In Final Seconds, Santonio Holmes Was Steelers' Only Option

Steelers No. 1 receiver Hines Ward gutted his way through the entire game, but with a strained MCL, he was not much more than a gimpy decoy. Pittsburgh No. 3 receiver Nate Washington hurt his shoulder on his only catch of the game with 1:33 to play, which meant he was running routes with not much more than one arm.

So when Ben Roethlisberger hopped into the huddle with 48 seconds to play, he really had one option among his top three receivers -- Santonio Holmes. On both of the Steelers' two goal-line plays in the final seconds, everything was set up to get Holmes open.

On first down, the Steelers put Holmes on the left side of the field lined up in a stack formation with Mewelde Moore behind him. On the other side of the field, the Steelers lined up Washington and Ward (the decoys) along with Heath Miller in a bunch formation. At the snap, Roethlisberger looked to his right and pump faked to try to draw the linebackers and safeties over.

At the same time, Holmes was running a route to the back of the left corner of the end zone. Moore trailed behind Holmes and stopped right at the goal line. After his pump fake, Roethlisberger shifted his eyes to Moore, in the hope that cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie would abandon Holmes for Moore. It worked for just a split second, which was enough to give Holmes a window. Roethlisberger let fly with a good enough pass that could have been the game-winner, but Holmes let it slip through his hands.

On second down, the Steelers ran the same concept out of an entirely different formation. This time, the Steelers put Washington and Miller on the left side, while Ward came in motion to end up lined up behind Holmes at the snap, just like Moore was behind Holmes on first down. This time, Moore was in the backup spot, flanked out to Roethlisberger's right.

Super Bowl Heroes and Goats

Hero: Santonio Holmes, Super Bowl XLIII
With time running down in the fourth quarter, Holmes made one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history. Sneaking behind three Cardinals defenders, Holmes outstretched to haul in the game-winner for Pittsburgh.

Matt Cashore, US Presswire

Goat: Eugene Robinson, Atlanta Falcons, Super Bowl XXXIII
Sure, Robinson (right) struggled in the Falcons' 34-19 loss to Denver -- including getting smoked on this 80-yard Rod Smith score -- but he made bigger news before the game. The morning prior to the Super Bowl, Robinson was arrested by an undercover cop for trying to solicit sex from a prostitute.

Tony Ranze, AFP / Getty Images

Hero: Joe Namath, New York Jets, Super Bowl III
Namath guaranteed an upset win over the Colts, then delivered. Broadway Joe won the MVP (despite not throwing a TD pass) after guiding the AFL's Jets to a stunning 16-7 victory.

Darryl Norenberg, WireImage

Goat:Scott Norwood, Buffalo Bills, Super Bowl XXV
Norwood's "Wide Right" moment is etched in NFL lore, alongside things like "The Catch" and "The Drive." Norwood's last-second miss in Super Bowl XXV gave the Giants the championship -- and Buffalo the first of four straight runner-up finishes.

Phil Sandlin, AP

Hero: Tony Dungy, Indianapolis Colts, Super Bowl XLI
Dungy took his Colts to the top of the NFL's mountaintop with a 29-17 victory over Chicago. In doing so, Dungy became the first African-American head coach to claim a Super Bowl crown.

David J. Phillip, AP

Goat: Neil O'Donnell, Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl XXX
The Cowboys won their third title in four years on Jan. 28, 1996, but not without help from Pittsburgh's quarterback. O'Donnell chucked three interceptions, including a pair to game MVP Larry Brown, as the Steelers lost 27-17.

Doug Mills, AP

Hero: Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl XIV
Bradshaw led the Steelers to four titles and won the Super Bowl MVP award in both Super Bowl XIII and XIV. In 1980, against the Rams, Bradshaw threw for 309 yards and two TDs -- one year after his three-touchdown performance beat the Cowboys.

Andy Hayt, Getty Images

Goat: Jackie Smith, Dallas Cowboys, Super Bowl XIII
In a back-and-forth matchup with Pittsburgh, Smith had a chance to tie the game at 21 in the third quarter. Instead, he dropped a wide-open touchdown pass, Dallas wound up kicking a field goal and the Steelers went on to win by four.

Focus on Sport / Getty Images

Hero: Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl XVI
Montana won his first of four Super Bowls -- and three game MVP awards -- in 1982 against the Bengals. The QB scored on a one-yard run early, threw a second-quarter touchdown pass and the Niners held on for a 26-21 win in Detroit.

Goat: John Kasay, Carolina Panthers, Super Bowl XXXVIII
Adam Vinatieri grabbed the spotlight with a game-winning kick, but Kasay's miscue may have cost Carolina the game. After the Panthers rallied to tie New England at 29 in a wild fourth quarter, Kasay booted the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, setting up the Pats' game-winning drive.

Andy Lyons, Getty Images