March Madness of Steelers Moments: FINAL FOUR

Mar 28, 2023 - 12:15 PM

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After a month of match ups, the Final Four is here. If you want to look back at how we got here, revisit Rounds 1, 2, 3 & 4.

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PIEROGI BRACKET WINNER

1 - The Immaculate Reception - 12/23/72 AFC Divisional Round

The Play: Nuff Said

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HALUPKI BRACKET WINNER

1 - Ben to Santonio for the Win - 2/1/09 Super Bowl XLIII

The Play: With 35 seconds left, the Steelers retake the lead, 27-23, after giving up 16 unanswered 4th-quarter points to the Cardinals.

Bonus Commentary: The deeper we got into this tournament, the more I became convinced that the Immaculate Reception is a great moment with a lot of symbolism, but ultimately did not result in a Super Bowl season. And the standard in Pittsburgh is the Lombardi Trophy. We may put Franco on a pedestal next to George Washington, but isn’t George’s time in SWPA notable for his defeats? It’s time to rethink the Immaculate Reception’s place in Steelers history.

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CHIPPED HAM BRACKET WINNER

2 - Randle El’s Reverse Pass - 2/5/06 Super Bowl XL

The play: Willie Parker takes the pitch and hands off to Antwaan Randle El on the reverse, who throws it to Hines Ward for the 43-yd touchdown. It gives the Steelers a 21-10 lead against the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.

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BANANA SPLIT BRACKET WINNER

1 - Harrison’s Hundred-Yard INT - 2/1/09 Super Bowl XLIII

The play: 1st and goal at the 1 with 18 seconds left in the first half. James Harrison steps in front of Anquan Boldin and makes his way 100 yards for a touchdown. Instead of trailing at the half, the Steelers lead 17-7.

Bonus Commentary: I appreciate that both of these plays have an element of the entire team executing together to achieve the goal. I personally think Deebo’s pick-6 is the greater moment, because of the stakes in the moment. Plus, the athletes having to do unique things in unique instances. The Super Bowl XL moment was the result of rehearsal. The Super Bowl XLIII moment was the result of instincts.

The Finals will drop on Friday!

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Kyle Chrise is the host of the Steel Curtain Network podcast “What Yinz Talkin’ Bout.” New episodes are released every Thursday.