Know Thy Enemy: Seattle Seahawks
The last two times the [intlink id=”20″ type=”category”]Pittsburgh Steelers[/intlink] have gone to the Super Bowl, they failed to make the playoffs the following year. I’m inclined to give Bill Cowher a pass for 2006 considering his franchise quarterback nearly died during the off-season and was a mere shadow of his former self during the regular season. There is absolutely no excuse for what happened to [intlink id=”45″ type=”category”]Mike Tomlin[/intlink]’s squad in 2009, however. The defending Super Bowl champions featured a nucleus near or in their prime while boasting a roster with no significant changes from the year before.
The most frustrating aspect of the 2009 season wasn’t that the team kept losing, it was who they lost to. Every week we’d look at the schedule, see an opponent who record-wise and talent-wise didn’t nearly match up with the Steelers, then watch in horror as they’d go out on Sunday and seemingly find a way to lose. The five game death spiral which tanked the season featured losses to two teams that would go 5-11 and one that would finish 4-12.
Which brings us to this week’s opponent, the Seattle Seahawks. Yes, technically the Seahawks were a playoff team last year although it’s hard to take that credential seriously when you win your division with a record of 7-9. They did acquit themselves well in the playoffs, highlighted by Marshawn Lynch going into BEAST MODE against the defending champion Saints. Regardless, Seattle is clearly not in the Steelers’ league. If the Black and Gold want to quiet all talk of a “Super Bowl Hangover,” they can start by winning a game they should win.
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