Are The Steelers on the Verge of another Dynasty?

This is my haphazard attempt at a Super Bowl recap.

That was an awesome game. Too bad I went to the store right before Arizona charged back for their shortly held lead. Seattle fans watching that game must have been feeling deja vu.

The Pittsburgh Steelers though, appear to be on the verge of another dynasty with Ben Roethlisberger. If he retired today, he would not get inducted into the Hall of Fame.  However, if he stays healthy another 10 years and puts up comparable numbers, then he likely will get in.  He needs the longevity to cement his candidacy.

That prompts the question as to which players are the Hall of Famers from these Pittsburgh teams (so far).

I would have to say, right now, that the mostly likely Hall of Famer is Hines Ward.  At 32, Ward already has 800 receptions—so, at 75 catches per season for four seasons, he would finish with 1,100 catches.  Either way, Ward is still 22nd all time in receptions and tied at 28 for all-time touchdown catches. 

What I believe puts Ward over the top is his versatility, as well as the gadget play that earned him the Super Bowl MVP award a few years ago. Plus, Ward has achieved those stats in a run-first offense, which tells me that he makes the most of his opportunities.

As for defense, I would strongly consider inducting a coordinator for the first time in Dick LeBeau, but in terms of players, I would pick S Troy Polamalu and then NT Casey Hampton. The reason why is that Hampton has been the constant force on defense, which has freed up those Pittsburgh linebackers.

The fact is, however, that the Steelers still have a great group of linebackers that should power strong teams for another several years and that the Steelers could win another two titles. So if that happens then obviously more players will get considered.

Back to the game (sort of)...

Well, Arizona fans, the Cardinals may have lost, but at least your team is no longer the band of refugees and gypsies it was once was.  Facetiousness aside, cheer up, with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston—the Cardinals will be knocking on the Super Bowl door for several more years.

By the way, I'm a Raider fan but I give credit where credit is due.