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1 big debate on our All-Quarter-Century Steelers team | TribLIVE.com
Steelers/NFL

1 big debate on our All-Quarter-Century Steelers team

Tim Benz
Tim Benz

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Christopher Horner | TribLive
Steelers running back Willie Parker runs for a touchdown during the third quarter of Super Bowl XL in Detroit, Mich., on Feb. 5, 2006.

We’ve already given you our All-Quarter-Century Penguins team. Now, it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers’ turn.

With the way this century started for the franchise, who would’ve thought that playoff wins would become so scarce?

And who would’ve thought that the replacement for a Hall of Famer at quarterback would’ve been so hard?

Actually, anyone from the ’80s or ’90s coulda told you that one.

Anyhow, here’s the entire team from 2000 up to present day.

Quarterback

Ben Roethlisberger

Obviously.

Who is his backup? Kordell Stewart or Tommy Maddox?

Both men missed the playoffs one year as a starter in this window of time. Both were 1-1 in the other season.

Maddox threw for more yards (6,250) and touchdowns (38) in 2002 and 2003 than Stewart did in 2000 and ’01 (4,969 yards/29 TDs). Stewart also threw fewer interceptions (19 to 33), and his completion percentage (57%) was only slightly behind Maddox’s (59.4%). Maddox took 67 sacks. Stewart only absorbed 59.

Furthermore, Stewart ran for 973 yards and 12 touchdowns to Maddox’s paltry 55 yards and no TDs.

Stewart was fourth in MVP balloting in 2001. Maddox was Comeback Player of the Year in 2002 and bailed out the Steelers after a slow start by Stewart in ‘02.

Stewart gets the nod. But wouldn’t it have been nice if someone post-Big Ben could have been at least worth talking about?

Or at least worth starting two season-opening Sundays in a row?

Wide Receivers

Hines Ward, Antonio Brown, Santonio Holmes

On the field, Brown was a Hall of Famer. Ward was borderline. And Holmes?

He did this:

He also did this in the playoffs:

This in Baltimore:

And this in overtime to beat Cincinnati:

Holmes can’t boast more yards, touchdowns or receptions than Plaxico Burress, Mike Wallace or JuJu Smith-Schuster. But he can boast about those plays as a Steeler that we’ll all remember forever.

Running back

Le’Veon Bell

This was by far the hardest choice — and least satisfying result.

If you are just looking at Jerome Bettis’ 2000-05 seasons, he posted fewer yards (5,199) and a lower rushing average per carry (3.8) than the other backs. But he had more touchdowns (50) on the ground than Willie Parker (24) and Bell (35).

Parker had a few more yards (5,378) than Bell (5,336). Both had the same average per carry output (4.3). But Bell was clearly the best receiver in the group.

Parker turned in the famous Super Bowl XL touchdown run and the 146-yard day against the Chargers in the playoffs.

Bell turned in three massive playoff games against the Chiefs, Dolphins and Jaguars, which resulted in 495 yards from scrimmage and four scores. Unfortunately, like Bettis in 2001, his inability to play effectively through injury against New England in an AFC Championship (2016) crippled the Steelers’ Super Bowl hopes.

Every fiber of my being prefers to give this slot to either Bettis or Parker. But Bell “deserves” it.

I guess.

Oh, and Dan Kreider is obviously the fullback.

Tight end

Heath Miller

Miller has every tight end record in the book for this Steelers. He’s the only candidate here.

Offensive line

Maurkice Pouncey, Alan Faneca, David DeCastro, Max Starks, Marvel Smith

Pouncey feels automatic at center until you remember how good Jeff Hartings was as the franchise’s first big free-agent signing in the Heinz Field era. I’ll give it to Pouncey, but Hartings’ play from 2001-06 made me pause for a moment.

Faneca and DeCastro are locks as the guards, with a combined 15 Pro Bowls between them. Ramon Foster is just as much of a lock if there was a third guard.

I’m not married to either tackle if you really want to replace one of them with Alejandro Villaneuva.

Defensive line

Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, Cameron Heyward

As tough as it is to leave Brett Keisel out of the starting lineup, it’s just as easy to realize these three have to be the starters.

Outside linebacker

T.J. Watt, James Harrison

In team history, Watt and Harrison are No. 1 and No. 3 in sacks. Watt has 108. Harrison has 80.5. Cameron Heyward is in between with 88.5. Both have been Defensive Player of the Year. Both have been first-team All-Pro more than once.

The postseason prowess of Joey Porter and LaMarr Woodley keeps them in the conversation, as does Jason Gildon’s stretch from 2000-02. That concluded his Steelers career at the start of the century. He racked up 40.5 sacks, two interceptions, three Pro Bowls and a first-team All-Pro during that time.

Given the status of Watt and Harrison, only the Steelers could have enough depth at OLB to even make this a discussion.

Inside linebackers

James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons

Part of me wondered if Ryan Shazier should’ve been in front of Timmons. And Larry Foote was no slouch, for sure.

But I never thought Timmons got enough credit for how influential he was on that great 2008 defense, subbing in for Foote until he got the starting job in 2009.

Safety

Troy Polamalu, Minkah Fitzpatrick

This seems pretty self-explanatory.

Well, except for the Mike Mitchell honks in the media who loved him for his soundbites. They’d put him in the Steelers Hall of Honor before Troy, Minkah, Donnie Shell, Mean Joe, Big Ben and Terry Bradshaw.

Cornerback

Ike Taylor, Joe Haden, Deshea Townsend

Actually, aside from RB, this is the biggest debate on the roster.

Taylor was never great, but he was always much better than what many fans gave him credit for being on those Super Bowl-winning defenses. Townsend just played consistent, smart and steady and stayed in Pittsburgh for 12 years and 183 games (155 of which were in this era).

He also turned in one of the most memorable plays in Acrisure Stadium history on his pick-6 of Tony Romo.

But, to me, Haden is the second-best Steelers corner during this span. He stabilized that gaping hole of a position in Black and Gold for five years between 2017-21.

Want specialists? Chris Boswell is definitely the kicker. At long snapper, Greg Warren has longevity over Christian Kuntz and Mike Schneck. Jordan Berry had five of the top-10 net yards per punt averages in the 2000s.

LISTEN: Chris Adamski joins me to discus the Steelers All-Quarter-Century Team.

Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.

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