2005 Pittsburgh Steelers Season

Season Summary: The Steelers came out of the gate looking like juggernauts. Willie Parker burst onto the scene, the defense was ferocious, and with Roethlisberger in command, Pittsburgh was a clear Super Bowl favorite. Then came Ben's scary knee injury, multiple error-filled performances by Maddox, and suddenly the Steelers were 7-5, their season on life support.

Bill Cowher hit the reset button. With a clean slate clean, the team embarked on one of the greatest runs in NFL history. Four straight must-wins to close out the regular season got them into the playoffs as the #6 seed. Then came the revenge tour: beating the AFC's top 3 seeds, all on the road.

The Wild Card in Cinci was personal, a 31-17 statement that avenged the Terrible Towel desecration. The next week in Indy was unforgettable: the Steelers mauled Peyton Manning early, and Ben's legendary ankle tackle after Bettis' fumble saved the season in one of the most iconic plays in NFL history. In Denver, Roethlisberger was brilliant, making good on his promise to get The Bus to a Super Bowl in his hometown of Detroit.

Super Bowl XL wasn't pretty, but it was Steeler football. The offense struck with haymakers: Big Ben's 3rd-and-28 improvisational bomb to Ward, Parker's blazing 75-yard TD burst, and Randle El's stunning gadget pass to Ward to seal it. The defense matched that sense of timing, with Ike's late INT and repeated 3rd-down stops, limiting the league's #1 offense to just 10 points. Ward earned MVP honors, Bettis got his storybook ending, and the Steelers finally got "One for the Thumb."