2005: A Super Bowl season

Coming off of a 15-1 regular season in 2004, but yet another spectacular playoff failure, some eyebrows might have been raised when Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suggested the team could actually be better in 2005, without winning as many games. A perplexing statement to be sure, because it could only imply one thing: a Super Bowl berth.

What transpired was a regular season that was consistently inconsistent. At moments the Steelers showed flashes of near brilliance, followed by stretches of sheer incompetence.

As the final quarter of the regular season began, the Steelers were mired in a three-game losing streak, two games behind division-leader Cincinnati. To make the playoffs, they would need to be perfect.

They were, and then some.

The Steelers would not lose again, completing the regular season on a four-game winning streak and making what is unequivocally the greatest playoff run in National Football League history: the only sixth-seeded team to advance to and win a Super Bowl, winning all of their games on the road.

As the Steelers begin the defense of their title, take a look back at the Post-Gazette's coverage from the September opener at Heinz Field to the February championship at Ford Field in Detroit, the party that ensued and the months-long afterglow of One For The Thumb.

-- Dan Gigler
Post-Gazette.com

GAME 1
A Fast (Willie) Start
Steelers 34, Titans 7

PITTSBURGH -- The Steelers exploded out of the gate in their 2005 season debut, dismantling the Tennessee Titans in front of a raucous Heinz Field crowd. Willie Parker was dazzling in his first career start as the Steelers feature back, racking up 161 yards rushing. A mistake-free Ben Roethlisberger threw for two scores while posting the first perfect passer rating (158.3) in an NFL game since 2003. The Steelers won their 15th in a row in the regular season. Said Coach Bill Cowher after the game: "We still have a long way to go."

Game Story
Photo journal

GAME 2
Texas Flood
Steelers 27, Texans 7

HOUSTON -- Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to scores on their first four drives: a pair of field goals sandwiched around touchdown passes of 16 and 14 yards to Hines Ward. The Steelers' 16th regular-season win in a row matched the Dolphins of 1971-73 and 1983-84 for the second-best streak in league history. The Steelers' defense administers a beating just shy of torture on David Carr, sacking the Texans' quarterback eight times, including three by Troy Polamalu which tied an NFL record for sacks in a game by a safety.

Game Story
Photo journal

GAME 3
"They hate us here."
Patriots 23, Steelers 20

PITTSBURGH -- It's possible that truer words have not been spoken by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, after he led the defending champions down the Heinz Field pitch for a winning 43-yard field goal off the toe of Adam Vinatieri with one second remaining. Brady completed his last 12 passes and went 31 of 41 for 372 yards, while Corey Dillon scored from the 7 early in the fourth quarter to give New England a 20-13 lead. Roethlisberger had his first loss in 16 regular-season starts. He threw an 85-yard touchdown pass to Ward, the longest touchdown pass against the Patriots since 1990.

Game Story
Photo journal

GAME 4
Weak in the Knees
Steelers 24, Chargers 22

SAN DIEGO -- Shortly after Ben Roethlisberger limped off the field with a knee injury, Jeff Reed kicked a 40-yard field goal with six seconds left to give the Steelers a win on Monday night. Trailing, 22-21, Roethlisberger moved the Steelers into San Diego territory and had completed a 9-yard pass to Antwaan Randle El when he was hit on the knee by the helmet of Chargers rookie lineman Luis Castillo. Roethlisberger ran for one touchdown and threw for another, and Jerome Bettis rushed for a touchdown in his season debut.

Game Story
Photo journal

GAME 5
Tommy "Pop" Gun
Jaguars 23, Steelers 17, OT

PITTSBURGH -- Rashean Mathis scored on a 41-yard interception return in overtime, and the Jaguars took advantage of four Tommy Maddox turnovers against the injury-thinned Steelers. The Steelers lost their second in a row at home, although they looked to be in position to win after Quincy Morgan's 71-yard kickoff return to start the overtime. But Maddox fumbled the ball away at the 27 with Jeff Reed preparing to attempt a winning field goal on the next play.

Game Story
Photo journal

GAME 6
Still the Kings
Steelers 27, Bengals 13

CINCINNATI -- Rumors of the Steelers' demise have been greatly exaggerated. Ben Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes in his return from a knee injury, and the Steelers proved they still were the team to beat in the AFC North. Willie Parker's 39-yard touchdown run highlighted a 221-yard performance by the running game on a rainy day. Parker ran for 131 yards, and injury-slowed Jerome Bettis added 56 yards.

Game Story
Photo journal

GAME 7
Halloween Scare
Steelers 20, Ravens 19

PITTSBURGH -- On a night when the organization honored retired broadcaster Myron Cope, the Steelers survived a particularly Feh! performance, winning in the game's closing moments. Jeff Reed kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:36 remaining after Ben Roethlisberger opened each half with touchdown passes to rookie tight end Heath Miller, and the Steelers held off the depleted Ravens on Halloween night.

Game Story
Photo journal

GAME 8
Cheese Wizards
Steelers 20, Packers 10

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The frozen tundra of Lambeau Field and the Cheeseheads are about as intimidating as a Chuck E. Cheese for the Steelers. Troy Polamalu returned Brett Favre's fumble 77 yards for a touchdown, and Tyrone Carter's interception set up the offense's only touchdown in the win against the Packers. They did it without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (knee) and running back Jerome Bettis (thigh), who were joined on the sideline in the second half by Willie Parker, whose left ankle was twisted. Duce Staley had his first carries since the AFC championship, ran for 76 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

Game Story
Photo journal

GAME 9
Trickeration
Steelers 34, Browns 21

PITTSBURGH -- When breaking down tape in preparation for Super Bowl XL, the Seattle Seahawks braintrust perhaps skipped this 34-21 Steelers domination of the Browns, and why not? Neither Ben Roethlisberger, nor Fast Willie Parker dressed for the contest. But the game's highlight? A 51-yard Antwaan Randle El touchdown pass to Hines Ward on a gadget play that would look awfully familiar come February. Ward enjoyed a big game, making eight catches for 124 yards to give him 543 receptions for his career, breaking Hall of Famer John Stallworth's team record of 537.

Game Story
Photo journal

GAME 10
A Poe Effort
Ravens 16, Steelers 13, OT

BALTIMORE -- In a downright ugly game that neither team seemingly had much interest in winning, Matt Stover kicked a 44-yard field goal with 4:09 left in overtime as the Ravens came away with the upset. Playing in place of an injured Ben Roethlisberger, Tommy Maddox finished 19 of 36 for 230 yards, with a touchdown, despite spending a healthy portion of the game on his back -- he was sacked six times. Maddox also threw an interception and lost a fumble. The Steelers had won 11 in a row on the road since losing in Baltimore in September 2004.

Game Story
Photo journal

GAME 11
Monday Nightmare
Colts 26, Steelers 7

INDIANAPOLIS -- From their first offensive play, when Peyton Manning hit a streaking Marvin Harrison in stride for an 80-yard score, the Colts dominated another good team, completely outclassing the Steelers in every aspect of the game.

Edgerrin James ended the Steelers' streak of 22 regular-season games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. He had 123 yards on 29 carries. The Colts outgained the Steelers, 366-197. Manning threw touchdown passes of 80 and 12 yards, completing 15 of 25 passes for 245 yards.

The Colts have beaten three of their main AFC competitors -- the Patriots, Bengals and Steelers -- in a span of four weeks to remain unbeaten.

Game Story
Photo journal

GAME 12
End game?
Bengals 38, Steelers 31

PITTSBURGH -- The Bengals went into Heinz Field in December, stood up to the team they rarely beat and all but secured their first division championship in 15 years while pushing the Steelers to the brink of playoff oblivion.

Carson Palmer threw three touchdown passes and the Bengals' defense forced four turnovers. The Steelers (7-5) got a gutty effort from Ben Roethlisberger (29 for 41, 386 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs) despite a right thumb injury, but dropped their third in a row. After the game, the loquacious Bengals receiver Chad Johnson waved a Terrible Towel and proclaimed: "It's time for a change ... It's like going from a black and white TV to a color TV. It was Pittsburgh; it's Cincinnati now, and it'll probably be that way for a while now."

Game Story
Photo journal

GAME 13
Bus or snow plow?
Steelers 21, Bears 9

PITTSBURGH -- When the game of football was dreamed up, this is what the gods had in mind: A grey, snowy day and a slushy, muddy field for two gritty teams to line up and knock snot bubbles from each other for 60 minutes.

The Monsters of the Midway roared into Heinz Field with the NFL's top-rated defense, but by day's end were frozen roadkill on the front bumper of a Bus.

Jerome Bettis plowed through the muck and snow for two touchdowns and 101 yards as the desperate Steelers ended the Bears' eight-game winning streak and broke their own three-game losing streak. Bettis, held to 22 yards on 14 carries in his previous two games, had his first 100-yard game since 2004, which included a spectacular touchdown in which he bowled over Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher en route to the end zone.

Game Story
Photo journal

GAME 14
Dome-inating D
Steelers 18, Vikings 3

MINNEAPOLIS -- Ben Roethlisberger ran for a touchdown, and the Steelers forced three turnovers and a safety to snap the Vikings' six-game winning streak. Willie Parker rushed 14 times for 81 yards for the Steelers, who won their second consecutive game.

Their postseason chances all but dead a few weeks prior, the 9-5 Steelers now put themselves in prime position for an AFC wild card, with their only remaining games against the hapless Browns and equally bad Detroit Lions.

Game Story
Photo journal

GAME 15
Nothing for Christmas
Steelers 41, Browns 0

CLEVELAND -- Is it still a rivalry if one team continues to annually embarrass its opponent? The Steelers continue their mastery of the Cleveland club, this time in the form of a 41-0 lambasting of the Browns on Christmas eve. The defense sacked Browns rookie quarterback Charlie Frye eight times, while Ben Roethlisberger threw a touchdown pass and Willie Parker had an 80-yard touchdown run as the Steelers improved their playoff chances by going to 10-5.

Game Story
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GAME 16
Now the ride begins
Steelers 35, Lions 21

PITTSBURGH -- The Steelers needed a win to advance to the post-season and to extend the career of a certain running back. If it was to be Jerome Bettis's swan song, he did it in fine fashion. Powering for a career high tying three touchdowns in what likely was his final game in Pittsburgh he got a hero's ovation, as the Heinz Field partisans chanted "ONE MORE YEAR! ONE MORE YEAR!" The Steelers overcame some sloppy defensive play to finish 11-5 and secure their 10th playoff appearance in 14 seasons under Bill Cowher.

Game story
Gene Collier on the Bus
Photo journal
Multimedia: Last stop?

AFC WILDCARD
We Dey!
Steelers 31, Bengals 17

CINCINNATI -- In his second playoff go-round, Ben Roethlisberger was coolly efficient, going 14 of 19 for 208 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Jon Kitna replaced injured quarterback Carson Palmer and kept the Bengals in it until their inexperience started to show in the third quarter.

After trailing, 10-0 and 17-7, the Steelers rallied to beat the Bengals for the second time this season at Paul Brown Stadium and won their first road playoff game under Bill Cowher.

And the Steelers put an emphatic touch on the comeback with a flea-flicker play in which Randle El took a direct snap from center, ran to his right and threw back to the left to Roethlisberger, who delivered an easy touchdown to a wide-open Cedrick Wilson. The score made it 28-17 and deflated the Bengals.

Game story Photo journal

AFC DIVISIONAL
The Tackle
Steelers 21, Colts 18

INDIANAPOLIS -- Generations of Pittsburgh fans have spoken of the Immaculate Reception in reverence, its importance to the sporting landscape on par with Bill Mazeroski's World Series clinching home run.

Add to that Pantheon a play simply known as "the Tackle." The Steelers survived a goal-line fumble by Jerome Bettis in the game's closing minutes -- courtesy of an amazing, athletic tackle by Ben Roethlisberger -- not to mention one of the most mysterious instant replay reversals in NFL history to upset the heavily favored Colts.

A lightning quick start on offense and an aggressive, scheming defense that both battered and befuddled Peyton Manning, the Steelers became the first sixth seed to make its way to a conference championship game. The Steelers dominated the Colts until the fourth quarter that had almost unimaginable twists, including Bettis' fumble at the Colts' 2 with the Steelers trying to run out the clock, giving the Colts one last chance. But Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt honked the field goal attempt, sending Steelers Nation (or is it Steelers World?) into bedlam.

Game Story
Photo Journal
Steelers in Paris
Is God a Steeler fan?
Rich & Jeff's Excellent Adventures I: Indy Trip

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
A Mile High
Steelers 34, Broncos 17

DENVER -- If there was any concern that the Steelers were too road weary to hang tough in the thin Rocky Mountain air in the AFC championship game, doubts were vanquished on the opening drive. Hines Ward, determined to come down with a tipped ball, absorbed a torpedo blast of a hit from Broncos safety John Lynch. Catch made. First down. All smiles from Ward.

From that point forward, the Steelers put their collective boots on the necks of the Broncos and never let up. Led by 275 yards and two passing touchdowns from Ben Roethlisberger and a touchdown by Jerome Bettis, the Steelers became the first team since the 1985 Patriots to win three postseason road games en route to the Super Bowl.

And, a certain running back was headed "home."

Game Story
Photo journal
Fans erupt with joy across Steeler Nation
Rich & Jeff's Excellent Adventures II: AFC Championship

Super Bowl Countdown

PITTSBURGH -- As the reality sunk in that the Steelers would be returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in a decade, and as the favorites to win the game for the first time in more than a quarter-century, the usual Steeler-fever that grips Western Pennsylvania during any given football season had given way to full blown Steeler-insanity.

It seemed as if every single home and business adorned their windows with signs. Casual Fridays in the office gave way to Black & Gold Fridays. Pep rallies were held at the City-County Building and at Heinz Field.

Tickets to the sold-out game were scalped on the Internet for upwards of $2,500 though thousands of Steelers fans made plans to go to Detroit regardless, ticket or no ticket. Those that didn't were stocking up on food, beer and new TVs for elaborate parties at their homes or local watering holes, and Pittsburgh International Airport welcomed droves of wayward Pittsburghers who made their way home to watch the game in the city with their friends and families.

Photo Journal: Motown Madness
Video: Stillerz songz
Video: Big Ben joins the press
Editorial: Pure Pittsburgh
Forum: Our Steelers, Ourselves
Hines Ward
Slideshow: Ben Roethlisberger
Pittsburgh pep rally
Photo Journal: Pittsburgh pep rally
Photo Journal: Steelers Nation
Slideshow: Sour grapes in Cleveland

SUPER BOWL XL
Champions!
Steelers 21, Seahawks 10

DETROIT -- When the lore of the Steelers' improbable, if not incredible, postseason run is passed down from this generation to the next don't be fooled -- the Steelers didn't win Super Bowl XL pretty, but they won. More often than not, particularly in the game's opening half, it was the Steelers who were on their heels, a departure from their previous seven games of near-total dominance.

Several calls were disputed including a first-half Ben Roethlisberger touchdown that was eventually upheld on replay, as well as a number of costly infractions committed by the Seahawks. Ultimately, it was the Steelers that created big plays when they needed them. Willie Parker set a Super Bowl record with a 75-yard touchdown sprint off right tackle early in the second half, and Antwaan Randle El took an end-around handoff from Roethlisberger and completed a 51-yard touchdown pass to eventual game MVP Hines Ward to break the game open midway through the fourth quarter and seal the Steelers' first Super Bowl title in 26 years.

While the game's major plot line revolved around Jerome Bettis's return to his hometown of Detroit with the chance to go out a champion, just as worthy a story was that of Bill Cowher, the Pittsburgh native son who had guided his hometown team to more than a decade of football excellence, yet the sport's ultimate prize eluded him, often in devastatingly painful fashion.

To wit: San Diego's Dennis Gibson breaking up Neil O' Donnell's pass to Barry Foster in the Three Rivers Stadium end zone in the 1994 AFC Championship game; the Cowboys Larry Brown picking off two O' Donnell passes in Super Bowl XXX; a Kordell Stewart collapse in the 1997 AFC championship game against Denver; a pair of bitter AFC championship losses to the Patriots in 2001 and 2004.

And if Cowher had endured that pain, so too did the legion of Steelers fans who made a pilgrimage to Detroit even without a game ticket, and those who exploded out of homes and taverns around Pittsburgh in a spontaneous celebration of sheer joy that numbered in the tens of thousands with the heaviest concentration of revelers on the University of Pittsburgh campus in Oakland, Downtown and East Carson Street on the city's South Side.

Game Story
One For The Ages
A Season Remembered
Essay: Cradle to the Grave
MVP: Hines Ward
10 Plays
Slideshow
Photo journal
Bedlam in the 'Burgh I
Bedlam in the 'Burgh II
Rob Rogers' Sketch Journal
Pittsburgh: North
Rich & Jeff's Excellent Adventures III: Detroit!

AFTERMATH
City of Champions

PITTSBURGH -- When the Steelers returned to Pittsburgh, they were greeted with a parade the likes of which had not been seen in this city since World War II ended. Crowd estimates for the Feb. 7 parade were put around a quarter of a million.

The tie that binds this city's football team and its residents, past and present, seems to course through a common DNA strand yet unmapped by the human genome project. It may be a double helix bonded by Terrible Towels for all anyone knows.

The delicate psyche of this city, which always seems to be down on itself for some inexplicable reason, has held its collective chin a little higher since Feb. 5, and why not? -- Its favorite son Cowher has quite a prominent chin himself.

Training camp for the 2006 season has begun, and with it a defense of the title. "One for the thumb" is done. Time to start working on the other hand.

A Hero's Welcome
Super Monday
Victory Parade: Story
Victory Parade: Story II
Victory Parade: Photo journal
Victory Parade: Slideshow
Lombardi Trophy/Steelers Nation
Fans say thank you
Lombardi's new home
White House visit: Story
White House visit: First Person
White House visit: Photo journal
Lords of THE RING