The Kansas City Chiefs fell short of becoming the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
But Patrick Mahomes‘ team missed out on more than that when it was blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
GettyTerry Bradshaw is proud that his Steelers won titles the right way[/caption]
The Chiefs were on the verge of having the greatest run the NFL has ever seen.
For some fans, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick still hold that title thanks to a dynasty with the New England Patriots that lasted for 20 years.
But other longtime NFL fans remain adamant that the greatest era in NFL history occurred in Pittsburgh, and was led by a tough quarterback who now serves as an outspoken FOX Sports analyst.
“The thing that that I’m most proud of our four Super Bowls, it was the same team,” former Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw exclusively told talkSPORT.
Bradshaw praised Mahomes and the Chiefs before a 40-22 defeat to Jalen Hurts and the Eagles in New Orleans.
Yet when Bradshaw was asked to compare the Steelers’ 1970s dynasty with the Chiefs’ recent run, the Hall of Fame QB made it clear that Pittsburgh was still on top for a variety of reasons.
“The only difference in all of these teams today and the teams of the ’70s is that we drafted our Super Bowl teams,” Bradshaw said.
“Now they pick them … or at least they try to simulate some kind of a team, right?
“Then they go, ‘Oh, Tyreek Hill is not happy. We’re shipping his a** to Miami.’
“But who are we going to replace him with? ‘Oh, now we’re getting (JuJu Smith-Schuster) … OK, he’s available.’ “
GettyPatrick Mahomes’ Super Bowl loss to the Eagles was a big setback[/caption]
GettyThe Steelers dominated the NFL in the 1970s[/caption]
GettyThey built their team through the draft and played in a tougher era[/caption]
Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl in 1974, ’75, ’78 and ’79.
The Steelers also reached the AFC Conference Championship game in ’72 and ’76, as head coach Chuck Noll got the best out of Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, Rocky Bleier, John Stallworth, Mean Joe Greene, Mel Blount, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham and more.
The Chiefs’ run of seven consecutive AFC Championship games with Andy Reid, Travis Kelce and Mahomes has allowed Kansas City to dominate the end of the last decade and the first half of the 2020s.
But Pittsburgh won four Super Bowls, while the Chiefs are stuck at three after an embarrassing loss to the Eagles in New Orleans.
Throw in the violent style of play that characterized the NFL in the 1970s and the Steelers’ overwhelming strength on both sides of the ball, and it’s hard to argue against Bradshaw.
Fifty years after Pittsburgh dominated the NFL, there’s a reason that his Steelers era is still revered by many fans as the greatest that pro football has ever seen.
Counting rings
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl wins with Terry Bradshaw: 1974, ’75, ’78, ’79
Steelers head coach: Chuck Noll
Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl wins with Patrick Mahomes: 2019, ’22, ’23
Chiefs head coach: Andy Reid
While Kansas City landed Mahomes and Kelce in the draft, Pittsburgh built almost its entire dynasty roster the old-fashioned way.
“In my day and time, you got drafted, you went nowhere unless you were cut or they traded you — you were stuck,” Bradshaw said.
“There may have been on offense, no changes. On defense, maybe two.
“That’s pretty good drafting — that’s a pretty good draft. So that’s the major difference.”
The current edge in the greatest-of-all-time team debate tilts toward the 1970s Steelers.
But Mahomes is only 29 and already one of the greatest QBs ever, while Kelce is weighing another season with the Chiefs vs NFL retirement.
If Mahomes can win one more Super Bowl with Kansas City in the next few years, Bradshaw will have lost the high ground in a fascinating argument that spans decades.