Greatest Play in Steelers History

[Slapstick]

exactly, it may or may not have. there's no way of ever knowing...

...because that play affected the game so profoundly. It could be held up as the perfect example of a game-changing play...

[SteelerOfDeVille]

The Harrison INT was the difference in that game. Period.

a difference? yes. THE difference? No. there was an entire half of football to be played.

[RuthlessBurgher]

a difference? yes. THE difference? No. there was an entire half of football to be played.

I like the symmetry that a post stating that there was an entire half of football to be played was posted exactly at noon, when is there is precisely another half a day to continue posting.

[Slapstick]

a difference? yes. THE difference? No. there was an entire half of football to be played.

Just because an entire half of less impactful plays took place afterward, it does not negate that Harrison's INT was the difference in the game.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Slap, if Harrison makes his play, but, Santonio does not, they cannot win.
OTOH, with or without Harrison's play, there was an entire half of football.
His play was big... it was HUGE... I just have a hard time calling a first half play the difference in the game.

(Funny how discussion boards do this... our difference of opinion is minute - we both acknowledge both plays are huge... in my old age, i'm getting more patience for dispute... probably why i post less these days)...

[Slapstick]

Slap, if Harrison makes his play, but, Santonio does not, they cannot win.
OTOH, with or without Harrison's play, there was an entire half of football.
His play was big... it was HUGE... I just have a hard time calling a first half play the difference in the game.

(Funny how discussion boards do this... our difference of opinion is minute - we both acknowledge both plays are huge... in my old age, i'm getting more patience for dispute... probably why i post less these days)...

I can understand. And, I prefer to think of it as a debate instead of a dispute. I mean, here we are, discussing the relative "bigness" of two of the biggest plays in the history of the greatest franchise in professional sports...that also happens to be our favorite team! That's what I like about message boards...

OTOH, if Harrison doesn't make his play but Santonio does, Holmes' catch may have meant nothing but garbage time stats...

Holmes and Ben made a great play...one of, if not the, most clutch plays in a Super Bowl...

But, Harrison's play was not only amazing, but nigh impossible...

From an analysis of the Seahawks SB debacle:

In the past five seasons, including the playoffs entering last night, teams on the opponent’s 1-yard line ran the ball on 71 percent of all plays. On those plays, teams scored a touchdown 54 percent of the time while turning the ball over 1.5 percent of the time.
When passing from the 1, teams scored a touchdown just under 50 percent of the time while turning the ball over at a slightly higher rate.

And this:

For starters, interceptions on pass plays at the 1-yard line are very rare. Wilson’s was the 109th pass attempt from the 1-yard line in the NFL this season and the first to be picked off.
In the past 10 seasons, including the playoffs, quarterbacks have thrown 270 passes on second down from the opponent’s 1. They combined for 129 touchdowns and just five interceptions (Wilson’s on Sunday being the fifth).

Add to that the probability against a 100 yard INT return...when the play started with only 18 seconds on the clock...

[Discipline of Steel]

So what you are saying is Harrisons play was far more improbable and incredible than Stonios....to which i would have to agree.

[feltdizz]

Just because an entire half of less impactful plays took place afterward, it does not negate that Harrison's INT was the difference in the game.

Umm.. Fitz scored the go ahead TD with 2 minutes left.

I know what you are trying to say but you are saying it all wrong. JH's play definitely was a huge momentum/point swing and it's one of the best plays ever in a SB but it didn't decide the game.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

I can understand. And, I prefer to think of it as a debate instead of a dispute. I mean, here we are, discussing the relative "bigness" of two of the biggest plays in the history of the greatest franchise in professional sports...that also happens to be our favorite team! That's what I like about message boards...

(one of my buddy's favorite sayings... )

But, it IS amazing when ya put it that way...

OTOH, if Harrison doesn't make his play but Santonio does, Holmes' catch may have meant nothing but garbage time stats...

Without Harrisons, there were 30 minutes of opportunity to get back in the game. that's my problem. if Harrison doesn't make a play it MAY have been garbage stats. But, they may not have been. That alone means it cannot be THE play of the game, IMO.

Improbable as it may have been (improbable INT with an improbable return) i just struggle with the idea that any play with that much time left can be most important play of the game. Unless it did something to impact the rest of the game, like caused an injury. (KVO's play against the Bengals may have been the most important play that game because it took Carson out... AS the threw a bomb)

That clutch Pats** kicker is considered clutch, not because he made 60 yarders before the half expired, but, because he made 45 yarders as time expired.
Or hitting a half-court shot to go up by one at halftime versus Christian Laettner's shot.

OK, enough examples - i don't think either of us will sway... HERE WE GO STEELERS!!

[Eich]

There can be arguments for decades over what should be the "greatest play in Steelers history" for a variety of reasons. But for me personally, the one that stands out in my head was Harrison's pick 6 in the Super Bowl. It had everything. He made an amazing play based on instincts and tendencies he learned about Warner. The entire defense rallied around him for the entire length of the field. This came specifically after Tomlin addressed the team before the Super Bowl about finishing interceptions. I was screaming and yelling with a group of friends around the TV for the entire length of the field. It was amazing. It was exhausting. I think I was as tired as James by the time he scored. And just before he scored, Fitz made an amazing attempt at stopping him and failed.

I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about the play.

[Jigawatts]

There can be arguments for decades over what should be the "greatest play in Steelers history" for a variety of reasons. But for me personally, the one that stands out in my head was Harrison's pick 6 in the Super Bowl. It had everything. He made an amazing play based on instincts and tendencies he learned about Warner. The entire defense rallied around him for the entire length of the field. This came specifically after Tomlin addressed the team before the Super Bowl about finishing interceptions. I was screaming and yelling with a group of friends around the TV for the entire length of the field. It was amazing. It was exhausting. I think I was as tired as James by the time he scored. And just before he scored, Fitz made an amazing attempt at stopping him and failed.

I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about the play.

Couldn't have said it better myself. All that drama and excitement wrapped up in one play. Simply amazing.

[Slapstick]

I will leave you all with this quote from an All-Time Steeler and NFL great after SB XLIII:

"That's the difference in the game," said Steelers safety [URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=4474"]Troy Polamalu[/URL]. "I can honestly tell you. We had a defensive touchdown. They didn't."

[SteelerOfDeVille]

I will leave you all with this quote from an All-Time Steeler and NFL great after SB XLIII:

DeVille starts mumbles, "defensive player claims defensive play to be play of the game... lemme find my Big Ben Quote on Holmes' catch. Oooo, Goooogle... Google my dear."

[feltdizz]

I will leave you all with this quote from an All-Time Steeler and NFL great after SB XLIII:

c'mon bro... of course Troy is going to talk about that play instead of Warner torching them in the 4th quarter.

you do remember that right? Troy tapping JH on the shoulder pad as Fitz ran into the endzone for the go ahead score.

[feltdizz]

Couldn't have said it better myself. All that drama and excitement wrapped up in one play. Simply amazing.

I may change my vote to JH simply because I was alive to witness it