NFL 2005 PITTSBURGH STEELERS Super Bowl XL Championship Ring Gold

Specification

Size: 11
Material: zinc alloy + crystal stone
Features: exquisite deep carving and hand-set crystal gems
With Box: YES

Super Bowl XL: Steelers vs. Seahawks

2005 Steelers Season

• Regular season record: 11–5
• Wild Card playoff: Steelers 31, Bengals 17
• Divisional playoff: Steelers 21, Colts 18
• AFC championship: Steelers 34, Broncos 17
• Super Bowl: Steelers 21, Seahawks 10

The 2005 Seahawks

In 2005, the NFC champion Seahawks were the highest-scoring offense in the NFL. They dominated in the regular season with a 13–3 record and then defeated Washington and Carolina in the playoffs. The Seahawks were a fitting opponent for the underdog Steelers who had made the playoffs as a wild-card team and reached the Super Bowl by defeating the Colts, Broncos, and Bengals, arguably the three best teams in the AFC.

Seattle’s offense featured All-Pro backs Shaun Alexander and Mack Strong as well as Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Alexander had rushed for an impressive 1,880 yards and 27 touchdowns in the regular season behind the bone-crushing blocking of Strong and a powerful Seattle offensive line. They would face a Pittsburgh defense that was ranked third in the NFL against the run and fourth in points against.

Super Bowl XL came down to the unstoppable force of the Seahawks’ rushing attack versus the immovable object of the Steelers’ defense.

Super Bowl XL

Today, Ben Roethlisberger is known as one of the top quarterbacks in Steelers history, but back in 2005, he was a mistake-prone, second-year quarterback who needed a lot of support from a strong Steelers rushing attack and a stingy defense. The running game and the defense both needed to step up as they had in the AFC playoffs to give Pittsburgh a shot at winning the Super Bowl.

Both teams struggled to move the ball in the first quarter, until Seattle managed a 47-yard field goal by kicker Josh Brown. Defense dominated the second quarter as well, until Roethlisberger put together a string of completions to receivers Hines Ward and Cedric Wilson that put the ball on the Seahawks’ one-yard line. The Seahawks stopped Bettis twice, then Roethlisberger carried the ball around left end on third down for the score. It was a controversial play, but after review, the touchdown stood. The Steelers took a 7–3 lead into halftime.

On the second play of the third quarter, Steelers running back Willie Parker blasted off right tackle and outran the Seahawks’ defense for a record-setting 75-yard touchdown run. This put Pittsburgh up 14–3, but Seattle stormed back later in the quarter when Hasselbeck connected with tight end Jerramy Stevens for a 16-yard touchdown pass.

With 9:44 left in the game and holding a tenuous 14–10 lead, the Steelers hammered the final nail in the coffin. On first down and with the ball on the Seattle 43-yard line, Parker took a pitch and started left, then handed off to wide receiver Antwaan Randle El on a reverse. As he raced around right end, Randle El tossed a deep pass without breaking stride. Receiver Hines Ward hauled it in for a spectacular gadget-play touchdown.

When the clock ran down to zero, the Steelers had won their fifth Super Bowl in franchise history with a score of 21–10.

MVP and Notable Performers

• The MVP award went to wide receiver Hines Ward. He caught five passes for 123 yards and a touchdown.
• Running back Willie Parker set a record for the longest run in Super Bowl history (75 yards) and finished the day with 93 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
• The Steelers’ defense sacked Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck three times.