The NFL's only franchises with six Lombardi Trophies will meet Sunday, as the Patriots head to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers. While it may only be an early-season game, rest assured there will be an extra feeling of significance when the ball is kicked off at 1 p.m. ET.
Both franchises can make a strong argument for having the greatest dynasty in NFL history, especially during the Super Bowl era. Both teams enjoyed unprecedented success following decades of disappointment. The Steelers, after not having won a playoff game during the franchise's first 39 years of existence, won four Super Bowls over a six-year span during the 1970s. Pittsburgh added two more Lombardi Trophies to its tally during the 2000s while becoming the first franchise to win six Super Bowls.
Founded in 1960, the Patriots didn't capture their first title until 2001, when they pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history. The Patriots would go on to enjoy unparalleled success over the next two decades, winning five more Super Bowls and eight more conference titles over that span.
In the spirit of Sunday's game, we decided to take a look at what an all-time, 53-man roster comprised of players from both teams would look like. As you would imagine, it's a pretty epic roster, comprised of players who played significant roles in the combined 12 Lombardi Trophies and 19 Lamar Hunt trophies the two franchises have won.
Below is our 53-man, all-time roster featuring 51 former Steelers/Patriots players and two players who will be on the field Sunday when the two teams face off.
** -- Denotes a player currently in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Offense
| Position | Starter | Backup | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
WR | Randy Moss (NE)** | Stanley Morgan (NE) | |
LT | Matt Light (NE) | Jon Kolb (PIT) | |
LG | John Hannah (NE)** | Alan Faneca (PIT)** | |
C | Mike Webster (PIT)** | Dermontti Dawson (PIT)** | |
RG | David DeCastro (PIT) | Gerry Mullins (PIT) | |
RT | Bruce Armstrong (NE) | Larry Brown (PIT) | |
TE | Rob Gronkowski (NE) | Heath Miller (PIT) | |
RB | Franco Harris (PIT)** | Curtis Martin (NE)** | Jerome Bettis (PIT)** |
FB | Rocky Bleier (PIT) | ||
QB | Tom Brady (NE) | Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) | Terry Bradshaw (PIT)** |
WR | Lynn Swann (PIT)** | Julian Edelman (NE) | |
| WR | John Stallworth (PIT)** | Hines Ward (PIT) |
Let this sink in: Bradshaw, a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback, is third on the depth chart. That happens when you have two other future Hall of Famers in Roethlisberger and Brady, the latter the owner of a record five Super Bowl MVP trophies. Brady and Bradshaw are two of only three starting quarterbacks with four Super Bowl wins. Roethlisberger owns the distinction of being one of just 11 quarterbacks to start in three Super Bowls.
The offensive line features arguably the greatest center (Webster) and guard (Hannah) in NFL history. The line would surely pave open bus-sized holes for Bettis (pun intended), Harris and Martin. A solid blocker for Harris, Bleier was also an effective runner, as he and Harris both rushed for more than 1,000 yards during the 1976 season.
Moss, the NFL's single-season leader in touchdown catches, headlines a star-studded receiving core. Swann, Edelman and Ward are three of just seven receivers to win Super Bowl MVP. Stallworth made game-changing plays to help the Steelers win their second run of back-to-back titles to close out the '70s. A key player on the Patriots' first Super Bowl team, Morgan led the NFL in yards-per-catch three consecutive years.
The cherry on top of this high-powered offense is the tight end duo of Gronkowski and Miller. Gronkowski may very well be the best tight end in league history, while Miller holds the mantle as the greatest tight end in Steelers history. Gronk and Miller won a combined five Super Bowls during their years in New England and Pittsburgh, respectively.
Defense
| Position | Starter | Backup | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
DL | L.C. Greenwood (PIT) | Casey Hampton (PIT) | |
DL | Joe Greene (PIT)** | Vince Wilfork (NE) | |
DL | Richard Seymour (NE)** | Ernie Stautner (PIT)** | |
OLB | Jack Ham (PIT)** | Andre Tippett (NE)** | |
ILB | Tedy Bruschi (NE) | Nick Buoniconti (NE)** | James Farrior (PIT) |
ILB | Jack Lambert (PIT)** | Andy Russell (PIT) | Dont'a Hightower (NE) |
OLB | Kevin Greene (PIT)** | Willie McGinest (NE) | |
LCB | Rod Woodson (PIT)** | Ty Law (NE)** | |
FS | Devin McCourty (NE) | Minkah FItzpatrick (PIT) | |
SS | Troy Polamalu (PIT)** | Donnie Shell (PIT)** | |
| RCB | Mel Blount (PIT)** | Mike Haynes (NE)** |
Let's start with the secondary, where six of our defensive backs own gold jackets and bronze busts. The two who don't, McCourty and Fitzpatrick, will be on the field Sunday. Bill Cowher has said that Woodson was the most talented player he coached during his 15 years in Pittsburgh. Blount was so good that the NFL created a rule to minimize his effectiveness. Law's pick-six in Super Bowl XXXVI jumpstarted the Patriots' upset win over St. Louis. Polamalu took home Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2010.
Each championship era for both teams is represented in the linebacker corps. Russell and Buoniconti were two of the NFL's best linebackers during the 1960s. Russell later served as a mentor for Lambert and Ham, who were two of the cornerstones for Pittsburgh's "Steel Curtain" defense. Like Ham and Lambert, Bruschi and McGinest played big roles in helping build a dynasty during the early 2000s.
Greene and Tippett were key pieces to AFC championship teams in 1995 and 1985, respectively. Hightower and Farrior contributed to both teams' most recent Lombardi Trophies. Hightower's strip-sack late in Super Bowl LI helped spearhead the Patriots' historic comeback.
The defensive line is full of studs. The unit is anchored by Greene, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Greene is flanked on the line by Greenwood, his longtime teammate who sacked Roger Staubach a record four times in Super Bowl X. Seymour joins Greene and Greenwood in the starting lineup after receiving his Hall of Fame bust earlier this summer. Hampton and Wilfork won two Super Bowls apiece while being two of the best interior linemen of this century. Working alongside them is Stautner, the first player to have his jersey number retired by the Steelers.
Special teams
| Position | Starter | Backup | |
|---|---|---|---|
K | Adam Vinatieri (NE) | ||
P | Ryan Allen (NE) | ||
| LS | Greg Warren (PIT) | ||
| PR | Lynn Swann (Pitt)** | Troy Brown (NE) | Julian Edelman (NE) |
| KR | Troy Brown (NE) | Lynn Swann (PIT)** |
The Steelers-Patriots all-time roster includes the most clutch kicker in NFL history in Vinatieri, who booted game-winning kicks in New England's first two Super Bowl wins. Steelers fans remember Brown all too well, as his punt return for a score helped the Patriots upset Pittsburgh in the 2001 AFC Championship Game. Speaking of big plays, Swann made plenty of them during his time as a returner during his rookie season. He led the NFL in punt return yardage while helping the Steelers capture their first title.