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About an hour ago
The last time the Pittsburgh Steelers opened the season at Foxborough, the New England Patriots did not reveal their fourth Super Bowl banner.
They also released their trophies.
New England owner Robert Kraft was joined by top Patriots Troy Brown, Willie McGinest and Ty Law, who won their four Lombardi trophies at Gillette Stadium.
The Steelers could only watch – and wish.
"Honestly, I think it's cool to be part of this team," Steelers receiver Ben Roethlisberger said after attending another Super Bowl ceremony when he opened for the Patriots Sunday night in Foxborough. "You go out, you watch the movie and you sit there trying to channel it and say," It must be us next year ".
"That's how I see it."
The Steelers had no choice but to look at things differently. They watched and wished, then lost against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and the Patriots. The following year became the following year, and the following year.
The Steelers lost this first half of the 2015 season 28-21 to New England. They lost against the Patriots, 27 to 16, to Heinz Field at the end of October 2016. They still lost to the Patriots, 36 to 17, in January, in the championship match of the year. AFC at Gillette Stadium. And they still lost 27-24 in December 2017.
Even when they beat the Patriots, 17-10, last December at Heinz Field, the victory went hollow when the Steelers missed the playoffs. They could only watch and wish the Patriots to win the Super Bowl LIII and tie their NFL record for most Super Bowls with their sixth title.
The Steelers therefore have no choice when they return to New England, but they must look and wish again.
"If you're a player, you're pursuing the same thing, so you want that moment," said Steelers' center, Maurkice Pouncey, who watched the 2015 home opener while he was recovering from a broken fibula. "They deserved it. They worked hard and deserve to cherish what they did last year.
"I'm going to applaud for them and everything. They deserve it, but we want the same thing. Words can not do it. You have to go and play. You have to go there and prove it every week. "
The patriots have proved it almost every year. Over the course of the dynasties, the Steelers of the 1970s and the 49s of San Francisco in the 80s made four, in ten years. But no team in NFL history has dominated more than two decades like the Patriots, who have won six Super Bowl games since 2002.
These two came at the expense of Roethlisberger and the Steelers must annoy Big Ben. He said it was an honor to share the field with Brady, but being a contemporary of the biggest quarterback in NFL history was not easy.
If he had not lost to Brady and the Patriots twice in the AFC championship game – in 2004 and 16 '- Roethlisberger, 37, would have two more Super Bowl appearances and maybe to be tied with Terry Bradshaw with four rings.
"It's a lot of things to do, I guess," said Roethlisberger.
One can not guess who the Steelers must pass to win a seventh Lombardi. Their way to Miami's LIV Super Bowl begins Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, where the Steelers will attend the ceremony and wish for theirs.
"It's not fun," said Roethlisberger. "They are the best for one reason: coaches and players. It's not like we had a problem with them. the the league had a problem with them. They are this dominant. "
It must be the Steelers this year. They must stop watching and wishing and start winning.
That's how I see things.
Kevin Gorman is a writer for Tribune-Review. You can contact Kevin by email at [email protected] or via Twitter .
