So what do you think it was?

[melroseplace]

I think it was a combination of a lot of things that made our guys start playing the way they did. I certainly give Cowher a lot of credit for it tho

[83-Steelers-43]

There was a meeting after the Bengal and Colt defeats. What was said in that meeting we will never know, but it worked to perfection. In my opinion I feel it was a combination of both the coaching staff and players getting together and getting on the same page and realizing what they had to do in order to compete for the Super Bowl.

[tony hipchest]

Originally Posted by 83-Steelers-43

There was a meeting after the Bengal and Colt defeats. What was said in that meeting we will never know,

yes we will:


Steelers' voyage inspired by a longer one in 1492
Friday, February 03, 2006

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



PONTIAC, Mich. -- Notre Dame players promised to win one for the Gipper, the most famous pep talk in football history. Now comes news leaked from Steelers players yesterday that coach Bill Cowher may have topped that one.

Like Knute Rockne's Gipper speech to the Irish, Cowher's talk has inspired the Steelers for the past seven games, even if many of them laugh about their coach's attempt to move them.

After all, winning one for Christopher Columbus is a tough sell.

The story never became public until now. It began the day after the Steelers lost to the Cincinnati Bengals Dec. 4 to tumble to 7-5. Cowher spoke to his team that Monday and delivered a pep talk and compared their seemingly impossible journey to the one Columbus faced in 1492 when he set off across the ocean blue.

"We were getting a pep talk and, out of nowhere, coach Cowher brought out that Christopher Columbus sailed here and nobody thought he could do it," defensive end Brett Keisel revealed, laughing. "It was hilarious. We were all just like, that's the first time I heard Christopher Columbus come up in a football pep talk."


the link to the rest of the story is on p. 1 of this thread. when i read this story last friday i had a really good feeling about the game.

[83-Steelers-43]

Oh that's right. I remember hearing Cowher talking about Christopher Columbus on KDKA news. Missed the full story though.

Thanks Tony.

[clevestinks]

Ben got healthy for one, and we needed that, he came back early from surgery, to three really tough games, he needed to get one win to get rolling.

Marvell Smith getting healthy helped also. Getting Townsend back helped

[4xSBChamps]

There is NO 'one-thing' that led to this team's Championship run:

* getting healthy was essential for the late-season surge

* keeping the faith, while many around them took a pass

*a healthy-balance of seasoned players, and youthful exuberance, with a 'kick-azz' attitude

* Coach Cowher finally getting/or 'instilling' attention-to-detail (no pre-Championship Game videos THIS year!)

* a "REFUSE-TO-LOSE"/"WILL-TO-WIN" attitude (woulda been easy to fold the tents early in Cincy and/or Indy after the non-interception/fumble return)

Ya can't BOTTLE it, ya can't BUY it, and ya' can't SELL it, either:
all you can do is WORK AT IT!!!!!

[RoethlisBURGHer]

Ben's beard was all we needed.