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The Killer B's, in the context of the Pittsburgh Steelers, refer to the era from the 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers season to the 2017 Pittsburgh Steelers season when three offensive players were in their prime: [1] Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell, and Ben Roethlisberger, all of whom have initials beginning with the letter 'B'. [2]
Pittsburgh's Killer B's ended after Bell refused to sign the franchise tag of which was placed on him during the 2017 season, and while still technically on the roster, did not play and sat out the entire season. After Bell left in free agency during the 2018 offseason, Brown would be traded to the Oakland Raiders, but would be cut before the 2019 season started. Brown would then sign with the Patriots, though his tenure there only lasted one game before he was cut. After leaving the Patriots, Brown would rejoin Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, where they both won Super Bowl LV. [lower-alpha 1] Roethlisberger would remain a Steeler until his retirement following the 2021 season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North Division. Founded in 1933, the Steelers are the seventh-oldest franchise in the NFL, and the oldest franchise in the AFC.
Thomas Alfred Maddox is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played one season each for the New Jersey Red Dogs of the Arena Football League (AFL) and the Los Angeles Xtreme of the XFL. In the XFL, Maddox became the league's sole MVP while leading the Xtreme to victory in its only championship.
Super Bowl XL was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2005 season. The Steelers defeated the Seahawks by the score of 21–10. The game was played on February 5, 2006, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. It is currently the most recent Super Bowl broadcast on ABC and the first where all aspects of the game itself were aired in HD. This was the last of 10 straight Super Bowls to feature a team seeking its first win.
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr., nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Miami University, and was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft.
Byron Antron Leftwich is an American football coach and former quarterback. He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. After twice being named the MAC Most Valuable Player at Marshall, Leftwich was selected seventh overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2003 NFL Draft. He was a member of the Jaguars for four seasons before having one season stints with the Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons. Leftwich also played four non-consecutive seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers as the backup to Ben Roethlisberger, where he was part of the Super Bowl-winning team in Super Bowl XLIII.
Earl Heath Miller Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons from 2005 to 2015. Miller played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers, where he earned All-American honors and won the John Mackey Award. The Steelers selected him in the first round with the 30th overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft.
Michael John Tomczak is a former American football player. Tomczak played quarterback for several National Football League (NFL) teams from 1985 through 1999, including the Chicago Bears, the Green Bay Packers, the Cleveland Browns, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football League (AFL) until 2014 when they ceased operations. Tomczak is considered to be the most successful NFL quarterback to have played most of his college career at Ohio State University.
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana before the season.
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2010 season. The Packers defeated the Steelers by the score of 31–25. The game was played on February 6, 2011, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the first time the Super Bowl was played in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.
Charles D'Donte Batch is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft and played 15 seasons in the NFL, most of it as a backup with his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers, with whom he earned two Super Bowl rings. He played college football at Eastern Michigan.
James Henry Harrison Jr. is an American former professional football player who was an outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Kent State University and was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. A five-time Pro Bowl selection, Harrison won two Super Bowls with the Steelers: XL and XLIII. In 2008, he became the only undrafted player to be named Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Harrison was known for his hard-hitting style during games.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are an American football franchise representing Pittsburgh. They are the seventh-oldest club in the National Football League (NFL), which they joined in 1933. The only surviving NFL teams with a longer history are the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Washington Commanders. The Philadelphia Eagles joined the league concurrently with the Steelers in 1933.
The Bengals–Steelers rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The two teams have played each other twice a year since becoming division rivals in 1970. Originally placed in the AFC Central following the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, the two teams currently compete in that division's successor, the AFC North. The rivalry would reach new heights in the 2000s in which the Steelers knocked the Bengals out of the playoffs, as well as injuring Carson Palmer, enroute to their fifth Super Bowl victory. The Bengals-Steelers rivalry is one of the biggest in the NFL.
The 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 72nd season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League. It would be the first season the franchise would have under quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He would play 18 seasons as a Steeler, a franchise record.
David Johnson is a former American football tight end and fullback. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Arkansas State, where he was twice awarded All-Sun Belt Conference honors. Johnson was also a member of the San Diego Chargers.
The 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 78th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League (NFL), the eleventh season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert, and the fourth under head coach Mike Tomlin.
The Raiders–Steelers rivalry is an NFL rivalry between the Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers. Both teams compete in the American Football Conference (AFC). The historically bitter rivalry started with the Steelers' first playoff win over the Raiders by way of Franco Harris's Immaculate Reception on December 23, 1972. The two teams met in the playoffs for five consecutive seasons (1972–76), an NFL record that has yet to be matched. The series was regarded as one of the fiercest rivalries in the history of professional sports, especially in the 1970s. Las Vegas is one of four AFC teams with a winning overall record against Pittsburgh. CBS Sports ranked this rivalry as the best NFL rivalry of the 1970s.
The 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers–Indianapolis Colts playoff game was a National Football League (NFL) Divisional Round playoff game between the sixth-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers and the top-seeded Indianapolis Colts, taking place during the 2005–06 NFL playoffs at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana on January 15, 2006.
The Patriots–Steelers rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots and Steelers are the two most storied franchises in the Super Bowl era, the Patriots and Steelers have played each other intermittently since the 1970s, but the two teams did not become full-fledged rivals until the late 1990s, when they became Super Bowl contenders. The rivalry would reach new heights during the 2000s and 2010s when both teams, led by quarterbacks Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger for the Patriots and Steelers respectively, posted winning seasons and several playoff appearances during this time period with both teams making it to the Super Bowl and taking home more than one Lombardi trophy. The two met each other in three AFC championship games during the 2000s and 2010s in which the Patriots defeated the Steelers each time and eventually made their way to the Super Bowl, winning a title in each appearance. Despite the Patriots' dominant reign over the NFL from 2001 to 2019, the Steelers would still prove themselves to be a consistent playoff contender during that time period with three Super Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl victories. However, the Steelers would be more successful in the postseason during the 2000s than in the 2010s. In 2020, CBS Sports ranked the Patriots-Steelers rivalry as the 8th best NFL rivalry of the 2000s.
The Broncos–Steelers rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Denver Broncos and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The rivalry stemmed from the eight playoff matchups between the two teams, some of which featured upset victories. Of the eight meetings, six resulted in the winner eventually advancing to the Super Bowl.