It was Super Bowl XL, all right. Extra-large plays by both sides enabled the Pittsburgh Steelers to beat the Seattle Seahawks 21-10 Sunday night in a more inspired game than the matchup promised.
It provided the perfect ending for extra-large running back Jerome Bettis, who turned Detroit into an extra-large homecoming party that the Seahawks tried in vain to crash.
It took two of the smallest Steelers, Willie Parker and Antwaan Randle El, to make two of the biggest plays because quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Hasselbeck were unable to put their own stamps on the game.
Parker’s 75-yard touchdown run on the second play of the second half was the longest in Super Bowl history and gave the Steelers a 14-3 lead.
But after Seattle cornerback Kelly Herndon returned the longest interception in Super Bowl history 76 yards on a terrible Roethlisberger pass, the Steelers needed Randle El to save the day.
Protecting a 14-10 lead with 8 minutes 56 seconds to play, the former Thornton star quarterback lofted a perfect pass to Hines Ward on a reverse for a 43-yard touchdown. It was the first touchdown pass by a receiver in a Super Bowl, and it enabled dean of NFL coaches, Bill Cowher, to win his first Super Bowl in his 14th season.
It gave owner Dan Rooney his fifth Super Bowl trophy. Only the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys have as many.
“I’ve waited a long time to do this,” Cowher said, holding the Lombardi Trophy. “Mr. Rooney, this is yours, man. We’re proud of the team of the ’70s, but we have our own little niche now.”
Ward was the game’s most valuable player after setting up the Steelers’ first touchdown on a 37-yard reception and finishing with five catches for 123 yards and the touchdown.
“I truly can’t believe this,” Ward said. “I had nerves all night. I couldn’t have done it without my guys. Antwaan, he’s an athlete. And he threw a heck of a ball to me.”
At 23, Roethlisberger became the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, a year younger than New England’s Tom Brady in 2001. But he completed only 9 of 21 passes, with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He scored the first touchdown on a run the Seahawks thought was questionable.
“I was probably more nervous than I’ve been before any professional football game,” Roethlisberger admitted.
But Randle El gave the quarterback credit for a block after he had tossed the ball to Parker, who handed off to Randle El.
“When we called it, my eyes lit up, and I had to try not to give it away,” Randle El said. “I felt somebody coming from the back side and hoped Ben got him. I knew Hines was going to get free, but if Hines didn’t get free, I had Willie Parker on the sideline.”
An overwhelmingly pro-Steelers crowd cheered Bettis, who held up the trophy and announced: “Detroit, you were incredible. Pittsburgh, here we come. It’s been an incredible ride. I think the last stop is here in Detroit.”
The Steelers were the sixth seed in the AFC and became the first to win a Super Bowl after winning three road playoff games at the top three seeds: Indianapolis, Denver and Cincinnati.
The Seahawks were the top seed in the NFC but had played the weakest schedule in the league on the way to a 13-3 record.
The game turned twice on 14-point swings after interceptions. Roethlisberger had a chance to put his team up 21-3 when he badly underthrew Cedrick Wilson on a potential touchdown.
“That was one where my mind was telling me to throw it over the top and my arm didn’t throw it over the top,” Roethlisberger said.
Herndon’s interception and runback was followed by a touchdown pass from Hasselbeck to tight end Jerramy Stevens to make it 14-10.
Stevens, the player whose comments about a “sad ending” for Bettis irked Steelers linebacker Joey Porter, dropped three other passes. But Stevens caught a pass at the 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter that was nullified by a penalty. Three plays later, Hasselbeck threw a poor pass that Ike Taylor intercepted at the 5-yard line.
“It got to a point where I was taking chances,” Hasselbeck said. “I kind of got fooled by the move my guy (Darrell Jackson) made.”
Four plays later, Randle El threw his game-breaker on the run. It was a better pass than Roethlisberger threw all day, hitting Ward behind cornerback Marcus Trufant in the end zone.
The Steelers led 7-3 at halftime despite failing to make a first down the entire first quarter. Officials took a touchdown pass away from Seattle and gave one to Pittsburgh, both on close calls.
Roethlisberger’s pass to Ward came on third-and-28. Roethlisberger broke the pocket and heaved a pass toward the goal line for Ward, who beat safety Michael Boulware to the ball at the 3-yard line.
From there, the Steelers thought they could power across with Bettis, but Rocky Bernard and LeRoy Hill made tackles to set up a third-and-1. On what looked like a broken play or a poorly executed rollout, Roethlisberger ran left behind Bettis, diving for the goal line.
Officials ruled the ball hit the goal line, though it was immediately knocked back by linebacker D.D. Lewis. Referee Bill Leavy did not overturn the replay and the Steelers led 7-3.
Hasselbeck thought he had scored on a 16-yard pass in the end zone to Jackson, but Jackson was penalized for pushing safety Chris Hope. Seattle had to settle for a 47-yard field goal by Josh Brown.
But the Steelers kept their momentum after halftime. Left guard Alan Faneca pulled and Parker cut behind his block to wide-open spaces. Backup free safety Etric Pruitt, subbing for injured Marquand Manuel, took a bad angle and Parker was gone.
“I just knew it would be a great play,” Parker said. “They called it at the right time, and Faneca just paved the way.”
The Seahawks tried to respond. A big run by Shaun Alexander gave them a first down at the Pittsburgh 37. Hasselbeck lofted a pass over the deep middle near the goal line, but Stevens couldn’t hold it.
A subsequent 50-yard field-goal try by Brown was wide, giving the Steelers the ball at the 40. They moved it to the 7-yard line, where Roethlisberger underthrew the pass to Wilson. Herndon picked it off and ran to the 20 before Randle El caught him.
But the night ultimately belonged to Bettis, who carried 14 times for 43 yards.
“I’m the happiest person in the world,” he said.
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dpierson@tribune.com
