NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers in position to end unprecedented streak
Last week brought us the Pittsburgh Steelers visiting the Tennessee Titans, a matchup to determine which team would remain the AFC's only undefeated team, as both came into the game at 5-0.
The Titans had a chance for a comeback win after Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception into the end zone late in the fourth quarter, handing Tennessee QB Ryan Tannehill and his offense the ball. Unfortunately, the Titans couldn't achieve a comeback and handed the Steelers their sixth win of the season.
When the 5-0 Seattle Seahawks lost to the Arizona Cardinals later that same night, the Pittsburgh Steelers were left standing as the only unbeaten team in the NFL.
A dive into NFL history tells us that it has been 14 years since the league's last remaining unbeaten team won the Super Bowl.
That team was the Indianapolis Colts, led by legendary QB Peyton Manning. The Colts went 9-0 in 2006, before falling to to the Dallas Cowboys as their first loss. Ultimately, the Colts went 12-4 and won Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears.
Since then, there have been six occasions when the NFL's last unbeaten team made it to the Super Bowl. Every one of those six times, that team lost. One time that team was the 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers, who lost in Super Bowl XLV to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
One thing these Pittsburgh Steelers have in common with those Colts is that they have a veteran QB (Roethlisberger) who is headed for the Hall of Fame. Both these Steelers and those Colts are led by experienced coaches with championship DNA; Mike Tomlin for the Steelers, Tony Dungy for the Colts.
NFL: Is the Pittsburgh Steelers' undefeated record a mirage?
That said, these Steelers have built their 6-0 record on a less-than-stellar schedule. The Steelers have four of their six wins against the New York Giants (1-6), Denver Broncos (2-4), Houston Texans (1-6) and Philadelphia Eagles (2-4-1). The only two winning teams Pittsburgh has faced are the Titans (5-1) and Cleveland Browns (5-2).
It is safe to say the Pittsburgh Steelers can be exposed easily, and the one team who could do that is the Baltimore Ravens, whom they play this Sunday in Week 8.
The Ravens are the reigning NFC North champions and are coming off a bye week. They will be well-rested for their home game and the first division matchup between the two this season.
The time is now to show how the Pittsburgh Steelers have not been truly tested.