Five Greatest Moments In Pittsburgh Steelers History

Here We Go: Part Two

Moment One: The Immaculate Reception

You had to know it would be this moment. But I’m not going to dwell on the mechanics of the play. Everyone knows what happened. It occurred during the 1972 AFC Divisional playoff game between the Steelers and Oakland Raiders. With just 22 seconds left to go in the game, Pittsburgh found themselves in a dire situation. Oakland had just scored taking the lead 7-6. It was fourth and ten and Pittsburgh had no time outs remaining. Bradshaw, after shaking two defenders, searched for an open receiver. Eyeing fullback John “Frenchy” Fuqua, he threw the ball towards the 35. The Raiders safety, Jack Tatum hit Fuqua just as the ball arrived and the pass tumbled end over end towards the ground. Franco Harris, who had been blocking, made his way down field as an additional receiver and managed to be in the right place at the right time. Snatching the ball just before it hit the turf, he ran for a touchdown which gave the Steelers the lead and the win.

The irony of it all is that most people who take that play out of context think two things. This occurred during the Super Bowl and that Pittsburgh won it. To put it into perspective, this occurred during the 1972 season, the fairytale undefeated season of the Miami Dolphins who beat the Steelers in the AFC Championship game and eventually won Super Bowl VII. The reality is that there has never been a more controversial call in American football. Who did the ball touch first, Tatum or Fuqua? Did the ball touch the ground before Harris grabbed it?
Players, professors, and historians have all but definitively proven that the ball hit Tatum on the shoulder but the only films of the play are either obscured by goal posts are missed the catch as Harris nabbed the ball out of frame.

What cannot be disputed is the effect that the play had on Pittsburgh football. After 40 years of disappointment and mediocrity, the Pittsburgh Steelers had been given a spark of success. That spark burned into a blazing inferno known as Steeler Nation. Two years later Pittsburgh began their NFL dynasty winning four Super Bowls in six years. A town that faced hardships with the collapse of the Steel Industry were suddenly giving a beacon of hope in team who were named after the very industry which collapsed. As residents of the area moved away to find work, they took their love of the team with them and passed it onto new generations creating a tidal wave of Terrible Towels across the nation and the world. The Steelers became a force to be reckoned with and are now attempting to capture their sixth Super Bowl trophy, a record in the NFL. They currently share the record of five wins with Dallas and San Francisco.

Had Harris missed that catch or had it been ruled illegal for one reason or another, who is to say what would be the legacy that followed. The following year the club went 10-4 and had a rematch of sorts with Oakland to which Oakland won. In any case, Miami won their second Super Bowl that year. However, the history of the Steelers success can be attributed to a snowball effect from support of the fans, the emergence of Steel Curtain, and the humble and blue collar rooted work ethic of the team’s administration. But if you had to cite a moment when the tide turned, I think you can agree that the Immaculate Reception is it.


GO STEELERS!

Footnote:

If I had to pick five more moments to make this a Top 10 list, here's the ones I would pick.

1. Harbaugh to Bailey hail mary pass broken up in the end zone.
   1996 AFC Championship Game: Colts vs. Steelers.
2. The first ever Terrible Towel wave
   1975 AFC Divisonal Playoff Game
3. Gary Anderson 50-yard field goal in OT to beat the Oilers on New Year's Eve.
   1989 AFC Wild Card Playoff Game
4. Antwaan Randle El's 43-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward on a fake reverse.
   2005 Super Bowl XL
5. Lambert throws Cliff Harris to the ground after taunting Roy Gerela for his missed field goal attempt.
   1975 Super Bowl X

Five Greatest Moments In Pittsburgh Steelers History

Here We Go: Part Two

Moment Three: Polamalu’s Interception

The Steelers aren’t a team that capitalize on having big name players on the roster. There are certainly big stars in the league like Tom Brady, Terrell Owens, and Peyton Manning but Pittsburgh prides itself on being identified as a whole team, not just a superstar running back, quarterback, or linebacker. However, the individual does contribute as a whole and sometimes, they are the reason for greatness that comes to the whole team.

Case in point, a young long haired Samoan from California can be cited as having a lot to do with Pittsburgh’s appearance in Super Bowl XLIII. During the 2009 AFC Championship game at Heinz Field, Troy Polamalu exhibited why he is a necessary component to the success of the ball club. His speed, agility, and instinct make him a threat to any offense. His off the field calm and gentle nature make him an enigma to everyone else. Troy is one of those players that plays the game. There is a switch that flips when that helmet goes on as if the compression of that mane stirs up a hornet’s nest within him which he unleashes on the opposing team. Hard hitting aside, when he actually comes up with a fumble or interception he becomes what I can only describe as the Pittsburgh version of The Tazmanian Devil. He holds the ball like it was a live bomb ready to go off and he has to get it off the field. He runs with it held in both hands and manages to traverse from end zone to end zone and sideline to sideline, sometimes during the same play.

There are times, while watching the game, when I feel like victory is slipping away from the ball club. I think to myself, “If only Troy could make something happen.” To that, it’s like someone hears my thoughts and climbs to the highest reaches of the stadium to flip on the Troy Signal. A bright beam of light pierces the sky and the outline of a head with flowing locks appears to alert him on the field. Within an instant, he finds himself in between the quarterback and receiver, poised to play take away.

That being said, my pick for The Third Greatest Moment in Steelers History is Polamalu’s interception of Joe Flacco during the 2009 AFC Championship Game. Troy returned the interception for a touchdown which helped propel the Steelers into a commanding lead resulting in a win against divisional rivals, The Baltimore Ravens, and a trip to Super Bowl XLIII.

Moment Two: Super Bowl XIV Comeback

After winning three Super Bowls, greatness seems to be a secondary thought to the 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers. Still, sometimes, you don’t have to always be great, just when it’s necessary. Super Bowl XIV was one of those necessary times. In fact, the entire fourth quarter makes the list at number two.

Heading into the last quarter of the game, the Steelers were losing, 19-14, to the underdog Los Angeles Rams. If life truly mirrored fiction, then the Rams were destined to win as depicted in the film Heaven Can Wait released just 18 months earlier. Pittsburgh had other ideas. With just under 13 minutes left to go, Terry Bradshaw threw a 73-yard pass to John Stallworth, scoring the go ahead touchdown. With only a two point deficit, the Rams looked to gain the lead back, but made a crucial error. Ferragamo didn’t see Jack Lambert skulking around behind Preston Dennard when he threw the ball from the Pittsburgh 32. Lambert intercepted and shut down Los Angeles drive.

On their subsequent drive, Bradshaw found lightning again and hit Stallworth for a 45-yard reception that took them to the Rams 22. An interference penalty by Los Angeles in the end zone brought the Steelers another 21 yards to the goal line and on third down and one, Franco Harris punched for six giving Pittsburgh a 31-19 lead and Los Angeles heartburn. After a turnover on downs, Pittsburgh ran out the clock, winning Super Bowl XIV.

Stay tuned for the Number One Greatest Moment

Five Greatest Moments In Pittsburgh Steelers History

Here We Go: Part Two

Moment Five: The Tackle

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 60 minutes away from making history. A sixth Lombardi trophy would put them into a class all by themselves. After winning four Super Bowls in the span of six years, there was a bit of a drought. It would 16 years before the Black and Gold would make another appearance at the big show. The outcome of that game, Superl Bowl XXX, was a disappointing loss to the Dallas Cowboys. During those long years, other teams staked their claim to term dynasty. The San Francisco 49ers won their five Super Bowls between 1981-1994. Dallas picked up two more wins before adding number five against The Steelers.

It would be another 10 years before Pittsburgh would make another appearance. During those years another team would standout by winning three rings in four years. In fact the New England Patriots thwarted Pittsburgh's dreams of going to Super Bowl XXXIX in a year that seemed storied. A young, rookie quarterback making his mark at the helm, a seasoned running back in the twilight of his career, and a coach looking to make good on a promise that he made to his bosses all seemed like the ingredients for a great sports film like The Natural. At 15-1, who could have thought they would seem easy to beat in the AFC championship game. Especially, against a team that they easily dismantled three months earlier on Halloween.

Ironically, it was only the preamble to an even greater story. Immediately after their 41-27 loss to the Patriots Ben Roethlisberger offered a doozy of a bond to Jerome Bettis. "One more year."
The 33 year old running back took up the challenge from his 10 year younger QB.

After starting out their season with an impressive opener against the Tennessee Titans, the weeks took a turn towards the disappointing. Losses to the Patriots, Colts, and Jaguars marred their outlook of being able to beat these teams in playoff situations, if they arose. Further losses to two divisional rivals at the hands of the Ravens and Bengals slid the Steelers into a must win situation for the rest of the season's match ups. Beating the Bears, Vikings, Browns, and Lions didn't seem like much of a challenge, but that was only half of the equation. As a sixth seed team in the playoffs it would take winning on the road for the next three games to get to Bettis' hometown of Detroit for Super Bowl XL. A win over the Bengals poised them to take on their toughest post season opponent.

January 15, 2006 was the date of the AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Colts and the Steelers. Their loss to the Colts in Week 13 was surely in their minds. An seemingly unstoppable offense led by Peyton Manning and a deafening 12th man filling the seats of the RCA dome was two obstacles the Steelers had to overcome. Both teams commanded the game in separate halves of play but, by the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh looked to have the Colts dead to rights. A fourth quarter turnover on downs left the Steelers in possession of the ball with only 1:20 remaining on the clock. As professional clock managers, the Steelers only needed to down the ball but the Colts still had all of their timeouts which forced Pittsburgh to advance the field.

An insurance touchdown by their best goal line running back seemed like the proverbial nail in the coffin. However, in a twist of fate, the player who had not fumbled all year long had the ball popped from his possession inches from the goal line. Bettis' fumble was recovered by Nick Harper, who then ran towards the opposite end of the field. The task of running nearly a hundred yards would be hard enough if you had people chasing you, but Harper seemed to have a gracious head start and only had one person to beat, Roethlisberger. If ever there was a moment of, "I can't screw up," it was now. Roethlisberger had promised Bettis and somehow managed to grab Harper's foot as he made his way towards freedom. Six points by the Colts with little time left would have been nearly impossible to answer. The Tackle or The Immaculate Redemption as it's also called makes the list at Number Five.

Moment Four: Wide Right

In all fairness to built up drama and tension, Number Four should be Number Five. However, since it happened chronologically in the same game, I choose to not spoil the story by putting it ahead of Moment Five.

Now, who is to say that a tie game would spell a loss for the Steelers' Super Bowl dreams. Their would still be an opportunity to win a coin toss, drive the ball into field goal range and win by three. But those are odds that are usually not in your favor when you leave it all to the toss of the coin. However, Mike Vanderjagt was mister perfect in the playoffs. He hadn't missed a field goal yet. Overtime seemed like an inevitable conclusion in the minds of the capacity crowd at The RCA Dome. I guess you can't mess with fate, though. Vanderjagt went wide right on a 46-yard attempt and that allowed Pittsburgh to run out the clock and head to Denver. The rest is history.

Stay tuned for Moments 2 and 3.