A new series we’re bringing to Steelers Depot to get us through a portion of the offseason. A list of the top 10 individual seasons in team history. Which as I sat down to research turned out to be a lot harder than I figured. A team that’s been around for 90 years has had lots of great seasons – who would’ve guessed?
So we’re counting down 10 to one the top singular-season performances by anyone who has worn the black and gold. One important caveat. Players can only appear on this list once. So their best of the best season. You won’t see any repeat names on here.
As we begin to near the end of the list, I’ll also post an honorable mention of players and performances that just missed the cut. Let me know your thoughts of the top 10 in the comments below.
We’ll continue things with #5 and #6.
#6 – 1992 CB Rod Woodson: 100 tackles + 6 sacks + 4 FF + 4 INTs + 1 PR Touchdown
One of the greatest athletes in Steelers history, Woodson did everything for the ’92 team. As versatile as they come, he made an impact in the pass game, as a pass rusher, run defender, and in the return game. An overall playmaker, he had several seasons in contention to make the list. His eight-INT season in 1993 was also considered but ’92 was as rare a year as you’ll see from a player.
Before even getting too specific, there’s only been 17 seasons since 1960 of players with 6+ sacks and 4+ INTs. Take it a step further and there’s only one player during that span with 6+ sacks, 4+ INTs, and a kick- or punt-return touchdown. That’s Rod Woodson. It doesn’t even consider his four forced fumbles, which is a little trickier to historically track, and makes his season all the more impressive.
When he wasn’t forcing a turnover, he was sacking the quarterback. Or tackling the running back. Or being a threat in the return game, more so on punts but he also logged time as the Steelers’ kick returner. To open up the year, he picked off Houston Oilers QB Warren Moon twice to beat Houston in Bill Cowher’s first game as Steelers’ head coach. His second pick included a nice runback, too.
It’s a stat line you might not see again in a lifetime. To try to quantify all that Woodson did, Pro Football Reference gives his ’92 season a 19 Approximate Value (a uniform stat to try to tabulate a player’s success), tied with a long list of Steelers for second-best in team history. Incredibly, Woodson has two seasons with a 20 AV but those stat lines weren’t as colorful across the board.
#5 – 1976 LB Jack Lambert: League-Leading 8 Fumble Recoveries + 3.5 Sacks + 2 INTs + DPOY + 2nd in MVP Voting
There’s a beautiful line about Jack Lambert on one of the NFL Films episodes about the Steelers. The thought that Jack Lambert was the best player in the middle of the NFL’s best defense of the 1970s. Joe Greene would have something to say about Lambert being the best player but that’s an argument for a separate article.
In 1976, the Steelers put together their best defense ever, arguably the best the NFL has ever seen. And Lambert was the team’s best player that year. The available stats to us aren’t overwhelmingly gaudy, though the eight fumble recoveries are certainly notable. Here’s one of his sacks against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as hapless as they were creamsicle, in a 42-0 win.
After losing Terry Bradshaw and forced to turn to rookie Mike Kruczek, the Steelers’ defense stepped up in a historic way. They allowed only 9.8 points per game, pitched five shutouts, and from Week Four through the rest of the regular season, never allowed more than 18 points. True defensive dominance. Lambert’s Approximate Value that year was 20, tied with Woodson for the best single-season mark.
For his efforts, Lambert was the runaway DPOY, his 42 votes doing laps around second place DT Wally Chambers of the Chicago Bears. His campaign didn’t stop there. Lambert finished second in NFL MVP voting with 19 votes, edging out Ken Stabler but losing to Bert Jones, who took home the award.
Lambert may not have won but what he did puts him in rare company. Only two defensive players in NFL history have ever won the award: Minnesota Vikings’ DT Alan Page and New York Giants’ LB Lawrence Taylor. Only three other players have ever finished second: DB Larry Wilson in 1965, DE Deacon Jones in 1967, and DL J.J. Watt in 2014.
From a pure vote tally standpoint, Lambert’s 19 votes are second-most by a defensive player ever, only trailing Taylor’s 41.
Lambert was the best defender on the NFL’s best defense while having a strong argument for being the NFL’s best player. He more than deserves this spot.
STEELERS TOP TEN SINGLE SEASON PERFORMANCES
#10 WR Louis Lipps (1985)
#9 RB Le’Veon Bell (2014)
#8 QB Ben Roethlisberger (2014) & QB Terry Bradshaw (1978)
#7 HB Bill Dudley (1946)
#6 CB Rod Woodson (1992)
#5 LB Jack Lambert (1976)
