Feb 6, 2006, 12:21 GMT
Washington - The Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XL over the Seattle Seahawks 21-10 Sunday night in Detroit, Michigan.
The bruising Steeler defence kept the explosive Seahawk offence in check most of the game, after Seattle opened with a first-quarter field goal to take an early 3-0 lead. Pittsburgh soon replied with a touchdown to take a 7-3 advantage in the second quarter and kept the lead to the end, though Seattle squandered second-half opportunities.
Pittsburgh wide receiver Hines Ward was named Super Bowl most valuable player, leading all receivers with 123 yards from five catches, including a 43-yard touchdown catch with less than nine minutes to play that locked up the Steelers' fifth Super Bowl championship and first since 1980.
The game at Ford Field was indoors, while outside a weekend snowstorm in frosty Michigan had slowed steets with 25 centimetres of snow.
The outcome of the game put a fairy-tale ending on the human interest story that had captivated the nation.
Pittsburgh's rotund veteran running back Jerome 'The Bus' Bettis - beloved by Steeler fans and teammates and playing in his home town of Detroit - had finally reached the Super Bowl after three Pittsburgh semifinal losses. In victory, he raised the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy over his head and happily declared his retirement as a champion after 13 seasons.
Neither team played crisply, but the favoured Steelers delivered a few big plays on offence that proved decisive.
The Seahawks controlled the first quarter but failed to capitalize.
After their first two drives ended with punts into the end zone, Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck connected with wide receiver Darrell Jackson for a 16-yard touchdown that was nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty against Jackson. The drive ended with a 47-yard field goal by Seattle place kicker Josh Brown in the last minute of the first quarter.
Both teams exchanged possession throughout the second quarter without scoring, and second-year Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception deep into Seattle territory that ended the Steelers' first effective drive.
The Pittsburgh offence finally moved into Seattle territory midway through the second quarter. On third down and 28 yards to go, the Steelers delivered their first big play with a 37-yard, desperation pass from Roethlisberger to Ward at Seattle's 3 yard line.
The Seahawks twice stuffed the hulking Bettis, Pittsburgh's short yardage carrier, leaving the Steelers with third down at the 1 yard line. Roethlisberer faked another handoff and ran himself around the left end, colliding at the goal line with a Seattle defender.
The official on the goal line ruled a touchdown, and the head referee reviewed the instant replay before ruling that there was insufficient video evidence to overturn the call on the field. The television replay showed Roethlisberger cradling the ball in his right arm to the outside edge of the white, chalk goal line - the barest definition of breaking the plane - on a play that could have been ruled for either team.
The 11-play drive burned more than six minutes. Seattle's potent offence quickly reached the Pittsburgh 36 but Hasselbeck badly botched the clock management. The Seahawks settled for an unlikely 54-yard field goal attempt, which failed.
On the second play from scrimmage after halftime, Pittsburgh's speedy rookie running back Willie Parker took the ball of the right tackle and slipped past several for a 75-yard touchdown. It set a record for the longest running play in Super Bowl history and gave the Steelers a 14-3 edge.
The Seahawks responded with drive that stalled in Pittsburgh territory, as kicker Brown missed another long field goal.
The Steelers took possession and prepared a knock-out punch, reaching the Seattle 7 and threatening to build an insurmountable lead. But the Seahawks weren't finished.
Roethlisberger made another costly mistake, throwing an interception to Seattle cornerback Kelly Herndon, whose 76-yard return set another Super Bowl record and put the Seahawks on the Pittsburgh 20 yard line.
It took just three plays for Hasselbeck to hit tight end Jerramy Stevens for a touchdown, putting the Seahawks back in the game, trailing just 14-10.
The teams spent the rest of the third quarter trading punts, and the Steelers eventually pinned the Seahawks at their own 2 yard line.
In a display of Seattle's balanced attack, a combination of Hasselbeck passes and productive carries by dynamic running back Shaun Alexander put the Seahawks on the Pittsburgh 19.
A penalty and a quarterback sack left Seattle with third down and 18. Instead of throwing the ball away to allow an easily converted field goal attempt, Hasselbeck threw a reckless pass into the teeth of the Pittsburgh defence for an interception. The turnover fruitlessly ended a 13-play, 71-yard drive that left less than 11 minutes to play.
The Steelers quickly pushed into Seattle territory, where coach Bill Cowher displayed his well-document penchant for trick plays to leven Pittsburgh's run-heavy offence. Wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, a former quarterback as a college amateur, took a reverse toward the left end before flicking a picture-perfect, 43-yard touchdown pass to Ward.
Leading 21-10 with nine minutes left, the Steelers were in control.
Hoping for a quick score, Seattle drove 67 yards in the final two minutes but again fell victim to their own, uncharacteristic failure to execute in the two-minute offence.
Seattle led in time of possession, total yards and first downs, but did poorly on third down, converting just five of 17 opportunities.
Penalties also hurt the Seahawks, as they were whistled seven times for 70 yards. The Steelers offensive line was flagged for two false starts on their first drive, while the entire team drew only one 10-yard penalty the rest of the game.
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