The goal? Avoid trap season

[stillers4me]

The only team the past 20 years who had that Super Bowl loser thing down right was Buffalo. They lost the Super Bowl in the 1990 season, returned to lose in '91, returned to lose in '92 and returned to lose in '93.
The Bills have not returned to the Super Bowl since, and no losing team since then has returned to try again the next year. Next up: The Steelers.

The Steelers do not have a good record after winning Super Bowls -- they failed to make the playoffs the past three times they won, in the seasons of 1980, 2006 and '09. That falls in line with most Super Bowl losers the past two decades; not only do they generally not make the playoffs, but many also went downhill the following year............

read more @ http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11252/1173160-66.stm

[zulater]

I don't think anyone will ever be able to explain to me what the 5 game losing streak of 2009 was about? Honestly one play can sum up the voo-doo of that losing streak, and the moment I knew the season was doomed. That play would be a field goal attempt by Janakowski of the Raiders in which he clearly shanked the ball to the right a good 5 yards. but lo and behold the ball was grabbed in mid air and literally moved 7 yards to go through the uprights. I understand kickers sometimes play the wind, but that wasn't the case here, it was just a random gust, and it epitomized the futility that encompassed that streak.

Now as for 2006, that was arguably the worst job by a Steelers head coach for a single season since 1968. I'm not sure where Cowher's head was that season, but it sure wasn't in his locker room, because he didn't seem to have the first idea what was going on with the team that year. How can an idiot message board poster dare call out the great Bill Cowher? Easy, let me tell you how his decisions impacted the won loss record in a negative way that season. Short version, he completely mismanaged his injured quarterback and twice rushed him into action prematurely. I think there was at least 3 games that Ben had no business playing in ( weeks 2-3 vs Jags, and Bengals, and Raider game the week after Ben was knocked out cold in Atlanta) and I think Charlie Batch would have likely won 2 out of the 3 if not all 3 of those games. So you could easily be 10-6 right there. Then there was his mysterious benching of Ike Taylor, his best defensive cover guy?

All in all I liked Cowher, but he really mailed it in that year and allowed his impending retirement to linger over the team for the season.

[crcsnail]

we dont know the situation with bill cowers wife that year. i know my head wouldnt be right if my wife was that ill or showing signs of illness.

[GBMelBlount]

I had a lot of the same feelings about the 2006 season.

Assuming Ben is healthy, our oline plays average and the injury gods smile on us, I think this could be one of the best teams (and seasons) we've ever had.

[zulater]

we dont know the situation with bill cowers wife that year. i know my head wouldnt be right if my wife was that ill or showing signs of illness.

In all honesty I don't know if Kay had shown any signs of illness to that point or not? Obviously that would be a good reason for Cowher coaching in a distracted manner. But regardless, I wasn't making a personal attack on Cowher. And overall I thought he was an excellent coach for the Steelers, but for that one season I thought he did a poor job. Whatever the reason.

[Bluecoat96]

we dont know the situation with bill cowers wife that year. i know my head wouldnt be right if my wife was that ill or showing signs of illness.

Very true, but I wanna say I read she was diagnosed after they moved to NC. I could be wrong though.

[Edman]

What cause 2006 was obvious.

What happened in 2009 I still am unable to fathom. I saw some bad signs in that 1-2 Start, but then it looked like the Steelers got it together winning 5 in a row to reach 6-2, then they lose five straight before winning the last three games. It was still a winning season at 9-7, but still a pretty disappointing season.

[Vis]

The only team the past 20 years who had that Super Bowl loser thing down right was Buffalo.

HA

Buffalo made the Super Bowl loser thing an art form.

[sactownsteeler]

Too many guys returning on this team that were embarrassed by that game and will not fall into that trap. Ben was humbled in that loss as the whole team was and with most of our team on the wrong side of 30 they are going to want to fight their way back into that opportunity.

As for Cowher I am happy he was our coach and he won a superbowl and created an amazing team and due to the record I think we got Holmes in the draft which he then helped win the next superbowl so all in all 2006 was a weird year but in the end it was a good year depending how you look at it....