The Pittsburgh Steelers may have lost their last game, but they’re still on top of the AFC North. They play the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5, and although they’re missing some key players, they Cowboys are still a talented team. There’s also a ton of history between both these teams, something that Mike Tomlin seems excited indulge in.
“The strength of the brands is something that is to be respected,” Tomlin said Tuesday during his weekly press conference via the team’s YouTube channel. “I respect that every day. When I get out of that car in this parking lot, it’s a responsibility to represent the Black and Gold. I would imagine the guys in Dallas feel the same way. You can’t put a price tag on standards and legacy, and both organizations have that.
“We walk on the ground; it’s been paved for us by those that have come before us. We feel really blessed and honored to do so. I’m sure that that will be reflected in the way that both teams play this weekend.”
The Steelers and Cowboys are two of the NFL’s most storied franchises, and they share a deep history that spans decades. For two teams in different conferences, it’s amazing just how connected these two teams have been.
The heart of this rivalry can be traced back to the 1975 season, when the Steelers played the Cowboys in Super Bowl XX. Both teams were filled with star power, led by two of the NFL’s greatest coaches of all time. Both teams had already won a Super Bowl, with the Cowboys having lost a second one.
The Steelers were coming off their first Super Bowl victory, trying to become the second team to ever win back-to-back Super Bowls. Their goal was to launch a dynasty, and to do that, they had to get past the Cowboys. Both teams were vying to be the premier team of the 1970s, but it was the Steelers who came out on top, 21-17.
It wasn’t long before the two teams met in the Super Bowl once again. In 1978, the Cowboys and Steelers competed in Super Bowl XXIII, with the Cowboys having captured their second championship at this point. It was a chance for Dallas to avenge its earlier loss, and it was also the first Super Bowl rematch. Standards and legacies were on the line.
Whichever team won would also be the first to win three Super Bowls. The stakes couldn’t have been higher, and the Steelers came out on top again, 35-31, cementing themselves as the team of the decade. The Cowboys may have the “America’s Team” moniker but that’s only because the Steelers are Pittsburgh’s team.
Of course, the Steelers have taken their losses in this rivalry too. The Cowboys managed to finally beat the Steelers in a championship game, holding off Pittsburgh, 27-17, in Super Bowl XXX. It was a heartbreaking loss for the Steelers, who had struggled since their 1970s dynasty ended.
That win also gave the Cowboys their fifth Super Bowl victory, a mark that the Steelers had desperately been trying to reach. It was a reversal of their earlier matchups, with the Cowboys now cementing their own dynasty in the 1990s.
Including the postseason, the two teams have played 33 times, with the Cowboys leading the series 17-16. The Steelers won the teams’ last matchup in 2020 and now have a chance to tie the series. Maybe that adds a little more tension to this upcoming game. That record isn’t directly related to them, but like Tomlin says, they all represent the logo.
We’ll see if the Steelers can repeat the history of the 1970s and defeat the Cowboys. The rivalry has cooled off a little bit since then, but that history will forever link these two franchises. Based on Tomlin’s words, it sounds like this game won’t lack intensity, which is good. This is a big-time matchup in primetime, and the Steelers have a chance to prove that the lights aren’t too bright for them.
