Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/637179
| SUPER BOWL SUNDAY | 27 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2016 Feb. 1, 2009 at Tampa, Fla. Pittsburgh 3 14 3 7 — 27 Arizona 0 7 0 16 — 23 Attendance — 70,774 Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers ended a game of incredible swings with a final-minute touchdown for a victory over the Cardinals. MVP Santonio Holmes made a brilliant 6-yard catch deep in the right corner of the end zone with 35 seconds remain- ing, liing the Steelers to a record- setting sixth Super Bowl win. SUPER BOWL XLIII STEELERS EDGE CARDS, SURGE TO 6TH SUPER BOWL TITLE Feb. 5, 2006 at Detroit Seattle 3 0 7 0 — 10 Pittsburgh 0 7 7 7 — 21 Attendance — 68,206 In what almost amounted to a home game for the Steelers — and was a homecoming for their star running back, Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh finally got its "one for the thumb" ring. A record-setting run, game-turning interception and trick play gave the Steelers their record-tying fih Super Bowl title in Bettis's final NFL game. In his hometown of Detroit, before nearly as many Terrible Towels as are waved in Heinz Field. 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. They had a chance to close out the Se- ahawks later in the third quarter, but on third-and-6 from the Seahawks 7-yard line, Ben Roethlisberger threw an inter- SUPER BOWL XL STEELERS, 'BUS' TAKE THE TITLE IN MOTOR CITY Feb. 4, 2007 at Miami Indianapolis 6 10 6 7 — 29 Chicago 14 0 3 0 — 17 Attendance — 74,512 Peyton Manning of the Colts added a Super Bowl MVP award to his long list of achievements. He was 25 of 38 for 247 yards and a touchdown pass as he rallied the Colts to a 29-17 victory in the South Florida rain. It was the first Super Bowl played in wet weather. Another first: Tony Dungy became the first African-American coach to win the championship, beating good friend and protege Lovie Smith in a game that featured the first two African-American coaches in the Super Bowl. Chicago's Devin Hester opened the game with a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the first time a Super Bowl began with a touchdown. Two posses- sions later, Manning connected on a 53-yard pass to Reggie Wayne. Hunter Smith mishandled the snap on the extra point, allowing the Bears to hold a 7-6 lead. The Bears took a 14-6 lead later in the quarter on Muhsin Muhammad's 4-yard touchdown reception. The Colts scored 10 points in the second quarter, capped by Dominic Rhodes' 1-yard run, for a 16-14 halime lead. Indianapolis kicked field goals on its first two pos- sessions of the third quarter and put the game away on Kelvin Hayden's 56-yard interception return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. SUPER BOWL XLI PEYTON EARNS SUPER BOWL TITLE IN RAINY MIAMI Feb. 4, 2008 at Glendale, Ariz. N.Y. Giants 3 0 0 14 — 17 New England 0 7 0 7 — 14 Attendance — 71,101 See page 15. SUPER BOWL XLII GIANTS DERAIL PATRIOTS' BID FOR PERFECTION CHRIS O'MEARA — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes (10) catches a touchdown pass as Arizona Cardinals' Aaron Francisco (47) and Ralph Brown watch during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Fla. The Steelers won 27-23. The late scoring overshadowed Pitts- burgh 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 aer three quarters. Kurt Warner and the Cardinals then 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 87-yard drive capped by a leaping 1-yard TD catch by Larry Fitzgerald over Ike Taylor. Aer an exchange of possessions, the Cardinals got a safety when Pittsburgh's Justin Hartwig was called for a holding pen- alty in the end zone. Two plays later, Warner hit Fitzgerald in stride for a 64-yard touchdown and the lead. With 2:30 le, Roethlisberger engi- neered a 78-yard drive. Roethlisberger connected with Holmes on passes of 14, 13 and 40 yards before hitting him in the right corner. ception that Kelly Herndon returned a Super Bowl-record 76 yards. That set up the Seahawks' only touchdown, a 16-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Jerramy Stevens. Early in the fourth quarter, Seattle drove to the Steelers 19. Hasselbeck's worst pass of the game was intercept- ed by Ike Taylor, ending Seattle's drive. The clincher for the Steelers was Ant- waan Randle El's 43-yard pass to Hines Ward, the first Super Bowl touchdown throw by a receiver and one of the most decisive trick plays in championship game history. Randle El had been a quarterback in college. That catch wrapped up the MVP trophy for Ward, who had five catches for 123 yards. It wrapped up Bettis' only cham- pionship; he announced his retirement aer the game. Feb. 6, 2005 at Jacksonville, Fla. New England 0 7 7 10 — 24 Philadelphia 0 7 7 7 — 21 Attendance — 78,125 The New England Patriots won their third Super Bowl in four years, match- ing the Cowboys' feat from the 1990s. It was their ninth straight postseason victory, equaling Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers. It was coach Bill Belichick's 10th playoff victory in 11 games, one better than Lombardi. Deion Branch, from nearby Albany, Georgia, fretted that he couldn't get enough tickets for everyone who wanted to make the drive from his hometown to Jacksonville. Those who didn't attend missed quite a show: Branch had 11 receptions for 133 yards to win MVP honors and the Patriots' defense forced four turnovers to become the eighth team to win con- secutive Super Bowls. The Patriots took a 21-14 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard run by Corey Dillon. New England forced a three-and-out and Branch's 19-yard re- ception set up Adam Vinatieri's 22-yard field goal with 8:40 to play. SUPER BOWL XXXIX PATRIOTS EDGE EAGLES FOR 3RD SUPER BOWL TITLE