Remembering the Pittsburgh Steelers' most mediocre decade in the Super Bowl era

Winning is contagious, especially when a team is coming off of one of the most successful decades in NFL history. The 1970s got the Steelers from a laughingstock to one of the most successful franchises in the NFL

Pittsburgh won four Super Bowls and employed tons of Hall of Fame players. It was a golden era for The Steel City. As years went by and the 1980s began, it was a turning point from a decade of success to one of purgatory for the team.

It might not have been their worst decade as a franchise, but it was the polar opposite of what fans became accustomed to in the 70s.

The decade turned out to be a transition period for the Steelers

It was a tough scene for many fans of the black and gold as their favorite players were getting toward retirement in the 80s.

Everyone's favorite players from the 70s were getting older, and many of them would retire in the first half of the decade. Names like Terry Bradshaw, "Mean" Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Mel Blount, Franco Harris, and many more would hang up their cleats for good. It produced a lack of talent on the team, but they still had Chuck Noll as their Head coach.

Pittsburgh trusted Noll with their lives, and that got him plenty of say on how the Steelers would be constructed as Hall of Fame players sailed off into the sunset. It produced players who had some talent but weren't anywhere near the level of their predecessors. Lack of elite talent and draft misses, like overlooking Dan Marino, caused for a lack of success.

The 1980s saw many fan favorites leave the Steelers for retirement, and those who replaced them couldn't fill their empty shoes.

The Steelers record during the 1980s was fairly average: 77-75

Even though it is remembered as a poor decade for the Steelers, they remained with a winning record over the ten years.

Compared to what people were used to in the 70s, the 80s were certainly a disappointment. Many started to wonder if they would see another Super Bowl. Even though they lacked talent overall, the Steelers were able to have a winning record overall and steal a couple of playoff victories in the process. Some might compare this situation to the limbo Pittsburgh is currently in.

Many criticize Mike Tomlin for staying above a losing record, but they struggle to find much playoff success. That is where the Steelers were during the 80s, despite a couple of losing campaigns along the way.

They found ways to get little success during this odd time

Although the 80s were considered a dark age in Steeler's history, some years saw them reach the playoffs.

The days of contending for Super Bowls were over, but Pittsburgh did get to the playoffs four years during the decade run. During those four years, they only landed two wins during the playoffs. They never made it past the conference round of the tournament. Even though the black and gold struggled through some tough seasons, they were able to make things interesting here and there.

Despite some success, the 1980s are a sad decade for Pittsburgh

It was a decade of transition for the Steelers coming off a dynasty and moving into a new era.

There was little to no star power, and the team struggled to stay competitive for most of the 1980s. Pittsburgh did see a couple of playoff wins, but that was never anything many thought would lead this group to the promised land. Many consider this decade one of the darkest in franchise history. One of failure and limbo.