December 29, 2009
SI's "The Decade in Sports"...
From Peter King's list of highlights at SI.com:
BEST PLAYOFF GAME (NON-SUPER BOWL):
Steelers 21, Colts 18; 2005 AFC Divisional Game
Strangest game of the decade, too. The Colts, once 13-0 and a near-lock to get to the Super Bowl, instead didn't even win a playoff game. But they certainly were in position to do it.
With a minute to go, Pittsburgh led 21-18 and was going for the kill shot. Sure-handed Jerome Bettis whammed into the middle of the Indy line for the insurance touchdown. Bam! The ball popped out on a hit by linebacker Gary Brackett. Living rooms all over America exploded. Nick Harper picked up the ball -- the same Nick Harper who'd been stabbed in the knee in a domestic dispute a day earlier -- and instead of waiting for a blocker to help, he sprinted up the middle of the field as Ben Roethlisberger, backpedaling, tried to get into position for a game-saving tackle. And Big Ben got a paw on Harper, forcing him into a stumbling fall at the Colts' 42. Still time. Plenty of time. Manning got the Colts into field-goal range to tie and send it to overtime, but Vanderjagt was wide right from 46 yards. Steelers exhale. Steelers win.
BEST SUPER BOWL:
Steelers 27, Cardinals 23; XLIII
The Steelers led 20-7 with 10 minutes left, and the sixth Super Bowl in Pittsburgh's glorious history was a foregone conclusion ... or was it? The Steelers' defense let the suddenly no-huddling Cardinals drive the length of the field twice in an eight-minute span, and, adding a safety, Arizona took a 23-20 led with 2:30 to play. A penalty on first down left the Steelers with first-and-20 at their 12-yard line. Now for the corny line about Ben Roethlisberger etching his name into Steelers lore forever.
Big Ben drove the Steelers 88 yards, the final six coming on a you-had-to-see-it-to-believe-it catch and toe drag in the corner of the end zone by Santonio Holmes. Now, Giants fans will go crazy at me for picking this as the best game, but it had the best defensive play ever (James Harrison's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown) and, along with Joe Montana's drive to beat the Bengals a generation earlier, the best winning touchdown and winning catch.
SI's "The Decade in Sports"...
From Peter King's list of highlights at SI.com:
BEST PLAYOFF GAME (NON-SUPER BOWL):
Steelers 21, Colts 18; 2005 AFC Divisional Game
Strangest game of the decade, too. The Colts, once 13-0 and a near-lock to get to the Super Bowl, instead didn't even win a playoff game. But they certainly were in position to do it.
With a minute to go, Pittsburgh led 21-18 and was going for the kill shot. Sure-handed Jerome Bettis whammed into the middle of the Indy line for the insurance touchdown. Bam! The ball popped out on a hit by linebacker Gary Brackett. Living rooms all over America exploded. Nick Harper picked up the ball -- the same Nick Harper who'd been stabbed in the knee in a domestic dispute a day earlier -- and instead of waiting for a blocker to help, he sprinted up the middle of the field as Ben Roethlisberger, backpedaling, tried to get into position for a game-saving tackle. And Big Ben got a paw on Harper, forcing him into a stumbling fall at the Colts' 42. Still time. Plenty of time. Manning got the Colts into field-goal range to tie and send it to overtime, but Vanderjagt was wide right from 46 yards. Steelers exhale. Steelers win.
BEST SUPER BOWL:
Steelers 27, Cardinals 23; XLIII
The Steelers led 20-7 with 10 minutes left, and the sixth Super Bowl in Pittsburgh's glorious history was a foregone conclusion ... or was it? The Steelers' defense let the suddenly no-huddling Cardinals drive the length of the field twice in an eight-minute span, and, adding a safety, Arizona took a 23-20 led with 2:30 to play. A penalty on first down left the Steelers with first-and-20 at their 12-yard line. Now for the corny line about Ben Roethlisberger etching his name into Steelers lore forever.
Big Ben drove the Steelers 88 yards, the final six coming on a you-had-to-see-it-to-believe-it catch and toe drag in the corner of the end zone by Santonio Holmes. Now, Giants fans will go crazy at me for picking this as the best game, but it had the best defensive play ever (James Harrison's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown) and, along with Joe Montana's drive to beat the Bengals a generation earlier, the best winning touchdown and winning catch.