 RCA Dome, site of the game | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 15, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | RCA Dome Indianapolis, Indiana | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Colts by 9.5[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Pete Morelli | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 57,449[2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | CBS | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers |
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The2005 Pittsburgh Steelers–Indianapolis Colts playoff game was aNational Football League (NFL)Divisional Round playoff game between the sixth-seededPittsburgh Steelers and the top-seededIndianapolis Colts, taking place during the2005–06 NFL playoffs at theRCA Dome inIndianapolis,Indiana on January 15, 2006.
Although memorable for other reasons, the game is best remembered for a late-gamefumble by Steelers running backJerome Bettis forced by Colts playerGary Brackett just as the Steelers appeared to have the game won, which was recovered by Colts playerNick Harper and returned near midfield untilBen Roethlisberger made a shoestring tackle to prevent what would have likely been a game-winningtouchdown for the Colts. The play, which became known both asThe Immaculate Redemption (as a play on the earlierImmaculate Reception that the Steelers were on the winning side of) andThe Tackle (not to be confused with an earlier play duringSuper Bowl XXXIV), has since enteredPittsburgh sports lore, and while initially appearing to be fatal helped the Steelers pull off an upset victory over the Colts. With the victory, the Steelers advanced to theAFC Championship Game, the first-ever number six seed to advance to either an AFC orNFC Championship Game, en route to the team's victory inSuper Bowl XL, its first Super Bowl victory in26 years. In the game's aftermath, organizational changes by the Colts preceded its first Super Bowl victory sincemoving to Indianapolis in 1984 onlyone year later.
The game has been featured onNFL Films Game of the Week, and is often marked as one of the greatest NFL games of all time, as well as one of the biggest upsets in NFL history.
Entering the2005 NFL season, both teams were expected to be playoff contenders following strong seasons fromthe year before. How both teams entered the playoffs would be different, however.
Pittsburgh attempted to replicate its success from2004, when it finished 15–1 behind one of the league's stingiest defenses, a strong running game, and the unexpected success of rookie quarterbackBen Roethlisberger before losing to theeventual Super Bowl championNew England Patriots in the 2004 AFC Championship Game. (A game that would later be referenced in the PatriotsSpygate scandal.)[3] The Steelers started off 7–2 before a midseason injury to Roethlisberger led to him missing three games and the Steelers going on a three-game losing streak. A four-game winning streak at the end of the season helped the Steelers barely edge off theKansas City Chiefs for theAFC's final playoff spot. (The four game streak was sparked by a decisive win over theChicago Bears during which Bettis, en route to a 101-yard game, drove Chicago's middle linebackerBrian Urlacher and two other defenders for a five-yard touchdown run.[4])
Finishing 11–5, the team had tied therivalCincinnati Bengals for theAFC North division title, but lost the division to the Bengals on tiebreakers despite splitting the season series. The two teams would meet in the AFC Wild Card Round, best remembered for Bengals quarterbackCarson Palmer tearing hisACL on the game's second play from scrimmage on a controversial hit by Steelers defensive endKimo von Oelhoffen, which at the time was legal and didn't involve apenalty. The Steelers won 31–17, advancing to face the Colts.
For the Colts, 2005 marked the fourth season of head coachTony Dungy, after he had retooled the defense to hisTampa 2 style while leaving the high-octane offense, led by quarterbackPeyton Manning, untouched. While the Colts made the playoffs in each of Dungy's first three years in Indianapolis, the team struggled to get past therivalNew England Patriots, mainly due to the subpar defense that was in place prior to Dungy's arrival. The team started off 13–0 before losing two of its final three games, winning theAFC South and finishing an NFL-best 14–2, having home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, as well as a first-roundbye.
2005 also marked the eighth season for both Manning and Colts kickerMike Vanderjagt. Vanderjagt, who was the NFL's all-time most accurate kicker after eight seasons, had a contentious relationship with Manning at best. Following the Colts' elimination from the postseason in2002, Vanderjagt made critical comments about Manning and Dungy to a Canadian television station. Vanderjagt questioned Manning's leadership skills and was critical of Dungy's level-headed temperament. During an interview at the2003 Pro Bowl, the normally stoic Manning referred to Vanderjagt as the team's "idiot kicker" and accused him of being intoxicated during the interview.[5] However, the two appeared to have made amends (at least publicly) by the 2005 playoffs.
The matchup would be a rematch of the two teams' Week 12 matchup onMonday Night Football, which the Colts handily defeated the Steelers at the RCA Dome 26–7, during the Steelers aforementioned three-game losing streak and was also Roethlisberger's first game back from injury. Steelers receiverHines Ward said after that game, which brought the Colts up to 11–0, that "It’s tough to go undefeated, but they have the potential."
The game would mark the fifth postseason meeting between the two teams, and the first to take place inIndianapolis; the two teams met atMemorial Stadium inBaltimore in1976 (during the Colts' time inBaltimore) while the other three matchups (1975,1995, and1996) were all inPittsburgh atThree Rivers Stadium, the first one being the introduction of theTerrible Towel. This would be the only postseason meeting between the two at the RCA Dome; the two teams have yet to meet in the postseason at their current stadiums,Acrisure Stadium andLucas Oil Stadium. The Steelers won all previous postseason matchups.
The night before the game, Colts cornerbackNick Harper was involved in an altercation with his wife that resulted in him getting cut with a knife in his right leg, requiring stitches. Harper nearly missed the game, but was able to play and would foreshadow his notable play in the game.
The game had been expected to be a victory for the Colts in a possible matchup to face theNew England Patriots in the AFC Championship game the following week and leading a "passing the torch" moment between Manning andTom Brady. However, theDenver Broncos defeated the Patriots the previous day 27–13, giving the Patriots their first postseason loss during theBrady–Belichick era. The victor would face the Broncos instead, either at home (for the Colts) or inDenver (for the Steelers) atInvesco Field at Mile High.
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The Steelers drove 84 yards and scored on their opening possession. Pittsburgh quarterbackBen Roethlisberger completed six consecutive passes for 76 yards, including a 36-yard completion to tight endHeath Miller and a 6-yard touchdown pass toAntwaan Randle El. Later in the first quarter, Roethlisberger's 45-yard completion toHines Ward moved the ball to the Colts 8-yard line, and they scored another touchdown with his 7-yard pass to Miller, increasing the Steelers' lead to 14–0.
Five minutes into the second quarter, Indianapolis advanced the ball 96 yards to the Steelers 2-yard line and taking 9:39 off the clock, thenMike Vanderjagt kicked a field goal, cutting their deficit to 14–3.
Late in the third quarter, Steelers linebackerJames Farrior (who finished the game with eight tackles and2+1⁄2 sacks) sacked Manning at the Colts 1-yard line on third down, and Randle El returnedHunter Smith's ensuing punt 20 yards to the Indianapolis 30. Five plays later,Jerome Bettis scored a 1-yard touchdown run, making the score 21–3. But this time, Indianapolis struck back, driving 72 yards in six plays and scoring with Manning's 50-yard touchdown pass to tight endDallas Clark. During the drive, Manning waved off the punt team being sent on the field by Dungy on 4th down and 2 at the Colts' 36-yard line, which Dungy allowed; the ensuing snap led to a 13-yard pass play toBrandon Stokley to eventually set up Clark's touchdown. The Steelers were forced to punt on their ensuing drive, after taking over seven minutes off the clock, leaving just 6:03 left in the game by the time Indianapolis got the ball back.
One play after the punt, an interception by Pittsburgh safetyTroy Polamalu was overturned byinstant replay, which the league would later admit was a mistake.[6] Taking advantage of his second chance, Manning completed a 9-yard pass to Clark, a 20-yard pass toMarvin Harrison, and a 24-yard pass toReggie Wayne, moving the ball to the Steelers 3-yard line. Running backEdgerrin James finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, and then Manning threw a pass to Wayne for a successful 2-point conversion, cutting the Colts deficit to 21–18. The Steelers were forced to punt on their ensuing drive. With 1:20 left in the game, Manning was sacked on 4th and 16 byJoey Porter at the Colts' 2-yard line, and the ball was turned over to the Steelers on downs.
Because the Colts still had all three timeouts remaining, the Steelers could not take aquarterback kneel, and had to try to advance the ball or score. Afield goal would have put the Steelers up by six, while a touchdown would essentially seal the win for Pittsburgh. Aforward pass ran the risk of aninterception, and with the Steelers only needing two yards to score, combined with Bettis' historically low fumble percentage, the Steelers opted to run the ball in for the game-clinching score.
On Pittsburgh's first play of their final drive, as Bettis tried to run for a touchdown, he fumbled for the first time all season when linebackerGary Brackett popped the ball from Bettis' hands with his helmet. Indianapolis defensive backNick Harper recovered the ball and appeared to be on his way for a touchdown that would have given the Colts the lead when Roethlisberger barely made a season saving tackle at the Colts' 42-yard line, recovering from getting spun around to grab Harper's ankle, which brought him down;Jerame Tuman downed Harper to end the play.
Eventually, the Colts then advanced to the Pittsburgh 28-yard line, but key stops by rookieBryant McFadden while trying to go for a touchdown forced the Colts to go for a field goal. However, Vanderjagt, who had been perfect at home in the playoffs, subsequently missed a 46-yard game-tying field goal attempt wide right with 17 seconds left, and the Steelers ran out the clock. Vanderjagt, who took his helmet off on the field and threw it down in disgust, would be penalized forunsportsmanlike conduct.
The Steelers, buoyed by the momentum of pulling off one of the biggest upsets in NFL history, went to Denver to defeat the Broncos 34–17, giving head coachBill Cowher his first win in the AFC Championship Game on the road and his only decisive win in the games, having previously played the game at home five times (1994,1995,1997,2001, and2004) losing four of those matchups and only winning the1995 AFC Championship Game (coincidentally against theColts) on a droppedHail Mary pass by then-Colts quarterbackJim Harbaugh toAaron Bailey. The Steelers advanced toSuper Bowl XL, their first Super Bowl appearance sinceSuper Bowl XXX ten years prior. The Steelers defeated theSeattle Seahawks 21–10 to win their fifthVince Lombardi Trophy and the first since the Steelers dynasty years of the 1970s. Bettis retired immediately after the game and was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame in 2015; Cowher resigned one year later after 15 seasons as Steelers head coach and was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame himself in 2020.
The Steelers' victory marked the first time since the playoffs were expanded to six teams per conference in1990 that a number six-seeded team defeated the top seed in the playoffs; only thestrike shortened seasonNew York Jets (in1982),Philadelphia Eagles (in2008),Green Bay Packers (in2010), andTennessee Titans (in2019) have since repeated this feat, with the Packers going on to winSuper Bowl XLV (coincidentally, beating the Steelers in that game); the NFL expanded to seven teams per conference for the2020 NFL season, making the feat more likely. In the second year of the expanded format, theSan Francisco 49ers (in2021) became the next team to do so.
Within seconds of the Bettis fumble, a Steelers fan watching the game at a bar had aheart attack. The fan survived the heart attack and would have apacemaker installed.[7]
Vanderjagt's missed field goal would be his last play as a Colt, as his contract expired and the Colts (fed up with his off-field antics at this point) elected not to renew his deal, replacing him with former Patriots kickerAdam Vinatieri, who would go on to have a second career with the Colts and become both the Patriots and Colts' all-time leading scorer. Vanderjagt would sign with theDallas Cowboys but would be cut midseason and left the NFL altogether.
Along with Vanderjagt, it would also mark the last game in a Colts uniform forHall of Fame running backEdgerrin James, who departed for theArizona Cardinals via free agency after becoming the Colts' all-time leading rusher.
Despite losing James, replacing Vanderjagt with Vinatieri would prove to make a difference for the Colts, who would go on to winSuper Bowl XLI the following season. Despite no longer being on the team, Colts ownerJim Irsay still sent James aSuper Bowl ring.[8] James would eventually play in theSuper Bowl as a member of the Cardinals, losingSuper Bowl XLIII against the Steelers 27–23.
The game would be notable for former Steelers offensive lineman and then-currentPittsburgh Steelers Radio Network analystTunch Ilkin for his quotes regarding the game near the end:
[After Joey Porter's 4th down sack on Peyton Manning] "Call up the travel agent, make the reservations, we are off to Denver."
"For all of youfantasy football players out there who have Jerome, you have to be pretty excited right about now." (Bill Hillgrove) "Wouldn't it be something if he got his second touchdown of the game. [ball is snapped]Here's the give to Jerome, the ball is..."[Bettis fumbles at this point, with Harper's recovery] (Ilkin) "Fumble, FUMBLE, HE PICKED IT UP, OH NO! OH MY GOSH!" (Hillgrove)"NICK HARPER HAS IT..." (Ilkin)"OH MY GOSH, SOMEBODY'S GOTTA TACKLE HIM!" [Roethlisberger makes the tackle on Harper] (Hillgrove)"Jerome Bettis, who rarely fumbles, fumbles at the goal line, Nick Harper picks it up, and the Colts are still alive with 1:09 to go!" (Ilkin)"Oh my Gosh. Oh my gosh, all you got to do is fall on the ball. What a turn of events. Okay, you've got 1:09 left, the Colts got the ball on the 42 yard line. The game is not over, cancel the reservations to Denver. We got finish this one out here. Unbelieveable!"
Hillgrove and Ilkin both discussed how accurate Vanderjagt had been during the season, with Ilkin saying, "law of averages says he misses this one". He went to correct himself again following Vanderjagt's miss:
(Hillgrove)"Here's the snap, the kick is on its way. It's high enough..." (Hillgrove & Ilkin)"NO GOOD!" (Hillgrove) "IT'S NO GOOD!" (Ilkin)"OH MAN!" (Hillgrove)"It's no good!" (Ilkin) "CALL UP THE TRAVEL AGENT, REMAKE THOSE RESERVATIONS. WE ARE OFF TO DENVER."
Ilkin became known within a week for jumping the gun on a Steelers victory, so he waited until the Steelers-Broncos game was clearly decided before making similar comments about "going toDetroit".
Thenational broadcasting team ofDick Enberg andDan Dierdorf onCBS, while more neutral, were equally as surprised as the local broadcasting teams of the events late in the game:
(Dan Dierdorf)Now there's three times out here left for the Colts. [ball is snapped]They gotta keep them out of the end zone. (Dick Enberg)Bettis... [Bettis fumbles]FUMBLED THE BALL. PICKED UP BY NICK HARPER. OH MY! HARPER WITH ROETHLISBERGER TO BEAT. ROETHLISBERGER MAKES THE TACKLE AT THE 43 YARD LINE. CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? (Dierdorf)NO I CAN'T! [pause] (Enberg)And Ben Roethlisberger saved the game for the Steelers. (Dierdorf)And there are people who are out the door who are streaming back to their seats!
(Enberg)It's a bit surprising they did not buy more yardage for Vanderjagt, who now must kick this 46 yard field goal, to tie. [ball is snapped and kicked]And it's NO GOOD! (Dierdorf)He missed it. (Enberg)NOT EVEN CLOSE! WIDE RIGHT! [pause] (Dierdorf)That is a shock. Mike Vanderjagt has been money over the years for the Colts.
[during the final kneel-down by the Steelers] (Dierdorf)And how happy are the fans in Denver that they are going to be hosting the AFC Championship game.
Coincidentally, Enberg had also called the two teams' aforementioned previous postseason matchup in the 1995 AFC Championship Game whileworking forNBC and even referenced that game's last play during the Colts' final drive.
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