On our NFL Thursday miniseries today, we venture south to Pittsburgh to take on the longtime Steelers franchise. Originally found unoriginally as the Pirates in 1933, the Pittsburgh franchise changed its name to its current moniker in 1940. The Steelers infamously had one postseason appearance (1947) for the first 39 years of their existence before dominating the 1970s with 4 Super Bowl championships. That’s a comeback!

Overall, Pittsburgh has a .536 winning percentage in its history, with 33 postseason berths, 25 division titles, 8 conference championships, and 6 NFL titles overall—all Super Bowl victories. Interestingly enough, only two of those SB-winning teams made the list as the 1974, 1978, 2005, and 2008 champs didn’t rate. However, we still see 4 Steelers from the 1970s below, which emphasizes their decade of true dominance.

No. 5: 1972 Pittsburgh Steelers

With an 11-3 record, this team won the AFC Central Division to reach the postseason for the first time ever, really, not counting that divisional playoff in 1947. The Steelers were No. 5 on offense, No. 2 on defense, and No. 2 in the overall SRS rankings. Pittsburgh pulled off a miracle in the divisional round, beating the Oakland Raiders, 13-7, but then it had to face the undefeated Miami Dolphins, and the Steelers lost, 21-17.

This certainly was a defensive-centered team, thanks to defensive tackle “Mean” Joe Greene (18 Approximate Value), linebacker Jack Ham (15), and LB Andy Russell (15)—even with running back Franco Harris (13) winning the Rookie of the Year hardware. The Immaculate Reception was the highlight of the season, of course, although Pittsburgh did give Miami a tough fight: it was the Dolphins’ third-closest win.

No. 4: 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers

This team won the AFC North with a 12-4 record, thanks to the No. 12 offense, the No. 1 defense, and the No. 3 overall SRS ranking. These Steelers became the second group in team history to lose a Super Bowl, after the 1995 squad. Pittsburgh played three tight postseason contests: a 31-24 home victory over division rival Baltimore, a strange 24-19 home win over the New York Jets, and a 31-25 loss to Green Bay in the title game.

LB James Harrison (19 AV) and strong safety Troy Polamalu (16) were the heart and soul of the team, for sure. The Steelers fell behind the Ravens, 21-7, at halftime before rallying for a last-minute win. On the contrary, Pittsburgh took a 24-0 lead on the Jets before needing to hang on at the end. In the Super Bowl, the Steelers trailed the Packers, 21-3, in the second quarter before coming up short in the end.

No. 3: 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers

The final year of the best decade for the team saw these Steelers win the AFC Central with a 12-4 record, on the back on the No. 1 offense, the No. 5 defense, and the No. 1 overall SRS ranking. Pittsburgh toyed with Miami, 34-14, in the divisional round, before dropping division rival Houston in the AFC Championship by a 27-13 score. The 31-19 Super Bowl victory was tougher than expected against the plucky Los Angeles Rams.

Center Mike Webster (15 AV) and quarterback Terry Bradshaw (14) led that top-ranked offense, while LB Jack Lambert (14) and SS Donnie Shell (14) anchored the defense. The Steelers took a 20-0 lead in the fist quarter against the Dolphins before cruising, and the Oilers were stifled by the defense, which held voted NFL MVP Earl Campbell to just 15 yards. Pittsburgh scored two touchdowns late to win the Super Bowl.

No. 2: 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers

For the team’s second NFL title, Pittsburgh went 12-2 to win the AFC Central, featuring the No. 5 offense, the No. 2 defense, and the No. 1 overall SRS ranking. After burying the Baltimore Colts with a second-half rally to win the playoff opener, 28-10, the Steelers had to fight through two dominant foes to win it all: they beat the Raiders, 16-10, in a defensive struggle, and then the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl, 21-17.

Harris (17 AV), cornerback Mel Blount (16), defensive end L.C. Greenwood (16), and Ham (16) were the top value guys on this loaded roster that featured 9 players in double-digit AV. With the Colts winning 10-7 in the third quarter, though, Pittsburgh ripped off 21 straight points to win that game. The Steelers were then up 10-0 in the fourth against Oakland before hanging on there. The Super Bowl? A classic battle, of course.

No. 1: 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers

Football nerds know why this edition is ranked as the best team, sabermetrically, in Pittsburgh history: the defense. A mere 10-4 record clinched another AFC Central crown, with the offense (No. 5) and defense (No. 1) adding up to the No. 1 SRS ranking overall. After a 1-4 start, the Steelers won 9 straight to close the season, giving up just 28 points in those victories. That is not a typo. Alas, the playoffs didn’t go as well, sadly.

Lambert (20 AV), Ham (17), and RB Rocky Bleier (16) were the value kings during a season where a lot went wrong for the two-time defending champions. After torching the Colts, 40-14, in the division round, it seemed like everyone was hurt for the AFC Championship Game in Oakland—where the Steelers lost in Week 1. Without Bleier or Harris, Pittsburgh scuffled too much and lost, 24-7, to end the Steelers’ reign.