The scene was in Detroit, Michigan, but you wouldn’t have known it from the throng of Steelers supporters crammed into Ford Field and the abundance of Terrible Towels.
It was a homecoming for adored running back Jerome Bettis, who had considered retiring the previous season but was talked out of it by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after he assured him he would lead the team to the Super Bowl in Detroit, his birthplace.
The Seahawks jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but it would be the only lead they would see. After a slow start the Steelers got on the board late in the first half when Ben Roethlisberger capped an 11-play, 59-yard drive with a one-yard dive for a touchdown and a 7-3 lead heading into halftime.
The Steelers offense caught fire to start the second half when Willie Parker broke free for a 75-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 14-3. The Seahawks kept it close after Kelly Herndon intercepted Roethlisberger at the four-yard line and returned it 76 yards to the Steelers 20-yard line. Matt Hasselbeck hit Jerramy Stevens for a 16-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 14-10.
Ike Taylor thwarted a go-ahead effort by the Seahawks when he intercepted Hasselbeck in the fourth quarter and a sweet gadget play sealed the game for the Steelers. Wide receiver Antwaan Randle El took a reverse handoff and hit Hines Ward for a 43-yard scoring strike, Ward finishing the game with five catches for 123 yards and MVP honors.
The Steelers had a tough road to get to Super Bowl XL, winning the last four games of the season and three road playoff games, but for Coach Bill Cowher it was a ride he will always remember.
“It was special. It was a really special team,” said Cowher. “It might not have been our best team during my time there, but it was our closest team. I think you realize in this business that the chemistry that you have on the team is more important than the talent that you have. We had good players, we had great players. We had a very special team. They were close to one another, they played for one another.
“Nothing was more evident of that than what they were able to do with Jerome at the forefront of that journey to Detroit. It was a great year. Our backs were against the wall with four games to go in the season and we go on to win eight straight games and win the championship. It was a very special journey.”
