Saturday, October 10-11, 2026
STEEL CURTAIN DOMINATES
"Steel Curtain" Defense Dominant Throughout
Steelers' 1970s Dynasty
Meet the 1970’s Pittsburgh Steelers.
The NFL spent the 1970s growing into America’s pastime, and the dynasties did the heavy lifting. None heavier than the Steelers, who won a record four Super Bowls in a six-year span.
Those clubs were built in the draft room. The 1974 rookie class alone produced five future Hall of Famers: Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mike Webster, Jack Lambert and Donnie Shell. The roster also carried three Defensive Players of the Year in Joe Greene, Lambert and Mel Blount, Super Bowl IX MVP Franco Harris, and two-time Super Bowl MVP Terry Bradshaw, who in 1978 became the first and only Steeler to win league MVP.On this day in 1979, Pittsburgh beat Dallas in the fight to become the first franchise with three Super Bowl wins.
The decade also belonged to Tom Landry’s Cowboys, Don Shula’s Dolphins, John Madden’s Raiders and Bud Grant’s Vikings. Dallas won two Super Bowls and lost two to Pittsburgh, including Super Bowl XIII, the first title game between two clubs that had already won more than one. Miami lost to Dallas in Super Bowl VI, then answered with back-to-back titles and a 32-2 run. The 1972 Dolphins remain the only perfect team in pro football.Miami’s reign ended when the Raiders knocked them out in the 1974 divisional round. Oakland didn’t clear the hump until 1976, beating the rival Steelers for the AFC crown and then taking apart the Vikings in the Super Bowl.
Runner-up: Dallas Cowboys.
Honorable mention: Miami Dolphins.
Next weekend we’ll share the NFL team of the 1980s. It’s not who you think it is.
Have a great weekend and enjoy all of the games.
BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW - A Legend Checks Out
THE SKINNY ON MIKE DITKA
The tight end has become one of football’s most valuable Swiss Army knives.
Today’s stars can race past linebackers, outleap safeties for the ball, then turn around and help clear a hole in the running game. Mike Ditka was doing all three before the position became a headline act.
The football legend, who died Friday at 86, helped fuse two seemingly separate jobs into one. The formula later made stars of Rob Gronkowski, George Kittle and Travis Kelce.
At Pitt, from 1958 through 1960, Ditka played in a run-first offense that threw the ball just over 25 percent of the time. When the Panthers did pass, Ditka was the first call. He led the team in receptions and receiving yards in all three seasons, finishing his college career with 45 catches for 730 yards and seven touchdowns.
He was also a standout defensive end—some believed that was his best position—and served as Pitt’s punter. Teammate Foge Fazio, who later coached the Panthers, compared Ditka to a prizefighter who “couldn’t wait for that bell to ring and get back out there.”
Ditka put it more simply: “I like contact. I just like to hit. And I don’t mind getting hit myself. You can get hit and knocked down and go back and hit the other guy harder.”
That was Mike Ditka. Even after retirement, he could bring a room to its feet as a motivational speaker.
I saw it firsthand at the 2001 BoDog Conference in Las Vegas, where I had the honor of speaking.
After Ditka’s inspiring talk, he took questions.
I quickly put him on defense when as head coach of the New Orleans Saints I asked him what prompted him to trade eight draft picks to move up and select Ricky Williams fifth overall.
Williams was a stud running back—and a well-known marijuana user. Ditka’s answer was convincing enough to win over most of the attendees.
Later that night, at Club Rio, where Calvin Ayre had booked the entire nightclub for the BoDog party, I spotted Ditka sitting in a chair, rolling a cigar. I went over to introduce myself.
His opening line: “What the f---? You had to put me on the spot and ask me about Ricky Williams?”
My reply quickly turned the anger on his face into a huge smile.
“Yeah,” he said. “I guess I did.”
Ditka’s No. 89 is one of only 11 numbers retired by Pitt, a program that has produced an impressive roll call of football greats, including Dan Marino, Larry Fitzgerald, Tony Dorsett and Aaron Donald.
I’ll never meet another Mike Ditka in my life. For that I’m thrilled that I was able to meet the real McCoy.
MARC’S NEXT 5-STAR GOES SATURDAY!
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ON TODAY’S CARD - Don’t Look Now
IT’S ONLY WEEK 5 BUT THE RACE IS ON
The undefeated 49ers have rocketed to the top of the power rankings, locking in what figures to be a season-long street fight for supremacy in the league’s toughest neighborhood once again.
Stop and think about that.
Division breakdown: The mighty NFC West—the same group that made history last season with three teams posting 12+ wins—currently owns by far the best average ranking of any division. Those same three clubs sit inside the top eight. Meanwhile the woeful NFC South brings up the rear without a single team inside the top 15.
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NFC West (9.5): 49ers (1), Seahawks (2), Rams (8), Cardinals (27)
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AFC West (14): Chiefs (3), Raiders (10), Broncos (14), Chargers (29)
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NFC North (14.5): Bears (6), Vikings (9), Lions (19), Packers (24)
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AFC North (14.75): Ravens (7), Bengals (11), Browns (20), Steelers (21)
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NFC East (17.25): Cowboys (12), Eagles (15), Giants (17), Commanders (25)
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AFC East (19.5): Bills (5), Patriots (13), Jets (28), Dolphins (32)
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AFC South (20.75): Jaguars (4), Colts (22), Texans (26), Titans (31)
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NFC South (21.75): Falcons (16), Panthers (18), Saints (23), Buccaneers (30)
It seems a clean regional hierarchy has taken shape this season: the two West divisions sit at the head of the class, followed in order by the North, East, and South.
Kind of strange, isn’t it? The Well-Oiled Machine rarely sees the map line up this neatly.
Get 60 Picks from 30 Wise Guys
on this weekend’s football card!
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GRINDING OUT THE PROFITS - What Do You Think
IS ALABAMA BACK IN THE NATIONAL PICTURE?
At times they feel like Rodney Dangerfield in this heated SEC rivalry.
Since 2020, Alabama has a 5-2 edge over Georgia, though the Dawgs' two wins are good ones: last year's SEC championship, and much more notably, the 2021 season national championship game. So, yes, this rivalry means something.
That was then. This is now, though. Given that neither team has faced a true powerhouse yet, here are the numbers that could tell the story.
Alabama's rushing offense is vastly improved from its 2025 version, which ranked second-to-last in the SEC; the current version is piling up 186.4 yards per game, 85 more than last year's woeful effort. But Georgia's run defense is the best in the SEC, allowing just 57.4 yards per game. With the potential for weather to be a factor, the trench battles will be key.
Georgia, meanwhile, averages an NCAA-best 51.4 points per game.
If Alabama has one of its typical slow starts against the Bulldogs, the Tide — which is a middle-of-the-SEC defense, allowing 20.8 points per game — will be fighting uphill the rest of the evening.
This weekend marks the first of a month of SEC heavyweight bouts for Alabama.
After Georgia, Alabama faces No. 15 Tennessee and No. 10 LSU on the road, with Texas A&M at home in between. One loss out of that quartet, maybe even two, won't doom the Tide's chances to make the playoff. But just "making the playoff" isn't the Alabama standard; challenging for a national championship is.
If DeBoer is going to wash the stain of the last two seasons' ends — a missed CFP berth in 2024, an evisceration at the hands of Indiana last season — he'll need to lead Alabama to more than just an appearance in the CFP.
It all figures to start this weekend.
FYI: President Donald Trump is no longer attending Alabama's game against Georgia because of Hurricane Isaias. Instead, he will be campaigning in in Tennessee where, last we heard, Isaias is headed. The man draws headlines where he goes.
In closing, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban came to the conclusion decided that college football was suddenly out of control when teams outwardly began bidding wars for players
See Smart’s eye-popping good news /bad news coaching stat in our featured ‘Stat of the Week’ below.
TRENDING TODAY - Eagles Have a New Offense
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE
After the Eagles’ offense ranked 24th in yards and 17th in EPA per play in 2025, the one-and-done playoff exit forced major changes.
A.J. Brown called out the lack of aggression. Kevin Patullo lasted one season as play-caller and was fired.
Philadelphia responded by trading Brown to the Patriots, acquiring Dontayvion Wicks, and drafting Makai Lemon and Eli Stowers in the first two rounds.
They parted ways with longtime offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. Lane Johnson announced his retirement. A day later, Cam Jurgens was traded to the Ravens.
The biggest structural shift came earlier, when Sean Mannion was hired in January. Mannion, a Packers quarterbacks coach under Matt LaFleur, was brought in to install a more under-center, McVay-style offense—something the Eagles had not run in the Hurts era. Hurts had previously been reluctant.
Four weeks in, the issues look familiar. The Eagles have been held scoreless in the second half twice. Their three-and-out rate ranks 31st; only the Titans are worse at 36.8%. That mirrors 2025, when they finished dead last at 28.1%.
Short drives keep the defense on the field.
Hurts has been pressured on 43.5% of drop backs, tied for third-most in the league.
Losing Lane Johnson, however, compounds everything. Since 2024, the Eagles have averaged 4.8 yards per rush with him on the field, per Next Gen Stats. Without him, that drops to 4.0. The split is real, and the timing is costly.
Other new coordinators—Klint Kubiak in Las Vegas, Tommy Rees in Atlanta—have shown quicker adaptation. Philadelphia has not.
The scheme is new. The results, so far, are not.
Stat of the Day
Kirby Smart’s record against Alabama.
Smart is 120-14 against all other teams.
Quote of the Day
"Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down
to their level and then beat you with experience.”— Mark Twain
SONG OF THE WEEKEND - 1969 No. 1 Single of the Year
Turn Up the Volume
The most popular all-time bubble gum song ever.
Click on the link below and then prepare to
Turn Up the Volume
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