The Pittsburgh Steelers were at their best during their most recent peak of the mid- to late-2000s when they had standout defensive players as the face of the franchise, who were nearly unanimously recognized as being among the top players at their position in the NFL.
The Steelers in 2019 now appear once again to have collected a few such players—only it’s come in a season in which they missed the postseason altogether, and managed only a .500 record. I think that’s not a reflection so much of the changing nature of the game, but simply to the below-the-line play of the offense minus its franchise quarterback, helmed instead by a pair of total novices at the position.