Steelers' Legendary Super Bowl XL Play Almost Didn't Happen

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a legendary run to Super Bowl XL, marked with some historic moments and a ton of emotion. The pursuit was not only a huge deal in Steelers history, but in the NFL's as well. Pittsburgh was the sixth seed in the playoffs, making it the final team to sneak into the postseason race. The Black and Gold stormed into Paul Brown Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals and took care of business on the road. After struggling against their rival earlier in the year, the Steelers scored 24 unanswered points to win, after being down 10-0 in the first quarter. The team then had to win two more games away from home.

The Steelers had to then play the 14-2 Indianapolis Colts. Pittsburgh maintained a lead throughout the game, but running back Jerome Bettis fumbled on the goal line in shocking fashion. The Colts' defender had a clear lane to run it back for a touchdown, but Ben Roethlisberger made a dramatic shoestring tackle that prevented Nick Harper from scoring. The Colts then missed a game-tying kick, allowing the Steelers to move on to the AFC Championship. 

The AFC Championship saw a dominant performance where the Black and Gold took care of business against the Denver Broncos. Through all of these dramatic moments, three road playoff victories, it was time for the Pittsburgh to battle for its fifth Lombardi. The Steelers were set to take on the Seattle Seahawks in Detroit, Michigan. 

Pittsburgh relied on explosive plays in this game, one of them being the famous trick play that saw wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, a former quarterback, throw a dart of a pass to fellow wideout Hines Ward. However, one of the guttiest and greatest plays in Steelers history almost didn't happen.

Randle El detailed this on a special he was featured in with ESPN, and an exchange between Head Coach Bill Cowher and offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt. Writer Brooke Pryor broke the moment down. 

"Though it worked earlier in the season against the Cleveland Browns, the play was unsuccessful several times during practice in the week leading up to Super Bowl XL," Pryor detailed. "Even offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt was apprehensive about it, and he asked head coach Bill Cowher if they should run the play. But after Willie Parker's 75-yard touchdown run earlier in the game primed the Seattle Seahawks safeties to bite down, Cowher believed it was the right play for the moment, the play that would seal the organization's fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy. 'Hey, there's no practice or game tomorrow,' Cowher told Whisenhunt at the time, an exchange Randle El said he learned about later. 'This is it.'''

The Steelers relied on these two huge plays to win their fifth Super Bowl. Without the call, that may not have happened, as the offense didn't have much going besides the big run by Parker.

It ignited the defense to hold the game down, only allowing 10 points to Seattle's offense in the game. It broke the stalemate that the game had become and gave the team the spark it needed. 

Pittsburgh pulled off the play that the coaches weren't sure of earlier in the week. It saw Roethlisberger posting the ball to the left to Parker, Parker handing it to Randle El on the reverse, and Ward getting open behind the safeties. Randle El delivered a perfect spiral, and Ward caught it and ran it in for the score. 

Thankfully, Randle El's ball was perfectly thrown, and the young receiver showed a ton of poise. This was the turning point in the Super Bowl win and one that will live in fans' heads forever. 

Steelers' Ward Couldn't Believe The Play Worked

Ward, who won Super Bowl MVP, couldn't believe that play actually worked. The ball was delivered right in the bread basket, and it made Ward excited, taking him back to his early playing days. 

''Instinctively, it just took me back to being a kid on the playground,' Ward said in an interview with ESPN. 'You see me take, like, two or three hops into the end zone. I didn't know what to do, you know? And words can't describe scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl,'' Ward said. 

This was a huge moment in the Steelers' history, which capped off an improbable Super Bowl run, and it almost didn't happen. Thankfully, Cowher took the risk.