2009: Roethlisberger Throws for 503 Yards as Steelers Edge Packers

The Pittsburgh Steelers were defending NFL Champions but in danger of missing the postseason as they hosted the Green Bay Packers on December 20, 2009. Head Coach Mike Tomlin’s team got off to a 6-2 start but had lost its last five contests, including a miserable 13-6 game at Cleveland the previous week, and was now at 6-7 and nearly out of playoff contention.  With QB Ben Roethlisberger (pictured above) and wide receivers Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes, the passing game was productive but the defense was severely weakened by the loss of SS Troy Polamalu and DE Aaron Smith to injuries.

Green Bay was coached by Mike McCarthy and in contention for the NFC North crown with a 9-4 record. The offense was potent thanks to the passing of QB Aaron Rodgers and the running of RB Ryan Grant. The defense was especially strong at linebacker, where talented rookie Clay Matthews joined a unit that already included Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk, while CB Charles Woodson was the key player in the backfield.   

There were 57,452 fans in attendance on a cold late afternoon at Heinz Field. The Packers had the ball first and punted. Pittsburgh set the tone for the game on the next play when Ben Roethlisberger threw deep to WR Mike Wallace for a 60-yard touchdown. Jeff Reed added the extra point to give the Steelers the early 7-0 advantage.

The teams exchanged punts before the Packers came through with a big play. Facing third-and-five at their own 17, Aaron Rodgers went long for WR Greg Jennings and the result was an 83-yard TD. Mason Crosby tied the score with the point after.

The Steelers responded with a nine-play series that covered 72 yards. Roethlisberger completed a pass to Hines Ward for nine yards in a third-and-six situation and a toss to TE Heath Miller for 14 yards was followed by a pass interference penalty on the defense that gained another 17 to the Green Bay 25. Five plays later, RB Rashard Mendenhall ran for a two-yard touchdown, Reed converted, and the home team was back in front by 14-7.

Following two short possessions that resulted in punts, the Packers were on the move as Rodgers threw to WR Donald Driver for a 49-yard gain to the Pittsburgh 24 on the last play of the opening period. However, after reaching the 16, Green Bay had to try for a field goal and Crosby missed from 34 yards.

The teams returned to trading punts before the Packers advanced 52 yards in eight plays. Rodgers completed five of six passes, two of them to Jennings, and then kept the ball himself on a 14-yard run for a TD (pictured below). Crosby knotted the score once more with the extra point.

The Steelers came back with a six-play, 80-yard drive. Roethlisberger completed passes to Miller for 27 yards and Santonio Holmes for 33 and finished the series off with a 10-yard touchdown throw to RB Mewelde Moore. Reed converted and Pittsburgh was ahead by 21-14, which remained the score at the half.

The Steelers had the ball first in the third quarter and Roethlisberger connected with Mendenhall for a 25-yard gain, but the drive stalled at the Green Bay 46 and they punted. The Packers had to punt in turn and Pittsburgh put together another scoring drive. Roethlisberger completed passes to Mendenhall, again for 25 yards, and to Ward for 17 while RB Willie Parker reeled off a pair of nine-yard runs. After getting to the Green Bay 21, Rodgers was sacked for an eight-yard loss by LB Brad Jones and, while a throw to Moore gained 10 yards the Steelers had to settle for a 37-yard Reed field goal that gave them a ten-point lead.

The Packers responded with a long drive of 69 yards in 13 plays that stretched into the fourth quarter. Rodgers completed a pass to Driver for 19 yards in a third-and-16 situation, one of seven completions along the way. The last was to TE Jermichael Finley for 11 yards and a TD. Crosby added the point after and the Pittsburgh lead was cut to 24-21.

Following a 36-yard kickoff return by WR Stefan Logan, Roethlisberger threw to Ward for 29 yards to the Green Bay 34. Another Roethlisberger completion, this time to Miller, gained 12 yards to convert third-and-six but a two-yard run by Parker was followed by two incomplete passes and Reed booted a 34-yard field goal to make it a 27-21 game.

The Packers needed just four plays to advance 62 yards in response. Two throws by Rodgers to Finley totaled 11 yards before a completion to Nelson gained 27. Ryan Grant ran 24 yards for a touchdown and, with Crosby kicking the extra point, the visitors were ahead at 28-27.

On the next series, and facing second-and-18, Roethlisberger passed deep to Ward for a 54-yard gain to the Green Bay 23. The drive stalled but Reed kicked a 43-yard field goal that put the Steelers back in front by 30-28.

Pittsburgh gambled by attempting an onside kick that failed and the Packers took advantage as Rodgers threw to Nelson for nine yards and Finley for 10. Rodgers connected with WR James Jones for a 24-yard TD and then completed a pass to RB Brandon Jackson for a two-point conversion. With 2:12 left on the clock, Green Bay held a 36-30 lead.

The Steelers took possession following the ensuing kickoff at their 14. A defensive holding penalty added five yards, but Roethlisberger was sacked by LB Brady Poppinga for a four-yard loss. A throw to Miller gained seven yards but the next pass was incomplete and Pittsburgh was facing fourth-and-seven at its own 22 with the time remaining down to 1:14. Roethlisberger went deep for Holmes to pick up 32 yards and keep the drive alive. Holding on the offense backed the Steelers up 10 yards but then an interception was negated by an illegal contact call on the Packers. Two more incomplete passes and a false start had the Steelers facing third-and-15 but Roethlisberger connected with Miller for 20 yards to the Green Bay 36. A sack was nullified by defensive holding and Roethlisberger threw to Miller again, this time for 15 yards. Pittsburgh called its last timeout and Roethlisberger had two passes fall incomplete before, on the game’s last play, he found Mike Wallace in the corner of the end zone, who just managed to keep his feet inbounds for a 19-yard touchdown (pictured below). Reed added the all-important extra point and the Steelers won in dramatic fashion by a final score of 37-36.

The teams combined for 973 yards, with Pittsburgh gaining the most (537 to 436) and also leading in first downs (28 to 18) and time of possession (35:22 to 24:38). Neither team gained much on the ground, with the Steelers holding an edge of 65 yards to 60. The Packers recorded five sacks, to one by Pittsburgh, and the Steelers were also penalized 10 times, at a cost of 84 yards, to seven flags for 53 yards thrown on Green Bay. There were no turnovers by either club.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 29 of 46 passes for 503 yards, a new franchise record, with three touchdowns. Hines Ward and Heath Miller had seven catches apiece, for 126 and 118 yards, respectively. Mike Wallace had just two pass receptions, for 79 yards, but both scored TDs, including the game-decider. Rashard Mendenhall contributed 6 catches for 73 yards to go along with a team-leading 38 rushing yards on 11 attempts that included a score.

For the Packers, Aaron Rodgers was successful on 26 of 48 throws for 383 yards and three TDs and also added a scoring carry among his three runs for 22 yards. Jermichael Finley caught 9 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown and Greg Jennings gained 118 yards on his five receptions that included a long TD. Ryan Grant ran for 37 yards and a score on 8 carries.

“The guys were coming back to the huddle worn out, linemen, receivers, everybody,” said Ben Roethlisberger regarding the intensity of the winning drive. “We didn’t quit. Everybody believed we could do it.”

“You lose on a last-second play, with a spectacular throw and catch, it’s tough,” said Green Bay LB Clay Matthews. “Hindsight’s always 20-20 but we knew what we were getting ourselves into. It was a dogfight.”

The win was the first of three straight for the Steelers to close out the season, but the resulting 9-7 record placed third in the AFC North and they just missed the playoffs. The loss cost the Packers the NFC North title, clinched by the Vikings as a result, but they also won their remaining two games and their second-place 11-5 tally got them into the postseason as a Wild Card. Green Bay lost a wild 51-45 contest to Arizona in the first playoff round.

Ben Roethlisberger threw for 4328 yards and 26 touchdowns, ranking second in the AFC with a 100.5 passer rating. He exceeded the 503 yards against the Packers in a 2014 contest in which he passed for 522 yards vs. Indianapolis, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to twice throw for over 500 yards in a game.

Rookie of the Year: Ben Roethlisberger, 2004

Quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers

Age:  22

College: Miami (OH)

Height: 6’5”   Weight: 242

Prelude:

Roethlisberger passed for 10,829 yards and 80 touchdowns in three collegiate seasons and Miami reached the Mid-American Conference Championship in his junior year. He entered the NFL draft and was chosen by the Steelers in the first round (11^th overall, and the third quarterback) and, when QB Tommy Maddox went down with an injury in the second game, “Big Ben” moved into the lineup.

2004 Season Summary

Appeared and started in 14 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 295

Most attempts, game – 28 at NY Giants 12/18

Completions – 196

Most completions, game – 21 at Dallas 10/17

Yards – 2621

Most yards, game – 316 at NY Giants 12/18

Completion percentage – 66.4 [4]

Yards per attempt – 8.9 [2]

TD passes – 17 [19, tied with Vinny Testaverde]

Most TD passes, game – 2 on six occasions

Interceptions – 11 [18, tied with Daunte Culpepper, Kyle Boller & Patrick Ramsey]

Most interceptions, game – 2 at Baltimore 9/19, vs. NY Jets 12/12, at NY Giants 12/18

Passer rating – 98.1 [5]

300-yard passing games – 1

200-yard passing games – 4

Rushing

Attempts – 56

Most attempts, game – 9 (for 16 yds.) at Cincinnati 11/21

Yards – 144

Most yards, game – 40 yards (on 3 carries) at Jacksonville 12/5

Yards per attempt – 2.6

TDs – 1

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Postseason: 2 G

Pass attempts – 54

Most attempts, game – 30 vs. NY Jets, AFC Divisional playoff

Pass completions – 31

Most completions, game - 17 vs. NY Jets, AFC Divisional playoff

Passing yardage – 407

Most yards, game – 226 vs. New England, AFC Championship

TD passes – 3

Most TD passes, game – 2 vs. New England, AFC Championship

Interceptions – 5

Most interceptions, game – 3 vs. New England, AFC Championship

Rushing attempts – 9

Most rushing attempts, game – 5 vs. New England, AFC Championship

Rushing yards – 75

Most rushing yards, game – 45 vs. New England, AFC Championship

Average gain rushing – 8.3

Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: League/Pepsi, Sporting News

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

AFC Rookie of the Year: UPI, NEA, Sporting News

Steelers went 15-1 to place first in the AFC North with the conference’s best record while leading the AFC in rushing yards (2464). Won AFC Divisional playoff over New York Jets (20-17). Lost AFC Championship to New England Patriots (41-27).

Aftermath:

Roethlisberger missed time with a knee injury in 2005 but led the league in yards per attempt (8.9), yards per completion (14.2), and TD percentage (6.3 on his 17 TD passes), and the Steelers won the Super Bowl. In so doing, he became the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Big and mobile with a strong arm, Roethlisberger also benefited from having a solid running attack and defense as he developed his considerable skills. It was tougher going in 2006 as he was injured in an offseason motorcycle accident and also suffered from appendicitis. The result was 3513 passing yards and 18 TDs, but also a league-leading 23 interceptions and the Steelers dropped to 8-8. He bounced back with a Pro Bowl year in ’07 in which he threw for 32 touchdowns and a 104.1 rating, and showed great toughness as he also took many hits – often due to his penchant for holding the ball until the last possible moment. Roethlisberger led the Steelers to another NFL Championship in 2008 as he showed outstanding late-game clutch ability and achieved career highs (thus far) with 4328 passing yards and a 66.6 completion percentage in ’09, although off-field issues caused him to be suspended for the first four games of the 2010 season. He played well upon his return, giving up just five interceptions while once again leading the NFL in yards per completion (13.3) and the Steelers won the AFC title. Roethlisberger was chosen to the Pro Bowl for a second time in 2011 after passing for 4077 yards but a high ankle sprain limited his mobility in a losing postseason game and a shoulder injury hindered his play in 2012 as he was also asked to refine his style of play with a rebuilding team. He stayed healthy for the full year in ’13 and passed for 4261 yards and 28 TDs. Overall, through the 2013 season Roethlisberger has thrown for 34,105 yards and 219 touchdowns with a 92.6 rating. The Steelers have been 98-50 during his regular season starts and 10-4 in the playoffs, with two NFL titles.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year).

2011: Packers Defeat Steelers in Super Bowl XLV

Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011 pitted the team that had won the most NFL titles, the Green Bay Packers with 12, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the club that had won six Super Bowls, the most since that annual showcase had come into existence.

The Packers, who overcame a rash of injuries throughout the season, were the sixth seed in the NFC coming into the playoffs. Having started out the 2010 season at 3-3, they won five of their next six games and finished second in the NFC North at 10-6. QB Aaron Rodgers (pictured above), the successor to Brett Favre as starting quarterback, suffered two concussions but also came into his own in a year in which he led the NFL in passing with a 101.2 rating. Pro Bowl WR Greg Jennings was the most productive of a good receiving corps (76 catches, 1265 yards, 12 TDs) while WR Jordy Nelson was coming on in the postseason. The running game had been a chronic problem after RB Ryan Grant suffered a season-ending injury in the opening game, but RB James Starks was a pleasant surprise in the playoffs. The defense featured a solid group of linebackers led by OLB Clay Matthews. Head Coach Mike McCarthy’s team went on the road in the postseason and defeated the Eagles in the Wild Card round, ambushed the top-seeded Falcons in Atlanta, and then bested the long-time rival Bears for the NFC title.

Pittsburgh, under Head Coach Mike Tomlin for the fourth year, topped the AFC North at 12-4 despite not having QB Ben Roethlisberger for the first four games due to a suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. The Steelers were 3-1 without him and when Roethlisberger returned, he played well. Wide receivers Mike Wallace and Hines Ward were productive while RB Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 1273 yards and 13 TDs. The Steelers ranked second in the league in total defense, and the unit was solid throughout. Pittsburgh defeated the division-rival Ravens and Jets to reach the Super Bowl.

Wintry weather had been a problem in the week leading up to the contest, but clear skies and milder temperatures returned on game day. There were 103,219 fans in attendance at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with many more watching the telecast.

The teams exchanged punts until midway through the first quarter, when the Packers put together a nine-play, 79-yard scoring drive. James Starks ran for eight yards on a third-and-one play and Aaron Rodgers completed three passes to Jordy Nelson, the third of which was good for a 29-yard touchdown. Mason Crosby added the extra point.

An illegal block on the ensuing kickoff had the Steelers starting at their seven yard line, and on the next play Ben Roethlisberger threw long and was intercepted by FS Nick Collins, who returned it 37 yards for a TD. Crosby’s conversion put Green Bay up by 14-0.

The Steelers came back with a 13-play drive that extended into the second quarter and was helped along by Roethlisberger scrambling for 18 yards on a third-and-nine play and passing to WR Emmanuel Sanders for the necessary 13 yards in a third down situation to the Green Bay 22. The drive finally stalled at the 15 and Shaun Suisham kicked a 33-yard field goal to get the AFC Champs on the board.

The Packers went three-and-out on their next series and Pittsburgh moved to midfield before Roethlisberger again was picked off, this time by DB Jarrett Bush, giving the Packers the ball at their own 47. It took Green Bay just four plays to make the most of the turnover. Rodgers completed passes to Greg Jennings for four yards and then Nelson for 16 before Starks ran for 12 yards to the Pittsburgh 21. From there, Rodgers again connected with Jennings down the middle (pictured below), this time for a touchdown and, with Crosby’s PAT, a 21-3 lead.

Down by 18 points and getting the ball back on offense with 2:24 left in the first half, the Steelers advanced 77 yards in seven plays. Roethlisberger started off with a throw to WR Antwaan Randle El that picked up 37 yards to the Green Bay 40. Another Roethlisberger pass was knocked down at the line of scrimmage, but he completed his next four tosses, three of which were to the 34-year-old veteran Hines Ward. The last completion to Ward was good for a six-yard touchdown and, following Suisham’s extra point, the score was 21-10 at halftime.

The Packers had the first possession of the third quarter and punted, with a face mask penalty on the return giving Pittsburgh favorable field position at the 50. Rashard Mendenhall ran for 17 yards on first down and, following a short running play, Roethlisberger gained six yards on a scramble that set up third-and-one. RB Isaac Redman gained 16 yards around end and Mendenhall capped the five-play series with an eight-yard touchdown carry. Suisham added the extra point and the Steelers were behind by just four points and appeared to have the momentum.

The Packers had another short possession followed by a punt, and the Steelers, starting at their 40, again moved into Green Bay territory. Roethlisberger threw to Ward for a 15-yard gain to the 29, but the Packers stiffened on defense and, following a third-down sack of Roethlisberger, Suisham was wide on a 52-yard field goal attempt.

The teams exchanged punts for the remainder of the period but, on the first play of the fourth quarter, Mendenhall fumbled, which was forced by Clay Matthews, and LB Desmond Bishop recovered for the Packers at the Green Bay 38. Two pass completions were followed by two that fell incomplete, but facing third-and-10, Rodgers connected with Nelson for 38 yards to the Pittsburgh two. Rodgers was sacked by LB LaMarr Woodley for a loss of six yards on first down but followed up with an eight-yard scoring pass to Jennings. With the successful conversion, the Packers held a widened lead of 28-17.

The Steelers responded with a 66-yard drive in seven plays. All of those plays were Roethlisberger passes, and he completed six of them, including the last to Mike Wallace for 25 yards and a TD (pictured below). Pittsburgh then went for a two-point conversion and it was successful when Randle-El took a pitchout and reached the end zone. Green Bay’s lead was narrowed to three points at 28-25.

The Packers started their next possession at their 25 with 7:34 left to play. Rodgers was sacked on first down by DE Ziggy Hood but threw to Nelson for nine yards and, after a false start backed them up five yards, Rodgers went deep to Nelson for a gain of 31 yards to the Pittsburgh 44. Starks ran twice for a total of 15 yards before Rodgers went long for WR James Jones and picked up 21 yards to the eight yard line. The Steelers held on defense, but Crosby added a crucial 23-yard field goal to make it a six-point game.

With the clock now down to just over two minutes, the Steelers had one last shot. Starting at their 13, Roethlisberger threw to TE Heath Miller for 15 yards and Ward for five, but the next three passes fell incomplete and with that Green Bay came away with a 31-25 win.

The Steelers led in total yards (387 to 338) and first downs (19 to 15). They also recorded three sacks, to one by Green Bay. However, Pittsburgh also turned the ball over three times, to no turnovers by the Packers.

Aaron Rodgers, the game’s MVP, completed 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Jordy Nelson had 9 catches for 140 yards and a TD while Greg Jennings scored twice while pulling in four receptions for 64 yards. The Packers didn’t run the ball much, and James Starks led the club with 52 yards on 11 carries.

For the Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger was successful on 25 of 40 throws for 263 yards with two TDs, but also two interceptions, and ran for 31 yards on four attempts. Mike Wallace was the top receiver with 9 catches for 89 yards and a touchdown and Hines Ward contributed 7 receptions for 78 yards that also included a score. Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 63 yards and a TD on 14 carries.

“This is where it (the Lombardi Trophy) belongs,” said LB A.J. Hawk. “As long as the Packers have lived, it’s going to be great to bring that back.”

It was the 13^th league championship for the Packers, and they appeared on their way to another when they went 15-1 in 2011. However, they fell flat in a loss to the Giants at the Divisional playoff level to snuff out their hopes of repeating. Pittsburgh again went 12-4, finishing second in the AFC North, but lost in stunning fashion to the Denver Broncos in overtime of their Wild Card playoff contest. 

2005: Steelers Beat Jets in Divisional Playoff with FG in Overtime

The AFC Divisional Playoff game at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field on January 15, 2005 appeared to be a mismatch. The Pittsburgh Steelers were perennial contenders under Head Coach Bill Cowher and had gone 15-1 during the 2004 regular season. Rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger took over as the starting quarterback three games into the schedule when veteran Tommy Maddox was injured and was nothing short of sensational – the team won all 13 of his starts and he set rookie records by completing 66.4 % of his passes and compiling a 98.1 passer rating. He was helped by an outstanding ground game that featured the aging Jerome Bettis (pictured above) and newcomer Duce Staley, signed away from the Eagles. Pro Bowl WR Hines Ward was the most productive passing target. Most of all, the defense was the league’s best and contained Pro Bowlers in DE Aaron Smith, ILB James Farrior, OLB Joey Porter, and SS Troy Polamalu.

The visiting New York Jets placed second in the AFC East with a 10-6 record and had just gotten past the Chargers in overtime in the Wild Card Playoff round to advance to the Divisional level. Under Head Coach Herman Edwards, the backfield contained the NFL’s leading rusher in RB Curtis Martin (1697 yards) and the Jets utilized a West Coast passing offense that was directed by QB Chad Pennington, who made up for a weak arm with accuracy and toughness (he was battling a sore shoulder that would require rotator cuff surgery in the offseason). The defense was not on a par with Pittsburgh’s but was aggressive and tough against the run. However, the Jets had scored just six points in each of their prior two games against the Steelers, including a few weeks earlier during the regular season, and were clear underdogs.

Neither offense was able to get out of its own side of the field until midway through the first quarter when the Steelers drove 36 yards in seven plays. Jerome Bettis gained 17 yards in three carries and Ben Roethlisberger completed a pass to Hines Ward for 14 yards. Jeff Reed kicked a 49-yard field goal to give Pittsburgh the early 3-0 advantage.

On the second play of New York’s next series, Chad Pennington was intercepted by Troy Polamalu, who returned it 15 yards to give the Steelers excellent field position at the Jets’ 25. Five plays later, Bettis ran three yards up the middle for a touchdown and, with the successful extra point, it was a 10-0 game.

The Jets responded with a drive that extended into the second quarter and went 39 yards in 11 plays. Doug Brien’s 42-yard field goal attempt was successful and narrowed the score to 10-3. The Steelers went three-and-out in their next possession but, following a penalty on the punt return, New York started its next series at its own ten yard line. Pennington threw to WR Justin McCareins for a 30-yard gain but the promising drive finally stalled at the Pittsburgh 34 and the Jets punted. The Steelers also punted following a drive that netted 15 yards and WR Santana Moss (pictured below) returned it 75 yards for a touchdown that, combined with the successful PAT, tied the score at 10-10. That was still the tally at halftime.

The teams traded punts to start the third quarter but the Steelers drove into New York territory in their second possession. Roethlisberger completed passes to Ward for 12 yards, WR Plaxico Burress for 17, and WR Lee Mays for eight yards in a third-and-three situation. But after reaching the New York 34, a pass by Roethlisberger was picked off by SS Reggie Tongue, who returned it 86 yards for a TD. Thanks to the big plays on the punt and interception returns, the Jets were ahead by 17-10 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Steelers again advanced into New York territory but another turnover blunted a promising drive as Bettis uncharacteristically fumbled and FS Erik Coleman recovered at the 23. The Jets failed to get a first down and kicked the ball back to the Steelers, who started off from their 34 with 12:41 left in regulation. Pittsburgh put together another good drive, going 66 yards in 12 plays, and this time there were no turnovers. Roethlisberger took off for a 20-yard run to start the series which, with the exception of three short passes, stayed on the ground. Bettis and Duce Staley both carried the ball and the third of the passes was to Ward for a four-yard TD. Reed’s extra point tied the score at 17-17.

The Jets now moved the ball effectively as Pennington connected with McCareins for a 22-yard gain and Curtis Martin for 17. However, after reaching the Pittsburgh 28 the resulting 47-yard field goal try by Brien struck the goal post and was unsuccessful. But the Jets got the ball back right away when a Roethlisberger pass was intercepted by CB David Barrett and returned 25 yards to the Pittsburgh 36. It seemed as though the Jets had the game in hand as they chipped away to the 24 and, with time running out in regulation, lined up for another field goal attempt by Brien. The 43-yard kick, sailing far off the mark, was no good and the contest proceeded into overtime.

The Jets had the first possession in overtime and had to punt from their 41. Following WR Antwaan Randle El’s eight-yard return, the Steelers started off from their 13 yard line and went 72 yards in 14 plays. Along the way, Roethlisberger threw to Ward for a 17-yard gain on a third-and-six play and Pittsburgh converted a third-and-five situation thanks to a nine-yard run by RB Verron Haynes. Staley followed up with three carries for 17 yards to get the ball to the New York 24 and, after advancing further to the 15, Reed booted a 33-yard field goal – his 19^th straight successful three-pointer – to give the Steelers a 20-17 win.

Pittsburgh accumulated more total yards (364 to 275) and first downs (23 to 17). 193 of those yards came on the ground. However, the Steelers also turned the ball over three times, to one by the Jets, which nearly proved fatal.

Ben Roethlisberger (pictured above) completed 17 of 30 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown but with two interceptions. Jerome Bettis led the running game with 101 yards and a TD on 27 carries while Duce Staley added 54 yards on 11 attempts. Hines Ward caught 10 passes for 105 yards and a score.

For the Jets, Chad Pennington was successful on 21 of 33 throws for 182 yards with none for TDs and one intercepted. Curtis Martin rushed for 77 yards on 19 carries and caught four passes for 29 more yards. Justin McCareins led the club with 5 pass receptions for 82 yards. Thanks to the long return for a score, Santana Moss had 83 yards on punt returns to go along with his four catches for 31 yards.

Doug Brien (pictured at right) achieved the dubious distinction of being the first placekicker in NFL history to miss two field goal attempts in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter of a playoff game; just the week before he had booted a field goal in overtime to beat the Chargers.

“I had confidence in him,” said Herman Edwards of the kicker. “He made the one last week and I thought he could make it…He’s been a good kicker for us. It was just a tough day.”

Brien was let go by the Jets during the offseason, after they drafted PK Mike Nugent in the second round out of Ohio State. He was signed by the Bears but appeared in just three games before being dropped to thus end his 12-year NFL career.

The Steelers advanced to the AFC Championship game, which they lost to the New England Patriots. They came back in 2005 with a lesser record, finishing the regular season as a Wild Card team, but went all the way to win the Super Bowl. The Jets dropped to 4-12 in an injury-plagued year before bouncing back to the postseason in ’06.

2008: Jaguars Survive Comeback to Beat Steelers in Wild Card Playoff Game

The Pittsburgh Steelers were the hosts for the AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on January 5, 2008, yet they were widely considered to be underdogs. For one thing, the Steelers had won the AFC North in 2007 with a 10-6 record while Jacksonville placed second in the AFC South and secured a wild card slot at 11-5. Furthermore, the Jaguars had beaten the Steelers at Heinz Field during the regular season and seemed to have the momentum coming into the game – while Pittsburgh lost three of its last four contests, Jacksonville had won six of the final eight regular season games.

The Steelers, under first-year Head Coach Mike Tomlin, bounced back from a disappointing 8-8 record in 2006, a year after winning the Super Bowl. However, by the time they reached the playoffs, they were without five starters, including RB Willie Parker, who rushed for 1316 yards before suffering a broken leg. Star SS Troy Polamalu was playing, but had suffered through an injury-riddled year and was not in top form. Still, the offense featured QB Ben Roethlisberger, coming off his best year to date in his fourth season, and WR Hines Ward. The defense was as tough and seasoned as usual, and had benefited from the play of LB James Harrison in his breakout year.

Jacksonville was coached by Jack Del Rio and featured a ball-control running game on offense. The one-two running back punch of 31-year-old veteran Fred Taylor (1202 yards, five touchdowns) and 22-year-old Maurice Jones-Drew (768 yards, 9 TDs), in his second season, was potent. QB David Garrard was in his sixth year, but only second as the starter, and while his numbers weren’t overwhelming, he was intercepted only three times while tossing 18 touchdown passes. The defense was tough, especially at linebacker, but was also without tackles John Henderson and Marcus Stroud due to injury.


There was an enthusiastic crowd of 63,629 in attendance on a Saturday night at Heinz Field. They saw the Steelers start off well on the game’s initial series. Pittsburgh went 80 yards in 10 plays, highlighted by Roethlisberger (pictured at right) throwing to Ward for a 31-yard gain in a third-and-four situation and a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the Jaguars on a play in which the quarterback had been sacked. RB Najeh Davenport went up the middle for the final yard and a touchdown that put the Steelers ahead by 7-0.

The Pittsburgh fans were in a frenzy, but it didn’t take Jacksonville long to respond as Jones-Drew returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards down the middle of the field to the Steelers’ one yard line. Taylor scored on the next play and Josh Scobee’s extra point made it 7-7.

The teams traded punts until CB Rashean Mathis intercepted a Roethlisberger pass and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown. Three plays after the Steelers got the ball back, Mathis picked Roethlisberger off again, and while the return was only for a yard this time, it gave the Jaguars the ball at the Pittsburgh 46 and set up another score. It only took two plays as Jones-Drew caught a swing pass from Garrard and turned it into a 43-yard touchdown.

Following a three-and-out possession by the Steelers, Jacksonville again had good field position following a punt and drove to the Pittsburgh 28. However, Scobee’s 46-yard field goal attempt was wide to the right.

Getting the ball again just before the two-minute warning, the Steelers drove from their 36 to the Jacksonville 21. Roethlisberger completed five passes (one was taken away following a challenge) including 18 yards to Davenport on a third-and-four play. However, backup DT Derek Landri intercepted a pass – the third given up by Roethlisberger – to end the threat and the teams went into halftime with the Jaguars maintaining a 21-7 lead.

The Steelers got a break early in the third quarter when LB James Farrior intercepted a Garrard pass, giving them the ball at the Jacksonville 43. Pittsburgh advanced to the 10 yard line in seven plays and Jeff Reed booted a 28-yard field goal.

The Jaguars came right back with an eight-play, 82-yard drive of their own. Garrard scrambled for 12 yards and a first down in a third-and-two situation from his own 26 and a facemask penalty moved the ball past midfield. Garrard then completed back-to-back passes to WR Ernest Wilford for 20 and 19 yards to the Pittsburgh 10. From there, Jones-Drew ran 10 yards off tackle for a touchdown and Jacksonville led by a daunting 28-10 margin.

That was the score heading into the fourth quarter, but on the first play of the final period Roethlisberger threw to WR Santonio Holmes for a 37-yard touchdown that, with the successful PAT, made it an 11-point game. The Jaguars went three-and-out on their next possession and Pittsburgh, taking over at its 31 yard line following the punt, scored again in ten plays. Roethlisberger completed six passes, three of them to Ward and one for a 14-yard TD to TE Heath Miller. The Steelers went for a two-point conversion and initially appeared to have succeeded when Roethlisberger threw to Ward in the end zone, but it was nullified by a holding penalty and Roethlisberger’s attempt to then run the ball in failed. Still, Jacksonville’s lead was down to just five points at 28-23.

Three plays into the Jaguars’ next series, Garrard was again intercepted, this time by CB Ike Taylor, who returned it 31 yards to the Jacksonville 16. Roethlisberger threw to RB Carey Davis for eight yards and, two plays later, it was first-and-goal at the five. However, after a pass to Ward gained four yards to the one, Roethlisberger threw three straight incompletions. The last was on fourth down, but drew a pass interference penalty and Davenport ran in for the touchdown that put Pittsburgh in the lead by a point. Once more, the Steelers tried for a two-point conversion, and once again it failed as Roethlisberger’s pass intended for WR Nate Washington fell incomplete. Still, Pittsburgh had put together a 19-point run to go in front by 29-28 with 6:21 remaining on the clock.

Jacksonville’s offense had been quiet, but showed signs of life. Taking over at their 22, the Jaguars were moved backward by a penalty but, on a third-and-13 play, Garrard completed a pass to WR Dennis Northcutt for 17 yards and a first down. The drive stalled thereafter, and LB LaMarr Woodley’s sack of Garrard forced a punt. A 53-yard kick by Adam Podlesh, combined with an eight-yard return by WR Cedrick Wilson, had the Steelers taking over at their 22.

Now it was the turn of Pittsburgh’s offense to go three-and-out, and Daniel Sepulveda’s punt and Northcutt’s 16-yard return gave the Jaguars good field position near midfield with 2:38 to go.

Facing a fourth-and-two situation at the Pittsburgh 43, Garrard made the pivotal play of the game as he ran for 32 yards on a quarterback draw to the eleven yard line (pictured at top). After running the clock down to 40 seconds, Scobee came on to kick a 20-yard field goal that put the Jaguars back in front. Following the kickoff, Roethlisberger fumbled when sacked, Jacksonville recovered, and that was it as the Jaguars held on for the 31-29 win.

The Steelers had more total yards (340 to 239) and first downs (24 to 14) than Jacksonville. However, Pittsburgh also turned the ball over four times, to two suffered by the Jaguars, and the quarterback known as “Big Ben” was sacked six times (Garrard was dumped on four occasions). Ultimately, the decision to try for two-point conversions following the last pair of Pittsburgh touchdowns had big consequences in what ended up being a two-point game when they failed. The Steelers were also hurt by the lack of a running attack, particularly after the first quarter, as they gained just 43 yards on 26 attempts (to 135 yards on 29 carries for Jacksonville).

Thanks to the long fourth-down run, David Garrard led the Jaguars in rushing with 58 yards on 5 attempts while completing 9 of 21 passes for 140 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Fred Taylor was held to 48 yards on 16 carries and Maurice Jones-Drew (pictured below) added 29 yards and a TD on 8 rushes. Jones-Drew also had 43 yards and a score on his lone pass reception while Ernest Wilford caught two passes for 39 yards.


Ben Roethlisberger went to the air 42 times and completed 29 for 337 yards with two TDs and the three first-half interceptions. Hines Ward caught 10 of those passes for 135 yards and Heath Miller contributed 8 receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown. Najeh Davenport led the anemic running game with 25 yards on 16 attempts, although two were good for scores.

“They kind of lost their gaps, they thought pass, I was able to get through there,” said Garrard of his key fourth down carry. “I just wanted to get a first down. I did enough to get into field-goal range and that was all I was thinking about.”

“It's very disappointing, everyone's fired up,” said Pittsburgh LB Clark Haggans. “We fought hard. We came up short. It was a play here, a play there.”

“We fell short,” summed up Mike Tomlin. “Nothing really soothes the feeling we have right now.”

Jacksonville lost the next week in the Divisional round to the undefeated New England Patriots. They dropped to a disappointing 5-11 in ’08. The Steelers, on the other hand, came back to go 12-4 and win the Super Bowl.

2006: Parker Runs for 213 Yards as Steelers Beat Brees & Saints

The Week 10 matchup on November 12, 2006 at Heinz Field featured two teams whose fortunes were moving in opposite directions from the prior season. The Pittsburgh Steelers, coached by Bill Cowher, were the defending league champions, but had thus far compiled a less-than-august 2-6 record. QB Ben Roethlisberger, who played so well in his first two years, suffered both an offseason motorcycle accident and appendectomy and was now more tentative and mistake-prone. The offensive line was having difficulty with both run blocking and pass protection, but the defense was still sound. Fundamentally, the Steelers still had the key players in place from the Super Bowl-winning club of 2005, but had yet to play up to their potential in ‘06.

The New Orleans Saints had suffered through a dismal 2005. Following the devastation of the Crescent City by Hurricane Katrina just prior to the start of the season, rendering the Louisiana Superdome in need of significant repair, the Saints were forced to play the entire schedule on the road. The result was a 3-13 disaster. In the offseason, they gained a new head coach in Sean Payton and a new quarterback in free agent Drew Brees, previously of the Chargers. A rejuvenated franchise back in its refurbished home stadium, New Orleans won the first three games of the ’06 season to equal its total of the year before and was 6-2 and the talk of the NFL coming into Pittsburgh.

The Steelers struck first, having been galvanized by an emotional team meeting prior to the game in which several veterans spoke up. Following a 40-yard opening kickoff return by RB Najeh Davenport, they took six plays to reach the end zone as Roethlisberger connected with WR Hines Ward for a 37-yard touchdown. Two plays into the following possession, Brees completed a pass to TE Billy Miller, who fumbled when hit by LB James Farrior. DE Brett Keisel recovered for the Steelers, giving them possession at the New Orleans 29.

Pittsburgh made the most of the opportunity. With RB Willie Parker (pictured above) running and Roethlisberger completing a pair of short passes, the Steelers advanced to the two yard line, and from there the quarterback known as “Big Ben” threw to TE Heath Miller for a TD and 14-0 lead.

The Saints came back with a long drive that covered 52 yards in 12 plays, following a 43-yard kickoff return by WR Michael Lewis. New Orleans converted four third downs along the way, including one on a 22-yard pass play from Brees to WR Terrance Copper in a third-and-11 situation, and another pass to Copper for a three-yard touchdown on a third-and-goal play. The score was 14-7 after one quarter.

Following a Pittsburgh punt, the Saints put together another 12-play scoring drive, this one covering 78 yards. Brees completed a 27-yard pass to WR Marques Colston along the way, and the same combination came together to convert a fourth-and-two situation at the Steelers’ 26 with a 10-yard gain. John Carney booted a 20-yard field goal to finish off the possession and Pittsburgh’s lead was cut to 14-10.

After another short possession by the Steelers, the Saints drove 71 yards in eight plays. Brees passed to Colston for a 28-yard gain on a third-and-ten play that moved the ball to the Pittsburgh 32. A 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty set up a 15-yard touchdown run by RB Reggie Bush, after taking a handoff from Colston on a double reverse.

It was now 17-14 in favor of New Orleans with 2:22 on the clock in the first half. Passing out of the shotgun formation, Roethlisberger completed three passes, including one to WR Santonio Holmes that gained 46 yards to the Saints’ 13. Jeff Reed kicked a 32-yard field goal and the score was tied at 17-17.

There was still time remaining, and now it was Brees firing out of the shotgun formation with two completions for 33 yards to get into Pittsburgh territory at the 39. A long pass to Colston gained 29 yards, and RB Deuce McAllister ran for a four-yard TD on a broken play that put the Saints back ahead at 24-17 at halftime.

New Orleans had the first possession of the second half and punted, giving the Steelers the ball at their own nine yard line. They put together a good drive, with Parker running three times for 26 yards and catching two passes. Roethlisberger completed a pass down the middle to WR Nate Washington that gained 22 yards on a third-and-ten play and had another 22-yard throw to Miller. However, after the drive stalled at the New Orleans 18, Reed was wide on a 35-yard field goal attempt.

The Steelers got the ball back quickly. On the Saints’ second play, Bush fumbled and FS Ryan Clark recovered for Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger wasted no time as he immediately went to the air and tossed a 38-yard touchdown pass to WR Cedrick Wilson. With the extra point, the game was once again tied at 24-24.

Brees came out throwing when the Saints regained possession. After McAllister ran for three yards, the quarterback threw to Bush for 13 yards and then to Copper for 32. But after advancing to the Pittsburgh 14, Carney missed from 32 yards out on a field goal attempt and the score remained knotted.

Roethlisberger was sacked on Pittsburgh’s next play, but the Steelers got all that back and much more when Parker burst through the line for a 72-yard gain to the New Orleans 14. Parker started the fourth quarter off with a three-yard touchdown run, and Pittsburgh was back in front by 31-24.

The Saints again made it into Steelers territory on their next possession, but punted into the end zone after reaching the 39. On Pittsburgh’s second play, it was Parker making another big run as he carried the ball around right end, this time for a 76-yard gain to the New Orleans four. The third-year running back ran it in for a TD from there on the next play, and it was a 38-24 game.

With almost ten minutes to play, the Saints were far from done. Brees threw to RB Aaron Stecker for 48 yards and followed up by connecting with Colston for 13 more to the Pittsburgh eight yard line. McAllister ran for another four-yard touchdown and it was again a one-touchdown game.

The Steelers crossed midfield and had to punt on their next possession. Starting at their 19, the Saints moved methodically down the field as Brees completed short passes. They converted two third downs, but Copper fumbled the ball away after gaining 20 yards to the Pittsburgh 25 in a third-and-ten situation with under a minute remaining on the clock, and the Steelers held on for a 38-31 win.

Pittsburgh was weakened in the defensive backfield during the course of the game due to concussions suffered by star SS Troy Polamalu and CB Deshea Townsend and the Saints had more total yards (513 to 467) and first downs (29 to 19). However, New Orleans suffered three costly turnovers, to none by the Steelers.

Willie Parker was the star of the game as he rushed for 213 yards on 22 carries that included the two touchdowns set up by his long runs. Ben Roethlisberger completed 17 of 28 passes for 264 yards with three TDs and none intercepted. Hines Ward was the leading receiver with 5 catches for 86 yards and a score.


Drew Brees had another productive passing game as he went to the air 47 times and completed 31 for 398 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Marques Colston (pictured at right) caught 10 passes for 169 yards and Terrance Copper added 92 yards on his 6 receptions that included a TD. Deuce McAllister led the running game with 49 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown and Reggie Bush contributed 10 attempts for 49 yards and a TD on the ground and 7 catches for 40 yards as a receiver out of the backfield.

“We had three turnovers, and that can't happen,” Drew Brees said in summing up afterward. “The defense gave up a couple of big plays. That can't happen. Special teams gave them good field position. That can't happen. If eliminate one of those, we should have been able to fight back.”

It was a big win for the Steelers and turned around their season – they won five of their last seven games, and while it was too much ground to make up to have a shot at making the playoffs and defending their title, they finished at a respectable 8-8 for third place in the AFC North. New Orleans lost again the next week to the Bengals but went on to win the NFC South with a 10-6 record and advanced to the NFC Championship game before succumbing to the Bears.

Willie Parker gained a career-high 1494 yards rushing on 337 carries with 13 touchdowns. He also scored three times as part of his 31 pass receptions and his 16 TDs overall tied for third in the NFL. Parker was named to the Pro Bowl.

Ben Roethlisberger led the league by throwing 23 interceptions and was also sacked 46 times. Still, he ranked seventh in the NFL by throwing for 3513 yards and averaging 7.5 yards per attempt and fourth with 12.5 yards per completion. Drew Brees (pictured below) had a big year, leading the league in passing yards (4418) and ranking third with 26 touchdown passes, a passer rating of 96.2, and 8.0 yards per attempt.

2005: Brady & Patriots Beat Roethlisberger & Steelers with Late Field Goal

The Week 3 NFL matchup on September 25, 2005 between the host Pittsburgh Steelers and visiting New England Patriots at Heinz Field promised to be a good one. The Steelers, under Head Coach Bill Cowher, were coming off a 15-1 season in ’04 and were 2-0 thus far in ’05, having won by a combined score of 61-14. The big addition to the team in 2004 had been rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger, the 6’5” and 241-pound first draft choice out of Miami of Ohio, who replaced Tommy Maddox as the starting quarterback in the third week and, although the offense had been simplified, had been nothing short of sensational. The club went 13-0 with “Big Ben” as the starting quarterback (he sat out the season finale), although defenses began to catch up to him as the year wore on. And while his regular season winning streak was now up to 15 games, Roethlisberger had suffered a defeat in the postseason – to the Patriots in the AFC Championship game.

New England, under Head Coach Bill Belichick, went on to win the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year following a 14-2 regular season. The Patriots had won three championships in four years, and among the key players in that period were QB Tom Brady (pictured above), the unknown backup who became a star in 2001, as well as DE Richard Seymour and linebackers Willie McGinest, Mike Vrabel, and Tedy Bruschi (sidelined initially in ’05 due to a minor offseason stroke). Other players came and went, yet personnel changes more often than not worked out for the well-coached club that kept on winning.

There were 64,868 fans in attendance on a 70-degree day in Pittsburgh. Following a three-and-out possession by the Steelers to start the game, WR Tim Dwight’s 19-yard return of the resulting punt gave New England good field position at the Pittsburgh 46 yard line. The Patriots proceeded to score on their first drive, starting off with three straight carries for 14 yards by RB Corey Dillon and including two passes by Brady for 25 yards, and capped by Dillon’s four-yard touchdown run. However, on the first play of Pittsburgh’s next possession, Roethlisberger threw to WR Hines Ward for an 85-yard touchdown that made the score 7-7.

On their next series, the Steelers scored again on a 33-yard field goal by Jeff Reed to move ahead by three. That was the situation at the end of the opening period as the Patriots mounted a long drive that started at their 17 and stretched into the second quarter. However, on a third-down play at the Pittsburgh 16, Brady passed to RB Kevin Faulk, who fumbled; LB Larry Foote recovered for the Steelers and returned it 27 yards.

Pittsburgh turned the ball over two plays later when Roethlisberger threw to WR Antwaan Randle El, who then attempted to lateral to Ward, resulting in a fumble that New England safety Eugene Wilson recovered. The teams traded punts at that point, and Reed missed a 52-yard field goal attempt for the Steelers with 2:37 left in the half.

Inside of two minutes, the Patriots again looked poised to score as Brady completed five passes, including one to Faulk for a 23-yard gain to the Pittsburgh three. However, an interception by safety Chris Hope on a tipped pass ended the threat and the score remained 10-7 in favor of the Steelers at halftime.

The Patriots made it to the Pittsburgh 35 in the first possession of the second half, but Adam Vinatieri’s 53-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful. The Steelers went three-and-out and punted, but then got a break when Faulk again fumbled and DE Travis Kirschke recovered for Pittsburgh at the New England 28. Six plays later, Reed kicked a 24-yard field goal that extended the Steelers lead to 13-7. Near the end of the third quarter, and following a 28-yard punt return by Dwight, Vinatieri kicked a 48-yard field goal to make it a three-point game heading into the final period.

Early in the fourth quarter the Patriots caught fire as Brady completed five straight passes and Dillon ran around right end for a seven-yard touchdown that put New England in the lead at 17-13. Following a Pittsburgh punt, Brady again passed the Patriots down the field as he hit on all five of his throws and Vinatieri added another three points with a 35-yard field goal.

With 3:10 remaining to play, and helped by a 44-yard kickoff return by CB Ricardo Colclough, it was Roethlisberger’s turn to move his team through the air. The Steelers went 51 yards in nine plays as “Big Ben” was successful on five passes and a pass interference call gained 23 yards to the New England four yard line. Roethlisberger completed a four-yard TD pass to Ward and, with the successful extra point, the game was tied at 20-20.

The clock was down to 1:21 as the Patriots took over at their 38 following a 34-yard kickoff return by CB Ellis Hobbs. Brady threw to Faulk for a 17-yard gain and then to FB Patrick Pass for another 14. After a running play gained nothing, Brady completed one last pass to WR David Givens for six yards down to the Pittsburgh 31, and with five seconds Vinatieri, at his best in clutch situations, booted a 43-yard field goal. New England came away with a 23-20 win.

The Patriots significantly outgained the Steelers (426 yards to 269) and had more first downs (24 to 14). However, New England turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by Pittsburgh, and was penalized 10 times, at a loss of 118 yards, to 5 times for 35 yards for the Steelers.

Still, it was a particularly impressive performance on the part of the Patriots defense because of injuries in the secondary that forced them to continually juggle personnel. CB Tyrone Poole missed the game entirely and CB Duane Starks and safety Rodney Harrison both missed at least part of the contest.

Tom Brady completed 31 of 41 passes, including his last 12 of the game, for 372 yards, with no TDs and the one interception. David Givens led the receivers with 9 catches for 130 yards. Kevin Faulk had 7 receptions for 71 yards to go along with his seven rushing attempts for 14 yards. Corey Dillon ran for 61 yards in 22 attempts, including two for touchdowns.


For Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger, a loser for the first time in the regular season as a starting quarterback, was successful on just 12 of 28 throws for 216 yards and two TDs with none intercepted. Hines Ward (pictured above) caught four of those passes for 110 yards and two scores. RB Willie Parker, who had run for over a hundred yards in each of the preceding two games, gained just 55 yards on 17 carries to pace the running attack.

“They showed us today why they're the champs,” Steelers linebacker Larry Foote said of the Patriots afterward.

New England lost two of its next three games, but went on to win the AFC East for the third straight year with a 10-6 record. However, there would be no return to the Super Bowl – after defeating Jacksonville handily in the Wild Card playoff, the Patriots lost to Denver in the Divisional round.

Instead, it was the Steelers going the distance, even though they finished second to Cincinnati in the AFC North (due to a tiebreaker) with an 11-5 tally. They won the Wild Card playoff over the Bengals, Divisional playoff against the Colts, and AFC Championship over the Broncos – all road games – before defeating Seattle in the Super Bowl.

Tom Brady led the NFL in passing yards (4110) and was third in TD passes (26) and sixth in passing (92.3 rating). He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the third time.

Ben Roethlisberger (pictured below) was limited to 12 games due to injury, but still led the league in yards per attempt (8.9), yards per completion (14.2), and percentage of TD passes (6.3, tied with Cincinnati’s Carson Palmer) and ranked third in passing (98.6) as he threw for 2385 yards with 17 touchdowns against 9 interceptions. He ended up becoming the youngest Super Bowl-winning starting quarterback at age 23.

2009: Steelers Come Back to Defeat Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII

That the Pittsburgh Steelers were representing the AFC in Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009 was of little surprise. That their NFC opponent was the Arizona Cardinals came as a shock to many pro football fans. The club had not appeared in a league title game since 1948 and hardly seemed likely to do so in 2008.

The Cardinals, coached by Ken Whisenhunt, had won the AFC West in ‘08, but with a lackluster 9-7 record. Moreover, after taking command of the division at 7-3 midway through November, the team went 2-4 the rest of the way and looked especially bad when blown out at Philadelphia and New England. But in the postseason, where it was greatly anticipated that they would be eliminated quickly, they defeated Atlanta at home in the Wild Card round, dominated the 12-4 Carolina Panthers at Charlotte, and then returned to University of Phoenix Stadium and held off the Eagles to win the NFC title.

37-year-old QB Kurt Warner revived his career in Arizona and had the outstanding wide receiver corps of Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston to throw to. The defense ranked 28th in the league in points surrendered during the regular season, but stepped up in the playoffs. DT Darnell Dockett, linebackers Karlos Dansby and Gerald Hayes, FS Antrel Rolle, and Pro Bowl SS Adrian Wilson were the featured players on the unit.

The Steelers, under Head Coach Mike Tomlin, were far more formidable in winning the AFC North at 12-4. They beat the Chargers in the Divisional playoff round and then won a hard-hitting battle with division-rival Baltimore for the AFC Championship. QB Ben Roethlisberger’s statistics dropped in 2008, primarily as a result of suffering a shoulder separation in the season-opening game, but he still was able to lift the offense in clutch situations – he guided the Steelers to six game-winning drives during the regular season, either in the fourth quarter or in overtime. The running game was hindered by injuries to veteran RB Willie Parker and rookie Rashard Mendenhall. But WR Santonio Holmes had come on strong late in the regular season and playoffs. The defense was outstanding and included NT Casey Hampton, SS Troy Polamalu, and an excellent group of linebackers led by the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison.

There were 70,774 fans in attendance at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for what was expected to be a classic mismatch. Pittsburgh got the ball first and drove 72 yards in nine plays. Roethlisberger completed passes of 38 yards to WR Hines Ward and 21 yards to TE Heath Miller along the way. The big quarterback (6’5”, 240 pounds) attempted to cap the drive himself by running the final yard on a third-and-goal play, and it initially appeared that he had been successful when a TD was signaled. However, the Cardinals successfully challenged the play and the Steelers settled for an 18-yard Jeff Reed field goal instead.

Arizona punted following its first possession of the game and once again the Steelers put together a long drive that started off with a 25-yard pass completion from Roethlisberger to Holmes. Pittsburgh went 69 yards in 11 plays and, on the second play of the second quarter, scored a touchdown on a one-yard carry by RB Gary Russell to take a 10-0 lead.

The Cardinals came back as Warner completed five short passes and then threw long to Boldin for a 45-yard gain down to the Pittsburgh one yard line. Warner tossed a pass to TE Ben Patrick for the final yard and a TD to again make it a three-point game.

The teams traded punts, until a tipped pass by Roethlisberger was intercepted by Dansby to give Arizona the ball at the Pittsburgh 34 with two minutes remaining in the half. Again Warner completed short passes to move the Cardinals along, and they once more faced a first-and-goal situation at the one yard line. But Warner’s pass that was intended for Boldin was instead intercepted by Harrison at the goal line, who proceeded to return it 100 yards for a touchdown (pictured below), just barely falling across the goal line at the end with no time remaining. The longest (and arguably most thrilling) play in Super Bowl history made the score 17-7 as the teams went into halftime.


Following a punt by the Cardinals, Pittsburgh put together yet another long drive in its first possession of the second half. Moving from their 18 yard line (the Steelers had nearly gotten the ball in Arizona territory upon recovering what was initially ruled a fumble by Warner, but the play was overturned upon challenge), they reached the Cardinals’ nine yard line and kicked a field goal. However, an unnecessary roughness penalty on Adrian Wilson gave Pittsburgh a first down at the Arizona four instead. Parker ran for two yards, but then Roethlisberger threw an incomplete pass and was dropped for the loss of a yard on third down. They ended up settling for a 21-yard field goal by Reed.

The game entered the fourth quarter with the Steelers ahead by 20-7, and the clubs traded punts as time appeared to be running out for the Cardinals. Arizona had not been able to move the ball effectively thus far, and Larry Fitzgerald had been particularly quiet, but that all changed as the Cardinals went into a no-huddle offense and put together a scoring drive. Warner passed on every down and was successful on all eight of his throws, including four to Fitzgerald. A one-yard touchdown pass from Warner to Fitzgerald brought the Cardinals to within six points of the Steelers.

Pittsburgh went three-and-out on the following possession, with the key play being Darnell Dockett’s sack of Roethlisberger for an eight-yard loss. The Cardinals had to punt as well, but pinned the Steelers back at their one yard line. On a third-and-ten play, it appeared that Roethlisberger had completed a 19-yard pass to Holmes to get out of trouble, but a holding penalty in the end zone not only nullified the first down but gave Arizona two more points on a safety.


The Cardinals received the ensuing free kick and, after an incompletion on the first play, Warner fired a short pass to Fitzgerald that resulted in a 64-yard touchdown (pictured at right). With the extra point, Arizona was in the lead at 23-20 and there were just under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. They had scored 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, and seemed on the verge of a stunning upset.

Following the kickoff, Pittsburgh took over at its 22 yard line. A holding penalty backed the Steelers up to the 12, but Roethlisberger hit Holmes twice with passes covering 14 and 13 yards, and an 11-yard completion to WR Nate Washington got them to midfield. After a four-yard run by Roethlisberger, he again threw to Holmes on a play that covered 40 yards to the Arizona six. On second-and-goal, Roethlisberger went to Holmes once more, throwing high into the end zone at the right corner. Holmes stretched just high enough to catch the ball, kept his toes barely in bounds, and scored the six-yard touchdown that put the Steelers back in front (pictured at top).

The Cardinals had one last chance, taking over with 35 seconds on the clock. Warner threw to Fitzgerald for 20 yards and RB J.J. Arrington for 13, but with the ball now at the Pittsburgh 44, Warner fumbled while being sacked by LB LaMarr Woodley and DE Brett Keisel recovered for the Steelers to end the threat. The Steelers won their sixth Super Bowl by a score of 27-23.

The Cardinals significantly outgained Pittsburgh (407 yards to 292) and had the edge in first downs (23 to 20). The also suffered 11 penalties, at the expense of 106 yards, to 7 flags thrown on the Steelers and gave up two turnovers to Pittsburgh’s one. Neither team mounted much of a running attack, with the Steelers gaining just 58 yard on 26 carries while Arizona ran the ball 12 times for 33 yards.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards, including a touchdown and an interception, and was at his best in the game-winning drive. Santonio Holmes, the game’s MVP, caught 9 passes for 131 yards and the TD. Willie Parker was the leading rusher with 53 yards on 19 carries.

For the Cardinals, Kurt Warner (pictured below) went to the air 43 times and completed 31 of those passes for 377 yards, three for touchdowns while one was picked off. Anquan Boldin caught 8 passes for 84 yards and Larry Fitzgerald gained 127 yards on 7 receptions that included two TDs, while Steve Breaston contributed 6 catches for 71 yards. RB Edgerrin James accounted for all 33 rushing yards on 9 attempts.

“Was that a 60-minute game, or what?” exclaimed Steelers LB James Farrior. “It came down to the last play, and we made it.”

The sixth Super Bowl victory for the Pittsburgh franchise pulled it ahead of Dallas and San Francisco, although the Steelers were still short of Green Bay’s total of 12 league titles.

The Steelers slumped to 9-7 in 2009 and missed the playoffs. Kurt Warner came back for one last season in ’09 and led the Cardinals to another NFC West title, but after winning a high-scoring thriller in the Wild Card round of the postseason, they were thrashed by New Orleans in the Divisional round.

2006: Steelers Beat Broncos for AFC Title with Third Straight Road Win

The AFC Championship game on January 22, 2006 at INVESCO Field at Mile High featured the host Denver Broncos, champions of the AFC West with a 13-3 record, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, an 11-5 wild card team that had finished second to the Bengals in the AFC North.

The Broncos, under Head Coach Mike Shanahan, did well in 2005 with veteran Jake Plummer at quarterback, who in his third year with the club had thrown for 3366 yards and 18 touchdowns and, most notably for the often-erratic passer, tied his career low with just seven interceptions (he had led the NFL with 20 in ’04). Denver had become best known for its ground game during the Shanahan era, and running backs Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell combined for a total of 1935 yards and 20 touchdowns. 35-year-old Pro Bowl WR Rod Smith caught 85 passes for 1105 yards. MLB Al Wilson, CB Champ Bailey, and FS John Lynch were among the best in the league at their positions.

Pittsburgh, led by Head Coach Bill Cowher for the 14th year, had dropped from 15-1 in 2004, suffering during the ’05 season when second-year QB Ben Roethlisberger (pictured above) missed time due to injury. But they won their last four games to close out the regular season and then went on the road to beat division-rival Cincinnati in the Wild Card round and the Colts at the Divisional level, thus eliminating the third and first seeds, respectively, in the AFC postseason. While 33-year-old RB Jerome Bettis was fading in his last year, RB Willie Parker ran for 1202 yards. Reliable WR Hines Ward caught 69 passes for 975 yards and 11 TDs. C Jeff Hartings and G Alan Faneca were Pro Bowlers on the offensive line, and NT Casey Hampton, LB Joey Porter, and SS Troy Polamalu were feature players on the tough defense.

The Broncos had the game’s first possession and punted. Pittsburgh put together a long, 12-play drive that included a Roethlisberger pass to WR Antwaan Randle-El for 20 yards, a pass to Ward on a third-and-three play that was nearly intercepted by Bailey but picked up seven yards instead, and a successful challenge of what was initially ruled a fumble by Parker to keep the drive going. After all that, Jeff Reed kicked a 47-yard field goal to give the Steelers the early 3-0 lead.

On the third play of Denver’s next possession, Plummer fumbled when sacked by Porter and Hampton recovered for Pittsburgh at the Broncos’ 39 yard line. On the first play of the second quarter, Roethlisberger threw to WR Cedrick Wilson in the back of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown.

Reed kicked out of bounds on the ensuing kickoff to give the Broncos the ball on their own 40 and they moved 55 yards in 12 plays that resulted in a 23-yard field goal by Jason Elam to cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 10-3.

However, the Steelers again put together a long drive of 80 yards in 14 plays, converting three third downs along the way. Bettis finished it with a three-yard touchdown run with two minutes remaining in the half. Plummer was immediately intercepted on their next play from scrimmage by CB Ike Taylor to give Pittsburgh another possession at the Denver 38. The Steelers made the most of it with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Ward and had a formidable 24-3 lead at halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, the Broncos put together a scoring drive of 80 yards in five plays, featuring a Plummer pass to Smith for 32 yards. Plummer completed a 30-yard touchdown throw to WR Ashley Lelie and the Pittsburgh lead was cut to 24-10.

The Steelers drove to a 42-yard Reed field goal early in the fourth quarter, and once again Plummer was intercepted on Denver’s next play following a 47-yard kickoff return by WR Charlie Adams. Pittsburgh went three-and-out and this time the Broncos drove 80 yards, with Plummer completing a pass to Lelie for 38 of that total, and RB Mike Anderson ran for a three-yard touchdown. Denver was down by ten at 27-17 with under eight minutes to play.

Pittsburgh again went three-and-out, but the Broncos couldn’t move when they got the ball back and on a fourth-and-ten play, Plummer fumbled when sacked and DE Travis Kirschke recovered for the Steelers at the Denver 17. Five plays later, Roethlisberger ran the ball in himself for a four yard touchdown that provided the final score of 34-17.

The statistics seemed closer than the score as the Steelers led in total yardage (358 yards to 308) and first downs (20 to 16). However, while Pittsburgh didn’t turn the ball over, the Broncos did four times, and all directly attributable to Plummer, who fumbled twice and was intercepted twice - three of those turnovers directly led to scores by the Steelers.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 29 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and of course wasn’t intercepted. Cedrick Wilson caught 5 passes for 92 yards and a TD and Hines Ward also had 5 receptions, for 59 yards and a score. Jerome Bettis gained 39 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown and Willie Parker contributed 35 yards on 14 attempts.


For Denver, Jake Plummer (pictured at left), beyond the turnovers, was successful on 18 of 30 passes for 223 yards and a TD against the two interceptions; he also ran for 30 yards on 7 attempts. Rod Smith and TE Jeb Putzier caught 4 passes apiece, for 61 and 55 yards respectively, while Ashley Lelie gained 68 yards on his two receptions. Mike Anderson was the team’s leading rusher, gaining 36 yards on 9 carries that included a TD, and Tatum Bell added 31 yards on five attempts.

“We did not complete the mission and it's frustrating,” said Denver LB Ian Gold. “But anytime you make it to the AFC championship game and you lose, you hope to lose to a team like that.”

In beating the Broncos in Denver, the Steelers became the first team to win three playoff games on the road since the New England Patriots in 1985, and defeated each of the top three seeded clubs in the conference in doing so.

“If you look at our ownership, Mr. (Dan) Rooney is a football guy and he understands how hard it is to do this,” Bill Cowher said. “Nothing would be more satisfying to me than to hand him the Vince Lombardi trophy in two weeks.”

Coach Cowher got his wish as the Steelers went on to beat Seattle in the Super Bowl, which also gave them a fifth Super Bowl victory (still well short of Green Bay’s record of 12 NFL championships, going back to 1920).

For Jake Plummer, the turnover-filled loss in the AFC title game was the beginning of the end for both his tenure in Denver and career. He was benched in favor of rookie Jay Cutler during the 2006 season and was dealt to Tampa Bay, choosing to retire instead. While he could be an exciting performer, his erratic tendencies ultimately curtailed his effectiveness.