NFL Power Rankings: 30 most dominant teams all-time

1. 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers

The 2005 season marked the first time the Steelers reached the Super Bowl since 1995 and the first time they won it since winning it all in 1979.  And they did it in traditional Steeler fashion, fearless and powerful.

Whether it was Hines Ward laying a hard crackback block or Jerome Bettis running through an opposing defense, or even the defense laying the wood on opposing offenses, the Steelers were undoubtedly one of the toughest teams of our generation (well, most of us younger guys at least.)

In just his second year, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 2,385 yards with 17 touchdowns in 12 starts and guided the Steelers to an eight-game win streak, including their Super Bowl win over the Seattle Seahawks in Detroit – which fittingly happened to be Jerome Bettis’ hometown, where he fittingly won the Super Bowl, in, fittingly, the final game of his career.

It was the beginning of the return of the Steelers, and the “Terrible Towel.”

Next: That team that returned to excellence