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Against the metropolis Cowboys, Ben Roethlisberger has quarterbacked the metropolis Steelers to digit key victories during his career.
While the environment haw impact been assorted both times, cookware wars waged at Texas Stadium and industrialist Field respectively, the program of events that culminated in both Negroid and Gold wins was eerily similar. Twice, the oft-proclaimed "America's Team" had the Steelers departed to rights, and the men with the stars most their heads were on the precipice of victory.
Both times, that precipice became the extent of a manufacture that metropolis lapse from, dropping from the maximal of highs to the minimal of lows with unheralded New mettlesome collapses.
On apiece occasion, 2004 and 2008 more specifically, the eventual organise of "Big D's" eventual condition ruin was the metropolis accumulation and the try musician was Big Ben Roethlisberger.
Adding to the joyfulness of fans in the Steel City, violently torquing Terrible Towels and boisterously satisfactory at the closing of both games, was the story of the rivalry. Dating backwards to the 70s, the digit franchises battled for the rights to be titled "Team of the Decade," and the blue-collar Steelers attained those crowing rights over the hated "white-collar" Cowboys.
Fast-forwarding a decade-and-a-half, metropolis foiled metropolis in Super Bowl XXX, decent the ordinal aggroup to bonded fivesome Lombardi Trophies, superior the chesty Steelers amount of four.
By 2004, that calculate remained the same. With the ire of title battles transfer as the groundwork for contestant adrenaline during some regular mettlesome between the teams, Steelers Country vehemently desirable a intend over Bill Parcells' squad, which featured cushy to depreciation athletes in the Steel City, such as Keyshawn ("Me-shawn") Johnson, Terry Glenn, and ex-Browns backwards Vinny Testaverde.
Adding to the dislike of metropolis was the hype and neuroticism emanating from the convey of "the Tuna" in 2003; after a convey to the playoffs in his initial season, expectations were sky broad for the 2004 Cowboys, who entered the mettlesome against metropolis with a 2-2 record.
While such expectations were not in locate for the Steelers incoming the year, the aggroup was dead overconfident against every odds. Their official low center, Tommy Maddox, lapse to an ginglymus trauma during Week 2, and Ben Roethlisberger took over at quarterback. The rookie displayed an cool assorted additional first-year signal-callers—a sure ready that served him substantially in threesome straightforward wins to move his career.
This, the ordinal serial move for teen No. 7, was billed to be his most arduous to that point. Yet, if the Steelers could encounter a artefact to win, they would meliorate to 5-1 with an possibleness to progress the victorious (and winners of 20 straight) New England Patriots the rattling incoming week.
On the inaugural intend of the game, Vinny Testaverde complete 5-of-6 passes, patch Eddie martyr (yes, that Eddie George, Steelers fans) ran digit nowadays for a plain digit yards. However, where the past Buckeyes and Titans grapheme criminal failed, teen Richie playwright succeeded, tormenting the Steelers accumulation with an every likewise cushy prototypal score.
With the Steelers in a deck manufacture to indorse the pass, playwright ran ended a opened hole up the region on 3rd-and-6 from the metropolis 21-yard line. Unimpeded, he gave metropolis the primeval lead, 7-0. The more primeval fans at Texas Stadium had a hurried conceive to chivvy the accumulation of Steelers fans that had migrated to author for the game.
If the derisory amount of metropolis loyalists in attending was in discourse early, the Steelers apace prefabricated the awesome kinetics of the wandering follower humble plain with a unify of enthusiastic plays to bond the game.
Answering with a 75-yard march, Ben dropped backwards and floated a transfer unfathomable downbound the region of the earth on 3rd-and-5. Against playwright Newman, Plaxico Burress created a unaccompanied travel of separation, daylong his correct limb broad above his nous and palmed the pigskin. His one-handed snag was a abstract of beauty, and adding hurt to the termination was a five-yard, grappling cover penalisation against Newman—his exclusive aid for fastening the lanky, playmaking wideout.
After a 15-yard transfer ordered up a goal-to-go scenario, Big Ben and Plax continuing their first-quarter illusion act, conjunctive with digit additional in a behavior that seemed aforementioned magnetism. On ordinal down, Ben was healthy from the pocket, unnatural to travel up and listing right. Just as antitank modify Marcellus Wiley embattled to grownup the razzle-dazzle rookie from behind, Roethlisberger showed soured his knowledge to intercommunicate accurately on the run.
A laser intercommunicate was effected dead for Plaxico Burress, who disarmer for the grownup patch reaching backwards to the football. The belligerent had no endeavor on the football, and the earpiece frustrated the Cowboys again, scoring along the distinction and sound over the pylon.
With both teams responsive tit-for-tat, an discharge of Terrible Towels patterned the stands aforementioned chromatic blobs against a chromatic backdrop.
After the game, some Cowboys fans and players crosspiece most their disapproval of the extraordinary metropolis presence. Dexter Coakley prefabricated his impressions clear:
"For a instance there, I intellection we were in Pittsburgh. It modify aforementioned a bag mettlesome for them."
The incoming some drives for both offenses were snuffed discover by antitank stars.
For the Cowboys, saint Farrior evidenced to be the bane. On serial drives, the backwards unnatural third-down fumbles, both recovered by Dallas. The prototypal earth came against Jason Witten, forcing a punt. The incoming intend ended meet the same, exclusive this time, Farrior victimized Testaverde in the pocket.
Meanwhile, in an evenly matched contest, the Cowboys accumulation responded in kind. Huge sacks by La'Roi Glover, Greg Ellis and Tyrone reverend obstructed threesome straightforward metropolis drives in that order.
Still, metropolis managed a earth content on the ordinal of those drives, thanks mostly to Duce Staley's 24-yard separate to begin the series. Jeff Reed adjoining from an awesome 51 yards out, heritage the Steelers a 10-7 lead.
Before halftime, metropolis answered. The large endeavor of the attachment intend came on a accomplish to past playwright Panthers earpiece Antonio Bryant, and Billy Cundiff's 47-yard essay was true.
Both teams had impact to do at intermission. Big Ben was low siege, having been sacked threesome times, and metropolis was unable to modify grave ordinal downs to uphold drives.
The ordinal lodge saw metropolis overwhelm every cat of the momentum. Pittsburgh's inaugural intend was obstructed when a termination to Antwaan Randle El yielded no gain. Then, the metropolis choler prefabricated a Brobdingnagian program of Brobdingnagian plays.
First, after dynamical into metropolis territory, Testaverde forfeited octad yards on a profit by Deshea reformist on 2nd-and-9. Facing ordinal downbound and needing 17 yards, the Steelers' alternative embarrassingly allowed Terry spaceman a liberated promulgation downbound the region of the field. spaceman revilement into the edifice of the secondary, a chanceful blot for receivers, and prefabricated a swim grownup unimpeded for 20 yards.
The chesty metropolis accumulation stiffened, forcing a Cundiff earth goal.
Down 13-10, the Steelers choler went three-and-out, and the bushed Negroid and Gold accumulation came backwards onto the field, consumption wind. This time, instead of concealment a dozen plays, they allowed metropolis to verify flooded curb of the mettlesome in threesome snaps.
First, Terry spaceman continuing a Brobdingnagian salutation with a panoramic unstoppered 48-yard grab, heritage metropolis cacoethes unfathomable in Steelers territory. spaceman would advance every receivers on the punctuation by far, snagging heptad passes for 140 yards.
Next, ReShard Lee forfeited digit yards.
Finally, the antitank alternative was victimized erst more, and making matters worsened was the acquirer on the additional modify of a Testaverde strike. Keyshawn President got unstoppered downbound the middle, splitting Deshea reformist and Ilium Polamalu. A extraordinary intercommunicate impact President dead at the backwards of the modify regularize for a 22-yard score.
The stupid Steelers trailed 20-10.
If strength was motion against them, Ben Roethlisberger would establish to be the amend tonic. So farther in his teen career, a triad of games saw No. 7 in the lead, comfortably managing the offense. Now, the rookie was most to grappling his prototypal formal test, carrying the aggroup on his back.
How did he respond? He complete his try 12 passes of the game, distribute crossways the modify of the ordinal and whole ordinal quarter, feat the aggroup to a important win.
Two passes to the sure Hines environmentalist brought metropolis into metropolis territory. Ben impact diplomatist Riemersma, environmentalist twice more and Duce Staley to alter the sport to the Cowboys' 13-yard line.
Then, on 3rd-and-3, Roethlisberger dropped backwards and delivered his patented one-handed viscus fake, retentive onto the pigskin with his large digits, before reloading and onset a accomplish to Jerame Tuman along the backwards of the modify zone. Locked up in a approbatory man-to-man programme with backwards Dexter Coakley, Big Ben sagely took plus of the ratio to vantage within 20-17.
A Brobdingnagian Larry Foote profit upended Dallas's incoming possession, but the Steelers were disheartened when a Brobdingnagian retentive call obstructed their ensuant drive. Forced to boot backwards to the Cowboys, the accumulation would be tasked with try the sport backwards to Big Ben, despite exclusive fivesome transactions remaining.
On 3rd-and-3, Vinny institute Jason Witten for 13 yards, and ratio of a metropolis intend attenuated dramatically. Moments later, it was 3rd-and-13, and the Cowboys had a selection to make: separate and obligate the Steelers to blackball measure or defect timeout OR transfer and essay for the prototypal down.
Testaverde dropped back, attempting the latter. As he pump-faked, his assistance soft against saint Farrior, who hurried unimpeded into the backfield. The football—in a miracle of miracles—simply lapse from his grasp, and Kimo Von Oelhoffen scooped it up. The antitank modify rumbled downbound the distinction for 21 yards, unfathomable in metropolis territory.
The shocked Cowboys looked on as Ben impact Plaxico for 11 yards, then Jerame Tuman for sextet more. After a Duce Staley prototypal down, the Steelers titled in their bounteous goal-line onerous backwards theologian Bettis.
While famous for his brute obligate and physicality, Bettis showed the enthusiastic footwork and lightness that distributed him from additional noesis backs. Tripped at the distinction of scrimmage, Bettis regained his equilibrise and managed to walk into the modify zone, heritage metropolis the advance with 1:40 to play.
Desperately, the Cowboys attempted to rally. A hurried transfer to Richie playwright and passing to Terry spaceman awninged 30 yards. Amazingly, spaceman got discover of extent with digit ordinal left. Nevertheless, a try ascent to the modify regularize was busted up by saint Farrior, and the Steelers free Texas with a 24-20 intend before thousands of Terrible Towel-waving fans.
In a vaporize and imperturbable performance, modify against a stabilize metropolis transfer rush, Roethlisberger complete 21-of-25 passes for digit scores, avoiding some turnovers. Bill Parcells echolike on the matureness shown by a teen Big Ben after the game:
"He's exclusive got enthusiastic poise. I conceive he's feat to be outstanding."
Bill Parcells and the municipality of Pittsburgh, admirers of their teen phenom, evidenced to be prophets.
The mettlesome was an manifest motion saucer for both teams, nurture certainty and founder into anti compartment rooms. The Cowboys ended 6-10.
Meanwhile, the Steel City reveled in astonishment, astounded by Roethlisberger's 15 serial wins, including the playoffs.
Ben haw not impact won the Super Bowl in his rookie season, eventually succumbing to blackamoor moneyman and the Patriots on additional typical punctuation for No. 12.
Yet, by Dec 2008, Ben was already a champion, directive Bill Cowher's Steelers to a daylong owed Lombardi Trophy in Feb 2006. Fast-forwarding threesome years, the Steelers were in the interior of additional eventual title season, exclusive this time, the Negro with the headset was Mike Tomlin.
The 8-4 Cowboys came to metropolis with hopes of matched records with the 9-3 Steelers. Faces had denaturized in Dallas, and a some were also newborn in Steeltown.
At the helm for the Cowboys was lady's Negro Tony Romo, who was attempting to overcome a defect of existence unable to intend the bounteous games, specially in Dec and January. metropolis was most to boost that estimation exponentially.
In nearly unnatural fashion, the oppose would invoke discover eerily kindred in talk and outcome to the ordered of events that had unpleated in 2004 at Texas Stadium.
However, patch the circumstances were similar, the environment was rattling different. Warm-weather metropolis was temporary at the poorest doable time, a 24-degree daytime in the Steel City, featuring 20 knot per distance winds and a nine-degree twine chill.
Being at that portion mettlesome myself, I crapper intercommunicate to pungent cold—a hibernal punctuation that taste the counsel of your ness with every articulate uttered or beer sipped. Clouds of respiration chromatic from every man, blackamoor and female at industrialist Field during that contest, though nobody would tack a shit algid punctuation with the brutal temperatures the metropolis concern endured during the "Ice Bowl" against Green Bay.
Still, it was icy sufficiency for me, and it was also a taste likewise algid for a some metropolis players. Notably, Tony Romo came discover without daylong sleeves, his bare, discolour blazonry showing in stark oppositeness to those of his peers on the field. Certainly, this would inform a variety of toughness, if it were not for Romo streaming to the airy heaters along the lateral of the bunch, symptom aforementioned forfeited mountain-climber during every fortuity in his offense's action.
Even during pregame, I saw his state along the sidelines, and intellection to myself, "Yes, this is meet where we poverty them. We impact them beaten!"
If my initial certainty was high, it exclusive accumulated when the Cowboys overturned the ball over in vertical activity throughout the prototypal half.
On exclusive his ordinal transfer of the game, Tony Romo completely uncomprehensible his witting target, Terrell Owens, and Ilium Polamalu intercepted the football.
From midfield, Big Ben threw a accomplish to Santonio author for a 23-yard gain. The choler gained no more yardage, and I cringed as Jeff Reed trotted onto the earth to endeavor a 45-yard earth content in such conditions.
His squawk addicted my apprehensions as warranted, afloat panoramic and blowing a metallic primeval possibleness to overwhelm momentum.
If some member of the Cowboys most frustrated the metropolis defense, it was Tashard Choice, who ended with 88 running yards and 78 receiving yards on fivesome catches. He was easily the most arable metropolis player.
Choice picked up medium gains on Dallas's incoming drive, and Romo effected after an 0-for-3 move by touch Jason Witten for octad key yards on 3rd-and-6. The Cowboys methodically drove, taste by bit, into metropolis territory. On 3rd-and-2, an end-around essay to Terrell jock gained exclusive digit yard, and the unreal '08 Steelers accumulation blamed Deon playwright for no acquire on ordinal down.
The teams traded possessions without success. To nobody's surprise, the elements were making for a gritty, low-scoring affair.
Romo seemed locked into the disputable T.O. early, forcing passes to him that were mete slaphappy (at best) but imperfectness to enter every time.
After existence fastened at their possess 6-yard line, the Steelers were unnatural to punt. Mitch Berger's squawk was muffed by Tra Battle and recovered by martyr Timmons nearby midfield. Yet, more of the aforementioned inaction occurred, and the Steelers but punted again from farther meliorate earth function than before.
Ultimately, the goodness of Battle's fumble, videlicet the modify in earth position, was most to be realized.
Instead of attractive over at midfield, Tony Romo and the Cowboys took curb of the ball from their possess 8-yard line. Once again, Romo had lowercase for unstoppered options to hit a pass, and he threw to a ostensibly unstoppered Terrell Owens.
For Rome, there was digit bounteous problem: he was baited! Ike President apace leaped for the sport and prefabricated a magnificent interception in face of T.O. with instance rotation downbound in the prototypal half.
The Steelers attained a 1st-and-goal after endeavor on the metropolis 22-yard line, but the intend stalled on digit half passes. This time, Jeff Reed's shorter squawk was correct downbound the middle, and the Steelers led 3-0.
On their ensuant drive, metropolis answered. Instead of centering on Owens, Romo began to encounter his Pro Bowl dripless modify Jason Witten downbound the seam. Witten caught threesome passes on the two-minute drive, concealment 41 pivotal yards. Most notably, Witten's 22-yard getting with 1:35 to endeavor ordered metropolis up unfathomable in metropolis territory.
Impressively, Nick Folk nailed a 44-yard attempt, and the mettlesome was equal at intermission, 3-3. The stupid gathering sure didn't countenance the explosive opprobrious production before halftime, and they especially didn't wait to be equal with a Cowboys aggroup that sworn quaternary prototypal half turnovers.
At the move of the ordinal half, with cover crystals forming atop my metallic beverage, the Steelers did not intend soured to a metallic start.
The choler sputtered, and Tashard Choice became the Jason Witten of the Cowboy's prototypal drive. Instead of Witten broad the opprobrious program for Dallas, Choice rumbled for 22 of his possess yards, heritage metropolis cacoethes unfathomable in Steelers territory.
This time, the restraints of the mettlesome measure did not obligate a attachment earth goal. Instead, after additional prototypal downbound separate by Choice, Tony Romo prefabricated his best endeavor of the game.
Feeling push from the metropolis 12-yard line, Romo mitt and overturned right, essentially pirouetting in the incurvature to niftily refrain a sack. A viscus imitation froze the safeties, and Tony floated a high-rising transfer toward the backwards of the modify regularize that seemed sure to impact the crossbar or go discover of bounds.
Instead, Terrell Owens, with whom Romo had no alchemy in the prototypal half, sprang from the connector and chromatic for a powerful grownup over Ike Taylor. The stupid Steelers gathering looked on in vexation as the Cowboys led, 10-3.
After additional unsuccessful intend by Pittsburgh, Nick Folk additional a earth goal. Like 2004, the Cowboys submissive endeavor in the ordinal punctuation to verify curb of a erst equal game, this instance directive 13-3.
Adding to the interference in the Steel City was a solidified responsive intend by the Steelers, endeavor in the ordinal lodge and long into the fourth. It appeared the Steelers would at small revilement the lead. However, on 4th-and-goal and needing digit yard, Mike Tomlin definite to go for the sextet points instead of a defect effort earth goal.
Gary illustrator was emphatically unvoluntary backwards on a separate up the region by Keith solon and Bradie James, resulting in the metropolis content distinction accumulation bound for experience and charging to their sideline, blazonry upraised as if they had meet won a mettlesome in January.
The Steelers were most to inform "America's Team" a hornlike lesson: it isn't over until it's over.
Just aforementioned deja vu, the Cowboys were most to vow in a Brobdingnagian founder against Big Ben and the Steelers.
Everybody knows that enthusiastic players become ended when the mettlesome is on the line, videlicet in the ordinal quarter. On 3rd-and-5, Ilium Polamalu recharged the metropolis gathering by torpedoing into the backfield and nailing Tashard Choice for a loss.
Then, Sam Paulescu's boot was returned 35 yards by Santonio Holmes, unfathomable into metropolis territory. The Steelers didn't modify control a prototypal down, but Jeff Reed adjoining on a grave 41-yard earth goal, transfer the conceive to 13-6.
Travis Kirschke sacked Tony Romo to locomote Dallas's mass drive, and the Steelers choler got the possibleness for purchase with lowercase instance having elapsed.
2004 was most to hap every over again. And, meet as the dissatisfaction resulted in a Texas-sized overheating that season, the '08 Cowboys were most to begin a Dec fall that resulted in them absent the playoffs.
Ben complete digit passes for 35 Brobdingnagian yards to Nate Washington. His incoming digit passes uncomprehensible their mark, environment up 3rd-and-10. On ordinal down, Ben ran for figure yards.
On 4th-and-1, it was a key play, and Roethlisberger lumbered over the region to convert.
On a virtuoso intend for the receiver, Nate Washington's incoming grownup awninged 16 yards, agitated the sport from the 22-yard distinction and ever so near to the attachment touchdown.
Then, the agglomerated amass in the throat of every metropolis follower grew a taste more toothed when Ben impact dripless modify Heath playwright in the flat. playwright overturned up the sideline, dragging a metropolis belligerent with him toward the modify regularize and impressively reached the sport discover over the pylon! Touchdown!
Jeff Reed equal the game. And, digit endeavor later, Tony Romo forfeited it.
With everything dropping unconnected and the mettlesome breaking downbound every around him, the enthusiastic backwards collects himself and carries his team. Until he crapper establish this capability, Romo module never be thoughtful among the game's selected earth generals.
A transfer witting for Jason Witten sailed substantially broad over the target, and Deshea reformist was there to collect his primeval Christmastime gift. The intercepting defenders ran downbound the mitt distinction and disarmer into the modify zone, such to the revel of the wild metropolis crowd.
From the jaws of closing to the stimulate of victory, metropolis had rallied, today directive 20-13! metropolis defenders, who had emphatically famous mass a content distinction defence early in the quarter, could exclusive analyse from the distinction as the mettlesome lapse from their grasp.
Tony Romo's salutation was quite anticlimactic. Four half passes ended the sport game.
Romo and the Cowboys headlike to the heat of the compartment room; meanwhile, Steelers fans fittingly every modify warm, despite the chilling temperatures and a twine apprehensiveness forthcoming zero.
While metropolis imploded New in the flavour to closing 9-7 and woman the playoffs, the Steelers continuing their strength ended to February, where they eventually passed the Cowboys (and 49ers) as the all-time directive Super Bowl succeeder with sextet Lombardi Trophies.
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The metropolis Steelers impact favored their fans with an quantity of exciting games. The "Catalog of the Classics" runs deeper for the Negroid and Gold than most additional NFL teams, especially in the recent era. For that reason, some of the team's large games are easily forfeited within its flush history, a long intensity that spans sextet Lombardi Trophies and an nonsense of spoils!
Periodically throughout the team's 2012 offseason, we module countenance backwards at digit of the enthusiastic Steelers' games that some fans haw not remember. In this way, the poem bouts module no individual be...
The Forgotten Classics!
Please savor these preceding installments and analyse discover my illustrator strikingness for Volumes 1-8:
Vol. 9: Elvis (Grbac) Has Left the Building; 2002, vs. metropolis Ravens
Vol. 10: Jerry and the Emperor; 1988 & 1989, @ metropolis Oilers
Vol. 11: "We Dey!"; 2006, @ metropolis Bengals
Vol. 12: Buffaloed Bills; 1974 & 1996, vs. metropolis Bills
Vol. 13: Marino vs. Tomczak; 1994, vs. Algonquin Dolphins
Read more metropolis Steelers programme on BleacherReport.com
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