Origins of a Steelers Fan: The Killer Bs Era

While Super Bowl XLV may have closed the championship window during the Ben Roethlisberger era, the Steelers had enormous offensive talent that was a pleasure to watch during the 2010s. Ben, Le’Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown seemed to put on a show week in and week out. During this time, the defense unfortunately had its struggles, which in my opinion may have contributed to the lack of Lombardi trophies from these groups. Nevertheless, it was still a good era to be a Steelers fan.

All three offensive talents for the Steelers that have been mentioned are undoubtedly controversial figures. Ben Roethlisberger got himself into trouble early in his career with off-the-field allegations and a suspension, and it’s also hard to forget about his motorcycle crash. Le’Veon Bell, after taking less money with the New York Jets than what the Steelers offered him in a contract, decided to shift his priorities towards becoming a rap artist, and he never found the same success with his new team. And Antonio Brown? I’m not sure where to even begin with his downfall, but the shirtless walk-off as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer might top the cake. With all this being said, I loved watching all three of these men play football. I know opinions on this will vary a lot and that some readers may have a strong and differing opinion, but I cannot deny the joy I had watching them suit up and play together on Sundays. In fact, I own all three players’ jerseys.

Roethlisberger was the second franchise quarterback in Steelers history, leading the team back to Super Bowls and commanding the offensive attack. He was the king of “backyard” football, excelling at evading defenders and completing passes after protection had broken down. Le’Veon Bell was so patient at the line of scrimmage waiting for holes to open up. Sometimes, it felt like the game was being played in slow motion when he was handed the ball. That patience typically paid off in a huge way; when Le’Veon did find a hole, he danced elegantly through it, knifing through to the next level of defenders. He was just as dangerous in the passing game. Antonio Brown, initially a 6th round pick from Central Michigan, became an absolute playmaker and one of the NFL’s elite. Brown was truly special, and the more he touched the ball, the more successful the Steelers seemed to be offensively. The craziest part about watching Antonio Brown was that a lot of times he made these things look easy. I truly believe that if he had just kept his head on straight, when discussing the greatest receivers to ever play the game, he would be in contention.

While these men may have had their off-field issues and caused a lot of controversy, they were unbelievable on the field together. If an opposing team focused their gameplan around stopping one, it seemed like the other two would typically make them pay. In the words of AB himself, business was, in fact, booming.

One of my most vivid memories from this time is the 2014 Steelers-Colts game, when Ben Roethlisberger threw 6 touchdown passes and absolutely lit up Indianapolis. The offense was firing on all cylinders that day in their one-of-a-kind, and some might say dreadful, bumblebee throwback uniforms. The Steelers’ play made those uniforms beautiful that day. I was a teenager working at a sub shop at the time, and I kept poking my head out of the kitchen when I could to catch sneak peaks of the game.

As heartbreaking as it was for Steelers fans when they lost Super Bowl XLV, the 2017 AFC Championship game against the Patriots was a tough one, too. I felt like that team was a special one, and I truly think Pittsburgh would have won Super Bowl LI had they gotten past New England. It is impossible to deny their success during that time, but gosh was it not fun to play against Tom Brady in his prime. Speaking of New England, can anyone forget the Jesse James incompletion on the goal line (I will GO TO MY GRAVE swearing it was a touchdown) in December 2017? Watching the replay still gets me fired up. The man caught the ball and crossed the goal line with possession while making a football move. After the ball crosses the plane, the play is over. It was a touchdown.

While this was after Bell had left Pittsburgh, one of my favorite games from this time period was the Thursday Night Football primetime game against the Carolina Panthers in 2018. That offense was absolutely electric, putting up 52 points and sending the Panthers home with a tail between their legs. James Conner is no slouch of a running back, either, and although his time in Pittsburgh was short, it was hard to not cheer on the Erie kid who beat cancer, played at Pitt, and then was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Elite offense became the norm during this time period, and the Steelers Pepsi anthem, Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow”, was a perfect theme for these teams. There was so much talent and many great games that were played. It is a shame that Pittsburgh just couldn’t quite make it back to compete for a championship with the weapons they had. Nevertheless, it makes for some great memories for Steelers fans. What are your favorite memories from this time period? What are your thoughts on the Killer Bs?