Seattle Wins Its First Super Bowl and Some NFC Respect
The
'terrible towels' went limp with 7:14 left in the third quarter when the
Seattle Seahawk's behemoth left guard,
Steve Hutchinson on a beautiful cross-blocking sweep around left end collided and knocked
Pittsburgh Steeler's motor mouth linebacker,
Joey Porter out cold, and out of the game.
Hutchinson’s crushing block on Porter paved the way for a
Shaun Alexander 8 yard run into the end zone and his second touchdown of the game, giving the Seahawks a 24-10 lead.
The Steelers had cut the Seahawk's 17-3 halftime lead in half just minutes earlier on a one yard plunge by
Jerome Bettis that was set up by a 58 yard run on a reverse by
Antwaan Randle El three plays earlier.
But a 64 yard return on the ensuing kickoff by
Josh Scobey to the Steeler's 28, quickly sent the Steeler's defense back on their heels and Alexander grinded out the remaining 28 yards on four consecutive carries, scoring from 8 yards out.
Alexander's two touchdowns gave him an even
30 for the year and along with his 132 yards on 27 carries, enough votes to earn him the
40th Super Bowl’s MVP. Alexander became only the seventh player to win both the League MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same year.
Hutchinson, in his fifth year out of the University of Michigan, in a display of emotion not very Wolverine-like, stood over the stunned, dazed and almost unconscious Porter momentarily, half-mocking his comment from earlier in the week by
tapping his helmet and glaring at coach Bill Cowher and the Steeler's bench.
Porter, this year’s Super Bowl ‘goat’, who taunted tight end
Jerramy Stevens and the rest of the Seahawk offense most of the week for being 'soft', did not return from the locker room after his injury. Cowher reported in the post game press conference that Porter had been taken to
Henry Ford Hospital for further observation on what was believed to be a concussion. Initial scans of his brain came back negative.
Although it was Alexander's consistent power running that led the way for the Seahawks, Seattle's quarterback,
Matt Hasselbeck picked apart the Steeler's pass defense by completing 25 of 38 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown, a 23 yarder to Stevens with 1:23 left in the first half.
The Steeler's second year quarterback,
Ben Roethlisberger, could not shake the Seahawk's pass rush, getting sacked four times, twice by
Bryce Fisher, and once by
Grant Wistrom, and throwing two untimely interceptions, one to rookie middle linebacker
Lofa Tatupu, and one to strong safety
Michael Boulware, that led to 10 Seattle points.
Roethlisberger ended his disappointing day by completing just 21 of 45 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, a 24 yarder to
Hines Ward with 1:03 left in the game.
One major disappointment for the Steelers and for the Detroit hometown fans,
Bettis playing in probably his last game was held to just 49 yards on 22 carries but did score the Steeler's first touchdown on the one yard run early in the third quarter.
Another Detroit hometown favorite though, Steeler's linebacker,
Larry Foote, and also a former Wolverine, turned in one of his best games of the season with 11 tackles, 6 unassisted.
Steeler's running back,
Willie Parker had a little easier go at it than Bettis, finishing with 88 yards on 28 carries, but Parker had a crucial fumble early in the first quarter on Pittsburgh's 40 yard line that led to the Seahawk's first touchdown.
It's good to see the NFC back as Super Bowl Champs. Seattle didn't appreciate being a 4 1/2 point underdog and then getting dissed by Porter all week. Way too many Johnny Come Lately Steeler fans forgot to give Matt Hasselbeck or the Seattle defense their due and
Mike Holgrem totally schooled
Bill Cowher.
But, at least the Steeler fans at
Ford Field had towels to wipe away their tears with.
GO SEAHAWKS!
The 'terrible towels' went limp with 7:14 left in the third quarter when the Seattle Seahawk's behemoth left guard, Steve Hutchinson on a beautiful cross-blocking sweep around left end collided and knocked Pittsburgh Steeler's motor mouth linebacker, Joey Porter out cold, and out of the game.
Hutchinson’s crushing block on Porter paved the way for a Shaun Alexander 8 yard run into the end zone and his second touchdown of the game, giving the Seahawks a 24-10 lead.
The Steelers had cut the Seahawk's 17-3 halftime lead in half just minutes earlier on a one yard plunge by Jerome Bettis that was set up by a 58 yard run on a reverse by Antwaan Randle El three plays earlier.
But a 64 yard return on the ensuing kickoff by Josh Scobey to the Steeler's 28, quickly sent the Steeler's defense back on their heels and Alexander grinded out the remaining 28 yards on four consecutive carries, scoring from 8 yards out.
Alexander's two touchdowns gave him an even 30 for the year and along with his 132 yards on 27 carries, enough votes to earn him the 40th Super Bowl’s MVP. Alexander became only the seventh player to win both the League MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same year.
Hutchinson, in his fifth year out of the University of Michigan, in a display of emotion not very Wolverine-like, stood over the stunned, dazed and almost unconscious Porter momentarily, half-mocking his comment from earlier in the week by tapping his helmet and glaring at coach Bill Cowher and the Steeler's bench.
Porter, this year’s Super Bowl ‘goat’, who taunted tight end Jerramy Stevens and the rest of the Seahawk offense most of the week for being 'soft', did not return from the locker room after his injury. Cowher reported in the post game press conference that Porter had been taken to Henry Ford Hospital for further observation on what was believed to be a concussion. Initial scans of his brain came back negative.
Although it was Alexander's consistent power running that led the way for the Seahawks, Seattle's quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck picked apart the Steeler's pass defense by completing 25 of 38 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown, a 23 yarder to Stevens with 1:23 left in the first half.
The Steeler's second year quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, could not shake the Seahawk's pass rush, getting sacked four times, twice by Bryce Fisher, and once by Grant Wistrom, and throwing two untimely interceptions, one to rookie middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu, and one to strong safety Michael Boulware, that led to 10 Seattle points.
Roethlisberger ended his disappointing day by completing just 21 of 45 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, a 24 yarder to Hines Ward with 1:03 left in the game.
One major disappointment for the Steelers and for the Detroit hometown fans, Bettis playing in probably his last game was held to just 49 yards on 22 carries but did score the Steeler's first touchdown on the one yard run early in the third quarter.
Another Detroit hometown favorite though, Steeler's linebacker, Larry Foote, and also a former Wolverine, turned in one of his best games of the season with 11 tackles, 6 unassisted.
Steeler's running back, Willie Parker had a little easier go at it than Bettis, finishing with 88 yards on 28 carries, but Parker had a crucial fumble early in the first quarter on Pittsburgh's 40 yard line that led to the Seahawk's first touchdown.
It's good to see the NFC back as Super Bowl Champs. Seattle didn't appreciate being a 4 1/2 point underdog and then getting dissed by Porter all week. Way too many Johnny Come Lately Steeler fans forgot to give Matt Hasselbeck or the Seattle defense their due and Mike Holgrem totally schooled Bill Cowher.
But, at least the Steeler fans at Ford Field had towels to wipe away their tears with.
GO SEAHAWKS!
