The 10 Best NFL Teams of the Last Decade
10. 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers
nERD: 11.01
Record: 12-4, won Super Bowl XLIII
It’s bizarre to think that Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will have completed a decade in his current job following the 2016 season, but his staying power definitely was helped by this season early in his career.
The team wasn’t particularly effective on offense that season, either. In full, they were just 16th -- exactly average -- in terms of Adjusted Offensive Net Expected Points (NEP) per play. Only wide receiver Hines Ward finished in the top-10 of his position in Total NEP, though Santonio Holmes was also a top-30 wideout. Mewelde Moore also added a ton of value through receiving and turned out as a top-20 running back in Total NEP, thanks to his receiving ability.
What the Steelers thrived on was throwback, smashmouth defense. Their -0.15 Adjusted Defensive NEP per play (negative is good, as it means points are being taken away) is the fifth-best mark among all teams since 2000 and, of course, Steeler greats safety Troy Polamalu and linebacker James Harrison featured in some of the most critical plays of the playoffs, earning the “City of Steel” its league-best sixth Super Bowl title.
