphins in the AFC championship game.
1947
Record: 8-4
Playoffs: Lost in divisional round
In the pre-Super Bowl era, coach Jock Sutherland oversaw a 7-2 start that included a victory over the Boston Yanks. They lost to the Eagles in their playoff opener.