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TechnographSports column: Level field for NFL
By Jacob Bressler
Posted: 11/9/04 Section: Sports
In today's parity-ridden NFL, a team can go from the dumps to the playoffs in one short season.
The 2004 Steelers are emerging as a legitimate Super Bowl contender before our very eyes - one year removed from an unimpressive 6-10 record.
Coming into the season, nobody expected the Steelers to do much, especially with an aging Tommy Maddox starting at quarterback. He is like the Kenny Banya of the NFL - how did he make it to the big time, and why did Jerry agree to be his mentor?
When Maddox was injured in Week 2, the Steelers put the fate of their season in the hands of a rookie signal caller who had played his college ball at Miami (Ohio) in the Mid-American Conference.
However, Big Ben Roethlisberger has proven he is wise and talented beyond his years.
This whole scenario sounds a lot like the 2001 New England Patriots, when incumbent Drew Bledsoe was hurt early in the season and young Tom Brady led the team to their first Super Bowl title.
I'm not saying Roethlisberger will lead the Steelers to the Promised Land this season, but the future looks bright for the guy that slipped into the Steelers' lap at the 2004 draft.
After the Giants selected Eli Manning with the first pick, and the Chargers followed with Philip Rivers with the fourth selection, the Steelers were lucky enough to find Big Ben still available when their proverbial draft clock was ticking.
It seems as though a little bit of luck and a few key off-season moves can transform a team from pretender to contender in just one year.
The question remains as to whether this is good for the sport that has become America's passion.
I suppose it is good for each NFL franchise, with the exception of possibly Arizona, to have playoff hopes at the start of each season.
The fans that have no hope at all before the start of their team's journey can be pleasantly surprised by their squad's sudden turnaround.
It had to have been a great feeling to be a Carolina Panthers fan last season.
The 2004 Steelers are emerging as a legitimate Super Bowl contender before our very eyes - one year removed from an unimpressive 6-10 record.
Coming into the season, nobody expected the Steelers to do much, especially with an aging Tommy Maddox starting at quarterback. He is like the Kenny Banya of the NFL - how did he make it to the big time, and why did Jerry agree to be his mentor?
When Maddox was injured in Week 2, the Steelers put the fate of their season in the hands of a rookie signal caller who had played his college ball at Miami (Ohio) in the Mid-American Conference.
However, Big Ben Roethlisberger has proven he is wise and talented beyond his years.
This whole scenario sounds a lot like the 2001 New England Patriots, when incumbent Drew Bledsoe was hurt early in the season and young Tom Brady led the team to their first Super Bowl title.
I'm not saying Roethlisberger will lead the Steelers to the Promised Land this season, but the future looks bright for the guy that slipped into the Steelers' lap at the 2004 draft.
After the Giants selected Eli Manning with the first pick, and the Chargers followed with Philip Rivers with the fourth selection, the Steelers were lucky enough to find Big Ben still available when their proverbial draft clock was ticking.
It seems as though a little bit of luck and a few key off-season moves can transform a team from pretender to contender in just one year.
The question remains as to whether this is good for the sport that has become America's passion.
I suppose it is good for each NFL franchise, with the exception of possibly Arizona, to have playoff hopes at the start of each season.
The fans that have no hope at all before the start of their team's journey can be pleasantly surprised by their squad's sudden turnaround.
It had to have been a great feeling to be a Carolina Panthers fan last season.
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