Pittsburgh Steelers fans can recite every frame of the legendary game-winning drive in Super Bowl XLIII. Down 23-20 to the Arizona Cardinals with 2:37 remaining, Ben Roethlisberger marched the offense 88 yards down the field, capping the possession with a jaw-dropping, toe-tapping touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes in the corner of the end zone.
While history remembers the drive as a masterclass in clutch quarterback play, former offensive coordinator Bruce Arians recently revealed just how severely handicapped the Steelers’ receiving unit was on that final drive.
Appearing on Cameron Heyward’s “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” podcast, Arians disclosed that Pittsburgh’s depth at receiver had essentially disintegrated before the final march
even started.
"The people didn't realize, though, Hines [Ward] couldn't run. His knee was shot. Nate [Washington] has separated his shoulder," Arians shared, revealing the physical toll on Hines Ward and Nate Washington. "So, we only had Heath [Miller] and Santonio [Holmes] to throw it to."
To make matters worse, a holding penalty on the opening play backed Pittsburgh up to their own 12-yard line, forcing the offense to overcome long yardage with a severely restricted skill group.
The physical limitations of Ward and Washington forced Roethlisberger to shoulder the entire weight of the passing game, leaning almost exclusively on tight end Heath Miller and eventual Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes.
"Everybody said, 'Ben's got the great pump back now.’ He's full of s**t, I've got to throw it over here because them guys can't run and catch," Arians joked.
Despite the extreme physical strain and paper-thin options, Roethlisberger delivered one of the greatest game-winning drives in NFL history.
"There's only four people, five people in the world can make that throw," Arians added. "I thought Ben should have got the MVP."
For Arians, Big Ben’s ability to pinpoint the game-winner to Holmes under such immense physical constraints solidified the legendary nature of the victory.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Bruce Arians reveals wild injury detail from Super Bowl XLIII
