Better Lucky Than Good

Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. The Super Bowl last night is a good example of such an occurrence. I have been a lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers fan (and there is little chance of that changing anytime soon), but to be honest, neither team played very well last night. This game could have been an absolute rout if either team had played well, and would have been a high-scoring thriller if both teams had played well. As it was, both teams played poorly overall, but Pittsburgh just had more big plays and fewer mistakes. And in the end, that is what won it. So, in this particular space I would like to comment on my observations of the game.

Hands Made Of Putty:

While neither quarterback was perfect, both quarterbacks did a decent job. Ben Roethlisberger passed a lot better than a hideous 22.9 rating would suggest. Both quarterbacks passed on the mark except for a couple of errant tosses. However, the receivers on both teams were dropping passes left and right, up and down, sideways and diagonal. It didn't matter if the passes were screen passes, first down passes, or would-be touchdown passes, but neither set of receivers could get a glove on the passes on a consistent basis. Hines Ward was a deserving MVP, but that is because he was simply able to get his gloves on two deep passes. That's all it took to be an MVP in this game. Jerramy Stevens, the trash-talking Seattle TE, caught a touchdown pass (on a somewhat questionable pick pattern) but dropped at least 3 other gift-wrapped passes. It's not like either secondary was doing well, the receivers on both teams just couldn't hang on to the ball.

Trick Plays:

Pittsburgh's offensive output was greatly enhanced by a couple of trick plays that really caught Seattle off guard. The Antwaan Randle El to Hines Ward flea flicker pass had been done earlier in the year (against Cleveland) for a TD, but apparently some Seattle DB's didn't study their tape well enough, because it worked for a TD again in the Super Bowl. Roethlisberger's canny scrambles (including the TD run that gave Pittsburgh a surprising halftime lead) and his long 3rd down pass to Ward that set up the touchdown run kept Pittsburgh's offense on the field and were critical in victory. That Cowher had enough faith in his players to use such trickery in the Super Bowl speaks highly of his credentials.

You're Killing Me Smalls:

On the other hand, Seattle just killed themselves with mistakes: a push-off for offensive pass interference that negates a touchdown pass, a holding penalty that negates a 1st and goal, a (questionable) clipping penalty that adds 15 yards to an interception return, and poor clock management and field awareness that ruined any chance at a last-second comeback. These sort of mistakes will come back to haunt Seattle as they replay the game over and over in their minds. This is not to say that Pittsburgh didn't make mistakes. The underthrown pass that led to the longest INT return in Super Bowl history comes to mind, as does two false start penalties on the opening drive, probably due to jitters. But Pittsburgh made fewer mistakes than Seattle, and on this day, it was enough.

Not So Special Teams Play:

Neither team had great special teams, but Pittsburgh's special teams were average and not poor, and that made a lot of difference. In 3 straight punts where Seattle could have pinned Pittsburgh deep in their own territory, Seattle punter Todd Rouen kicked touchbacks. While Chris Gardocki had one touchback himself, he did manage to down a punt on the two yard line, which was the best special teams play of the whole game. Seattle kicker Josh Brown was 1 for 3, and though two of the field goals were really long (50 and 54 yards--both missed), his team was depending on his long leg to cover for their penalties, and not finishing those drives was critical. So while we should give him a pass, those misses did change the complexion of the game considerably.

We're Going to Disney World Baby:

In the final analysis, though, the Steelers did what they had to do to win (without playing dirty and chippy like the Seahawks did). Bettis (aka "The Bus") will retire a Super Bowl champion, and looks strong as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Cowher has now shed his label as a "can't win the big one" coach (here's hoping Tony Dungy wins one as well someday), and has to enter consideration in the Hall of Fame as one of the winningest coaches of all time. Roethlisberger has become the youngest QB to ever win the Super Bowl, even though he probably feels pretty rotten about his game. Willie Parker has outran his North Carolina ghosts with the longest run in Super Bowl history (76 yards and the game-winning TD). Dan Rooney and all of us who are Pittsburgh fans get one for the thumb. So, even if the game was less than beautiful and both teams were rather shaky, a lucky win is still a win, and it feels a lot better winning than it does losing. So, cheers to Pittsburgh.