Super Bowl XL

Lore & Background

The Steelers tied the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys with the then-record five Super Bowl victories (a record the Steelers themselves would break three years later). The Steelers' victory was their first Super Bowl victory since Super Bowl XIV. The Steelers, who finished the regular season with an 11–5 record, also became the fourth wild card team, the third in nine years, and the first ever number 6 seed in the NFL playoffs, to win a Super Bowl. The Seahawks, in their 30th season, were making their first ever Super Bowl appearance after posting an NFC-best 13–3 regular season record.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Ford Field was thick with anticipation, but the roar of the crowd belonged entirely to the Black and Gold as Hines Ward sprinted down the sideline. The cold Michigan winter seemed forgotten under the stadium lights as Ward caught a perfect spiral from Ben Roethlisberger, diving into the end zone to seal the game's momentum. In that moment, the weight of Pittsburgh's history lifted, replaced by the electric hum of a city united in celebration.

Reader's Guide

The Steelers capitalized on two big plays that were converted into touchdowns. The Steelers jumped to a 14–3 lead early in the third quarter with running back Willie Parker's Super Bowl record 75-yard touchdown run. Kelly Herndon's then-Super Bowl record 76-yard interception return set up a Seattle touchdown to cut the lead 14–10. The Steelers then responded with Antwaan Randle El's 43-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward, the first time a wide receiver threw a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl, to clinch the game in the fourth quarter. Ward, who caught 5 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 18 yards, was named Super Bowl MVP.

Did You Know?

• This is the most recent Super Bowl to broadcast on ABC, who lost the rights to broadcast them in the next NFL television contract (though under the latest contract, the network is set to broadcast Super Bowl LXI alongsid
• This was the first Super Bowl where all aspects of the game itself were aired in HD.
• This was the last of 10 straight Super Bowls to feature a team seeking its first win in the game.
• The officiating in Super Bowl XL was met with criticism from members of the media soon after the game, leading NFL Films to rank it as one of the top ten controversial calls of all time.