Why the Pittsburgh Steelers Are a Dynasty in the Making

A "dynasty" is defined by Webster's Dictionary as follows:

1. A succession of rulers from the same family or line.

2. A family or group that maintains power for several generations: a political dynasty controlling the state.

I think the first definition applies to the NFL. When a team dominates for a period of time, it is considered a dynasty.

The Packers of the '60s, the Steelers of the '70s, the 49ers of the '80s, and the Cowboys of the '90s are the dynasties that people describe in the NFL to date. I will even say the Patriots of the early part of the millennium are one as well (all cheating aside).

That being said, if you look at each of these teams, there are common factors among them.

All of them have franchise quarterbacks, great head coaches (Barry Switzer of the Cowboys is the exception, but he did it with Jimmy Johnson's team), a dominant unit on one side of the ball, owners that are committed to winning, and decision-makers that make the right decisions.

Do the Pittsburgh Steelers have what it takes to become the NFL's next dynasty?

Franchise Quarterback

Although many fans of other teams will say that because of his stats, Big Ben is not an elite player, there is no question that he is the franchise quarterback.

The Steelers, who are a relatively cheap franchise, had no problem making Roethlisberger one of the five highest-paid players in the history of the NFL.

In his five seasons, Roethlisberger has won two Super Bowls, been to three AFC Championship games, and only one time did not make the playoffs. Add to that the fact that no quarterback in the history of the league has won more games in his first five seasons.

Big Ben is the franchise.

Head Coach

I see Mike Tomlin as the perfect mix between the only other coaches for the Steelers since my birth, Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher.

Tomlin gets fired up during the games. 

He yells when he needs to but is stoic and calm during press conferences. He has surrounded himself with a great coaching staff, most notably Dick LeBeau.

In his first two seasons as the Steelers' head coach, Tomlin has two division championships and a Super Bowl victory under his belt.

Dominant Defense

Dick LeBeau is the father of the zone blitz. 

Coming out of the 3-4 alignment, nobody does what LeBeau has done with a defense. 

As other teams see the Steelers' success, they are switching to the same 3-4. But not only is their personnel different, the man making the plays is also not as good in any city other than Pittsburgh.

The Steelers' defense last year played against the toughest schedule and was still ranked No. 1 overall, No. 1 against the pass, and No. 2 against the run.

They also led in points scored against.

This defense returns basically intact, having lost only two players. Both were replaced by people that probably would have competed for the starting job this year anyway.

Owner That Is Committed to Winning

Prior to the hiring of Chuck Noll, the Steelers were run similarly to the Washington Redskins today. Not that they signed everyone that was decent (there was no real free agency then), but they traded many of their draft picks for players that never panned out.

When Noll took over, all of that stopped, and the Rooney family learned that draft picks were for building a cohesive unit. The Steelers are now known as one of the best drafting teams in the NFL.

Today, the Steelers build the same way that the dynasty of the '70s was built: through the draft, with a touch of free agents brought in.

Decision-Makers

I would love to be in the Pittsburgh Steelers' draft room on draft day. 

Kevin Colbert, who is basically the GM of the Steelers, has done an amazing job at bringing in players and keeping those that will continue to make the team better.

Sure, many times a fan favorite is let go—Joey Porter, for example. But had Porter not been released, James Harrison would never have been able to be the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year.

From the top down, the Pittsburgh Steelers do everything that the other dynasties have done. They are built to succeed over the long haul. 

As long as they continue to do things the right way, which is the Steeler way, the dynasty is not a matter of if, but when.