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2
THE COURIER-EXPRESS, Friday, February 4, 2011
Titletown: Pittsburgh or Green Bay?
a sight to behold — In this April 24, 2010 file photo, the
Pittsburgh Steelers six Lombardi trophies for winning Super
Bowls displayed at the Steelers annual “Fan Blitz” festivities at
Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo)
tunate enough to get this one.
I’m not going to take away from
what guys have done because
they’ve done it in the past and
won their Super Bowl. I’m not
going to compare us to them
until we finish the job, and we
haven’t finished the job yet.”
Even if they do finish off the
Packers, who won six championships before the merger. Green
Bay took the first two Super
Bowls under Vince Lombardi,
didn’t return to it until 1997,
when it won its only other title.
Does that mean Pittsburgh deserves to be dubbed Titletown
over the original version?
Rocky Bleier, a key performer on the Steelers’ four
championships in six seasons
(1974-79), is a Pittsburgh icon.
He also grew up in Appleton,
Wis., just down the road from
Lambeau Field. While he has
no mixed emotions about the
upcoming matchup at Dallas Cowboys Stadium — he’ll
be there waving his Terrible
Towel — Bleier concedes that
Green Bay can keep the title of
Titletown USA.
“Being a Packers fan growing up and them winning the
NFL championships and then
the Super Bowls, it was a fact
that they were Titletown,” Bleier says. “That’s a small market capturing the imaginations
of their fan base and even of
America. And they have worn
that mantle for a long time and
should be proud of it.”
Yet, Paul Hornung, a hero
on those vintage Packers, recognizes the reasoning by Steelers fans.
“Well, if (Pittsburgh) wins
you’ve got to hand it to them,
it’s as simple as that,” Hornung
says.
Hornung also thinks the
current Packers could challenge what his teams did.
“The Packers have had more
championships if you add them
all up,” he adds. “We won five,
and if they can get on track
they can win three or four in
the next few years. They’re
good enough to do that.”
There’s something else that
only Pack fans can revel in, according to former Packers receiver Antonio Freeman, who
caught an 81-yard TD pass
in the 1997 Super Bowl and
scored two more TDs the next
year, when Denver beat Green
Bay.
“Those first two Super
Bowls, that was the start of it
and made it all relevant,” he
says. “That is why they named
it the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
I repeat, the Vince Lombardi
Trophy.”
The Steelers own a half-dozen of those, and even though
the original Steel Curtain
came down for the last time
more than 30 years ago, its legacy is as strong as, well, steel in
Pittsburgh — and among Steelers fans everywhere.
A connection remains with
those teams, and not just because Bleier and Franco Harris
and other members of Chuck
Noll’s championship squads are
still so visible in Pittsburgh today.
“They’re amazing,” safety
Ryan Clark says. “I talked to
Franco a couple weeks ago. It’s
almost like a fraternity: once
in, always in. I don’t know how
See TITLETOWN, Page 15
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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Titletown USA.
Green Bay claimed the nickname years ago. Pittsburgh,
which already has a renowned
nickname, Steel City, thinks
Titletown is more appropriate
for the Pennsylvania burg with
three rivers.
Sunday’s Super Bowl features the NFL’s dynasty of the
1960s, the Packers, against the
franchise that dominated the
’70s, the Steelers. Never has a
Super Bowl been so loaded with
history.
But since those lofty times,
neither team has been so dominant, although the Steelers are
making quite the run for a second string of championships.
Led by Ben Roethlisberger,
Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu, they’re in their third Super
Bowl in six years, and already
own a record six rings.
That, folks in Blitzburgh say,
is worthy of the name Cheeseheads claim up in northeastern
Wisconsin.
So maybe more than a simple NFL championship will be
on the line next weekend.
“We can call it what you
want, we just want to keep
winning championships,” says
Steelers receiver Antwaan
Randle El, now in his second
go-around in Pittsburgh. “We
want to be the, I guess, the bully on the block, the team that
everybody’s hunting for.”
Adds nose tackle Casey
Hampton, owner of two championships already: “Man, we’ll
worry about that if we’re for-
© 2009 H&R Block Services, Inc.
3
Steelers first-round picks are first rate
PITTSBURGH (AP) — First
round. First class.
Successful drafts are a major reason why the Pittsburgh
Steelers are going for their
seventh Super Bowl title. They
play the Green Bay Packers on
Feb. 6 in Dallas.
This is a team that’s been
built mostly through the draft,
and its top picks always seem to
work out. Eight of Pittsburgh’s
last 10 first-round choices are
still on the team and each is a
starter. One of the two players
no longer with the Steelers is
wide receiver Santonio Holmes,
who was MVP of the team’s
2009 Super Bowl victory over
Arizona.
In order, the eight firstround picks are: Casey Hampton, Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger, Heath Miller,
Lawrence Timmons, Rashard
Mendenhall, Ziggy Hood and
Maurkice Pouncey.
Kevin Colbert is the team’s
director of football operations.
He’s the man responsible for
the last 11 drafts, and he has
quite an impressive track record. Colbert prefers to keep a
low profile, so others have to
sing his praises.
“You have to give credit to
the people upstairs,” said nose
tackle Chris Hoke, who signed
as an undrafted free agent in
2001. “They do a great job evaluating. If there’s a questionable character about anybody,
gem of the class — Pittsburgh Steelers’ Troy Polamalu answers questions during media day
for NFL football Super Bowl XLV, Tuesday in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo)
they’re not going to take him.
They go after quality guys, guys
with good character, guys they
know are going to work hard.
They do their due diligence and
you have to credit that to their
success.”
Colbert chose Hampton with
the 19th overall pick in his second draft in 2001. Two years
later, he made arguably the
best move by any football executive in this century.
Colbert traded up from the
27th pick to No. 16 to select Polamalu, who only became one of
the all-time great strong safeties. Polamalu is a six-time Pro
Bowl pick, three-time All-Pro
and was named the Defensive
Player of the Year this season.
A year later, Roethlisberger was selected with the 11th
overall pick. Two quarterbacks
— Eli Manning and Philip Rivers — went ahead of Big Ben.
He already has twice as many
championship rings and is one
win away from becoming just
the fifth QB with three on his
hand.
In 2008, Colbert took Men-
denhall at No. 28, even though
Willie Parker was coming off a
1,300-yard season. Mendenhall
was the fourth running back
chosen behind Darren McFadden, Jonathan Stewart and
Felix Jones. Only Stewart has
more yards rushing, but he’s
played 10 more games. Mendenhall missed 12 games his
rookie year because of a shoulder injury.
Plucking Pro Bowl-caliber
players in the draft is a tough
science. First-round picks that
turn out to be busts cost a team
big money, and making those
mistakes can ruin careers
among front-office staffers.
The Steelers rarely get to
pick among the blue-chip, can’tmiss prospects in the top 5 or
even the top 10. Roethlisberger
and linebacker Lawrence Timmons — the 15th pick in the
2007 draft — are the only players chosen by Colbert in the top
15.
That can be an advantage,
though.
“At the top of the draft, you
have to keep people around because they are making too much
money so that’s the negative
side,” third-string QB Charlie
Batch said. “Regardless of how
a guy pans out, you can’t get rid
of him in three years. It’s not
something you have to worry
about with this team, developing guys because you have so
much money invested in them.
“Here, because you are drafting in the mid to lower round,
you have a chance to study guys
because you’re not looking for a
guy to make an immediate impact and be that special player
as if you would with a guy you
take in the top 5 or top 10.”
The Steelers aren’t usually
in a position where they need to
draft a player that has to start
right away, so they can take
time and have patience with
their rookies.
Most important for a familySee FIRST, Page 14
Steelers, Packers torment Dallas
4
ARLINGTON (AP) — Jethro
Pugh has some advice for folks
who consider it a cruel twist of
fate that the first Super Bowl
hosted by the Dallas Cowboys
features the Green Bay Packers
and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Get over it. He has, and
if anyone deserves to hold a
grudge, it’s him.
Big-game losses to the Packers and Steelers were agonizing
bookends to Pugh’s career as a
defensive tackle on the Cowboys.
There were losses to Green Bay
in the 1966 and ’67 NFL championship games, with trips to
the first two Super Bowls on the
line, and to the Steelers in the
Super Bowls following the 1975
and ’78 seasons. He was the only
Dallas player in uniform for all
four of those games.
Those losses were excruciating for many reasons, from the
high stakes to how close they all
were — each decided in the final minutes, all by a touchdown
or less. The most famous finish
was in the “Ice Bowl,” the ’67
NFL championship, when Bart
Starr scored on a fourth-down
quarterback sneak in the final
minute. It was especially tough
on Pugh because he was the guy
knocked out of the way to clear
Starr’s path into the end zone.
The fallout was so harsh that
Pugh asked coach Tom Landry
for help.
Pugh wanted Landry to remind reporters and fans that
other plays factored into the
outcome, too. He also wanted it
known that there was more to
Starr’s touchdown than what
was captured in still pictures,
from his contention that Packers guard Jerry Kramer moved
chief tormentor — A statue of Art Rooney Sr., the founder of
the Pittsburgh Steelers is decorated with a terrible towel and flowers before a pep rally at Heinz Field Friday, Jan. 28. (AP Photo)
before the snap to how tough it
was to get any traction on the
frozen field.
“I said, ‘Coach, they won’t
listen to me, but they’ll listen
to you,”’ Pugh said. “He told
me, ‘Jethro, this play is going
to be part of NFL history. You
just need to sort of put it behind
you.”’
Pugh eventually did. Whenever it pops up now, “I don’t
think nothing about it.”
But in the late 1960s and
early ’70s, the Packers represented a hurdle the Cowboys
couldn’t clear.
A sign in the locker room
read, “The Packers owe us
blood, sweat, tears and money.”
Folks around Dallas were so
anti-Packers that former Green
Bay star Herb Adderley stopped
wearing his Super Bowl ring
when he played for the Cowboys.
The feelings eased once Dallas broke through with its own
Super Bowl title following the
1971 season. A few years later,
the Steelers became public enemy No. 1 in Dallas.
It started in January 1976,
when a “Dirty Dozen” of rookie
contributors — including Randy
White and Thomas “Hollywood”
Henderson — and a “Hail Mary”
got the Cowboys back to the Super Bowl, facing the reigning
champion Steelers.
Dallas had an early lead
when Lynn Swann turned
things around with a diving,
juggling catch over cornerback
Mark Washington.
The play remains among the
greatest in NFL history, leaving
Washington with the same helpless feeling Pugh had following
the “Ice Bowl.” Pugh tried comforting his teammate with the
same words of wisdom Landry
had given him.
Three seasons later, the Cowboys were reigning Super Bowl
champions when they met the
Steelers again in a Super Bowl
dripping with great story lines.
It was a matchup of two-time
champions battling to become
the first three-time winner,
spiced by Henderson claiming
“Terry Bradshaw is so dumb
he couldn’t spell cat if you spotted him the ’c’ and the ’a”’ and
layered by the mutual dislike
among fans that lingered from
the first matchup.
Dallas trailed by a touchdown when tight end Jackie
Smith dropped a wide-open
pass in the end zone. Although
Roger Staubach still blames
himself for throwing the ball
behind Smith, the ball hit him
between the 8 and the 1 on his
jersey. The Cowboys settled for
a field goal — and wound up losing by four points.
It was the final game of
Pugh’s career, and another
chance to pass along Landry’s
lesson.
“I told Jackie, ‘Look, I know
the way you feel. And let me tell
you something, it’s just the way
it is,”’ Pugh said.
The Cowboys wouldn’t make
it back to the Super Bowl until
the 1990s.
Led by Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin,
Dallas settled some old scores
on their way to winning three
championships in four years.
They turned away Brett Favre and Packers in the playoffs
in 1993, ’94 and ’95, and their
Super Bowl title following the
’95 season came against Pittsburgh; it’s still the only time
See TORMENT, Page 13
5
Nothing fazes experienced Steelers
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)
— Ben Roethlisberger has done
this twice now, this Super Bowl
thing. He’s used to the attention,
the questions, the hype and glare
of the TV cameras.
Yet there was Roethlisberger
with a video camera in hand to
capture the moment, just like
some newbie. He insists he is
taking the same low-key approach since winning his first
ring back in his second season,
when the Steelers beat Seattle
in 2006. It was the same three
years later, when he engineered
a late comeback as Pittsburgh
rallied to defeat Arizona.
“I’m just taking it in stride,
enjoying this opportunity, regardless of what comes and the
outcomes,” he said. “I’m just taking it all in.”
This all comes after an offseason in which he was accused of
sexual assault of a 20-year-old
college student. A prosecutor in
Georgia declined to bring charges, but Roethlisberger was still
suspended by the NFL for the
first four games for violating the
league’s personal conduct policy — a troubling start to what
could end up being another special season.
“We’re all human,” Roethlisberger said Monday. “We all
make mistakes, and it’s how can
you bounce back from your mistakes? Just like a football game,
you throw interceptions, you lose
a game, you’ve got to be able to
bounce back and find a way that
it doesn’t happen again.”
If that sounds like a triedand-true response, it is. Roethlisberger and his teammates,
after all, are on familiar ground
as they prepare for Sunday’s Super Bowl.
“You step off the plane and
you’ve got helicopters, you’ve
got police, media and then this,”
Roethlisberger told a group of reporters. “If you’re not used to it,
it could be overwhelming.”
Maybe for the Steelers’ wideeyed opponents, the Green Bay
Packers, who are playing on the
NFL’s biggest stage for the first
time since 1998. But, the Steelers are no strangers to this,
making their third Super Bowl
trip in six years.
“I definitely think it’s more a
sense of calm on our side of the
ball, being that we’ve been here,”
linebacker James Farrior said.
“A lot of guys in this locker room
have got Super Bowl experience.
but we’re not going to make a
negative out of what a wonderful
week that we have awaiting us.
We are going to embrace it all.”
Hines Ward certainly did,
from the moment he stepped off
the team’s charter flight at Dallas-Fort Worth International
Airport. Pittsburgh’s star wide
receiver was ready for a rodeo of
a week, decked out in a big black
cowboy hat, a black sequined
Western-style shirt, blue jeans,
boots and a Texas-sized silver
belt buckle.
“I’m in Dallas, Texas,” Ward
said, smiling. “I wanted to put
on my whole cowboy outfit and
enjoy it. No nerves.”
He sure looked loose, and almost like a native Texan. Not
bad for a guy born in South Ko-
take it all in — Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger
takes a picture of the video screen inside Cowboys Stadium
during media day for NFL football Super Bowl XLV Tuesday in
Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo)
I think it’ll help us out just dealing with everything that’ll be going on this week.”
Such as the throngs of media. The frenzied fans. Oh, and
there’s also that little game to be
played.
“Just like last time when we
were in this game, it’s our intention to enjoy all of the elements
that this week has in store for
us and not fight against it,”
said Mike Tomlin, looking for
his second ring as the Steelers’
coach. “Part of you is somewhat
resistant to some of the things,
rea who grew up in Georgia and
has played in Pittsburgh for 13
years.
“Where’d I find all this stuff?”
an amused Ward asked, repeating a reporter’s question. “A little
place in Monroeville. It’s my little
diamond in the rough there.”
Ward’s Western wardrobe
might have been the only unexpected thing about the Steelers’
first day in Big D.
“It is familiar,” bushy-bearded
defensive end Brett Keisel said.
“You know how to divvy up tickets and (know it will be) a hard
time telling family and friends
that they can’t come and stuff,
but you know what to expect.
You know what this is all about.
See FAZES, Page 12
6
Steelers bring rough and tumble D
PITTSBURGH (AP) —
With two scary hits on a single
Sunday — and with the fines,
attention and acrimony that
followed — Pittsburgh Steelers
linebacker James Harrison became the symbol of a season in
which the NFL tried to make
clear what is and isn’t the right
way to tackle.
Heading into next weekend’s Super Bowl against the
Green Bay Packers, the Steelers view themselves simply as
a hard-nosed bunch, the rightful scions of the Steel Curtain
of yesteryear.
Others might use another
word: dirty.
“To be honest with you, I really don’t care,” cornerback Ike
Taylor said.
“This ain’t flag football. So,
of course, some collisions are
going to occur, some more serious than others,” Taylor explained. “Hopefully when guys
do get hit, you would like for
guys at least to get up. Whether they get up slow or fast, people would like for a guy to get
up on his own. A lot of times
that don’t happen. But that’s
all a part of the game.”
It was Taylor who head-butted Baltimore Ravens receiver
T.J. Houshmandzadeh early
in Pittsburgh’s 31-24 playoff
victory. Perhaps it was purely
a coincidence that Houshmandzadeh dropped a key pass late
in that game.
“Coach always says, ’Be the
first one to throw the punch.’
Meaning: ’Be the first one to
hit,”’ Taylor said this week.
“Let them know what they’re
going to get for 60 minutes.”
When Pittsburgh beat the
New York Jets 24-19 in the AFC
championship game, Harrison
landed hard on Mark Sanchez,
even though the quarterback
did one of those “Don’t hit me!”
feet-first slides on a scramble.
On the very next play, linebacker James Farrior hit running back Shonn Greene facemask-to-facemask.
Back on Oct. 17, the day
helmet-to-helmet and other
improper tackling really came
to the fore, Harrison sidelined
two Cleveland Browns with
jarring hits that resulted in
head injuries.
His weren’t the only frightening shots that day, and he
wasn’t the only player fined by
the league. But Harrison’s per-
a little intense — In this Oct. 17, 2010, file photo, Pittsburgh
Steelers linebacker James Harrison lines up against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter of a NFL football game, in
Pittsburgh. With two scary hits on a single Sunday and with the
fines, attention and acrimony that followed Harrison became the
symbol of a season in which the NFL tried to make clear what is
and isn not the right way to tackle. (AP Photo)
sonal total of fines this season
was more than what the entire Packers team was docked,
based on a review of Associated Press reports on fines levied against players for on-field
actions. And he complained
about it.
Harrison spoke about retiring, met with Commissioner
Roger Goodell and eventually
had his fines reduced because
the league determined the linebacker adjusted his techniques
to play within the rules.
“It’s starting to look like:
’It’s OK to cheat, it’s OK to
fight, but if you hit somebody
too hard, we’re going to fine
you a whole bunch,”’ Harrison
said last month. “Maybe it’s
because I play for the Steelers.
Who knows?”
Such attention is not limited to Pittsburgh’s defense.
Receiver Hines Ward, for
example, has his own reputation, based in part on a hit that
broke an opponent’s jaw during the 2008 season and led
to a change in rules governing
blocking.
“Our guys, I think, called
him ’the toughest guy in the
league — when nobody’s looking.’ That’s the mentality,” Jets
defensive coordinator Mike
Pettine said before the conference title game. “And again,
that works for them. He’s kind
of the spark that gets them going.”
Against Baltimore two
weeks ago, Pittsburgh offensive lineman Chris Kemoeatu
was penalized for jumping into
the pile and spearing an opponent with his helmet after the
go-ahead touchdown play was
long over, resulting in a penalty assessed on the ensuing
kickoff.
“We’re not ’dirty,’ we’re
’physical,”’ reserve defensive
lineman Nick Eason said. “I
don’t think any of our guys
play dirty. Football is a violent
game played by violent men. I
believe our team, we play violent, we play very physical, but
I don’t think we play dirty.”
In what is expected by many
to be a close, defense-dominated Super Bowl — linebacker
Clay Matthews and the rest of
the Packers allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL
this season — a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness
might make the difference.
So might a hit that knocks
out a quarterback: Green Bay’s
Aaron Rodgers got two concussions this season (and denied
he got another on the helmetrattling hit in the NFC championship game that earned
Chicago Bears defensive lineman Julius Peppers a $10,000
fine); Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger missed time last season with a head injury.
As one would expect, the
Packers weren’t exactly eager to provide frank, direct
See ROUGH, Page 11
Key matchups for Steelers-Packers
ARLINGTON
(AP)
—
Matchups for the Super Bowl
between the Pittsburgh Steelers
and Green Bay Packers on Feb.
6 in Arlington, Texas.
When the Steelers
have the ball
Pittsburgh wants to do exactly what it achieved in the
first half of the AFC championship game: ram the ball down
an opponent’s throat. Actually,
RB Rashard Mendenhall (34)
showed plenty of speed and some
moves, too, against the Jets, and
that’s what the Steelers need to
see against Green Bay’s 18thranked rushing defense.
Of course, the Packers’ defense isn’t likely to consistently
miss tackles and be out of position the way the Jets were for
30 decisive minutes. LBs Clay
Matthews (52), A.J. Hawk (50)
and Desmond Bishop (55) are
major reasons Green Bay (13-6)
has been stingy against the run
in the playoffs, and defensive
backs Charles Woodson (21),
Tramon Williams (38), and Nick
Collins (36) are solid in support.
They also excel in pass coverage, along with nickel back Sam
Shields (37), a rookie who had
two interceptions in the NFC
title game.
If Mendenhall can find room
to roam behind a depleted offensive line that still has been
steady — it desperately needs
standout rookie C Maurkice
Pouncey (53) to recover from a
left ankle sprain and be in the
lineup — the Steelers will keep
pounding. But there’s vulnerability in their blocking unit, particularly declining RT Flozell
Adams (71), and the Packers
have been getting production
from NT B.J. Raji (90) and DE
Cullen Jenkins (77) in all areas.
Raji even had a pick for a touchdown against the Bears.
If Pittsburgh (14-4) isn’t effective with the run early on, it
will keep trying. But there are
excellent options in the passing
game, which will need to deal
with a fair share of blitzing.
QB Ben Roethlisberger (7)
has won two Super Bowls in
his seven pro seasons. Despite a
four-game suspension at the outset of this season for violating the
league’s personal conduct policy,
he guided the Steelers to the
NFC North title, a first-round
bye, then to a comeback victory
over divisional rival Baltimore
in the playoffs. Roethlisberger
RELAXED — Pittsburgh Steelers’ Hines Ward laughs during media day for NFL football Super
Bowl XLV Tuesday in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo)
hurt the Jets more with his feet
than his arm, yet the Packers
are very aware how dangerous
he can be as a passer.
His targets, from longtime
team leader Hines Ward (86) to
speedy Mike Wallace (17) to solid tight end Heath Miller (83) to
rising wideouts Antonio Brown
(84) and Emmanuel Sanders
(88), are formidable. Wallace is
the game-breaker and will see
lots of Williams or Woodson in
coverage. Ward might operate a
lot in the slot, which could make
him Shields’ responsibility.
Roethlisberger has rising
confidence in the youngsters,
and Ward and Miller provide
comfort zones for him.
Two things the Packers must
do if they get pressure on Roethlisberger: keep him from escaping for damaging scrambles,
and bring him down when they
get their hands on him. Both
proved too difficult for the Jets.
When the Packers
have the ball
Until RB James Starks (44)
7
emerged in the playoffs, the
Packers had virtually no running game. Starks, Brandon
Jackson (32) and John Kuhn
(30) aren’t likely to get far
against the league’s top-rated
run defense, but the Packers
certainly should try to find a
ground game.
Green Bay’s offensive line
doesn’t get deserved credit. Anchored by RG Josh Sitton (71)
and C Scott Wells (63), it’s far
more suited for pass protection,
but has opened enough holes for
Starks to break out, and for the
other running backs to contribute.
They haven’t faced a defense
like this in the playoffs, though,
and Pittsburgh will try to set
an early, physical —some same
over-the-top dirty — tone with
LBs James Harrison (92), LaMarr Woodley (56) and James
Farrior (51), All-Pro S Troy Polamalu (43), and DE Brett Keisel
(99).
The Steelers will send defenders from everywhere at QB
Aaron Rodgers (12); CB Ike
Taylor (24) made a huge hit on
Mark Sanchez that caused a
fumble leading to the winning
points last Sunday. Rodgers has
been spectacular for more than
a month now after a strong regular season, and he uses his legs
nearly as well as Roethlisberger
— not as powerful, but quicker.
Without question, though,
See KEY, Page 10
8
Steelers-Packers in Super Bowls
By The Associated Press
Super Bowl XLIII
Feb. 1, 2009
At Tampa, Fla.—70,774
Pittsburgh 3 14 3 7 — 27
0 7 0 16 — 23
Arizona
Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh offense
ended a game of incredible swings with a final-minute
touchdown for an historic victory over the Cardinals.
Santonio Holmes made a brilliant 6-yard catch deep in
the right corner of the end zone with 35 seconds remaining, lifting the Steelers to a record-setting sixth
Super Bowl win.
The stunning swings overshadowed Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison’s record 100-yard interception
return for a touchdown to end the first half.
Pittsburgh’s 79-yard, 16-play drive ended with Jeff
Reed’s 21-yard field goal for a 20-7 lead after three
quarters.
Kurt Warner and the Cardinals staged a remarkable
rally in the fourth quarter to go in front 23-20 with 2:37
remaining.
Warner hit all eight passes for all the yards of an 87yard drive capped by a leaping 1-yard TD catch by Larry
Fitzgerald over Ike Taylor. After an exchange of possessions, the Cardinals scored a safety when J. Hartwig
was called for a holding penalty in the end zone.
Two plays later, Warner hit Fitzgerald in stride for a
64-yard touchdown and the lead.
With 2:30 left, Roethlisberger engineered a 78-yard
drive out of the shotgun. Roethlisberger connected with
Holmes on passes of 14, 13 and 40 yards before hitting
him in the right corner.
———
Super Bowl XL
Feb. 5, 2006
At Detroit—68,206
Seattle
3 0 7 0 — 10
A record-setting run, game-turning interception and
trick play, gave the Steelers their record-tying fifth Super Bowl title.
Pittsburgh’s Willie Parker broke free for a Super
Bowl-record 75 yards on the second play of the second
half to give the Steelers a 14-3 lead.
The Steelers had a chance to close out the Seahawks later in the third quarter. On a third-and-6 from
the Seahawks’ 7-yard line, Ben Roethlisberger threw
an interception that Kelly Herndon returned a Super
Bowl-record 76 yards. That set up the Seahawks’ only
touchdown, a 16-yard pass by Matt Hasselbeck to Jerramy Stevens.
Early in the fourth quarter Seattle drove to the Steelers’ 19. Hasselbeck’s worst pass of the game was intercepted by Ike Taylor, ending Seattle’s drive and saving
the Steelers’ lead.
The clincher for the Steelers was Antwaan Randle
El’s 43-yard pass to Hines Ward, the first Super Bowl
touchdown pass by a receiver and one of the most decisive trick plays in championship game history.
That catch clinched the MVP trophy for Ward, who
had five catches for 123 yards.
———
Super Bowl XXXII
Jan. 25, 1998
At San Diego—68,912
Green Bay 7 7 3 7 — 24
Denver
7 10 7 7 — 31
Terrell Davis rushed for 157 yards and a record three
touchdowns to lead the Broncos to their first NFL title
and break the NFC’s streak of 13 consecutive Super
Bowl victories.
Green Bay took the opening kickoff and scored on
Brett Favre’s 22-yard pass to Antonio Freeman. Denver
responded with a 10-play, 58-yard drive capped by Davis’ 1-yard run to tie the game.
Two plays later, Tyron Braxton intercepted Favre on
the Green Bay 45 and John Elway scored on a thirdand-goal eight plays later. Steve Atwater forced Favre
to fumble three plays later which resulted in a 51-yard
field goal by Jason Elam and 17-7 lead. Green Bay
ended the first half with a 17-play, 95-yard drive to close
the gap by three.
Ryan Longwell’s 27-yard field goal tied the game early in the third. After exchanging punts, Davis scored his
second touchdown capping a 13-play, 92-yard drive.
The Packers tied the game early in the fourth quarter on Favre’s 13-yard pass to Freeman. Each defense
held tight forcing two punts, but the Broncos got great
field position following Craig Hentrich’s 39-yard punt to
the Packers’ 49. Darius Holland’s 15-yard face-mask
penalty after Davis’ 2-yard run, moved the ball to the
Packers’ 32. Davis scored several plays later to give
Denver the lead with 1:45 remaining.
The Packers reached the Broncos’ 35 with 1:04 left.
After a four-yard pass to Dorsey Levens, Favre threw
two incomplete passes. On 4th-and-6, John Mobley
batted down Favre’s pass to Chmura with 32 seconds
left.
———
Super Bowl XXXI
Jan. 26, 1997
At New Orleans—72,301
New England14 0 7 0 — 21
Green Bay 10 17 8 0 — 35
Brett Favre threw two touchdown passes and ran
for one as the Packers won their first Super Bowl in 29
years. The big play was Desmond Howard’s 99-yard
kickoff return in the third quarter. Howard, the most
valuable player, set a Super Bowl record with 244 total
return yards.
On the second play from scrimmage, Favre hit Andre Rison with a 54-yard touchdown pass. Following
a Doug Evans interception, the Packers went ahead
10-0 just 6:18 into the game. The Patriots came back
with two scores in the quarter, Drew Bledsoe passes
to Keith Byars and Ben Coates, to take their only lead
of the game.
Green Bay scored 56 seconds into the second quarter as Favre hit Antonio Freeman with a Super Bowl record 81-yard touchdown pass. Favre later scored on a
2-yard run to give the Packers a 27-14 halftime lead.
New England closed the gap on Curtis Martin’s 18
run late in the third quarter. Howard took the ensuing
kickoff 99 yards to break the Patriots’ momentum. The
Packers defense took over in the fourth quarter, intercepting Bledsoe twice, and preventing the Patriots from
passing midfield in four possessions.
———
Super Bowl XXX
Jan. 28, 1996
At Tempe, Ariz.—76,347
Dallas
10 3 7 7 — 27
The Cowboys won their third Super Bowl in four seasons behind the heroics of cornerback Larry Brown.
When it was 13-7 midway through the third quarter,
Brown grabbed an errant pass by Neil O’Donnell, who
was high and outside most of the day, and returned it
44 yards. That set up a 1-yard TD run by Emmitt Smith.
After Pittsburgh closed to within 20-17 with the help
of an onside kick that clearly surprised the Cowboys,
Brown came through again. With four minutes left and
Pittsburgh threatening, Brown grabbed another pass
and took it back 33 yards to set up a 4-yard TD run by
Smith.
The Cowboys scored on their first three possessions, including two field goals by Chris Boniol, for a
13-0 lead. O’Donnell hit Yancey Thigpen with a 6-yard
touchdown pass with 13 seconds left in the half.
———
Super Bowl XIV
Jan. 20, 1980
At Pasadena, Calif.—103,985
Los Angeles 7 6 6 0 — 19
Terry Bradshaw completed 14 of 21 passes for 309
yards and set two passing records as the Steelers became the first team to win four Super Bowls.
Despite three interceptions by the Rams, Bradshaw
brought the Steelers from behind twice in the second
half. Trailing 13-10 at halftime, Pittsburgh went ahead
17-13 when Bradshaw connected with Lynn Swann for a
47-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter.
On the Rams’ next possession Vince Ferragamo,
who completed 15 of 25 passes for 212 yards, responded with a 50-yard pass to Billy Waddy that moved
Los Angeles to the Steelers’ 24. On the following play,
Lawrence McCutcheon connected with Ron Smith on a
halfback option pass that gave the Rams a 19-17 lead.
On Pittsburgh’s initial possession of the fourth quarter, Bradshaw lofted a 73-yard scoring pass to John
Stallworth to put the Steelers in front to stay 24-19. A
45-yard pass from Bradshaw to Stallworth was the key
play in Pittsburgh’s final scoring drive which was culminated by Franco Harris’ second one-yard TD of the
game.
Bradshaw, the game’s MVP for the second straight
year, set Super Bowl records for most touchdown passes (nine) and most passing yards (932).
———
Super Bowl XIII
Jan. 21, 1979
At Miami—79,484
Dallas
7 7 3 14 — 31
Terry Bradshaw threw four touchdown passes to lead
the Steelers to their third Super Bowl win. Bradshaw,
voted the game’s most valuable player, completed 17 of
30 passes for 318 yards breaking Bart Starr’s record of
250 yards’ passing by halftime.
Two Bradshaw-to-John Stallworth and one Bradshaw-to-Rocky Bleier scored in the first half to give
Pittsburgh a 21-14 lead at halftime.
Franco Harris rambled 22 yards for a score after Rafael Septein had cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 21-17 with a
three-pointer. Pittsburgh then seemingly put the game
out of reach with less than seven minutes to play when
Bradshaw hit Lynn Swann for an 18-yard strike to make
the score 35-17.
Roger Staubach threw his second scoring pass
of the game with 2:23 left, a 7-yarder to Billy Joe DuPree. The Cowboys then recovered an onside kick and
scored again on Staubach’s third TD pass with 22 seconds remaining.
Dallas’ bid for another onside kick recovery failed as
Rocky Bleier fell on the ensuing kickoff with 17 seconds
left.
———
Super Bowl X
Jan. 18, 1976
At Miami—80,187
Dallas
7 3 0 7 — 17
The Steelers won the Super Bowl for the second
consecutive year on Terry Bradshaw’s 64-yard touchdown pass to Lynn Swann and an aggressive defense
that snuffed out a late rally by the Cowboys.
Leading 15-10 in the fourth quarter, Bradshaw withstood a ferocious Cowboy rush to unleash his scoring
strike to Swann. Swann, with four receptions for 161
yards, was named the game’s MVP.
Dallas came back on a Roger Staubach-to-Percy
Howard 34-yard TD pass to close within four points.
Then with 1:22 to go, Pittsburgh gave the ball up on
downs. Staubach picked up a couple of first downs but
his desperation pass on the last play of the game was
picked off by Glen Edwards in the endzone.
———
Super Bowl IX
Jan. 12, 1975
At New Orleans—80,997
Minnesota 0 0 0 6 — 6
The Pittsburgh Steelers totally shut down Minnesota’s offense to hand the Vikings their third Super Bowl
defeat.
In beating Oakland for the AFC title, Pittsburgh held
the Raiders to 29 yards rushing. The Vikings didn’t
reach that total. On 21 rushing plays, Minnesota managed a net of 17 yards.
Yet, Minnesota trailed only 2-0 at the half, the result
of a safety when Viking QB Fran Tarkenton botched a
pitchout deep in his own territory. Tarkenton fell on the
ball in the end zone and was pounced upon by Steeler
defensive end Dwight White.
The Steelers got another break at the start of the
second half when Viking Bill Brown muffed the kickoff
and Pittsburgh’s Marv Kellum recovered on the Vikings
30. Four plays later, Franco Harris scored from 12
yards out and Pittsburgh led 9-0. Minnesota narrowed
the margin to three points at 4:27 of the fourth quarter when Matt Blair blocked Bobby Walden’s punt and
Terry Brown recovered in the endzone. But the Steelers
came right back on a 66-yard march culminating in a
four-yard pass from Terry Bradshaw to Larry Brown.
Harris, the game’s MVP, set a Super Bowl rushing
record with 158 yards on 34 carries and led a Steelers
offense which outgained Minnesota, 333-119.
———
Super Bowl II
Jan. 14, 1968
At Miami—75,546
Green Bay 3 1310 7 — 33
Oakland
0 7 0 7 — 14
After winning its third consecutive NFL Championship, Green Bay captured its second straight Super
Bowl in a game that drew the first $3 million gate in football history. Bart Starr was again chosen the game’s
most valuable player as he completed 13 of 24 passes
for 202 yards.
Starr’s 62-yard pass to a wide-open Boyd Dowler
gave the Packers a 13-0 second quarter lead. Don
Chandler kicked four field goals and Herb Adderley
capped the Green Bay scoring with a 60-yard interception return. The Raiders’ two touchdowns came on a
pair of 23-yard passes from Daryle Lamonica to Bill
Miller.
The game marked the last for Vince Lombardi as
Packer coach, ending nine years at Green Bay in which
he won six Western Conference Championships, five
NFL Championships and two Super Bowls.
———
Super Bowl I
Jan. 15, 1967
At Los Angeles—61,946
Kansas City 0 10 0 0 — 10
Green Bay 7 714 7 — 35
Behind the passing of Bart Starr, the receiving of
Max McGee and a key interception by All-Pro safety
Willie Wood, Green Bay broke open a tight game with
three second-half touchdowns.
With Green Bay leading 14-10 early in the third quarter, Wood’s 40-yard interception return to the Chiefs’
5-yard line set up an Elijah Pitts touchdown run which
gave Green Bay an 11-point lead.
McGee, filling in for ailing Boyd Dowler, caught seven
passes from Starr for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
McGee had caught only three passes during the 1966
season. Pitts ran for two scores and Jim Taylor, who
led all rushers with 53 yards, scored the Packers’ other
touchdown.
Starr completed 16 of 23 passes for 250 yards
and was chosen the most valuable player. The Packers collected $15,000 per man and the Chiefs $7,500
— the largest single-game shares in the history of team
sports.
Steelers, Packers similar blueprint for success
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)
— NFL executives always talk
about building the core of their
club through the draft, then
using free agency to fill in
some blanks.
They might be saying it
more after this Super Bowl.
Look at the breakdown of
the starting lineups for the
Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s as if these
old-school franchises were using the same throwback playbook because the numbers are
identical:
— Sixteen of the 22 expected starters are homegrown
players, draft picks who’ve
never left.
— Two more are the nextbest thing, guys who were
signed after nobody drafted
them and have never left.
— The remaining four were
signed off the open market.
But even those additions were
made through scouting acumen rather than winning bidding wars.
Packers cornerback Charles
Woodson and Steelers linebacker James Farrior are valuable players now, both team
captains. However, both joined
their clubs for the simple reason that nobody else wanted
them.
“We made a bunch of phone
calls, my agent did, with no
success,” said Woodson, who
left Oakland with the reputation of being more interested
in fun than football. “For some
reason, Green Bay kept calling
him. I kept trying to blow it off,
blow it off, blow it off. Finally,
I took a visit to Green Bay and
the rest is history.”
Farrior was a ’tweener for
the New York Jets, too slow to
be an outside linebacker, too
small to be an inside linebacker. But the Steelers saw him as
a perfect fit for their scheme.
He now says, “I was born to
perfect fit for steelers — Pittsburgh Steelers’ James Farrior answers questions during
media day for NFL football Super Bowl XLV Tuesday in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo)
play inside linebacker for the
Pittsburgh Steelers.”
“I felt like I was wanted
there,” he said. “I think they do
a great job of getting people to
fit within their system. That’s
one thing about the Steelers:
They’ve always been able to
do that. They’ve always been
able to judge good people, good
character, good players. That’s
why the Steelers organization
has been so successful over the
years.”
Pittsburgh and Green Bay
are franchises built on tradition and a clear sense of how
things should be done. They
must be. Neither is a high-profile destination for free agents,
nor are their owners the deeppocketed types who are will-
ing to overpay a player or two
or three to help generate headlines.
They have to get it right
if they are going to succeed.
Sometimes, that requires patience and trust. The Packers
exhibited both by sticking with
general manager Ted Thompson despite moves that rattled
the fan base — spending a
first-round pick on Aaron Rodgers when they already had
Brett Favre.
“The principles are in place
of how you evaluate a player,”
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “So when you’re in a
personnel meeting prior to the
draft and discussions are going around the table about a
player, you know when the fi-
nal decision is made that Ted
has probably had his eyes on
him and definitely has done
his due diligence. It’s very impressive to watch now for five
years, and it’s a big part of why
we select the right people. We
have to give our personnel department a lot of credit for our
season.”
Thompson learned how to
build a club from Ron Wolf,
who was the architect of the
teams Favre led to two Super
Bowls. This is the first Super
Bowl on Thompson’s watch,
but there’s no reason to think
it will be the last. The majority
of the starters are in their 20s
and Rodgers is a blossoming
star who’s turned Favre into
old news.
9
It’s also worth noting Green
Bay has 16 players on injured
reserve, meaning Thompson
and his staff have had to dig
even deeper to keep the club
going. Among the gems they’ve
uncovered:
running
back
James Starks, a sixth-round
pick; nickel cornerback Sam
Shields, an undrafted free
agent; and outside linebacker
Erik Walden, who was out
of football when the Packers
signed him in midseason.
“I really like our structure,
our program,” McCarthy said.
“We have drafted players,
we have developed them and
have been successful in doing
that. We need to continue to
do that because every year is
a new year. This year for us is
a great example of that. There
are challenges in front of you
that you don’t know you’re going to hit, and when they hit
you have to be prepared. ... I
think the future is bright for
our football team.”
As a Pittsburgh native, McCarthy knows where to look
for inspiration.
The Steelers are in the Super Bowl for the third time in
six seasons, thanks mostly to
replenishing their system with
wise draft picks. The mastermind is Kevin Colbert, the director of football operations.
Eight of Pittsburgh’s last
10 first-rounders are starters,
which is even more impressive
since the Steelers usually pick
late in the first round. Other
draft coups include guard
Chris Kemoeatu and receiver
Antonio Brown in the sixth
round, and defensive end Brett
Keisel in the seventh.
Then there’s James Harrison, a rookie free agent in 2002
who was cut three times before
becoming the AP’s Defensive
Player of the Year in 2008 — a
year before Woodson won it for
the Packers.
A look at key Steelers players
10
ARLINGTON (AP) — Projected starters and key players for the Pittsburgh
Steelers in Super Bowl XLV:
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
OFFENSE
• Ben Roethlisberger, QB (7), 6-5, 241,
7th season, Miami, Ohio
Missed first four games while suspended
for violating NFL’s personal conduct policy
... Went 9-3 as starter, leading Pittsburgh to
AFC North crown ... Brought Steelers back
from 21-7 deficit to beat Baltimore in divisional round, then used scrambling skills
in helping team go ahead 24-3 in AFC title
game victory ... Led Steelers to 2006 and
2009 Super Bowl crowns ... Tough to bring
down, extends plays as well as any QB in
league ... Threw for 3,200 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions, with 97.0
rating during regular season.
• Rashard Mendenhall, RB (34), 5-10,
225, 3rd season, Illinois
Key ... Continued from Page 7
Green Bay will need to pass
successfully to win its first Super Bowl since the 1996 season.
The Packers like to empty their
backfield, a dangerous ploy
against Pittsburgh’s front seven
and blitzers.
But they can get some good
matchups in those situations,
whether it’s WRs Greg Jennings
(85) on Taylor or Donald Driver
on Bryant McFadden (20).
Driver excels over the middle,
but that’s where Polamalu and
Ryan Clark (25) lurk, and there
aren’t two more punishing safeties around.
Rodgers has gotten a lot of
mileage out of James Jones (89)
and Jordy Nelson (87) and both
will have key roles at Dallas
Cowboys Stadium. If Rodgers
can spread the ball around and
keep the Steelers’ pass rush offbalance, Green Bay has an excellent chance.
Special teams
Steelers PK Shaun Suisham
(6), who replaced veteran Jeff
Reed in midseason, has been
superb, making 16 of 18 field
goals; Pittsburgh is a difficult
place to kick.
So is Lambeau Field, though,
and Mason Crosby (2) has made
24 of 31, including a 56-yarder.
Neither has kicked under the
glaring spotlight of a Super
Bowl.
The rest of the Steelers’ special teams are adequate. Brown
had one kickoff runback for a
score during the season. P Jeremy Kapinos (13) doesn’t always
Has become workhorse back Steelers
hoped for in drafting him in first round
in 2008 ... Had three 100-yard games and
two with 99 during season, rushed for 121
yards and TD against Jets ... Powerful, but
also has a burst and some moves ... Barely
played as rookie as Steelers won championship, became first-stringer in 2009.
• Hines Ward, WR (86), 6-0, 205, 13th
season, Georgia
Among best blocking wideouts, also
crafty receiver who never shies away
from contact ... Ward and Roethlisberger
have sixth sense when plays break down
... MVP of 2006 Super Bowl ... Can throw
option passes and run reverses ... Made
59 catches for 755 yards and five TDs this
season.
• Mike Wallace, WR (17), 6-0, 199, 2nd
season, Mississippi
Pittsburgh’s speed demon, Wallace also
has developed as all-around pass catcher
get great coverage accompanying his kicks.
First-year punter Tim Masthay (8) for Green Bay has been
efficient if not spectacular. He
had an excellent NFC title game,
keeping the ball away from AllPro returner Devin Hester.
Green Bay gave up more
yards than it gained per punt
and kickoff this season.
Coaching
A Pittsburgh victory would
give Mike Tomlin two titles in
his first four seasons as head
coach, tying Joe Gibbs’ achieve-
... Had 60 catches for 1,257 yards and 10
scores; his 21-yard average topped NFL
regulars ... Could see wily Charles Woodson or playmaking Tramon Williams in
intriguing matchup ... Third-round draft
pick who had strong rookie year and built
on it.
• Antonio Brown, WR (84) 5-10, 186,
1st season, Central Michigan
Huge contributor in playoffs, made key
catches in both playoff victories, setting up
winning TD against Ravens and clinching AFC title victory against Jets ... Prime
kick returner, ran back a kickoff for TD
during season.
• Heath Miller, TE (83), 6-5, 256, 6th
season, Virginia
One of Roethlisberger’s favorite targets,
had 42 receptions in 14 games, but has seven in playoffs ... Scored TD in playoff win
over Baltimore ... Strong blocker, made Pro
Bowl in 2009 ... Matchup with quick Green
ment with Washington. Tomlin,
only the third Steelers coach
since 1969, is a master motivator who also gives his coordinators — Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau on defense, Bruce Arians on
offense — lots of say.
Tomlin needed to guide the
Steelers through some early difficulties and did so masterfully.
Roethlisberger’s four-game suspension could have put the team
in a deep hole. Instead, with a
trio of replacements at quarterback, Pittsburgh started 3-1.
The Steelers lost key defen-
Bay linebackers or S Nick Collins could be
pivotal.
• Jonathan Scott, LT (72), 6-6, 318, 5th
season, Texas
Joined Steelers as free agent after two
seasons with Detroit and two with Buffalo
... Native of Dallas who heads home for Super Bowl ... Can play both sides of line ...
Was backup to Max Starks until Starks
was hurt against Cincinnati ... Has started
10 straight games.
• Chris Kemoeatu, LG (68), 6-3, 344,
6th season, Utah
Has improved every season, won Super
Bowl rings in 2005, though didn’t play as
sixth-round pick, and 2008 ... Became fulltime starter in 2008, missed six games
in ’09 with knee injury ... signed five-year
contract during ’09 offseason to keep him
in Pittsburgh through 2013.
• Ramon Foster, RG (73), 6-6, 325, 2nd
See PLAYERS, Page 11
sive end Aaron Smith (91) for
a big chunk of the season. In
2009, that sent them into a spiral. Not this time.
Tomlin also got the team
back on track in the divisional
playoff game against Baltimore
after it fell behind 21-7 at halftime.
Mike McCarthy might have
had an even tougher chore
because the Packers placed
15 players on injured reserve
this season, an absurd number. That included starting RB
Ryan Grant, playmaking TE
Jermichael Finley and LB Nick
Barnett.
Thanks to the depth the
Pack built at so many positions,
though, they not only survived,
but prospered. Still, McCarthy
and his staff, particularly defensive coordinator Dom Capers,
deserve tremendous credit for
rapidly developing backups and
having faith in them.
McCarthy also has a strong
relationship with Rodgers that
has been critical in the QB’s development since the Brett Favre
purge in 2008.
Players ... Continued from Page 10
season, Tennessee
Undrafted free agent in 2009
who became starter in 10th game
against Oakland ... Replaced Trai
Essex, who’s now his backup ...
Started four games last season
replacing injured Kemoeatu ...
Versatile, also played tackle in
college.
• Flozell Adams, RT (71), 6-7,
338. 13th season, Michigan State
On back end of lengthy career,
no longer Pro Bowl blocker ... Former left tackle who might have
lost his job if Steelers had healthy
backups ... Did well in first half
vs. Jets in AFC title game ... First
Super Bowl, and it will be played
in stadium of his former team.
DEFENSE
• Ziggy Hood, LE (96), 6-3,
300, 2nd season, Missouri
Replaced key end Aaron Smith
(91), who tore triceps, as starter
in seventh game and showed his
value ... Has three sacks during
season, but job is to occupy blockers in passing game, freeing linebackers to make plays ... Pretty
solid against the run ... Last pick
of first round in 2009, 32nd overall ... Played mostly on special
teams as rookie, has much bigger
role now.
• Casey Hampton, NT (98), 61, 325, 10th season, Texas
Staunch obstacle in middle of
line ... Veteran with power and
savvy, knows how to clog middle
... Major reason teams struggle to
run against Pittsburgh ... Start-
ed 14 games ... First-round pick
in 2001 who signed three-year
contract last February to remain
with team.
• Brett Keisel, RE (99), 6-5,
285, 9th season, BYU
Blossomed this year and has
become another leader on defense ... Final Steelers draft pick
in 2002, was one of seven selections to make roster ... Situational player earlier in career, now
a cog on defensive line ... Signed
five-year contract with Steelers in
2009 ... Has one of most impressive beards in league.
• LaMarr Woodley, LOLB
(56), 6-2, 265, 4th season, Michigan
On any other team, he’d likely
be star linebacker. Here, overshadowed by James Harrison
... Had 10 sacks this year, 39 for
four pro seasons, including 35 in
last three years ... Has NFL record with a sack in six straight
postseason games ... Dangerous
in pass coverage ... Numbers
weren’t quite as good as ’09, when
he made Pro Bowl.
• James Farrior, LILB (51), 62, 243, 14th season, Virginia
Not many LBs last as long as
Farrior, and almost none at level
he still plays ... Hard hitter, smart
and a leader; coach Mike Tomlin
calls Farrior “heart of our team.”
... Began career with Jets as firstround selection in 1997, joined
Steelers as free agent in 2002 ...
Has 1,350 regular-season tackles
Rough ... Continued from Page 6
answers to questions about
whether the Steelers’ defense
plays up to the edge of proper
conduct — and possibly over
that edge.
After all, there’s no reason
to get any opponent riled up at
this stage (unless you’re Jets
coach Rex Ryan or one of his
players) or to acknowledge if
you’re intimidated by an opponent.
About the most revelatory
statement came from Packers
receiver Greg Jennings, when
asked about the Steelers’ propensity for big hits: “They’re
a team that really tries to get
after you physically. We understand that.”
It’s a tradition that dates
to the 1970s, when the Steelers won four of their six Super Bowls. “That’s the way we
played, and that’s the way they
play now,” said Rocky Bleier,
a running back on those title
teams decades ago.
“It is necessary to understand the impact of concussions and head injuries and
how it affects players. And
what the league is doing is important. But you get labeled.
... You start to look at those
guys differently, I guess,” Ble-
... Hasn’t missed game since 2005
... Has 109 tackles and six sacks
this season.
• Lawrence Timmons, RILB
(94), 6-1, 234, 4th season, Florida
State
Even if he’s least known of
Pittsburgh’s four starting LBs,
he’s a quality player ... Firstround draftee (15th overall) in
2007, primarily played on special
teams and as reserve linebacker
as rookie. Became regular in
2009, had best season this year
with 135 tackles ... Has improved
as a pass defender.
• James Harrison, ROLB (92),
6-0, 242, 7th season, Kent State
All-Pro linebacker and among
most intimidating defenders in
league ... Led NFL in fines for illegal hits, even threatened to retire
after NFL’s crackdown ... Had 10
1/2 sacks and caused others for
teammates with his ferocity and
fearlessness ... Former free agent
who fought way onto roster in
2004 ... Was NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 when he
had 16 sacks ... Signed five-year
contract during 2009 offseason ...
Returned interception 100 yards
in 2009 Super Bowl, longest play
in Super Bowl history.
• Bryant McFadden, LCB
(20), 6-0, 190, 6th season, Florida
State
Brought back after one mediocre season in Arizona ... Packers
will test him with Taylor on other
side ... Won two Super Bowls
ier said. “But it is their job to
hit harder than others. If you
can do it and survive, that is
what the fans want and what
the team wants. They are not
looking to take you out of the
game or hurt you. They want
to beat you.”
with Steelers before heading to
Cardinals ... Has been fighting
abdomen problem, but stayed in
lineup.
• Troy Polamalu, SS (43), 510, 207, 8th season, Southern
California
One of NFL’s premier players,
a versatile, freewheeling safety
who hits hard, makes big plays
... Steelers tend to struggle when
he’s out, as they did in losing to
Jets in Game 14 ... Perennial AllPro with nose for the ball, tied
career high with seven INTs ...
Known for hair flowing out of his
helmet ... Jets WR Santonio Holmes called Polamalu best player
in league.
• Ryan Clark, FS, (25), 5-11,
205, 9th season, LSU
As hard a hitter as Steelers
have ... Also can play strong safety, kind of interchangeable with
Polamalu ... Signed four-year contract extension in March 2009 ...
Started two seasons in Washington before joining Steelers in 2006
... Originally signed as undrafted
rookie by Giants in 2002.
11
• Ike Taylor, RCB (24), 6-2,
195, 8th season, Louisiana-Lafayette
Made biggest defensive play
for Steelers with sack and forced
fumble against Jets that William
Gay returned for touchdown late
in first half ... Reliable coverage
guy who will see lots of Greg Jennings ... Fourth-round pick in
2003 who became starter in 2005
Super Bowl season ... Doesn’t get
a lot of picks, but very physical
against wideouts.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Shaun Suisham, K (6), 6-0,
200, 6th season, Bowling Green
Has hung around league,
mainly with Washington and
Dallas, since 2005 ... Signed when
Steelers cut longtime kicker Jeff
Reed, Suisham took over against
Oakland on Nov. 21 ... Made 14 of
15 FGs and all 19 PATs ... Longest FG was 48 yards.
• Jeremy Kapinos, P (13), 6-1,
233, 3rd season, Penn State
Joined Steelers for final four
games when Daniel Sepulveda
went on IR .
12
Super Bowl scenes
no worries — Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin
smiles at a reporter’s question during a news conference
Monday in Fort Worth, Texas, for NFL football’s Super Bowl
XLV. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Tom Fox)
Fazes ... Continued from Page 5
You know what the media sessions are like. Hopefully that’s
an advantage for us. Will it be? I
don’t know, but I hope so.”
In Pittsburgh, titles are expected, and though this is the
eighth time the franchise is playing in a Super Bowl, don’t think
the thought of a seventh championship is no big deal.
Especially at Cowboys Stadium, the home of a franchise
the Steelers have played against
three times in the title game.
“It is kind of ironic,” Ward
said. “The two organizations
that have had their wars over
the years, their battles over the
years. For us to be playing in
Dallas’ stadium for a chance to
win the Super Bowl is kind of
ironic, but it would be a great
thing to do.”
The Steelers might have
learned a few things about the
Packers in their last meeting
— a 37-36 win in 2009. Not that
Tomlin is giving away any secrets.
“You get yourself into trouble
when you try to have preconceived notions about how the
game is going to unfold,” he said.
“What happened at Heinz Field
in ’09 is going to have no bearing on what happens in this stadium.
“So many of the components
of those teams are different, so
it’s really irrelevant.”
But even Tomlin acknowledged that that meeting could
help ramp up the expectations
for a hard-fought, close Super
Bowl game.
“This is going to be an execution-oriented game,” Tomlin
said. “The team that executes
better is going to have a better
having a good time — Pittsburgh Steelers’ Brett Keisel wears a wig during media day for
NFL football Super Bowl XLV, Tuesday in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo)
chance to win.
“So we’re going to sharpen
our sword for battle with that in
mind.”
When he took over as the
Steelers coach in 2007, he set
some lofty goals for himself and
the franchise.
And, he’s one win closer to
achieving the biggest of all.
“It’s probably about two Super Bowls short of my vision,” he
said. “But that’s just me. I’m not
in a reflection mode. I’m really
not. I’m just trying to go and do
it.”
Mike Tomlin’s
coaching record
Regular Season
Year, Team
2007 Pittsburgh
2008 Pittsburgh
2009 Pittsburgh
2010 Pittsburgh
Total
W
10
12
9
12
43
L
6
4
7
4
21
T
0
0
0
0
0
Playoffs
Year, Team
2007 Pittsburgh
2008 Pittsburgh
2010 Pittsburgh
Total
W
0
3
2
5
L
1
0
0
1
Pct
.000
1.000
1.000
.833
Pct
.625
.750
.563
.750
.672
2007 — Lost wild-card playoff to Jacksonville 31-29.
2008 — Won divisional playoff against San Diego 35-24; Won
AFC championship against Baltimore 23-14; Won Super Bowl
against Arizona 27-23.
2010 — Won divisional playoff against Baltimore 31-24; Won
AFC championship against N.Y. Jets 24-19.
Torment ... Continued from Page 4
the Steelers have lost a Super
Bowl.
Staubach went 2-2 in Super Bowls, with both losses to
Pittsburgh, each by four points.
So he really savors that Super
Bowl title.
“When people say I never
beat the Steelers in the Super
Bowl, I always say ‘we’ did — I
wasn’t the quarterback, it was
Aikman, but I’m still a Cowboy
and we beat the Steelers,” Staubach said last week, laughing.
As long ago as it was that the
Packers and Steelers tormented
the Cowboys, the bitterness of
those big-game losses lingers.
The Dallas Morning News
referenced it in a front-page
headline Monday atop the story
about these teams advancing to
this game: “Nemesis Bowl,” it
read.
13
Super Bowl Most Valuable Players
2010—Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans
2009—Santonio Holmes, WR, Pittsburgh
2008—Eli Manning, QB, N.Y. Giants
2007—Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis
2006—Hines Ward, WR, Pittsburgh
2005—Deion Branch, WR, New England
2004—Tom Brady, QB, New England
2003—Dexter Jackson, FS, Tampa Bay
2002—Tom Brady, QB, New England
2001—Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore
2000—Kurt Warner, QB, St. Louis
1999—John Elway, QB, Denver
1998—Terrell Davis, RB, Denver
1997—Desmond Howard, KR, Green Bay
1996—Larry Brown, CB, Dallas
1995—Steve Young, QB, San Francisco
1994—Emmitt Smith, RB, Dallas
1993—Troy Aikman, QB, Dallas
1992—Mark Rypien, QB, Washington
1991—Ottis Anderson, RB, N.Y. Giants
1990—Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco
1989—Jerry Rice, WR, San Francisco
Pugh actually is thrilled the
Packers and Steelers made it
because they have such large,
loyal followings. He’s rooting
for every flight into Dallas-Fort
Worth International Airport
1988—Doug Williams, QB, Washington
1987—Phil Simms, QB, N.Y. Giants
1986—Richard Dent, DE, Chicago
1984—Marcus Allen, RB, L.A. Raiders
1983—John Riggins, RB, Washington
1981—Jim Plunkett, QB, Oakland
1980—Terry Bradshaw, QB, Pittsburgh
1979—Terry Bradshaw, QB, Pittsburgh
1978—Randy White, DT and Harvey Martin,
DE, Dallas
1977—Fred Biletnikoff, WR, Oakland
1976—Lynn Swann, WR, Pittsburgh
1975—Franco Harris, RB, Pittsburgh
1974—Larry Csonka, RB, Miami
1973—Jake Scott, S, Miami
1972—Roger Staubach, QB, Dallas
1971—Chuck Howley, LB, Dallas
1970—Len Dawson, QB, Kansas City
1969—Joe Namath, QB, N.Y. Jets
1968—Bart Starr, QB, Green Bay
1967—Bart Starr, QB, Green Bay
next week to be filled with people wearing Cheeseheads and
waving Terrible Towels.
Why?
Because as the owner of five
DFW Airport gift shops, he
hopes to sell them plenty of souvenirs on their way in and out
of town.
It’s not as good as a Super
Bowl ring, but it’s certainly a
nice form of payback.
Super Bowl facts and figures
14
ARLINGTON (AP) — Facts
and figures about Super Bowl
XVL.
AT STAKE — National
Football League Championship for the Vince Lombardi
Trophy.
PARTICIPANTS — Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC) and
Green Bay Packers (NFC).
This the eigtht appearance for
the Steelers (6-1) and the fifth
appearance for the Packers (31).
SITE — Cowboys Stadium,
Arlington, Texas. This is the
first Super Bowl played in Arlington and the third in Texas.
SEATING CAPACITY —
105,000 est.
DATE — Feb. 6, 2011.
GAMETIME — 6:30 p.m.
EST.
NETWORK COVERAGE
— By FOX-TV to more than
200 stations throughout the
United States.
Westwood One Radio to 600
stations within the United
States.
The Armed Forces Television will also provide broadcast to 175 countries throughout the world.
The game will be distributed internationally by the
NFL and NFL International
to more than 185 countries
and broadcast in 30 different
languages.
PLAYERS SHARE — Winners: $83,000 per man. Losers:
$42,000 per man.
PLAYER
UNIFORMS
— Green Bay will be the home
team and has its choice of
wearing its colored or white
jersey.
OVERTIME — At the end
of regulation playing time, the
referee will immediately toss a
coin at the center of the field,
in accordance with rules pertaining to the usual pre-game
toss.
The captain of AFC team
(the visiting team) will call the
toss.
Following a three-minute
intermission after the end of
the regular game, play will
continue by 15-minute periods
with a two-minute intermission between each such overtime period with no halftime
intermission.
The teams will change goals
between each period, there
will be a two-minute warning
at the end of each period.
Both teams must have the
opportunity to possess the ball
once during the extra period,
unless the team that receives
the opening kickoff scores a
touchdown on its initial possession, in which case it is the
winner.
If the team that possesses
First ... Continued from Page 3
owned organization that prides
itself on having an exemplary
image is drafting players with
strong character. The Rooneys
struggled with the decision to
keep Roethlisberger after he
was suspended for four games
to start this season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
“They evaluate the players off the field as well and
they choose good people and
when they make a decision,
it’s weighted out and measured
with all the goods and bads
and if they see something in a
player to make them take him
in the first round, that means
they like what they see,” said
Hood, the defensive end selected No. 32 overall in ’09.
“If you have off-the-field issues that can interfere with
what you are doing on the field,
it’s not going to be good. What’s
going to happen when you put
money in a young man’s pocket
and how magnified would it be
if they are put in a different
situation and how would they
react. You get good people off
the field, you get good players
on the field.”
Holmes was made an example after he provoked the Steelers one too many times. Holmes caught the touchdown pass
that secured Pittsburgh’s sixth
Super Bowl championship, but
he was traded to the New York
Jets for a fifth-round pick last
April after a series of off-field
infractions embarrassed the
organization.
“Character issues wipes you
off the board,” Batch said.
The Steelers don’t just get
right it in the first round. They
draft well up and down the
board.
They have 37 players currently on their roster that were
draftees, including three guys
who left after a few seasons and
returned through free agency.
Of those, 35 were picked under
Colbert’s watch.
Defensive end Brett Keisel
(seventh), guard Chris Kemoeatu (sixth) and wide receiver Antonio Brown (sixth) are among
the late-round finds. James
Harrison might be the ultimate
catch. Harrison wasn’t drafted
and originally signed as a rookie free agent in 2002. He was
cut three times before returning to the Steelers for good in
2004. Harrison is a three-time
All-Pro and was 2008 Defensive Player of the Year.
the ball first scores a field goal
on its initial possession, the
other team shall have the opportunity to possess the ball.
If (that team) scores a
touchdown on its possession,
it is the winner. If the score is
tied after (both teams have a)
possession, the team next scoring by any method shall be the
winner.
OFFICIAL TIME — The
scoreboard clock will be official.
OFFICIALS — There will
be seven officials and two alternates appointed by the
Commissioner’s office.
TROPHY — The winning
team receives permanent possession of the Vince Lombardi
Trophy, a sterling silver trophy
created by Tiffany & Company
and presented annually to the
winner of the Super Bowl.
The trophy was named after
the late coach Vince Lombardi
of the two-time Super Bowl
champion Green Bay Packers
before the 1971 Super Bowl.
The trophy is a regulationsize silver football mounted in
a kicking position on a pyramid-like stand of three concave
sides.
3
The trophy stands 20 ⁄4 inches tall, weighs 6.7 pounds and
is valued more than $25,000.
The words “Vince Lombardi” and “Super Bowl XLV”
are engraved on the base along
with the NFL shield.
ATTENDANCE — To date,
3,421,667 have attended Super
Bowl games.
The largest crowd was
103,985 at the 14th Super Bowl
at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena,
Calif.
Super Bowl results
2010—New Orleans (NFC) 31, Indianapolis (AFC) 17
2009—Pittsburgh (AFC) 27, Arizona (NFC) 23
2008—N.Y. Giants (NFC) 17, New England (AFC) 14
2007—Indianapolis (AFC) 29, Chicago (NFC) 17
2006—Pittsburgh (AFC) 21, Seattle (NFC) 10
2005—New England (AFC) 24, Philadelphia (NFC) 21
2004—New England (AFC) 32, Carolina (NFC) 29
2003—Tampa Bay (NFC) 48, Oakland (AFC) 21
2002—New England (AFC) 20, St. Louis (NFC) 17
2001—Baltimore Ravens (AFC) 34, N.Y. Giants (NFC) 7
2000—St. Louis (NFC) 23, Tennessee (AFC) 16
1999—Denver (AFC) 34, Atlanta (NFC) 19
1998—Denver (AFC) 31, Green Bay (NFC) 24
1997—Green Bay (NFC) 35, New England (AFC) 21
1996—Dallas (NFC) 27, Pittsburgh (AFC) 17
1995—San Francisco (NFC) 49, San Diego (AFC) 26
1994—Dallas (NFC) 30, Buffalo (AFC) 13
1993—Dallas (NFC) 52, Buffalo (AFC) 17
1992—Washington (NFC) 37, Buffalo (AFC) 24
1991—N.Y. Giants (NFC) 20, Buffalo (AFC) 19
1990—San Francisco (NFC) 55, Denver (AFC) 10
1989—San Francisco (NFC) 20, Cincinnati (AFC) 16
1988—Washington (NFC) 42, Denver (AFC) 10
1987—N.Y. Giants (NFC) 39, Denver (AFC) 20
1986—Chicago (NFC) 46, New England (AFC) 10
1985—San Francisco (NFC) 38, Miami (AFC) 16
1984—L.A. Raiders (AFC) 38, Washington (NFC) 9
1983—Washington (NFC) 27, Miami (AFC) 17
1982—San Francisco (NFC) 26, Cincinnati (AFC) 21
1981—Oakland (AFC) 27, Philadelphia (NFC) 10
1980—Pittsburgh (AFC) 31, L.A. Rams (NFC) 19
1979—Pittsburgh (AFC) 35, Dallas (NFC) 31
1978—Dallas (NFC) 27, Denver (AFC) 10
1977—Oakland (AFC) 32, Minnesota (NFC) 14
1976—Pittsburgh (AFC) 21, Dallas (NFC) 17
1975—Pittsburgh (AFC) 16, Minnesota (NFC) 6
1974—Miami (AFC) 24, Minnesota (NFC) 7
1973—Miami (AFC) 14, Washington (NFC) 7
1972—Dallas (NFC) 24, Miami (AFC) 3
1971—Baltimore Colts (AFC) 16, Dallas (NFC) 13
1970—Kansas City (AFL) 23, Minnesota (NFL) 7
1969—N.Y. Jets (AFL) 16, Baltimore Colts (NFL) 7
1968—Green Bay (NFL) 33, Oakland (AFL) 14
1967—Green Bay (NFL) 35, Kansas City (AFL) 10
Titletown ... Continued from Page 2
much Terry Bradshaw likes
us at times, if you watch us on
TV, but the guys around here:
Louis Lipps, Mel Blount. Mr.
Greene, that’s what we call him
— I don’t call him Joe — just
seeing those guys and the love
they still have and the respect
they show when they see us.
“They don’t have to. They
started all this, but for them to
always be so excited about us
and be so complimentary of the
things we’re doing, it’s amazing.”
Yes, but is it dynastic? If the
Steelers win a third crown in
six years, is it fair to list them
with the Steel Curtain teams?
Or with the Lombardi Packers?
Is it worthy of moving Titletown 665 miles southeast?
Packers coach Mike McCarthy has one sure way of
blunting that conversation. If
his team wins next Sunday,
the Pittsburgh native will be
lionized in Green Bay the way
Mike Holmgren was 14 years
ago. And, if only slightly, in the
way Lombardi was while McCarthy was growing up — in
the Steel City.
“Pittsburgh is obviously a
big part of who I am. And my
family’s still back there,” McCarthy says. “This is going to
be a very unique experience for
everybody. Half my coaching
staff has either played in Pittsburgh or is from Pittsburgh.
“And I think the fact that
I’m from back there, it’s neat.
I’m a Pittsburgh Steelers fan
growing up. They’re my second
favorite team. I thought it was
Super Bowl records
INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
SCORING
Most Points, Lifetime — 48, Jerry Rice,
San Francisco-Oakland, 4 games.
Most Points, Game — 18, Roger Craig,
San Francisco vs. Miami, 1985; Jerry Rice,
San Francisco vs. Denver, 1990 and vs. San
Diego, 1995; Ricky Watters, San Francisco
vs. San Diego, 1995; Terrell Davis, Denver vs.
Green Bay, 1998.
Most Touchdowns, Lifetime — 8, Jerry
Rice, San Francisco-Oakland, 4 games.
Most Touchdowns, Game — 3, Roger
Craig, San Francisco vs. Miami, 1985; Jerry
Rice, San Francisco vs. Denver 1990 and vs.
San Diego, 1995; Ricky Watters, San Francisco vs. San Diego, 1995; Terrell Davis, Denver
vs. Green Bay, 1998.
Most Points After Touchdown, Lifetime
— 13 Adam Vinatieri, New England-Indianapolis, (13 attempts, 5 games).
Most Points After Touchdown, Game — 7,
Mike Cofer, San Francisco vs. Denver, 1990
(8 attempts); Lin Elliott, Dallas vs. Buffalo,
1993 (7 attempts); Doug Brien, San Francisco
vs. San Diego, 1995 (7 attempts).
Most Field Goals, Lifetime — 7, Adam
Vinatieri, New England-Indianapolis, (10 attempts, 5 games).
Most Field Goals, Game — 4, Don Chandler, Green Bay vs. Oakland, 1968; Ray Wersching, San Francisco vs. Cincinnati, 1982.
Longest Field Goal — 54, Steve Christie,
Buffalo vs. Dallas, 1994.
Most Safeties — 1, Dwight White, Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota, 1975; Reggie Harrison, Pittsburgh vs. Dallas, 1976; Henry
Waechter, Chicago vs. New England, 1986;
George Martin, New York vs. Denver, 1987;
Bruce Smith, Buffalo vs. New York, 1991.
RUSHING
Most Attempts, Lifetime — 101, Franco
Harris, Pittsburgh.
Most Attempts, Game — 38, John Riggins,
Washington vs. Miami, 1983.
Most Yards Gained, Lifetime — 354,
Franco Harris, Pittsburgh, 4 games.
Most Yards Gained, Game — 204, Tim
Smith, Washington vs. Denver, 1988.
Longest Gain — 75, Willie Parker, Pitts-
awesome to have Terry Bradshaw present the Halas Trophy
in the locker room (to the Packers). Personally I got a charge
out of that. Terry was obviously
the quarterback in my youth
during the ’70s when they won
the four Super Bowls.
“But trust me I’m a Green
Bay Packer and it’s important
for us to bring the Lombardi
Trophy back home.”
To Titletown USA.
burgh vs. Seattle, 2006.
Most Touchdowns, Lifetime — 5, Emmitt
Smith, Dallas, 3 games.
Most Touchdowns, Game — 3, Terrell Davis, Denver vs. Green Bay, 1998.
PASSING
Most Attempts, Lifetime — 152, John Elway, Denver, 5 games.
Most Attempts, Game — 58, Jim Kelly,
Buffalo vs. Washington, 1992.
Most Completions, Lifetime — 100, Tom
Brady, New England, 4 games.
Most Completions, Game — 32, Tom
Brady, New England vs. Carolina, 2004; Drew
Brees, New Orleans vs. Indianapolis, 2010.
Highest Completion Percentage, Lifetime
(minimum 30 attempts) — 82.1 (32-of-39),
Drew Brees, New Orleans vs. Indianapolis,
2010.
Highest Completion Percentage, Game
— 88.0, Phil Simms, New York Giants vs.
Denver, 1987.
Most Yards Gained, Lifetime — 1,156, Kurt
Warner, St. Louis-Arizona, 3 games.
Most Yards Gained, Game — 414, Kurt
Warner, St. Louis vs. Tennessee, 2000.
Most Touchdowns, Lifetime — 11, Joe
Montana, San Francisco, 4 games.
Most Touchdowns, Game — 6, Steve
Young, San Francisco vs. San Diego, 1995.
Most Had Intercepted, Lifetime — 8, John
Elway, Denver, 5 games.
Most Had Intercepted, Game — 5, Rich
Gannon, Oakland vs. Tampa Bay, 2003.
Longest Completion — 85, Jake Delhom-
15
me (to Muhsin Muhammad), Carolina vs. New
England, 2004.
RECEIVING
Most Receptions, Lifetime — 33, Jerry
Rice, San Francisco-Oakland, 4 games.
Most Receptions, Game — 11, Dan Ross,
Cincinnati vs. San Francisco, 1982; Jerry
Rice, San Francisco vs. Cincinnati, 1989;
Deion Branch, New England vs. Philadelphia,
2005; Wes Welker, New England vs. N.Y. Giants, 2008.
Most Yards, Lifetime — 589, Jerry Rice,
San Francisco-Oakland, 4 games.
Most Yards, Game — 215, Jerry Rice, San
Francisco vs. Cincinnati, 1989.
Most Touchdowns, Lifetime — 7, Jerry
Rice, San Francisco.
Most Touchdowns, Game — 3, Jerry Rice,
San Francisco vs. Denver, 1990.
Longest Reception — 85, Muhsin Muhammad (from Jake Delhomme), Carolina vs. New
England, 2004.
FUMBLES
Most By, Lifetime — 5, Roger Staubach,
Dallas, 4 games.
Most By, Game — 3, Roger Staubach, Dallas vs. Pittsburgh, 1976; Jim Kelly, Buffalo vs.
Washington, 1992; Frank Reich, Buffalo vs.
Dallas, 1993.
INTERCEPTIONS
Most By, Lifetime — 3, Chuck Howley,
Dallas; Rod Martin, Oakland; Larry Brown,
Dallas.
Most By, Game — 3, Rod Martin, Oakland
vs. Philadelphia, 1981.

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