Ranking the Steelers Super Bowl wins… and losses

4. Super Bowl XL

“The Bus stops here in Detroit” as Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis stated at the podium during the postgame ceremony claiming the Super Bowl that alluded to him and announcing his retirement going out on top. That all sums up what needed to be said about the game that gave the Steelers “one for the thumb” missing out on opportunities and frustration dating back to 1995,  except for the lone 1985 season where the Steelers lost to Miami in that year’s AFC Championship, and the years Bettis played as running back. Also to mention former Coach Bill Cowher needed to get the monkey off his back proving to the league and to himself that he was going to claim the Vince Lombardi Trophy that only excluded him from immortality.

Unlike the season where the Offense was powerful and Ben Roethlisberger was not showing Sophomore rust after his record-breaking rookie season, this Super Bowl lacked any Offense power, and the Steelers looked to the Defense. The Steelers were able to keep Matt Hasselback, Shaun Alexander, Coach Mike Holmgren and the rest of the Seattle Seahawks from scoring much.

The story leading up to the game had much more to say for Pittsburgh as Jerome plowed through the snow in Chicago to keep playoff hopes alive, survived the road trip in the playoffs starting in Cincinnati singing “Who Dey” (first team to ever do so), Ben made his Tackle in Indianapolis, and the team braved the altitude in Denver. One of the gutsiest plays in the game that paid dividends was the reverse pass by Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward at the 50 to push the lead to two possessions, not giving much life to Seattle.