When CBS’ “The NFL Today” analysts recently were asked to reveal their Super Bowl predictions, without hesitation, Bill Cowher exclaimed, “It’s a repeat of Super Bowl 40! Pittsburgh, Seattle!”
The former Steelers head coach shared this revelation with his Super Bowl 40 quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on “The NFL Today” on Sunday.
“I ask that you hold up your end of the bargain,” Cowher said. “Just letting you know that I’m putting…”
“… added pressure on me,” Roethlisberger finished.
“Yeah, you can handle that, can’t you,” Cowher smirked.
“If I hold up my end of the bargain, you come up to me and grab me by the collar like you did in that famous picture and told me, ‘Don’t ever do that again. Great play!'”
“Great play. Don’t ever do that again… only if it works,” Cowher retorted.
The particular play they refer to is when, five minutes into the 4th quarter, Big Ben took off running, barreling through the first of two open lanes. After what was more of a tumble than a slide, he ended up in a ball on the ground at the feet of Seahawk defenders.
But on a third-and-2, Roethlisberger got five.
Cowher shot a death glare (with some chin) in his QB’s direction.
As if defying the Cowher staredown, on the very next play, Ben threw a key block on strong safety Michael Boulware, which allowed a wide receiver-to-wide receiver touchdown from Antwan Randle El to Hines Ward for 43 yards.
Those classic plays, of course, are from the 2006 Super Bowl when Pittsburgh came to Detroit to battle Seattle. The 21-10 win was the first and last Super Bowl of the Bill Cowher era, and the final stop for Jerome “The Bus” Bettis. Ben Roethlisberger also became the youngest quarterback ever to win the Super Bowl, a title he holds to this day.
