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| Ben Roethlisberger threw for 503 yards and three touchdown passes, including one as time expired, on 29-of-46 passing to give the Steelers a 37-36 win over the Green Bay Packers. |
One of "Big Ben"'s greatest games came in Week 15 of the 2009 NFL season as he threw for 503 yards in a back-and-forth quarterback duel with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The Steelers entered their Week 15 matchup with the Packers on a five-game losing streak, dropping them to 6-7 under third year head coach Mike Tomlin, who had led the Steelers to the Super Bowl championship the following season.
If the Steelers were to going to defend their Super Bowl title, they had to defeat the Packers in Pittsburgh just to keep their playoff hopes alive.
While the Steelers' playoff chances were on life support, the Packers seemed poised to earn a playoff spot as they entered their game with Pittsburgh with a 9-4 record.
Led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was in his second year as the Packers' starting quarterback, replacing the legednary Brett Favre, Green Bay hoped to get one win closer to the playoffs while also ending any hope for the Steelers to make the playoffs.
Despite the fact that it was 30 degrees with a wind chill of 21 degrees, the cold conditions would have no effect on the offenses or the passing game as both quarterbacks combined 886 passing yards ans six touchdown passes in a game that would not be decided until literally the final second.
After the Packers went three-and-out to start the game, the Steelers got the ball at their 40-yard-line where it took them only one play to get in the end zone as Roethlisberger hit Mike Wallace for a 60-yard touchdown to give Pittsburgh a 7-0 lead just 42 seconds into the game.
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| Steelers wide reciever Mike Wallace had only two catches in the game, but both went for touchdowns including one on the Steelers' first offensive play of the game. |
Following an exchange of punts, the Packers began their third possession of the game at their 12-yard-line where after running back Ryan Grant picked up five yards on two straight runs, Rodgers dropped back and fired a pass down the middle for Greg Jennings, who made the catch at the Green Bay 45-yard-line, then broke the tackle attempt by Steelers defensive back Tyrone Carter and outran the rest of the Pittsburgh defense for a 83-yard touchdown that tied the game with 10:08 left in the first quarter.
The Steelers responded with a 10-play, 72-yard touchdown drive which saw Roethlisberger complete all five of his passes on the drive for 45 yards, setting up a two-yard touchdown run by Rashard Mendenhall to put Pittsburgh back up front, 14-7 with 3:52 to go in the opening quarter.
After another exchange of three-and-outs, the Packers were poised to put more points on the scoreboard as Donald Driver picked up 49 yards on a catch-and-run to put Green Bay on the Steelers' 21-yard-line as the first quarter came to a close.
But the Steelers defense would not permit another 1st down forcing to the Packers to settle for a 34-yard field goal attempt by Mason Crosby.
However, Crosby's kick was wide right and the score remained 14-7 in Pittsburgh's favor early in the second quarter.
The defenses seemed to take control of the game in the second quarter until the Packers put together an eight-play, 52-yard touchdown drive that saw Rodgers account for all of the yards on the drive as he completed five of seven passes for 38 yards, then ran for a 14-yard touchdown that with Crosby's extra point tied the game at 14 with 3:04 left in the first half.
The Steelers took over at their 20-yard-line and had a 1st-and-10 at the Packers' 15-yard-line with less than two minutes left before halftime after Roethlisberger connected with tight end Heath Miller on a 27-yard pass on 3rd-and-5 from the Pittsburgh 25-yard-line, then hit SantonioHolmes for 33 yards on the very next play.
Following a pass interference call on Packers linebacker Brandon Chillar, the Steelers had a 1st-and-goal at the Green Bay six-yard-line.
Roethlisberger would be sacked by Packers linebacker Clay Matthews on 1st down for a four-yard loss, but came back with a screen pass to running back Melwelde Moore that became a 10-yard touchdown to put Pittsburgh back in the lead at 21-14 with 26 seconds left in the first half.
Rodgers drove the Packers into Pittsburgh territory with two passes to Jordy Nelson totaling 37 yards to give Green Bay a 1st down at the Steelers 42-yard-line with seven seconds left.
But two straight incomplete passes would end the half with the Packers trailing the Steelers 21-14 as "Big Ben" threw for 223 yards and two touchdown passes on 14-of-20 passing while Rodgers had 238 yards and one touchdown pass on 13-of-28 passing.
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| Aaron Rodgers would end the day with 383 yards passing on 26-of-48 passing and accounted for four touchdowns(three passing, one rushing). |
After both teams punted on their opening possessions of the second half, the Steelers took over at their 26-yard-line as Roethlisberger continued his hot streak as a 25-yard pass to Mendenhall on 3rd-and-8 from the Pittsburgh 28-yard-line, then hit Hines Ward for 17 more yards to give Pittsburgh a 1st-and-10 at the Packers' 14-yard-line where it appeared that Roethlisberger had his third touchdown pass of the game as he connected with Miller for a 14-yard touchdown.
But the touchdown was called back because of an offensive pass interference penalty on Miller, nullifying the touchdown and forcing the Steelers to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Jeff Reed, which increased the Pittsburgh lead to 24-14 for the only points of the third quarter.
After the Reed field goal, the Packers took over at their 31-yard-line and began a drive that would extended into the 4th quarter.
On the 13-play, 69-yard drive, Rodgers would complete seven of 10 passes for 68 yards, including the 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jermichael Finley to cut the Steelers' lead to 24-21 with 13:30 left in the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh would strike back on the next offensive play from scrimmage as Roethlisberger hit Ward for 29 yards, then found Miller for 12 more yards, to give the Steelers a 1st-and-10 at the Packers' 18-yard-line.
But a two-yard run by Willie Parker and two straight incomplete passes, forced the Steelers to settle for 34-yard field goal by Reed to make a 27-21 Pittsburgh lead with 9:45 to go in the 4th quarter.
It only took the Packers four plays to get back into the end zone as Rodgers hit three straight passes for 38 yards, then handed the ball off to Grant, who busted through the left side for a 24-yard touchdown that with Crosby's extra point gave Green Bay its first lead of the game, 28-27 with 7:45 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Steelers took over at their 31-yard-line but their drive seemed to get off to an auspicious start as holding call on Holmes push Pittsburgh back to their 21-yard-line.
After a two-yard run by Mendenhall on 1st down, Roethlisberger avoided the Green Bay pressure and fired a pass for Ward, who made the 54-yard catch to give Pittsburgh a 1st down at the Packers' 23-yard-line.
Again, the Packers defense rose up and would not permit another 1st down, forcing another field goal attempt by the Steelers, which was made by Reed from 43 yards out to put Pittsburgh back on top 30-28 with 3:58 left in the game.
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| Hines Ward makes one of his seven catches for 126 yards, leading all receivers in the game. |
That is when Tomlin made a questionable decision as he decided to go for the onside kick on the ensuing kickoff.
Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor did recover the onside kick, but he recovered one yard too early, meaning he was called for illegal touching, which resulted in a five-yard penalty and the ball to the Packers at the Pittsburgh' 39-yard-line.
It took the Packers six plays and 1:52 to get back into the end zone as Rodgers threw his touchdown pass of the game as he found James Jones at the 10-yard-line, who then ran in untouched to complete the 24-yard touchdown, putting Green Bay back in the lead at 34-30.
McCarthy decided to go for the two-point conversion and got it when Rodgers found running back Brandon Jackson in the end zone to increase the Packers lead to 36-30 with 2:06 left in the game.
After a short kickoff return by Stefan Logan on the ensuing kickoff, the Steelers took over at their 14-yard-line with 2:01 left on the clock and just one timeout in their pocket as they needed to drive 86 yards to win the game.
The drive got off to a good start as the Steelers were able to draw a defensive holding penalty on Packers cornerback Charles Woodson, giving them five yards and an automatic 1st down.
However, Roethlisberger would be sacked on 1st down by Packers linebacker linebacker Brady Poppinga for a four-yard-loss, which was followed by a seven-yard pass to Miller and an incomplete pass, setting up a 4th-and-7 from the Green Bay 22-yard-line with 1:14 to go.
That is when Roethlisberger found Holmes on a crossing route at the Green Bay 40-yard-line, who then ran into Packers territory to the Green Bay 46-yard-line to complete the 32-yard play and give Pittsburgh a 1st down.
After Steelers left tackle Max Starks was called for holding on the next play, pushing the Steelers back to 10 yards and setting up a 1st-and-20, it appeared that the Packers had won the game as defensive back Jarrett Bush intercepted Roethlisberger's pass, only to have the interception negated as Chillar was called for illegal contact after knocking Ward to the ground, drawing a 5-yard penalty and automatic 1st down for Pittsburgh at the Steelers' 49-yard-line.
Following two incomplete passes and a false start on Starks, Roethlisberger found Miller for 20 yards and a 1st down at the Green Bay 36-yard-line.
Then after a defensive holding penalty gave Pittsburgh two extra yards and a 1st down, Roethlisberger found Miller again this time for 15 yards and another 1st down at the Packers' 19-yard-line with 19 seconds left as the Steelers called their final timeout.
With that 15-yard pass, Roethlisberger broke the Steelers' record for most passing yards in a game which had been 473 and held by Tommy Maddox since 2002, as "Big Ben" at this point had 484 yards.
But what was on "Big Ben"'s mind was getting in the end zone which he failed to do as his next two passes fell incomplete, leaving Pittsburgh three seconds for a possible game-winning touchdown.
That is when Roethlisberger dropped back to his 30-yard-line and fired a pass toward the left corner of the end zone for Wallace, who had not made a catch since his 60-yard touchdown catch on the Steelers' first offensive play of the game.
The ball hit Wallace perfectly in the stomach, who made the catch and got both feet in bounds, before he landed out of bounds, to complete the 19-yard touchdown to tie the game as time expired.
Reed come on to kick the extra point to give the Steelers a 37-36, ending their five-game losing streak as Roethelisberger finished with 503 passing yards, becoming the ninth quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 500 yards in a game.
The win kept the Steelers' playoff hopes alive and even though they would win the last two games of the season to finish 9-7, but would not make the playoffs as they lost on a tiebreaker with three other teams.
The Packers would make the playoffs with a 11-5 record as a Wild Card team, but would be lose to the Arizona Cardinals in the highest scoring playoff game in NFL history as they lost to the Cardinals 51-45 in overtime of their NFC Wild Card Game.
The two teams would come back the following season by making it all the way to the Super Bowl, where the Packers would get revenge as they defeated the Steelers 31-25 to win their fourth Super Bowl title, led by Rodgers' MVP performance as he completed 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards and threw three touchdown passes.
As for Roethlisberger, this game would not be the only time he would throw for at least 500 yards in a game.
In 2014, "Big Ben" threw for 522 yards on 40-of-49 passing and threw six touchdown passes in a 51-34 win over the Indianapolis Colts, and then again in 2017 when he threw for 506 yards and threw three touchdowns on 44-of-66 passing in a 39-38 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
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