Steelers Super Bowl Special
Top 10 Plays in Steelers Super Bowl History
By Tony DeFazio
10. SUPER BOWL IX Mad Dog downs Tarkenton for the safety
The Steelers score the first two of their 168 career points
in the Super Bowl in the second quarter of Super Bowl IX
when Vikings fullback Dave Osborn fumbled a pitch from Tarkenton
in Minnesota's end zone. Tarkenton beat Steelers defensive
end Dwight White to the ball, but "Mad Dog" downed the Vikings'
quarterback for a safety, giving Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead.
The defensive score set the tone for the Steelers first
championship, as the Steel Curtain limited the Vikings to
nine first downs, 119 yards of total offense, and 17 rushing
yards. Minnesota's only score came on a blocked punt in
the Steelers' 16-6 win.
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9. SUPER BOWL XLIII
Fitz gives Arizona the late lead
Pittsburgh was seemingly on their way to a dominating victory,
leading 20-7 at the start of the fourth quarter. The Cardinals
scored 16 straight points, however, taking the lead on Fitzgerald's
64-yard catch-and-run from the arm of Kurt Warner, to give
Arizona a four-point lead with just 2:37 remaining in the
game. Fitzgerald, held to just one catch for 12 yards in
the first half, exploded in the fourth quarter. The former
Pitt star amassed 87 receiving yards and two touchdowns
in the final 15 minutes of play as his Cardinals nearly
pulled off the upset.
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8. SUPER BOWL XL
Fast Willie sets a Super Bowl record
The Steelers got the ball to open the second half leading
7-3. Just two plays in, running back Willie Parker followed
an Alan Faneca block and broke through the Seahawks' defensive
line for a 75-yard touchdown run, giving Pittsburgh a 14-3
lead. Fast Willie's run set a record for the longest run
in Super Bowl history, beating Marcus Allen's Super Bowl
XVIII mark by one yard. Faneca received a Super Bowl MVP
vote as a result of the play. Parker finished the game with
93 yards on 10 carries.
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7. SUPER BOWL XIV
Lambert's pick stops LA
Trailing 24-19 in the fourth quarter, Rams quarterback
Vince Ferragamo marched his team down the field. He completed
a gutsy 15-yarder to Billy Waddy on a 3rd and 13 to move
the ball to the Pittsburgh 31 yard line. On the very next
snap, however, Ferragamo threw across the middle for wide
receiver Preston Dennard. Steelers linebacker Jack Lambert
stepped in front of Dennard as the ball arrived, intercepting
the pass with 5:24 remaining, short-circuiting Los Angeles'
drive and for all intents and purposes clinching the game
for the Steelers. Franco Harris would score moments later
to give the Steelers the 31-19 victory.
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6. SUPER BOWL XL
Randle El throws a TD to Hines
The Steelers had just thwarted a Seattle drive courtesy
of an Ike Taylor interception to maintain their 14-10 lead
when Ben Roethlisberger pitched the ball to Willie Parker
running left. Parker then handed off to Randle El just as
Roethlisberger picked up blitzing safety Michael Boulware
and knocked him out of the way, clearing room for Randle
El to set his feet. The former Indiana University quarterback
threw a perfect strike to a wide-open Hines Ward, giving
the Steelers a 21-10 lead and also marking the first time
a wide receiver threw a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl.
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5. SUPER BOWL XXX
Larry Brown intercepts O'Donnell
After battling furiously from a 20-7 deficit, the Steelers
pulled to within 20-17 on a Bam Morris one-yard touchdown
run. A Levon Kirkland sack on Troy Aikman helped get Pittsburgh
the ball back with 4:13 remaining. On second down, the Cowboys
blitzed and cornerback Larry Brown-who had already intercepted
O'Donnell earlier in the game-read a slant pattern. When
Steelers receiver Andre Hastings slanted in the wrong direction,
Brown had his second interception of the game. "I was on
page with the quarterback," Brown said. "The receiver was
off page." Brown returned the pick to the Steelers' 6 and
two plays later, Emmit Smith scored, increasing the Dallas
lead 27-17.
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4. SUPER BOWL XIV
Stallworth's catch puts the Steelers ahead
The Rams maintained a 19-17 second-half cushion, but on
two separate occasions the Steelers threatened to retake
the lead. Both times, however, the LA defense intercepted
Terry Bradshaw and negated the threat. Early in the fourth
quarter, Rams punter Ken Clark boomed a 60-yarder that gave
the Steelers the ball at their own 25. On 3rd down and 8,
Bradshaw took the snap and carried out a play-action fake
as John Stallworth streaked down the middle of the field.
Stallworth made a brilliant over-the-shoulder grab without
breaking stride, and took it to the house for a 73-yard
go-ahead touchdown to put the Steeles ahead 24-19.
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3. SUPER BOWL X
Swann dazzles with his acrobatics
In terms of individual effort, unyielding focus and sheer
athleticism, this is one of the greatest catches in NFL
history, let alone Steelers history. Trailing 10-7 late
in the first half, Terry Bradshaw launched a bomb down the
middle of field. Cowboys' defensive back Mark Washington
was in perfect position on receiver Lynn Swann, but No.
88 reached around Washington as he was falling to the turf,
tipped the ball to himself and hauled it in as Washington
fell to his back, helpless. The Steelers were unable to
manage any points on the drive, however, as Roy Gerela-kicking
with a cracked rib suffered on the opening kickoff-missed
a 36-yard field goal attempt with 22 seconds remaining in
the half. Like Stallworth's touchdown at No. 4 and Holmes'
TD this past year, Swann's catch made the cover of Sports
Illustrated the following week.
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2. SUPER BOWL XLIII
Harrison's 100-yard interception return
With the Steelers hanging on to a 10-7 lead late in the
second quarter, a Ben Roethlisberger pass was tipped at
the line of scrimmage and intercepted by Arizona's Karlos
Dansby. The Cardinals drove the Steelers 1-yard line and
had a first-and-goal with 18 seconds left. Arizona's Kurt
Warner took a quick three-step drop out of the shotgun and
threw to his left, but Harrison stepped in front of Cardinals
receiver Anquan Boldin and intercepted the ball. Harrison
darted to the right boundary with a convoy of teammates
flanking him. Deshea Townsend eliminated Warner from the
play around the 40-yard line and Harrison avoided Leonard
Pope's diving attempt at a tackle at the 45. Harrison sped
down the sideline, deftly hurdling Tim Hightower at the
20 and hanging on despite last-second efforts from receivers
Steve Breaston and Larry Fitzgerald at the 1. Harrison tumbled
into the end zone as time expired to give the Steelers a
17-7 halftime lead. No. 92 then collapsed, exhausted and
etched forever in Super Bowl lure.
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1. SUPER BOWL XLIII
Santonio wins the game
Everyone is familiar with the circumstances by now. Steelers
trail 23-20 with 2:30 seconds to go, staring at 88 yards
of field after a holding penalty. Eighty-two yards later,
with just over 40 seconds left, Ben Roethlisberger lofts
a pass into the left corner of the end zone that sails through
Holmes' extended hands. On the next play-"62 scat flasher"-Roethlisberger
checks off his first two reads, buys time and floats to
his right as Holmes steaks across the back of the end zone.
Roethlisberger throws a bullet, high and in the left corner
of the end zone, adroitly placing ball above three Arizona
defenders in the only spot where his receiver could possibly
pull it in. For his part, Holmes had to use only his hands
to make the grab, which he did as the ball was whistling
out of bounds. With 100 percent of his momentum pulling
him toward the sidelines, Holmes managed to keep both feet
in bounds and maintain possession of the ball as he fell
to the turf. Touchdown. Steelers win Super Bowl No. 6. Santonio
Holmes, MVP.
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The March issue of the Pittsburgh Sports Report contains a dozen pages of Super Bowl fun, including the Top 10 Plays in Steelers Super Bowl History. Pick up the March issue of the Pittsburgh Sports Report at any Dick's Sporting Goods or any one of over 400 locations in and around the Pittsburgh area. |