If you heard that the Super Bowl game had the longest touchdown run and longest interception return in Super Bowl history, you would get the impression that it probably was a pretty interesting game. Wrong. The game was marred by poor penalties, lack of playmaking, bad referees, trivial commentary, poor clock management, and to top it off a halftime show that no one paid attention to (Bring back Janet!). In other words, this Super Bowl, which drew the second highest total of average homes viewership, and the second highest total of viewers, was a dud.
And who could forget the constant barrage during media week about the sentimental Jerome Bettis? Yes, he was a good back and a fan favorite. Yes, his career stats confirm his status as one of the top backs in history. But seriously, what impact did he have on this game? Twelve carries, 43 yards, and zero touchdowns. In other words, he could have been sitting at the local bar across the street chowing down on some wings and pizza, and I don’t think the outcome would have changed.
Of course, there was the big trash talking between Seattle tight end Jerramy Stevens and Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter going on earlier in the week. But like the rest of the game, this ended in a dud match. Jerramy Stevens dropped at least three crucial passes that would have kept Seattle drives alive, which helped prove Joey Porter’s argument that he was a first-round bust. The best part of this game was knowing that right after it all ended an all new Grey’s Anatomy was coming on, which by the way turned out to have much more drama and suspense than the Super Bowl.
Summary:
Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10
MVP: Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Wide Receiver
Goat: Jerramy Stevens, Seattle Tight End
Key Plays:
First Quarter: 1st-10 on Pittsburgh 16:
Matt Hasselbeck scrambles and throws a pass to Darrel Jackson for a touchdown, or not. Jackson is called for a push-off (more like a love tap than a push-off), and Seattle has to settle for a field goal four plays later.
Second Quarter: 3rd-28 on Seattle 40:
Ben Roethlisberger scrambles to his left, and chucks one up for Hines Ward who comes down with it at Seattle’s three-yard line. Big Ben got lucky on this one.
Third Quarter: 2nd-10 on Pittsburgh 25:
After a dozer of a halftime performance, Willie Parker suddenly breaks a 75-yard touchdown run to add some life to the game and break Seattle’s back.
3rd-6 on Seattle 7:
Ben Roethlisberger floats a pass into the end zone that gets picked off by safety Kelly Herndon. Herndon runs it back 76 yards and helps set up a Seattle touchdown.
Fourth Quarter: 3rd-18 on Pittsburgh 27:
Matt Hasselbeck tries to squeeze a pass in on what appears to be a deep slant route. He overthrows it and gets picked off, ending a crucial scoring opportunity. And to add salt to the wound, he gets called for making an illegal block—which was a horrible call by the refs—while trying to tackle Ike Taylor.
1st-10 on Seattle 43:
Antwaan Randle El takes a reverse option and throws it to Hines Ward for a touchdown. This is the Super Bowl; plays like this aren’t supposed to work.
3rd-10 on Pittsburgh 26:
With 34 seconds left, Seattle has a chance to run one more play, kick a field goal, and then try for the onside kick. Hasselbeck fails to throw the ball away and instead slings a dump pass to Jerramy Stevens who is unable to get out of bounds to stop the clock. Seattle has no choice but to go for it on fourth down, and Hasselbeck’s throw into triple coverage is incomplete, effectively ending this boring game.
