The NFL's newest version of the "Triplets" now applies to the Steelers.
A phrase coined two decades earlier to describe Dallas' offensive trio of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin, the Steelers current offensive juggernaut consisting of Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown are receiving similar accolades.
This week, three-time Super Bowl champion and current ESPN NFL analyst Mark Schlereth tabbed the Steelers' offensive trio as the best in professional football. Right behind Pittsburgh's trio is the Packers triple play threat of Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy and Jordy Nelson. The Colts' Andrew Luck, Frank Gore, and T.Y. Hilton were ranked third, while the defending two-time NFC champion Seahawks offensive trio of Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, and Jimmy Graham were fourth on the list. Rounding out Schlereth's list was the Broncos' trio of Peyton Manning, C.J. Anderson, and Demaryius Thomas.
What's interesting about the list is that two of the trios have yet to play a game together in regards to Gore with the Colts and Graham and the Seahawks. Roethlisberger and Brown have second longest quarterback-wide receiver tenure togehter on this list, as Nelson broke into the NFL the season season Rodgers earned the Packers' starting quarterback job in 2008. Big Ben and Bell are the second longest tenured quarterback-running back on this list, as Wilson and Lynch have played one extra year together.
Schlereth said that what Roethlisberger, Bell and Brown have been able to achieve both individually and as a group is among the reasons for making them his choice as the NFL's top offensive trio. He also praised Brown's virtuoso abilities.
"You can't cover this guy," Schlereth said of Brown. "He can beat you deep, he can beat you underneath, he's got elite level quickness to get open."
While they won't face Green Bay in the regular season, Pittsburgh does face the other three teams on Schlereth's list in a four-week span from Nov.29-Dec.20. Let's hope that the Steelers' trio lives up to its bidding and outplays the other great offenses during that span and throughout the 2015 season.