Post-Gazette's top 10...

[anger 82&95]

moments of 08.

[url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09038/947532-66.stm?cmpid=steelers.xml"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09038/94 ... eelers.xml[/url]

[AkronSteel]

Re: Post-Gazette's top 10...

Thats an awesome list of memories! Glad I can relive them all on DVD!!

[AkronSteel]

Re: Post-Gazette's top 10...

In all seriousness! What a magical run this year was! Glad I was here to witness it from start to finish! We have been debating it here since last Sunday....is this the best season in Steelers history from a fan's prospective. Lots of close calls, games down to the wire, a smothering defense and a QB that just would not let our team lose when it mattered! I have to say yes from the years that I have lived through! I enjoyed this season and this championship more than any other!



Oh yeah!! One more thing!!

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Dulac's top 10 from 2008-2009

Great read ... would have been nicer with some linkable .mpgs! And what an amazing year that Troy's fingertip interception against the Bolts is only #10 - that would have been the Bengals or Browns play of the decade!


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[url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09038/947532-66.stm"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09038/947532-66.stm[/url]
The Top 10 Moments -- The Best From the Steelers' Super Season
Saturday, February 07, 2009
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
Troy Polamalu's one-handed interception against San Diego was one of the 10 best plays in the 2008 season.

1. Santonio Holmes' 6-yard touchdown catch in Super Bowl XLIII
It will go down as one of the greatest and most dramatic catches in Super Bowl history -- Holmes stretching for the ball and getting the tips of both feet inbounds while getting hammered in the back by Cardinals safety Aaron Francisco with 35 seconds remaining, giving the Steelers a 27-23 victory. The catch capped what was officially a 78-yard, eight-play drive and was the highlight of an MVP performance by Holmes, who caught nine passes for 131 yards.
2. James Harrison's 100-yard TD interception return in Super Bowl XLIII
In what likely was the greatest individual effort in Super Bowl history, outside linebacker James Harrison stepped in front of a Kurt Warner pass at the goal line and returned the interception 100 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the first half. Harrison got blocks from five players along the way and managed to drag receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston across the goal line as he tumbled into the end zone for a 17-7 lead.
3. Holmes' 4-yard TD catch to clinch division title Dec. 14 in Baltimore
The Steelers clinched the AFC North title for the second year in a row and secured the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs when Holmes caught a debated 4-yard touchdown from Ben Roethlisberger with 43 seconds remaining, capping a remarkable, 98-yard drive against the NFL's No. 2 defense for a 13-9 victory. The catch had to be reviewed by replay to see if the ball had broken the plane of the goal line before Holmes was tackled. The victory ended the Steelers' five-game losing streak in Baltimore.
4. Troy Polamalu's 40-yard TD interception return in AFC championship game
After failing to win AFC title games at Heinz Field in 2001 and '04, the Steelers finally earned a trip to the Super Bowl in front of their home fans when they beat the Ravens for the third time this season, 23-14. The victory was secured when Polamalu intercepted Ravens rookie QB Joe Flacco and scored on a dazzling 40-yard return with 4:24 remaining, hoisting the ball in the air with both hands as he crossed the goal line.
5. Deshea Townsend's 25-yard TD interception return to beat Dallas Dec. 7
In what was probably the most frenetic and fantastic finish in Heinz Field history, the Steelers scored 17 points in the final seven minutes, 15 seconds to beat the Dallas Cowboys, 20-13, to remain a game ahead of the Ravens in the division. After the Steelers tied the score with 2:04 remaining, cornerback Deshea Townsend intercepted a pass for tight end Jason Witten and scored on a 25-yard return with 1:43 remaining, electrifying the home crowd.
6. Holmes' 67-yard TD punt return vs. San Diego in AFC playoffs
After the Chargers took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in four plays for a 7-0 lead, Holmes changed the momentum with a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown that energized his teammates and propelled the Steelers to a 35-24 victory against the Chargers in a divisional playoff game, ending San Diego's five-game win streak. It was the Steelers' first punt return for touchdown since Holmes scored on a 65-yarder against Carolina in Week 14 of the 2006 season.
7. Five takeaways on five consecutive possessions Nov. 30 in New England
The Steelers finally beat the team that had given them so much postseason disappointment and won for the first time in 12 years in New England by scoring 30 unanswered points in a 33-10 victory. After the score was tied, 10-10, at halftime, the Steelers had takeaways on five consecutive possessions to start the second half, converting them into two touchdowns and two field goals. Quarterback Matt Cassel committed four of the turnovers with two fumbles and two interceptions.
8. Ben Roethlisberger 6 for 6 on final drive to beat San Diego Nov. 16
After losing their previous two games at home to the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants, the Steelers drove 73 yards in 13 plays to beat the Chargers on Jeff Reed's 32-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining -- one play after Willie Parker's 4-yard touchdown run was negated by a holding penalty. Roethlisberger completed all six passes for 61 yards on the winning drive, capping his second 300-yard passing game of the season. It was the first time in NFL history a game ended 11-10.
9. Hines Ward's 8-yard TD catch with 1:53 left Oct. 5 in Jacksonville
The Steelers atoned for a pair of 2007 losses to the Jaguars, and Hines Ward atoned for three dropped passes when they rallied from a 14-7 first-quarter deficit for a 26-21 victory. With 6:33 remaining, the Steelers embarked on an 80-yard, 11-play drive that began with a 16-yard pass from Roethlisberger to Ward and ended with an 8-yard touchdown from Roethlisberger to Ward on a fade pass over safety Brian Williams in the right corner of the end zone.
10. Troy Polamalu's one-handed interception Nov. 16 vs. San Diego
It was a play that had little bearing on the outcome, but it was one of the most remarkable of the NFL season. On the Chargers' first possession, QB Philip Rivers had a pass deflect off wide receiver Vincent Jackson as Jackson was hit by cornerback Ike Taylor. As the ball was ready to hit the ground, S Troy Polamalu dived through the air, got his right hand under the ball and made an incredible interception -- a play that defied belief, even on replay.

First published on February 8, 2009 at 12:00 am
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