Steelers 3-0 for the ninth time in franc

What a difference a year makes for the . This time a year ago, Pittsburgh was 0-3 after losing for the season with an elbow injury. On Sunday, following their 28-21 win over the , the Steelers, with Big Ben back under center, are 3-0 heading into their Week 4 matchup with the also-undefeated .Roethlisberger, who is the early frontrunner for Comeback Player of the Year, has thrown seven touchdowns against just one interception through three games. He's taken full advantage of a deep receiving corps that includes , rookie and tight end , who on Sunday caught his first touchdown pa s as a member of the Black and Gold. Defensively, the Steelers have picked up where they left off last season. Pittsburgh's defense, led by outside linebackers and T.J. Watt, boast the league's top-ranked run defense. They have recorded 15 sacks through three games and, following fourth quarter interception on Sunday, have increased their streak of forcing at least one turnover to nine games.The Steelers' special teams continues to be led by , a 2017 Pro Bowler who has made all Ty Law Jersey five of his field goals entering Sunday's game against the Titans. , who made the roster following an impre sive training camp, has the league's longest kickoff return (49 yards) through three weeks.This season marks the ninth time Pittsburgh has started with a 3-0 record. Here's what happened the previous eight times the Steelers started a season 3-0. Despite not having Roethlisberger for the first four games, Pittsburgh, with Charlie Batch under center, won its first three games en route to a 12-4 regular season. Troy Polamalu, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, won Defensive Player of the Year honors while anchoring the league's top-ranked scoring defense. The Steelers defeated the and in the AFC playoffs before losing to and the in Super Bowl XLV, 31-25.Mike Tomlin's first season in Pittsburgh included a 3-0 start. The Steelers enjoyed breakout seasons from Big Ben (who threw for a then-franchise-record 32 touchdown pa ses) and , who earned his first Pro Bowl selection after replacing Joey Porter in the starting lineup. After a 9-3 start, the Steelers faded, losing three of their final four games that included a lopsided lo s to the , who would finish the regular season with a 16-0 record. The lo s of Willie Parker (the league's leading rusher through James White Jersey 15 weeks) in Week 16 didn't help matters, as the Steelers were upset by the in the wild card round.Bill Cowher's first season as the Steelers' coach also began with a 3-0 start. The '92 Steelers were led by Barry Foster, whose 1,690 rushing yards that season is still a franchise record. The Steelers' defense, led by Hall of Fame cornerback Rod Woodson and perennial Pro Bowl linebacker Greg Loyd, finished second in points allowed during the regular season. After an 11-5 regular season, Pittsburgh's lack of postseason experience showed itself in the playoffs, as the Steelers fell at home to a more seasoned team that was on their way to their third consecutive AFC title. After winning their fourth Super Bowl in six years, the Steelers endured two non-playoff seasons before posting a 6-3 record during the strike-shortened '82 season. Facing the in the wild card round, three touchdowns from Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw helped give the Steelers a 28-17 fourth quarter lead. The lead wouldn't last, however, as two touchdown pa ses from Dan Fouts to Kellen Winslow gave San Diego a 31-28 Drew Bledsoe Jersey upset win. The lo s would be the final playoff game for Bradshaw and Hall of Fame receiver Lynn Swann, as Pittsburgh continued to lose key members from its dynasty team.The '79 Steelers won their first four games en route to a 12-4 regular season. While they were showing signs of age, Pittsburgh was still at the top of the NFL's food chain. A big reason why was the continued development of Bradshaw, who led a Steelers offense that led the league in scoring. Pittsburgh's offense also led the league in turnovers that season, with Bradshaw throwing five interceptions in a regular season blowout lo s to the Chargers. More often than not, the Steelers were able to overcome their mistakes, which was the case agains the in Super Bowl XIV. Despite throwing three interceptions, Bradshaw won Super Devin McCourty Jersey Bowl MVP honors after he connected with Hall of Fame receiver John Stallworth for the game-winning score. The '79 Steelers are the last NFL team to win the Super Bowl with a roster comprised of homegrown talent. After defeating the Rams in Super Bowl XIV, the 1979 became the first team ever to win four Super Bowl championships.Our 1979 team comes in at no. 39 on the Greatest Teams countdown. Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) Arguably the greatest team in franchise history, the Steelers took full advantage of the NFL's new rule changes that limited the amount of contact defensive backs could have with receivers. The rule, unofficially titled the "Mel Blount Rule" in honor of the Steelers' Hall of Fame cornerback, was supposed to hinder the Steelers, who won two Super Bowls earlier in the decade on the strength of their running game and defense. But in '78, the Steelers unleashed Bradshaw, who won the league's MVP award after leading the Steelers to a 14-2 record. In Super Bowl XIII, Bradshaw set then Super Bowl records with 318 yards and four touchdowns in Pittsburgh's 35-31 win over the . The 1978 take the no. 3 spot on the Greatest Teams list Sunday Night Football (@SNFonNBC) The '73 team was that offered an inside look at the '70s Steelers at the early stages of their dynasty. After breaking through in '72, the '73 Steelers started 4-0 before finishing the regular season with a 10-4 record. But in the playoffs, the Steelers ran into a team that was looking for payback after losing to the Steelers following Franco Harris' "Immaculate Reception" in the '72 playoffs. The Raiders Devin Asiasi Jersey , led by Hall of Fame coach John Madden, rushed for a whopping 232 yards and two touchdowns against Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain defense, while Willie Brown's 54-yard interception return for a score helped secure Oakland's 33-14 win. A deeper Steelers team (that included a rookie cla s with five future Hall of Famers) would defeat the Raiders in the '74 AFC title game en route to winning the franchise's first Super Bowl.Known as the Pirates back then, Pittsburgh's '36 squad, led by halfback Warren Heller, was unable to parlay its early succe s into a playoff run, losing five of its last seven games to finish with a 6-6 record. That season, however, was the first time the franchise was able to post a .500 record. Pittsburgh would not post its first winning record until 1942, and would have just seven winning seasons before the '72 team won the franchise's first division title.