The Steelers take on the New York Giants this week. These teams are in similar positions because they’re both in the thick of the playoff race. The difference don’t stop there though, these teams are much more similar than many may think.

2016 Statistics

The Steelers and Giants share a lot of similar statistics.

	PIT	NYG
Total Sacks	24	25
Sacks Allowed	14	14
Pass D rank	#23	#24
Red zone defense rank	#1	#3

The defenses have been universally panned as “subpar” in recent years, following overly successful units which featured superstars. The Steelers D featured players like Troy Polamalu, LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison (who were always up for league Defensive MVP contention) while the Giants are a little more ways removed from their own stars such as Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Michael Strahan.

Both units attempted to rebound in different ways this offseason. The Steelers used 5 of their 7 draft picks on the defensive side of the ball, while the Giants went on a free agency spending spree to bring in DE Olivier Vernon, DT Damon Harrison, and CB Janoris Jenkins.

Whether those moves have worked or not, appears to be playing out in the latter half of the season. The sack totals between the two teams is very similar, ranking near the bottom of the league for the first half of the year. What is really striking, is how both teams’ pass rush have flourished as of recently.

During the last 2 weeks, both teams have 11 sacks.

Though each pass rush has improved over recent weeks, we shouldn’t expect many sacks this week, as both offensive lines have been doing their part as well: each franchise has only allowed 14 sacks, which ties for the 2nd-best number in the league.

Yet, this game has the potential to turn into a shootout.

Both defenses rank in the lower third of pass defense. We could expect to see the ball in the air a lot.

On the other hand, we may also see a lot of field goals, as both squad are in the top-tier of not allowing opponents to score in the red zone.

Front Office

The Steelers are well known for having a low turnover rate with their coaching staff. Since 1969, the team has only had 3 different head coaches.

Though the Giants don’t have quite that astoundingly low rate, they still have a history of standing by their coaches.

Since 1969, New York has had 10 different head coaches. While the team had a lot of turnover in the 90’s, they’ve grown to adhere to consistency and loyalty in recent years. This is seen in their most notable and famous head coach, Tom Coughlin, who coached the team from 2004-2015.

Couglin’s replacement? His own offensive coordinator, Ben McAdoo, who arrived in 2014, and spent two seasons working with Eli Manning.

For some perspective, consider that the Browns have gone through 18 coaches since 1969: 9 of those since returning to the league in 1999!

Quarterbacks

Both teams feature a franchise quarterback whom is likely to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In fact, the similarities in the quarterbacks is probably the most noteworthy comparison between these two teams.

Eli Manning was taken first overall in the 2004 draft, while Ben Roethlisberger was taken 11th overall the same year.

Both quarterbacks have 2 super bowl rings.

Both quarterbacks have never gotten the respect they’ve deserved for their position.

While the question of which player is better or more disrespected is a whole other article, you can’t deny how similar the career paths of both of these players has been. Each has passed for over 40,000 yards in their careers, and each has over 100 wins with their respective franchises.

They are also the only pair of quarterbacks taken in the same round, of the same draft, to win a Super Bowl.

Receivers

As with the quarterbacks, both franchises have world class wide receivers lining up on Sunday. Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham Jr. Brown currently leads the league in receptions (82) while OBJ is 7th overall (65) but 4th in touchdowns with 8; 2 behind AB’s league-leading 10 receiving TDs.

Regardless of this year’s statistics, both players have caught the NFL on fire with their dynamic playmaking ability. Each star also plays a role on special teams, as their unit’s featured punt returner; a position which gets its fair share of criticism due to the potential for injury.

Yet each receiver is practically an ironman for their squads: Antonio Brown having only missed one game in several years due to a concussion, while Beckham missed several games to start his rookie season, before coming on strong to end the year.

Ownership

The ownership of the two franchises are often referred to as the “First Family of the NFL.”

The Rooneys and Maras are among the oldest owners in the NFL. Tim Mara founded the Giants in 1925, while Art Rooney Sr. founded the Steelers in 1933. Both were succeeded by family members, as John Mara is the current co-owners of the Giants, and Art Rooney II took over as President of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the early 2000’s, for his father Dan Rooney.

The family’s legacies left an imprint on the league. Dan Rooney is credited with creating the “Rooney Rule” which is an NFL requirement that teams with head coach and general manager vacancies interview at least one minority candidate.

John Mara’s father, Wellington Mara, was well-known my the moniker “The Duke”: the Wilson football used in NFL games prior to the AFL merger was called “The Duke”. Since 2006, a new version of “The Duke” has been used in National Football League games.

Recent Struggles

Following Super Bowl victories in the previous 10 years, both the Steelers and Giants have had their recent struggles as a team. The most glaring is an absence of playoff wins, following a decade of dominance.

The Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2005 and 2008, with another appearance in a losing effort against the Green Bay Packers in 2010.

Since 2010, the Steelers have a single playoff victory.

The Giants, on the other hand, have a more recent Super Bowl win in 2011, paired with another victory in 2007. The too have struggled, with no playoff appearances since the 2011 win.

Conclusion

Two model franchises, patterned after family ownerships and consistent, winning teams, mark what will be a special game this Sunday, when the two teams meet for the first time since November 4th, 2012.

The Steelers came out victorious in that matchup in The Meadowlands, 24-20.