Liotta: Steelers echoed Niners in final Super Bowl drive
By: Tim Liotta
Special to The Examiner
February 8, 2009
 |
| Ben Roethlisberger (7) led the Steelers on one of the best drives in Super Bowl history. (AP) |
SAN FRANCISCO — One last word on last weekend’s Super Bowl: When football’s ultimate game finally reached its breath-taking finish, don’t be surprised if long-time Niners fans felt awash with deja vu. They’d seen that kind of finish before. Twenty years ago.
In fact, Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers could be credited with reincarnating Joe Montana and the 49ers’ game-winning drive from Super Bowl XXIII.
The Steelers began their last-chance drive with 2:30 remaining, down three points after an Arizona touchdown. Twenty years ago, the 49ers sent out their offense back onto the field with 3:20 left, down three points after a Cincinnati Bengals field goal.
Even though both teams could have forced overtime once in field-goal range, both Roethlisberger and Montana went one better.
Coming out of the two-minute warning, both teams needed a key third-down play to keep their chances alive. The Steelers faced a third-and-6 at their 26-yard line. The Niners? A third-and-2 at their 31.
Sunday, Roethlisberger hit Santonio Holmes for 10 yards and a first down. Twenty years ago, Roger Craig ran off right tackle for 4 yards and a first down. New life on both accounts.
Roethlisberger then connected with Nate Washington for 11 yards and another first down at midfield. Montana and Jerry Rice connected on a sideline pattern for 17 yards for a first down at the Bengals 48.
After running his team to the line of scrimmage, Roethlisberger had to scramble 4 yards to the Arizona 46, forcing the Steelers to call timeout with 1:02 left to play.
Montana managed the clock a bit differently, completing an 11-yarder to Roger Craig, only to be momentarily derailed by an incomplete pass followed by a penalty that put the Niners on the Bengals 45 with 1:17 to play.
At this point, both quarterbacks set the stage for a win rather than a tie.
Roethlisberger and Holmes connected for a short pass and a long run netting 40 yards and a first down at the Cardinals 6. Montana hit Rice over the middle for 27 yards, setting the Niners up for first-and-10 on the Bengals 18.
Roethlisberger then threw his only incompletion of the drive, giving the Steelers a second-and-6 at the Cardinals 6 with 42 seconds left.
Montana’s next play was a completion to Roger Craig that went for 8 yards, forcing the Niners to call timeout faced with a second-and-2 at the 10-yard line with 39 seconds left.
Roethlisberger’s game-winning pass was a 6-yard beauty to Holmes in the right corner. Montana’s was a 10-yarder to John Taylor.
The Steelers led by four points with 35 seconds left. The Niners led by four points with 34 seconds left. Both would become Super Bowl champions.
In the final two minutes, with Super Bowl victory and defeat hanging in the balance, Roethlisberger went 5-for-6 for 70 yards and the deciding touchdown, Montana went 4-for-5 for 75 yards and the deciding touchdown.
For Niners fans, an unbelieveable finishing was simply history repeating itself.
Tim Liotta is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to The Examiner. E-mail him at tliotta@sfexaminer.com.
