Steelers News: Putting the 1970s Steelers and the 2020 Bengals in the same category is blasphemy

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2019 season is officially over. After finishing the year 8-8, the Steelers, and their vast fan base, has another long offseason awaiting them. Just because the games are done doesn’t mean we stop providing you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over throughout the offseason!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how a member of the national media putting the 1970 Steelers and the 2020 Cincinnati Bengals in the same category is as blasphemous as it comes.

Let’s get to the news:

• With the 2020 league year starting, a member of the media is trying to draw the connection between the 1970 Steelers and the Bengals. Yes, you read that correctly...

Will success be similarity for Bengals, ‘70 Steelers?

By: Grant Gordon, NFL.com

As autumn drifted into winter, the afterglow shined upon a Chiefs championship with the NFL draft drawing near.

While Kansas City had a Super Bowl to celebrate, another AFC franchise was primed to select a quarterback and zeroed in on a Louisiana product at No. 1 overall.

That was 1970, though it has a few notable similarities to 2020.

Indeed, a quick and closer look provided by NFL Research shows some head-scratching parallels between the Pittsburgh Steelers’ historic, franchise- and NFL-changing 1970 NFL Draft and the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2020 NFL Draft. And there’s little doubt that the Bengals are hoping to find the same success that the Steelers did 50 years ago.

Held from Jan. 27-28 in New York City, the 1970 draft saw the AFC Central’s Steelers sitting at No. 1.

Fifty seasons after the first NFL draft prior to the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, the 2020 draft sees the AFC North’s Bengals sitting at No. 1.

The Bengals, of course formerly of the AFC Central along with the Steelers, are prognosticated by many to select Joe Burrow out of Louisiana State with the top pick, hopeful of bringing in not just a franchise quarterback, but a franchise-changing quarterback.

In 1970, the Steelers changed their franchise forever with a Louisiana product taken at the top of the draft, when they selected Louisiana Tech’s Terry Bradshaw.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Bradshaw went on to a Hall of Fame career and his arguably one of the most well-known NFL players of all-time thanks to his hugely successful run with the Steelers and his days after his playing career as an NFL commentator and actor.

The 6-foot-3.5, 221-pound Burrow is coming off one of the greatest single seasons in college football chronicle, having won the Heisman and led the Bayou Bengals to an undefeated NCAA championship.

Coincidentally, as aforementioned the 1970 and 2020 drafts follow the only two Chiefs Super Bowl championships. Furthermore, a new collective bargaining agreement was ratified in 1970 as one is currently being worked on in 2020.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• The Pittsburgh Steelers have some great safeties, but depth is an issue.

Steelers-By-Position: Safeties

By: Bob Labriola, Steelers.com

Another in a position-by-position series in advance of the start of free agency on March 18.

SAFETIES (7)

Marcus Allen, John Battle, Jordan Dangerfield, Sean Davis, Terrell Edmunds, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Tray Matthews

(Free Agent Scorecard: 2; 1 unrestricted – Sean Davis; 1 restricted – Jordan Dangerfield)

A LAST LOOK AT 2019

Dates serve as historical mile-markers for events in our lives, for things that are important to us, for things that simply may interest us. For Steelers fans, dates can serve as a way to remember the significant events in franchise history. Such as Jan. 27, 1969, which is the date the Steelers hired Chuck Noll. Or Feb. 1, 2009, which is the date of their comeback victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, which brought them their sixth Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.

While Sept. 17, 2019 doesn’t reach the same category of significance as the aforementioned, it was important in that it might have saved the season for that particular group, and even if it fell short of that, it certainly deserves to be remembered as the day the Steelers defense became complete. That’s because Sept. 17, 2019 was the date the Steelers acquired safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in a trade with the Miami Dolphins.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Happy Belated Birthday to Franco Harris!

Franco Harris turns 70 today

By: Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk

More than 47 years ago, he made the most amazing play in NFL history. Seventy years ago today, he was born.

Happy birthday, Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris. The man who scooped a Jack Tatum ricochet and ran it in for a touchdown as a rookie with the Steelers in 1972 turns 70 today.

Though we’re not in the business of commemorating birthdays, I’ve got two reasons for mentioning No. 32 embarking on decade No. 8. First, I noticed that it’s Franco’s birthday, thanks to a tweet from Gil Brandt. Second, the Immaculate Reception (as it was dubbed by Myron Cope) became for me the moment that I decided football is a pretty big deal and that I should pay attention to it.

It happened not only because of that play but also because of the broader circumstances. In 1972, all games were blacked out within 75 miles of the stadium, even if they were sold out. (Commissioner Pete Rozelle believed that no game would ever sell out if a sellout allowed the game to be televised locally. Under pressure from two members of Congress — including former West Virginia representative Harley Staggers — Rozelle adjusted the rule for Super Bowl VII and beyond, to permit local broadcast if a game is sold out.)

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

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