Repeat X 3
Some say its impossible to repeat a Super Bowl Championship. Â Is it?
I’m no statistical genius, my parents will attest, but there have been just 43 Super Bowls and there have been 7 teams to repeat…and the Steelers have repeated twice out of those seven.  No team, however,  has won three in a row. So what are the chances  and what qualities make a team more likely to repeat?
Strong Coaching Leadership
The Steelers are known for hiring quality head coaches. Â With only three head coaches in the last 40 years and six Super Bowl championships, the Steelers are known for consistency and leadership in coaching staff. Â Coach Tomlin clearly has a competitive spirit, he’s passionate and he works just as hard as he asks the team to work. Â Being able to manage all the moving parts, foresee where depth is needed and motivating young men to bring out their strengths is something he’s got a knack for. Â Always a figure of cool and collected on the sidelines, Tomlin is a thoughtful leader. Â It’s been noted that he has kept notebooks from the very beginning of his football career- from his playing days through his current head coaching role- and frequently recalls plays or situations from his past to guide future decisions. Â Coach Tomlin is a commanding presence on the field.
In the list of back-to-back Super Bowl winning coaches: Lombardi, Shula, Noll, Walsh, Johnson, Shanahan and Belichick – I believe Tomlin is a force that can compete with these coaches. Â After all, he’s got a head start as the youngest coach to ever win a Super Bowl and he did it in year two.
The Quarterback leading the offense
While many will argue that Ben Rothelisberger is not one of the top five quarterbacks in the league solely based on his stats, I will disagree in large part due to factoring in his leadership. Â Just because leadership isn’t as easily quantifiable as statistics does not mean it’s not an important part of the game. Â In fact, those quarterbacks who are great leaders win games. Â Isn’t this all about winning games? Â Individual statistics don’t mean much if you can’t win when it counts, and no one does that “winning when it counts” better than Ben. Â If he weren’t a strong leader, would the Steelers have been able to take control of the Super Bowl winning drive in the last two minutes of the game? Â I’ve said it time and again, I will take the two minute hustle and the ability to make plays that count from a QB over one with JUST great stats any day.
Out of the QB’s who won back-to-back Super Bowls (listed below), how many (other than Brady) had THE best statistics in the league, or were they outstanding leaders who could sacrifice personal stats for the game?
Bart Starr
Bob Griese
Terry Bradshaw
Joe Montana
Troy Aikman
Jon Elway
Tom Brady
A Solid Defense
The Steelers have already shown on more than one occasion that having a strong defense wins games. There aren’t many changes though two starters (Foote and McFadden) have moved on. These losses have already been replaced by players (Timmons and Gay) who had a lot of playing time last year and will essentially fill those roles easily and likely even better. Â There is also some depth acquired in the offseason. Â This defense should look as good, if not better, than last year. Â We all know defense and holding the opposition to no yards gained is key to winning big games.
Luck of the draw
In addition to the first three qualities, you also need to have a few lucky breaks. Â Last year the only true loss was to the Eagles. Â Other than that, there were a few wins and a few other losses that could have gone either way. In essence, those were some lucky breaks one way or the other.
Keeping everyone healthy is another lucky break that keeps teams in the hunt for a Super Bowl win. Â If the starters stay healthy throughout the season, it increases the likelihood of doing well through playoffs. Â Those teams that are tired, who are beat up tend not to do as well. It’s common sense.
Essentially, to win back-toback Super Bowls it’s important to play hard every game and not take one single yard for granted. Â With Tomlin’s leadership, this gives the Steelers an edge.
What are the qualities you think make it possible to win Super Bowls back to back?
mindpinball:
August 13th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Great post. You always hear coaches who win say that they have to forget winning the previous year, because that’s no help to them in the new season. I think that is the right approach, along with a singular focus on each and every game, every week. Those things are a big help in the process of a team trying to repeat. And like you say, a few breaks here and there help as well.
greg:
August 14th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
great post,as usual. i really think, if we can get some good bounces this year, that we have a great chance to repeat.
one small correction, though, there have been 43 superbowls, not 42, right?
@kennethlim:
August 14th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
You’ve already listed most of the key ingredients of a dynasty, but I’ll add some of my thoughts here:
Visionary Owner
Let’s be honest, some owners don’t take the right approach in building a franchise (hello, Dan Snyder!) because their vision of how the team should be isn’t the right one.
The best owners surround themselves with the best talent that they trust and empower to make the best decisions for their football team. This brings me to my next point.
Talent
Whether it’s the GM, the scouts or the trainers, the best teams make sure that they have the right guy on board. Guys that–and this is the most important aspect–protect the future. They not only make sure that the current team is at its best, but also look at both free agency and the collegiate game to see where and how they can become better.
You’ll see this reflected in draft behavior. The best teams never draft out of an immediate need. They draft because it will make them better in the future. And that brings me to the final point.
Continuity
The best teams create a teaching/learning organization. While people will continue to leave to other franchises/opportunities, the best teams have kept the knowledge within their organization. Successors/replacements will be very capable to carry out their new tasks/responsibilities due to the culture.
Financial parity is a beautiful thing, but clearly, many franchises still have a lot to learn
Steelergurl:
August 15th, 2009 at 8:32 am
Thanks @Mindpinball!!
Thanks for the catch.
@Greg – you are right – 43…I had in my head 42 chances to repeat and that’s what I had written originally..changed up that first para a couple times…man, I need an editor.
@Kennethlim – absolutely, the owners play a HUGE role in making the Steelers great. Hiring good talent to coach and manage the team, that’s a given. Great comments!
High Scorers: Magic Is 50 - Mind Pinball:
August 15th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
[...] high for a repeat of last season’s result-a Super Bowl victory. Steelergurl takes a look at what it takes to repeat and assesses the Steerlers chances this season to do so. Naturally, around these parts we’re [...]