Texas-sized letdown as comeback falls short
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The stage was set for another dramatic comeback, another long, final drive to win a Super Bowl, another game for the ages to go with so many others the Steelers have created around their well-stocked trophy case.
Ben Roethlisberger and his offense took the field with two minutes to go, trailing by six, to try to duplicate what they accomplished two years ago in Tampa, Fla.. Only this time, the Green Bay Packers pulled the rug out from under their glass slippers, and there was no pot of gold awaiting them at the other end of the field.
That final drive never got on track and died far from where it needed to go as the Green Bay Packers claimed their fourth Super Bowl, 31-25, Sunday night.
Talk of a second pro football dynasty in Pittsburgh was snuffed out as the Steelers lost the Super Bowl for only the second time. They have won a record six.
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Three killer turnovers proved too much to overcome as a furious comeback by the Steelers fell short. Their offense was dynamic at times, but those mistakes led to 21 Green Bay points.
"Twenty-one points? That's the difference in this ballgame," Hines Ward said.
The Packers did not lose the ball once.
"We were unable to get any turnovers on defense," Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said. "That was the difference. They made plays on defense and we didn't."
Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes, two to Greg Jennings. Ben Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes, but he also threw two interceptions, one returned for a 37-yard touchdown by safety Nick Collins.
"I feel like I let the City of Pittsburgh down, the fans, my coaches and teammates," Roethlisberger said. "It's not a good feeling."
The Steelers came back from deficits of 21-3 in the second quarter and 28-17 in the fourth quarter to trail, 28-25, with 7:34 left. A 23-yard field goal by Green Bay's Mason Crosby put the Packers ahead by six with 2:07 left to put the ball back in the Steelers' court and into the hands of a quarterback who has triumphed so many times in such circumstances.
Roethlisberger and his offense had another chance to pull out a second Super Bowl in three seasons with one, final drive starting from their 13 after the kickoff -- eerily similar to their comeback victory against Arizona two years ago.
"Whenever there's time on the clock and we're within a one-score game, I feel pretty confident that we're capable of doing the job," coach Mike Tomlin said.
This time, it was not to be. After a 5-yard pass completion to Ward, Roethlisberger threw three incomplete passes toward Mike Wallace, and the Packers took over with 49 seconds left and ran out the clock.
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