In an 18-year career filled with incredible highs and Hall of Fame-caliber plays, one stands out above the rest in former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s mind. It happens to be a massive one in the history of not only the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the NFL as a whole.
You guessed it: the play that stands out above the rest in Roethlisberger’s mind is the throw to Santonio Holmes in the back right corner of the end zone over three Arizona Cardinals defenders for the toe-tap touchdown, giving the Steelers a late lead in an eventual win over the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, giving Roethlisberger his second Super Bowl of his career, and the Steelers’ sixth overall as a franchise.
All these years later though, Roethlisberger still has a bit of a chip on his shoulder — unsurprisingly — when it comes to that play. Speaking with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ron Cook Wednesday, Roethlisberger stated that he doesn’t believe the throw to Holmes gets enough credit in the history surrounding the legendary play. Roethlisberger stated that the catch was a terrific play by Holmes, but that the throw itself, with everything on the line, doesn’t get enough credit in his mind.
“The pass to Santonio [Holmes in Super Bowl XLIII against Arizona]. That’s what I dreamed of as a kid, to win the game,” Roethlisberger said to Cook, according to original reporting from the Post-Gazette. “It wasn’t like it was to a wide-open guy. I still don’t think that pass gets enough credit. The catch was spectacular, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think the whole combination gets enough credit.”
Never change, Big Ben.
Of course, there’s a bit of truth to that statement from Roethlisberger.
One play prior, Roethlisberger made a great throw to Holmes in the left corner of the end zone that went through Holmes’ hands for a big-time drop late in the back-and-forth game against the Cardinals. One play later, Roethlisberger uncorked the game-winning throw to Holmes with 42 seconds left in the game, placing the ball perfectly over Cardinals’ safety Aaron Francisco, allowing Holmes to get two feet down for the iconic score that will live on in the history of the NFL.
Years later, when discussion regarding the iconic play in Super Bowl XLIII comes up, most of the talk centers on Holmes being able to not only haul in the pass, but get two feet down, maintain possession through contact and put himself in the history books. While the catch itself was incredible, the throw will remain one of the best ever in NFL history for a long, long time, considering the circumstances in the game, along with the overall placement and accuracy.
