March Madness of Steelers Moments: Halupki Bracket

All month, we’re celebrating Steelers March Madness: the 64 greatest moments in team history. You decide which plays move on to the next round. Yesterday, we unveiled Part 1. Here are the next 16 selections: The Halupki Bracket.

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

What’s better: the catch or the throw? With 35 seconds left, the Steelers retake the lead, 27-23, after giving up 16 unanswered 4th-quarter points to the Cardinals.

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16 - JuJu’s 97-yd TDs 10/29/17 Week 8 & 11/25/18 Week 12

Both tied for longest pass play in team history.

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2 - The Levitating Leap - 1/18/76 Super Bowl X

Lynn Swann, the MVP of Super Bowl X, with the signature play of the game. It’s one of the most acrobatic catches BP (before Pickens), tipping the ball to himself for the 53-yard reception. But ultimately led to no points.

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15 - Grossman Finds Gold - 1/18/76 Super Bowl X

The Steelers trailed for the first time in their Super Bowl history. The Cowboys were leading 7-0, when Lynn Swann made a leaping catch for 32 yards down the right sideline. That set up Terry Bradshaw’s 7-yard touchdown to tight end Randy Grossman, which tied the score at 7 in the first quarter.

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3 - Fast Willie Takes it to the House - 2/5/06 Super Bowl XL

The longest TD run in Super Bowl history. It gave the Steelers a 14-3 lead in the third quarter against the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.

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14 - ‘Shea Pick-6’s Romo - 12/7/08 Week 14

In a must-win for Pittsburgh, Tony Romo had a chance for a game-winning two-minute drive with the game tied. With 1:51 left in the game, on 2nd and 8 from their own 17, Romo was expecting Jason Witten to zig, but he zagged, sending the ball directly into Townsend’s leaping arms.

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4 - The Immaculate Extension - 12/25/16 Week 16

Christmas Day. The Ravens had won 4 straight against Pittsburgh. 13 seconds left, down 3, winner wins the division. Ben led a 10 play, 75 yard drive in 1:08, ending with AB covered in 3 players.

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13 - Mendenhall’s OT Walkoff - 9/12/10 Week 1

Week 1, 2010. Dennis Dixon and the Steelers defense got the Steelers to OT. Rashard Mendenhall did the rest.

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5 - Woodson Levels White - 12/31/89 AFC Wildcard

Houston had the ball with great field position in overtime, starting their OT drive on the Steelers 45. Moon handed the ball off to Lorenzo White, who tried to get outside, but was leveled by Rod Woodson, causing a fumble that set up Anderson’s game-winning FG.

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12- Burress Buries Woodson - 1/20/02 AFC Divisional

Kordell and the Steelers had a 20-10 lead over the Ravens in the 4th at Baltimore’s 33. Kordell found Plaxico Burress in the soft part of the zone, who spun into future Hall of Famer Rod Woodson. Plax stalled Woodson with a stiff arm as he cruised into the endzone.

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6 - Lambert’s 4th Qtr INT - 1/20/80 Super Bowl 14

Vince Ferragamo and the Rams were down 24-19 with 5:30 left in the 4th quarter of Super Bowl XIV. They advanced to the Pittsburgh 32-yd line, when Jack Lambert picked off Ferragamo in his only mistake that day.

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11- Troy Stops the Sneak - 1/18/09 AFC Champioship

Ravens went for it on 4th-and-1 from the Steelers’ 34, but he surfed the pile like he was in a mosh pit and grabbed Joe Flacco. Despite not being on his feet, Polamalu managed to keep Flacco from moving forward and the Ravens turned the ball over on downs with the Steelers leading 6-0 late in the first quarter.

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7 - Randy Fuller Defends Harbaugh Hail Mary - 1/14/96 AFC Championship

Jim Harbaugh and the Colts had time for 1 play from the 30. There were 5 defenders in the area for the Hail Mary, but it was the efforts of Randy Fuller who made the play, leaping in the air to lay a hit on Aaron Bailey, knocking him off balance as the ball hit him in the stomach.

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10- Ben Converts 3rd & 28 - 2/5/06 Super Bowl XL

Down 3-0, The Steelers faced a 3rd and 28 in the 2nd quarter when Ben Roethlisberger found Hines Ward for a 37-yard completion that took Pittsburgh down at the Seahawks 3. Three plays later Ben Roethlisberger keeps the ball and barely nudges it across the goal line to give the Steelers a 7-3 lead against the Seahawks.

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8 - Dwight White’s Sack & Safety - 1/12/75 Super Bowl IX

The Steelers score their first points in a Super Bowl. Vikings QB Fran Tarkenton fumbles in his own end zone and Dwight White gets the sack. It gives the Steelers a 2-0 lead in Super Bowl IX and is the first safety in the game’s nine-year history.

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9- Woodley’s Game-Clinching Strip Sack - 2/1/09 Super Bowl XLIII

With 15 seconds left in Super Bowl XLIII, LaMarr Woodley sacked Kurt Warner at midfield, and Brett Keisel recovered the ball to clinch the Steelers’ 27-23 victory against the Cardinals.

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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.