"SUPERBOWL XL"
Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
For the 40th edition of the single most watched sporting event in the world, the Pittsburgh Steelers came into Superbowl XL a #6 seed in the AFC playoffs which nobody gave a chance to get to the Superbowl let along win it. The Seattle Seahawks came into Superbowl XL the bullies of the NFC as the #1 seed going an impressive 14-2 on the regular season and dispatching of an offensiveless Washington Redskins and a hurt Carolina Panthers on their way to Superbowl XL. So, who would emerge victorious amongst these 2 teams coming from very opposite ends of the spectrum. The answer to that question is SUPERBOWL HISTORY, but we can call this Superbowl "ONE FOR THE THUMB!!!"
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SEATTLE'S DARRELL JACKSON(#82) PUSHES OFF OF PITTSBURGH'S CHRIS HOPE(#28) TO GET FREE FOR WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A TD
Early in the game, it seemed like Superbowl XL would be a mismatch and the oddsmakers had completely missed the ball by making the Steelers a 4 1/2 point favorite coming into this game because in the 1st quarter, it looked as if Pittsburgh forgot where they came from having been held scoreless in the quarter. The Seattle Seahawks moved up and down the field in the 1st quarter, but only came away with 3 points after a pass interference call on Darrell Jackson(#82 above) negated a Seattle touchdown forcing them to settle for a field goal giving them the 3-0 lead over the Steelers heading into the 2nd quarter. Little did anyone know what awaited the millions of us who watched around the world in the 2nd half of this game.
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BEN ROETHLISBERGER(#7) DIVES ACROSS THE GOALINE FOR THE STEELER TOUCHDOWN BEFORE BEING DRIVEN BACK
The 2nd quarter went a lot like the 1st quarter with neither team scoring anything, but Pittsburgh began to find it's offensive groove and started to move the ball on Seattle's normally stingy defense. Late in the second quarter, the Steelers were at the Seattle 40 yard line when Big Ben scrambled left, stood by the sidelines with seemingly hours of time to throw and tossed a 37 yard strike to Hines Ward(#86) on a 3rd and 25 play setting up 1st and goal from the Seattle 3 yard line. THE BUS(#36) would carry the ball two times and only advance the ball to the 1 yard line setting up 3rd and goal. Then the controversy began. Big Ben called his own #7 and took the ball left between the left guard and tackle and leaped towards the goaline for the Steeler's 1st TD giving them a 7-3 halftime lead although some think he did not get in. Check out the photo above, you make the call, at any rate, at the half, it was Steelers 7 Seahawks 3!!!!
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FAST WILLIE PARKER(#39) SCAMPERS 75 YARDS THROUGH THE SEATTLE DEFENSE TO GIVE THE STEELERS A 14-3 LEAD
The second half of Superbowl XL was nothing like its predacessor. The Steelers wasted little time in changing the entire outlook of this game when they sent Fast Willie Parker(#39) off right tackle and like a whisp of lightening, he was gone 75 yards and it was Steelers 14 Seahawks 3 in the blink of an eye. Finally, the amazing Pittsburgh Steelers who thrashed the Bengals, Colts, and Broncos all on the road were BACK!!! Question was, could Seattle respond or would they just lay down??
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SEATTLE'S JERAMY STEVENS(#86) ANSWERS FOR SEATTLE WITH A TD OF HIS OWN
Late in the 3rd quarter, Pittsburgh had drove to the Seattle 5 yard line and again it was 3rd and goal and the Steelers were still leading 14-3. Had the Steeler's scored a Touchdown here, this Superbowl surely would had been salted away and Pittsburgh would have that one for the thumb!!! Something, quite different happened. Big Ben rolled right and had Cedric Wilson(#80) in the right corner of the end zone, but instead of lofting the ball over the defender, he threw it directly into his hands and he took the ball 76 yards to the Steelers 23 yard line ending the Steelers Scoring threat and giving Seattle their best starting field position of the entire game. Two plays later, Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck(#8) found Jeramy Stevens(#86) wide open in the front right corner of the endzone and threw a perfect 23 yard strike to Stevens to cut the Steeler lead to 14-10. Superbowl XL was a game again and had only 15 minutes left to play where the eventual champion would be decided!!!!
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STEELER'S WR HINES WARD(#86) HAULS IN A BEAUTIFUL PASS FROM HIS FELLOW WR ANTWAAN RANDLE EL(#82)
The 4th quarter was a fairly innocuous quarter until about midway through the fourth quarter. Seattle was driving deep into Steeler territory and Matt Hasselbeck(#8) completed a pass to Shaun Alexander(#37) to the Steeler 1 yard line only to have it brought back on yet another controversial officals call of holding on the Right Tackle who horse collared a blitzing Clark Haggans(#53) and drug him to the ground. Next play, Hasselbeck looks left and finds the Steeler's Ike Taylor(#24) for his first interception of the game and with one of the most bizarre calls of the day, Hasselbeck goes low to tackle Ike Taylor cutting his legs out from under him and was assessed a 15 yard personal foul which put the Steelers on their own 40 yard line 1st and 10!!! Two plays later, the Steelers and Ken Whisenhunt(Offensive Coordinator) reached deep into their bag of trick plays and pulled out the old double reverse deep bomb play. Big Ben handed the ball to Fast Willie who went left as Antwaan Randle El came right and took the hand off from Fast Willie and rolled to the right side of the field and he spotted Hines Ward wide open for a 45 yard TOUCHDOWN which cemented Superbowl XL for the Steelers 21-10!!!! The Steelers spent the remainder of Superbowl XL playing solid defense and effective offensive keepaway from Seattle and WON SUPERBOWL XL BY A SCORE OF STEELERS 21 SEAHAWKS 10!!!!
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FINALLY, THE STEELERS GOT THAT ONE FOR THE THUMB AFTER 26 YEARS OF WAITING!!!
The 40th edition of the Superbowl had all the excitement of it's recent predacessors. The Seattle Seahawks showed the entire world how overrated they truly were coming into this game and the oddsmakers had it right installing Pittsburgh as the favorites because they were the better team. Seattle put forth a valiant effort, but the Pittsburgh Steelers became 5 time Superbowl CHAMPIONS and gave the city of Pittsburgh what it's been thirsting for, for 26 years, another WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!
FINAL SCORE
Pittsburgh 21
Seattle 10
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