The Pittsburgh Steelers' last championship came in Super Bowl XLIII. It was Head Coach Mike Tomlin’s second season leading the Steelers. The 2008 team was led by the last truly great defensive unit in the NFL. Pittsburgh led the NFL in yards allowed and points allowed. The offense was led by Ben Roethlisberger, who was in his fifth season as the Steelers signal-caller.
Roethlisberger was still maturing into the quarterback that would break every meaningful passing record in Steelers history. He had yet to pass for 5,000 yards in a season or post back-to-back 500-yard passing games. The quintessential Roethlisberger trait in 2008 was that if the defense kept the game close, Roethlisberger would find a way to win it.
On Thursday, Casey Hampton, the All-Pro nose tackle on the 2008 squad, joined the Oh Momma podcast from 93.7 The Fan. Chris Mack, who hosts the podcast, has been doing a retrospective on the Super Bowl XLIII championship team. Mack asked Hampton how he felt watching Roethlisberger’s final pass against the Arizona Cardinals after the defense seemingly gave up the game-winning score to Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner.
“I cannot believe we tricked this off,” Hampton described. “We gonna be the reason that it happened [the Steelers potentially losing the game]. It was really humbling. I’m sitting on the back of the bench. You can’t really see on the field. I see him go down [Santonio Holmes]. The first thing I thought is he didn’t have his feet in.”
The pass from Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes is among the most iconic in Steelers and Super Bowl history. Initially, it looked like Roethlisberger was throwing the ball away, but Holmes reached up and made one of the most outstanding catches in NFL history. He made an incredible catch and had the presence of mind to toe-tap his way to the Super Bowl MVP Trophy.
“Dude, I went absolutely berserk. I couldn’t believe it,” Hampton said. “It was unbelievable. That feeling right there was like they bailed us [the Steelers defense] out of this. I can’t believe this.”
Mack accurately pointed out that the moment was peak Roethlisberger. It was his last Super Bowl championship, but he would go on to accomplish much more as a passer during the decade to come. The podcast host points out that the Steelers' future Hall of Fame signal-caller is arguably the greatest come-from-behind quarterback in league history and was built for that moment.
The former Pro Bowl nose tackle, who was a teammate of the quarterback on the last three Steelers' Super Bowl teams, did not necessarily disagree with the assessment. Instead, he used Roethlisberger’s signature style of backhand compliments to reveal minor criticisms to respond to the assertion. Hampton had an interesting observation.
“Ben going around, moving around, throwing a ball into some coverage which he ain’t even supposed to throw it into, that’s Ben, though. Make a perfect throw, and Santonio makes a perfect catch. That is Ben('s) career, really, in a nutshell. That’s his game. It never can surprise you with him.”
Roethlisberger might be the greatest improviser in NFL history. The only two quarterbacks with more game-winning drives than the Steelers' former quarterback are Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, who needed significantly more opportunities to barely pass him in the category. Hampton points out that no other quarterback would dare make the play. It had to be a perfect throw, and it was.
Steelers' Roethlisberger Could Have Next Podcast Episode Idea With Hampton
It seems like a perfect subject for the future Hall of Fame quarterback's Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast. Based on his mastery of Roethlisberger's patented passive-aggressive style, the podcast would be both hilarious and probably produce some dramatic observations. Hampton, Roethlisberger, and Spencer Te'o should give the fans what they want and make it happen.
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