March Madness of Steelers Moments ROUND 2: Chipped Ham Bracket

Round 2 action continues today in Steelers March Madness. Let’s put a spotlight on the Chipped Ham Bracket. Then go back to Part 1 & Part 2 of the second round.

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1 - Stallworth’s 73-yd TD - 1/20/80 Super Bowl XIV

Round 1 recap: won with 91% of the website vote and 95.8% of the twitter vote.

The play: Stallworth outran everyone for a 73-yard touchdown that gave the Steelers a 24-19 lead in the 4th over the Rams. It is the 7th lead change in the game.

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8 - Terry’s Perfect Game - 12/19/76 AFC Divisional

Round 1 recap: won with 70.4% of the twitter vote and 55% of the website vote.

The play: 1976 afc divisional at baltimore. Bradshaw completed 14 passes on just 18 attempts for 264 yds and 3 TD’s, 0 int. The game was such a blowout that when a plane crashed into the upper deck, Colts fans had already left.

Bonus commentary: Terry’s perfect game is one of my personal favorite moments, because it actually saved people’s lives. However, it was ultimately not part of a Super Bowl season.

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

Round 1 recap: won with 100% of the twitter vote and 89% of the website vote.

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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10- Mean Joe Fumble Recovery - 1/12/75 Super Bowl 9

Round 1 recap: Although Santonio Holmes’ punt return TD won the twitter vote 60%-40%, the website vote ultimately gave Mean Joe the upset by a 52.34%-47.66% margin.

The play: A pass interference call put the Vikings at the 5 in the 4th quarter of Super Bowl IX. Chuck Foreman is stopped for a 2-yard loss and Joe Greene recovered the fumble to preserve the 9-0 advantage.

Bonus commentary: I could see the Super Bowl 40 play making a run at this entire bracket.

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3 - Swann’s Flying Circus - 1/21/79 Super Bowl XIII

Round 1 recap: although twitter actually split the vote between Swann and Ben’s gunslinger TD, the website voting gave Swann an edge with more than 60% of the ballots.

The play: When Roy Gerela slipped at kickoff, the squibbed kick went off Randy White, who was playing with a cast. Pittsburgh recovered and then fired the game-deciding score.

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11- Bus Runs Over Urlacher - 12/11/05 Week 14

Round 1 recap: Upset Mike Wagner’s Super Bowl Interception with 85.2% of the twitter vote and 68% of the website vote.

The play: Just a poster of a play. The Steelers were in the middle of an 8-game winning streak to secure the 6th seed in the playoffs and ultimately their 5th Super Bowl ring.

Bonus commentary: Here’s a real test for the Bettis moment. If the Bus continues to move forward, we can definitely make some assumptions about the recency bias of the voters.

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5 - Tommy’s Renegade Comeback - 1/5/03 AFC Wildcard

Round 1 recap: won with 56% of the website vote and 78.3% of the twitter vote.

The play: The birth of Renegade. Tommy Maddox, the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year, threw three touchdown passes in the final 19 minutes, rallying from a 17-point deficit to beat the Browns 36-33. A 2nd and goal draw from the 4 to Chris Fuamatu Ma’afala was the game-winner.

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13 - Troy’s Strip Sack - 12/5/10 Week 13

Round 1 recap: Upset Jack Ham’s pick of Stabler with 74% of the website vote and 75% of the twitter vote.

The play: The Division title and a 1st round bye were on the line. Baltimore was winning 10-6 and had 3 and change left on the clock. They just needed a couple first downs to end the game. With a 2nd and 5 at their own 43, Pittsburgh blitzed Timmons and Troy. Ray Rice could only pick one.

Bonus commentary: Is it possible this Polamalu play was grossly under-seeded? Or is this the bracket’s ultimate Cinderella?

Check back tomorrow for the last batch in the round of 32.

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