2004 Pittsburgh Steelers

Though they faltered during the 2003 NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a solid team that could well rebound to its winning ways in 2004. Rabid Steelers fans already have their tickets, so you should work on getting yours while you still can.

During the 1970s Pittsburgh became the first NFL team to win four Super Bowls. Head coach Chuck Noll commanded a talent-laden club starring several future Hall of Fame members, including quarterback Terry Bradshaw, defensive end 'Mean' Joe Greene, running back Franco Harris, and linebackers Jack Ham and Jack Lambert.

The Pittsburgh Pirates football team was founded in 1933 by Art Rooney. He named the team after Pittsburgh's National League baseball team, and the two franchises shared Pittsburgh's Forbes Field. In 1938 Rooney signed star running back Byron White. Nicknamed "Whizzer" because of his speed, White led the league in rushing that year, but the Pirates won just two of nine games.

After seven losing seasons, Rooney renamed his team the Steelers in 1940. The club registered only three winning records from 1942 to 1949. From 1950 to 1957 Pittsburgh failed to produce a winning record. The team briefly recovered between 1958 and 1963, culminating with a 9-5 win-loss record in 1962.

The Steelers moved to their new home in Three Rivers Stadium in 1970, the same year Pittsburgh chose quarterback Terry Bradshaw of Louisiana Tech as the number one pick in the NFL draft. In 1972, just three years after a one-win season, head coach Chuck Noll led the Steelers to the team's first division title ever. The crown marked the beginning of a dynasty that won seven Central Division championships (including six consecutively) and four Super Bowls from 1972 to 1980.

Pittsburgh rolled through the playoffs in both 1974 and 1975 and won the Super Bowls that followed both seasons, holding the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys to a combined 23 points in the two games. Three years later the Steelers again reached the Super Bowl. They defeated the Cowboys 35-31 in what is considered one of the most thrilling championships in NFL history. Bradshaw threw four touchdown passes, and the Steelers led the game 35-17 with just under seven minutes left to play. Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach led his team to two more touchdowns before Pittsburgh recovered a Dallas onside kick and won the game. Pittsburgh earned its fourth title in 1980, defeating the Los Angeles Rams 31-19.

Former NFL linebacker Bill Cowher was hired as head coach in 1992 and built solid teams in the early 1990s with running back Barry Foster, linebacker Greg Lloyd, and quarterback Neil O'Donnell. Cowher led Pittsburgh to three straight division crowns from 1994 to 1996. Following the 1995 season the Steelers again played in the Super Bowl, but they lost to the Cowboys 27-17. Running back Jerome Bettis led the team in the 1996 season as Pittsburgh clinched the AFC Central Division and beat the Indianapolis Colts 42-14 in the playoffs before losing to the New England Patriots, 28-3.

• 1975 IX Defeated Minnesota Vikings, 16-6
• 1976 X Defeated Dallas Cowboys, 21-17
• 1979 XIII Defeated Dallas Cowboys, 35-31
• 1980 XIV Defeated Los Angeles Rams, 31-19
• 1996 XXX Lost to Dallas Cowboys, 27-17