Detroit – It became apparent to Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt that his offense needed a call from deep in the playbook.
That was fine with Whisenhunt. After all, that’s what makes his time between the headsets fun. The quick offensive work his Steelers displayed in road playoff victories at Indianapolis and Denver in the past two games were almost too easy. Whisenhunt wanted to earn it.
On a day when his offense used three big plays to mask an otherwise stale and mistake-filled game, Whisenhunt went to one of his old, reliable tricks to bring Pittsburgh its first Super Bowl victory since the free-for-all days of Terry Bradshaw.
The final trick of the season by a Pittsburgh team that used deception throughout the season was the deciding play in the Steelers’ 21-10 victory over Seattle in Super Bowl XL on Sunday night.
Take a bite out of Super Bowl lore, Antwaan Randle El and Hines Ward.
With 8:56 remaining in the game, Randle El – a game-changing college quarterback while at Indiana – took a reverse handoff from running back Willie Parker after quarterback Ben Roethlisberger pitched the ball, and ran to his right. Stopping suddenly, Randle El threw a perfect, 43-yard touchdown pass to Ward, the game’s MVP, to give the Steelers the final margin.
This was unlike the victories over the Colts and the Broncos, when the Steelers’ offense jumped out to early leads and was machine-like. Pittsburgh was sloppy Sunday, but had three magic moments.
The Randle El pass, a 75-yard touchdown run by Parker – the longest touchdown run in Super Bowl history – in the third quarter, and a beautiful 37-yard pass from Roethlisberger to Ward to set up a touchdown late in the first half, were the Steelers’ three momentous offensive plays.
The trick play came four plays after Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor intercepted Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck at the Pittsburgh 5 with the Steelers clinging to a four-point lead. The Steelers turned a potential fourth-quarter deficit into a nearly insurmountable late-game lead. Just like magic.
“It worked just perfectly,” said Whisenhunt, who is likely to talk to Raiders owner Al Davis about the Oakland head coaching job now that the season is finished.
“When they called it, I knew it was time to shine,” Randle El said. “I knew it would work.”
It has before. In the Steelers’ first playoff game – at Cincinnati on Jan. 8 – Randle El threw a touchdown pass that was the turning point in the Steelers’ victory.
“He called the right call at the right time,” Ward said.
An offense can effectively utilize only one or two trick plays a game, and the Steelers hadn’t used their allotment. Wisenhunt liked the timing because the Seahawks were flat, coming off the interception at the goal line. Plus, a big play would bury Seattle.
Whisenhunt said the play developed through the course of the possession. First, Parker took a handoff for a 1-yard run up the middle to remind Seattle he still was part of the offensive plan. Then, Roethlisberger hit Randle El on a 7-yard screen pass. After a 5-yard Roethlisberger run, Whisenhunt called it, with a hunch the Seahawks thought Randle El would be going out for a similar route. That’s how he was lined up after all.
Instead, Parker got the ball. For a moment. Randle El swung around for the reverse, and the Seahawks were in trouble.
Whisenhunt has such confidence in Randle El because he’s a natural quarterback. He wasn’t going to press. Whisenhunt knew his player was going to run the play to perfection.
Touchdown.
Game over.
Another Pittsburgh trick.
“We just seem to have good luck with that one,” Randle El said. “It was glorious.”
Bill Williamson can be reached at 303-820-5450 or bwilliamson@denverpost.com.
