By Keith Schleiden
Pro Football Weekly
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/default.htm
Feb. 3, 2009
TAMPA, Fla. — Santonio Holmes thought his opportunity had passed. His shot at Super Bowl glory had just sailed through his hands in the left corner of the endzone in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter.A catchable pass had become a blown opportunity. Time for someone else’s chance to shine.
“I thought we would get the opportunity to call for Willie (Parker) to run it in, or throw it up (for someone else),” Holmes said immediately after the game. “But when they called that play, that’s been my play throughout the whole postseason.”
This time there was no drop. Only a picture-perfect pass from Ben Roethlisberger snatched by Holmes, who deftly landed both feet in the endzone for what proved to be the game-winning score and signature play of Super Bowl XLIII.
“It definitely can be thought of as redemption. It was a play that I should have made,” Holmes said, recalling the dropped pass. "Ben put the ball where only I could catch it. I really took my eyes off of it, thinking about keeping my feet down before I got my hands on the ball and just lost sight of the ball. But coming back, and having the faith in me and believing that I could be the one to make that play, he gave me the opportunity in the back of the endzone, and I promised myself this time I wouldn’t lift those feet off the ground.”
Even though the officials reviewed the play to make sure it was a touchdown, Holmes said there was never a doubt in his mind that he had made the most of his second chance.
“I knew my toes were on the ground the whole time,” Holmes said. “Once I extended my arms and my body, everything just flowed right together. I never left the ground.”
It was this play that sealed Holmes’ fate as the Most Valuable Player in the Steelers’ sixth Super Bowl championship. But it was his work earlier on the final drive that laid the groundwork. His receptions of 14, 13 and 40 yards helped move the Steelers into position to take their shots at the endzone, with a six-yarder putting Pittsburgh over the top with 35 seconds left to play.
“That was a heck of a drive,” Roethlisberger said. “We got backed up early on the drive with the penalties and we had to work the ball all the way down the field. On the scoring play that put us ahead, the first read wasn’t open. The second read wasn’t open, and I kind of felt (Holmes) at the last minute, so I let it go and thought the corner dropped off, but (Holmes) went out and just made a heck of a grab.”
Santonio Holmes hauls in a 6-yard touchdown reception past Arizona Cardinals safety Aaron Francisco in the fourth quarter of the NFL Super Bowl XLIII football game, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, in Tampa, Fla. (AP)
Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said the name of the game-winning play is “62, Seat, Flasher.”
“It was a play designed to get WR Nate (Washington) down the middle, or Hines (Ward) or Heath (Miller) in a high and low backside, and Santonio just ran a curl on the backside and split the whole coverage open,” Arians explained. “He ran a great route, beat the guy and makes the play.”
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin heaped praise on his young receiver in the postgame press conference, noting that Holmes has come through in the clutch throughout the playoff run.
“Santonio is just a guy that loves to deliver in big moments and in big games,” Tomlin said. “I think I said it earlier in the week at one of the eight or nine interview sessions I had. What he did tonight was similar to what he did in the month of January in the playoffs to get to this game, and was also similar to what he did for us in Baltimore to win the division. In big moments, we know what we can get from him and we appreciate it.”
Holmes was hardly the receiver of choice in the week leading up to the game. Most of the attention centered on Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals’ pass catcher who largely was unstoppable during the playoffs. Anquan Boldin, who drew crowds of media members to answer questions about his sideline tantrum in the NFC championship game and his desire for a trade out of Arizona, overshadowed Holmes. Teammate Hines Ward, who was questionable to play because of a knee injury and was the MVP of Super Bowl XL, was a far more popular interview subject.
But there was no doubt among Holmes’ teammates that he was deserving of the MVP award.
“He deserved it,” LB Larry Foote said. “They didn’t talk about him all week long. This is his home state. We’ve been hearing about Fitzgerald this and Fitzgerald that, and Santonio stole the show.”
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers Santonio Holmes (10) and Hines Ward (86) celebrate Holmes' touchdown reception in the fourth quarter of the NFL Super Bowl XLIII football game, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, in Tampa, Fla. (AP)
Holmes is now in elite company, one of just 38 men to have captured a Super Bowl MVP award. On Monday morning, after having had a chance to bask in the glow of his latest achievement, Holmes was asked if Ward had given him any advice on how to handle the attention that comes with being a Super Bowl MVP.
“As far as talking to Hines about what’s definitely going to change about my life, he just told me to stay humble,” Holmes said. “Things are going to come for me. (I just need) to be ready to represent my family, this team and this whole organization, because everybody behind me has my back. (He told me) don’t lose sight of where I came from and definitely what I’m trying to accomplish for the rest of my life.”
The Super Bowl MVP is determined by a vote conducted by 16 on-site media members, which represented 80 percent of the vote, and fans voting on Superbowl.com and NFL.com, which counted for 20 percent of the vote (four votes).
Holmes received 12½ votes. Roethlisberger received three votes, Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald garnered 2½ votes and Steelers LB James Harrison tallied two votes.
No comments:
Post a Comment