The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2005 playoff run was a historic one, the first-ever sixth seed to win a Super Bowl. To do that meant winning three AFC playoff games on the road. After beating the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card Round, they entered Divisional Weekend as extreme underdogs to the #1 seed Indianapolis Colts.
But the Steelers upset them in nail-biting fashion, Colts’ kicker Mike Vanderjact missing wide right on a game-tying field goal following Jerome Bettis’ famous fumble (and Ben Roethlisberger’s equally famous tackle). While how the game ended is the story that’s remembered today, what shouldn’t be forgotten is how the Steelers’ defense made life miserable for QB Peyton Manning.