The NFL was a lot different back in 2005 than it is nearly 20 years later in 2024.

Everything from the physical and run-dominant playing style to ads for “NFL on AOL” highlighted how much the league has evolved over the years. That season was a year of unforgettable moments and larger-than-life personalities, culminating in a playoff run that would see two future Hall of Famers clash in an epic showdown.

The Indianapolis Colts were at the center of the season’s most compelling storyline. Under the direction of quarterback Peyton Manning, the Colts raced to a 13-0 start, captivating fans and television analysts alike with their high-powered offense.

Manning’s ability to read defenses and make adjustments at the line of scrimmage, combined with the explosive talents of Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, and Edgerrin James, made the Colts a dominant force. The talk of a perfect season echoed throughout the league until the San Diego Chargers dashed those hopes in Week 15.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers were continuing to embody what they were so often known for: resilience and grit. After a strong start, the Steelers hit a mid-season slump, losing three straight games and putting their playoff hopes in jeopardy.

True to their blue-collar ways, they rallied, winning their last four games to finish 11-5 and clinch the final Wild Card spot in the AFC as the sixth seed. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, in just his second year, was really starting to settle in, while the thunder and lightning running attack led by Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker epitomized the physical style of play that defined the team.

Big Ben Firing on All Cylinders Early

In the first half, it was the Ben Roethlisberger Show rather than the Peyton Manning Program

After getting through an incredible CBS intro that was filled to the brim with nostalgia, action was underway quickly at the RCA Dome.

The 2005 AFC Divisional Playoff game started with an unexpected bang from the visiting Steelers. Pittsburgh’s offense came out firing on all cylinders, and it quickly became clear that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was in peak form.

From the very first drive, Roethlisberger demonstrated his poise and precision, leading the Steelers on an 84-yard march down the field that ended with a touchdown pass to Antwaan Randle El. This opening salvo, matched by their defense which forced a three-and-out on their first drive, stunned the Colts and their fans, setting the tone for a bit of a lopsided first half.

Roethlisberger’s early dominance didn’t stop there. He continued to dissect the Colts’ defense and used his youthful athleticism to break out of would-be sacks. He and his tight end Heath Miller were clearly on the same page in the first quarter as the big tight end had 61 yards and a touchdown in the opening frame; and by that time, the Steelers had built a 14-0 lead, leaving the Colts scrambling to adjust their game plan.

The second quarter finally saw a consistent drive by Manning and the high-flying Colts offense. On their second possession of the quarter, they held the ball for 10:23 and went 96 yards from their own two-yard line all the way down to the Steelers’ two-yard line.

Unfortunately for them, the drive stalled out there, and they were forced to settle for three points. Those were their only points of the first half as they went into the locker room down 14-3.

Sitting on a Lead

Bill Cowher stuck to his conservative approach in the third quarter

The third quarter was a testament to Steelers head coach Bill Cowher’s philosophy of grinding out the clock and relying on his stifling defense, a strategy that had served the Steelers well throughout the season. With a comfortable lead, the Steelers’ offense came out looking like a completely different unit. Cowher chose to lean heavily on the running game, putting the ball in the hands of Willie Parker and Jerome Bettis.

Fortunately for him, the Steelers’ defense continued to shine, forcing Manning and the Colts into difficult situations. Middle linebacker and defensive quarterback James Farrior and All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu were relentless, closing gaps and preventing the Colts from gaining any momentum.

Manning was facing heavy pressure all game and the Colts seemed to have no answer for the Steelers’ “Blitzburgh” pass rush. Including the last play of the quarter where the offense converted on fourth-and-short, the Colts’ offense managed to get just two first downs throughout the entire third quarter.

On the offensive side, however, the Steelers struggled to maintain their rhythm. The once-dominant passing game that saw Roethlisberger slinging the ball all over the field was nowhere to be found. Instead, the Steelers opted for a ground-and-pound approach that saw mixed results.

Parker managed a few significant runs, but the Colts’ defense, led by Dwight Freeney, adjusted well, limiting the Steelers’ yardage and forcing them into tough third-down situations.

The only score of the quarter from either team came behind a short-field drive (thanks to a 20-yard punt return from Randle El that set them up on the Colts’ 30) that saw the Steelers hand it off six consecutive plays until Bettis finally powered it into the end zone from a yard out.

The (Almost) Comeback

Insane play after insane play almost led to a comeback for the ages

After Manning waved his punt team off the field on a fourth-and-two with six seconds to go in the third quarter, he completed a pass to Brandon Stokely over the middle for 13 yards; and that was all the kick-start he needed. Two plays later, he hit his athletic tight end, Dallas Clark, who took it the rest of the way for a 50-yard touchdown to make it a two-possession game.

Many expected this to be the motivation that the legendary coach Cowher needed to put the ball back into his young quarterback’s hands and keep the pressure on the Colts. Instead, he stuck with the game plan and kept the ball primarily on the ground, calling a run for 10 of the 12 plays on the following drive, which ended in a punt.

The most controversial play of the entire game happened shortly after Manning and Company got the ball back. Looking for a quick hitter over the middle, Manning failed to see Polamalu sitting within reach, and he ended up taking the pass square in the chest.

After rolling on the ground a few times, Polamalu tried to get up and, in doing so, hit the ball out of his hands with his own knee. He ended up falling right back on it for, what should have been, the game-sealing interception to send the Steelers to the AFC Championship Game.

Instead, the play got reviewed and overturned as Polamalu’s roll on the ground didn’t constitute enough steps, and was ruled an incomplete pass and the Colts retained possession of the ball. (When referees refer to a “football move” now, this play is a big reason why.) Doing what he so often did when given an extra chance, four plays later, Manning had the Colts at the three-yard line to set up a touchdown by Edgerrin James.

After the Steelers quickly went three-and-out, the Colts had their first chance to take the lead since the opening kickoff of the game, now with just 2:31 left on the clock. The Steelers defense went back to what had been working all game: getting pressure on Manning. Joey Porter sacked Manning on second down, and again on fourth-and-sixteen to all but seal the deal for the Steelers.

Taking over two yards out from Indianapolis’ end zone, the Steelers lined up in the “I” formation with Jerome “The Bus” Bettis lined up as the tailback, hoping his big body could send him to the end zone and the Steelers into the AFC title game. He’d scored from one-yard out earlier in the game, what was one more one-yard rumble?

Instead, after Bettis “tried to get skinny”, as he would say years later, Colts linebacker Gary Brackett put his helmet directly on the football and sent it flying behind the line of scrimmage to be picked up by fellow Colt Nick Harper, who returned it 35 yards up the field before Roethlisberger could make a shoestring tackle that would end up saving the Steelers’ season.

Big Ben’s choice to run back toward his own end zone rather than attacking Harper when he scooped the ball ended up being his saving grace on the play that is now known in Western Pennsylvania simply as “The Tackle”.

The Colts were able to move the ball up to the Pittsburgh 28-yard line before facing a fourth down, forcing them to send their kicker onto the field to try for overtime. As the most accurate kicker in NFL history through the 2005 regular season (and still the third-most accurate as of this writing), Mike Vanderjagt trotted onto the field to kick a 46-yard field goal that would send this game into overtime.

Before he could attempt it, Cowher called a timeout to “ice” the All-Pro kicker, who responded by smirking and pointing at the Pittsburgh head coach, as if to say, “nice try”. It was worth a shot: while Vanderjagt was the most proficient kicker overall from 2003-2005, he attempted just two field goals of 50+ yards, a similar range to the kick at hand.

When he did finally line up for the boot, Vanderjagt missed to the right by as wide a margin as you’ll ever see, and the Steelers advanced to the AFC Championship game, and eventually on to win Super Bowl 40, which was being held in Bettis’ hometown of Detroit.

Vanderjagt would go on to attempt just 18 more field goals in the NFL before he was out of the league for good by 2006. Bettis retired a champion and is now a Hall of Famer. Manning, who had been thwarted so many times—and so cruelly—finally reached the mountaintop the next year, winning Super Bowl 41. Cowher retired in 2006, and was replaced by a little known defensive coordinator named Mike Tomlin.

A Wild but Flawed Contest

Despite the twists, it ultimately fell short of being the greatest playoff game ever

The 2005 Steelers-Colts Divisional Game, while undeniably thrilling, falls short of being the greatest playoff game ever. Despite its wild and rare moments, the game was largely lopsided for the first three quarters, with the Steelers dominating the Colts. It was ranked the 89th-best game by the NFL in its top 100 games.

In fact, this game would have a hard time standing up as the best Divisional game featuring the Steelers. There are several Divisional playoff games around the league that might outshine this one, such as:

• 2021 Bills vs. Chiefs (“13 Seconds”): This recent matchup was an instant classic with Mahomes doing the unthinkable with just 13 seconds on the clock.
• 1972 Steelers vs. Raiders (Immaculate Reception): Perhaps the most iconic play in NFL history took place in this game.
• 1971 Dolphins vs. Chiefs (2OT): Known for its dramatic overtime and high-scoring nature, this Divisional game is still the NFL’s longest game.

Although it had one of the most thrilling finishes in NFL history, it takes more than that to earn a top spot on the list of greatest playoff games. However, it certainly stands as one of the great playoff games of this century, and one of the most memorable in Steelers history.