Steelers Win One for the Thumb

Following an unlikely path through a brutal AFC playoff field, knocking off the No. 1, 2, and 3 seeds in the conference along the way, the Pittsburgh Steelers at long last have clinched their fifth Super Bowl victory --their first since 1980-- with a 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.

Despite a No. 6 seed in the AFC playoffs, the Steelers were slight favorites heading into the contest, and it appeared early in the contest that the oddsmakers had made a mistake. The Steelers appeared to have a serious case of the Super Bowl jitters in the first quarter, committing false start penalties and misfiring in the passing game. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger appeared tight, completing just one of his first five pass attempts and throwing an interception that ended Pittsburgh‘s first drive of the second quarter.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks were moving the ball somewhat successfully, and appeared to have an early 7-0 lead late in the first quarter, but an offensive pass interference penalty on a push off, which allowed tight end Jerramy Stevens to gain separation from safety Chris Hope in the end zone, cost the Seahawks a 16-yard touchdown. Four plays later, they settled for a 47-yard Josh Brown field goal to open the scoring. Read more...