Who won the Super Bowl in 2006?
Bill Cowher
On February 5, 2006, Cowher's Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XL by defeating the Seattle Seahawks 21–10, giving Cowher his first Super Bowl ring. Through the Super Bowl, Cowher's team had compiled a record of 108–1–1 in games in which they built a lead of at least 11 points.
Super Bowl
In Super Bowl LII, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the defending Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, 41–33. It was the Eagles' third Super Bowl appearance, and their first win in franchise history. It was the Patriots' tenth Super Bowl appearance, and their fourth appearance in ten years; had the Patriots won, they would have tied the Pittsburgh Steelers with the most Super Bowl wins (six).
2006 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Steelers on December 24, 2006, therefore eliminating the Steelers from playoff contention, and ending their defense of their Super Bowl championship. The Steelers became the first Super Bowl champion since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003 to not reach the playoffs the following season. They fell to 7–8 and were swept by the Ravens.Stats
2006 Chicago Bears season
The Chicago Bears season was the franchise's 87th season in the National Football League and 25th post-season completed in the National Football League. The Bears posted a 13–3 regular season record, the best in the NFC, improving on their previous year’s record of 11–5. The Bears retained their NFC North divisional title, and won the National Football Conference Championship title against the New Orleans Saints, on January 21, 2007. The Bears played the Indianapolis Colts at Super Bowl XLI, where they lost 29–17. They finished the 2006 NFL season tied for second in points scored, and third in points allowed.
New Orleans Saints
After the first-round bye, the Saints beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27–24 in the Superdome in the 2006 Divisional Playoffs. No team had ever had such a poor record in the prior year (3–13) and then gone on to a league or conference championship game since the 1999 St. Louis Rams who advanced to win their first Super Bowl after being 4–12 the season before. Since the Saints' only previous playoff win was in the wild card round, this was the farthest the Saints had ever advanced at the time. The victory was only the second playoff win in team history. The season ended on January 21, 2007, when the Saints lost 39–14 to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship game.
2006 Pittsburgh Steelers season
On June 2 members of the Super Bowl Champion Steelers were invited to the White House to meet the President Of The United States George Bush in a celebration to honor the Steelers' successful season.
Bill Belichick
In 2001, the Patriots went 11–5 in the regular season, and defeated the Oakland Raiders (in the "Tuck Rule Game") and Pittsburgh Steelers on the way to the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XXXVI, Belichick's defense held the St. Louis Rams' offense, which had averaged 31 points during the season, to 17 points, and the Patriots won on a last second field goal by Adam Vinatieri. The win was the first Super Bowl championship in Patriots history.
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2010 season. The Packers defeated the Steelers by the score of 31–25. The game was played on February 6, 2011 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the first time the Super Bowl was played in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.
Super Bowl XLI
It was the first time since the 1996 postseason that the home team won both of the conference championship games. The Colts were the first dome team to win the Super Bowl in an outdoor game (the St. Louis Rams were the first dome team to win a Super Bowl, XXXIV inside the Georgia Dome in Atlanta). The 2006 Indianapolis Colts were the first division champion to win a Super Bowl with four postseason wins and the second division champion (2003 Carolina Panthers) to win a conference title with three postseason wins.
Mark Snyder
Under Snyder, running back Ahmad Bradshaw was a two-time All-C-USA pick and ran for 19 touchdowns and 1,523 yards as a junior in 2006 to earn first-team all-league honors. Bradshaw was selected in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft (No. 250 overall) by the New York Giants and won two Super Bowls with the Giants (XLII, XLVI); he is one of just eight running backs in NFL history to be the leading rusher in two Super Bowls.
Ben Roethlisberger
The Super Bowl run began on January 8, 2006 as Roethlisberger helped lead the Steelers to a playoff win over the Cincinnati Bengals—an AFC North rival that had beaten the Steelers by seven points in the regular season to win the division championship. The rematch featured two teams with identical records, having split their regular season series since each team won on the road. Early in the game on Carson Palmer's first throw, a tackle by former Steeler Kimo von Oelhoffen resulted in Palmer's anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) being completely torn. The Bengals' backup quarterback, Jon Kitna, came in and led the Bengals to leads of 10–0 and 17–7. However, the 17–7 lead midway through the second quarter would be the last time in the 2005 postseason that the Steelers would trail an opponent by more than three points. After Kitna failed to produce, the Steelers took advantage by taking the next 24 straight points, and the win, in a 31–17 victory in Cincinnati.
Matt Ulrich
Matthew James Ulrich (born December 30, 1981) is a former American football offensive guard for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He won Super Bowl XLI with the Colts during the 2006 season over the Chicago Bears.
2005 Denver Broncos season
The Broncos entered their third consecutive year in the playoffs with the momentum of a four-game winning streak. With a record of 13–3, they were tied with the Seattle Seahawks for second overall in the league, behind the 14–2 Indianapolis Colts. They were seeded number two in the AFC behind the Colts. On January 14, 2006, the Broncos defeated the two-time defending champions, the New England Patriots, 27–13, ending the Patriots chance of becoming the first NFL team ever to win three consecutive Super Bowl championships. The last team with a chance of winning three consecutive Super Bowls before the Patriots were the Broncos themselves. The Broncos' run came to an end by losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship 34–17 on January 22, 2006. Their strength of controlling the ball collapsed with 4 turnovers. They were outscored in the first half 24–3 and were not able to come from behind to win in the second half. The Steelers went on to win Super Bowl XL.
World Bowl XIV
World Bowl XIV was the 2006 championship game of the NFL Europe League. It was held at the LTU arena in Düsseldorf, Germany on Saturday, May 27, 2006. The game was between the defending World Bowl champion Amsterdam Admirals, who finished the season in first place with a record of 7–3, and the second-placed Frankfurt Galaxy, who finished with a record of 7–3 as well. 36,286 people were in attendance, as the Galaxy stripped the Admirals of their title in a 22–7 victory. Frankfurt running back Butchie Wallace was named MVP of World Bowl XIV, by running 18 times for 143 yards (with his longest rush being 63 yards) and 1 touchdown.
2006 Seattle Seahawks season
The 2006 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 31st season in the National Football League. The season began with the team attempting to improve on their 13–3 record from 2005, repeat as National Football Conference (NFC) champions, and return to the Super Bowl. The team, while winning their NFC West division, only advanced as far as the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs, losing to eventual 2006 NFC champions Chicago Bears in overtime.Divisional matchups have the NFC West playing the NFC North and the AFC West.
Tuck Rule Game
With under a minute remaining in regulation, Patriots' placekicker Adam Vinatieri kicked a 45-yard field goal to tie the game at 13, which sent the game into overtime. In the subsequent overtime, Vinatieri kicked a 23-yard field goal to win the game for the Patriots. New England went on to win Super Bowl XXXVI, beginning a run of championships with Brady and head coach Bill Belichick, winning five to date.
Tony Dungy
The Colts' 2006 playoff run was characterized by a marked improvement in defensive play, as the Colts defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, holding one of the NFL's best running backs to less than 50 yards, and upset the favored Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round. On January 21, 2007, after trailing 21–3, the Colts defeated the New England Patriots to become AFC Champions and advanced to Super Bowl XLI. This was the largest comeback in conference title game history. By a matter of only a few hours, Dungy became the second black coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl. His good friend, Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith, had clinched the NFC's bid in the Super Bowl earlier in the day.
2005 Cincinnati Bengals season
On January 8, 2006, the Cincinnati Bengals took on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening round of the playoffs making it the Bengals’ first playoff appearance of the decade. Early in the game, disaster struck for the Bengals when Steelers lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen hit Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer's knee, resulting in a tear of Palmer's anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Backup quarterback Jon Kitna took over and did very well, giving Cincinnati leads of 10–0 and 17–7 at points of the game. All seemed well for the Bengals until the Steelers dominated with 24 unanswered points and knocked the Cincinnati Bengals out of the playoffs with a final score of 31–17. The Steelers went on to win the Super Bowl.
2007 New York Giants season
2007 marked the third consecutive season that the Giants made the playoffs, which was only the second time that had happened since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 (New York accomplished this feat in 1984, 1985, and 1986 and won the Super Bowl in the last of those three years). Tom Coughlin joined Bill Parcells (who led the team to the playoffs five times), Steve Owen, and Allie Sherman as the only head coaches in the history of the team to lead the Giants to the postseason three consecutive years. The Giants season is widely regarded as one of the greatest cinderella stories in professional sports history; not only did they beat one of the greatest teams of all time in the undefeated Patriots, they did so as a wild-card team that had to win three playoff games on the road, two of them against the top two seeds in the National Football Conference, the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers (both of whom they had lost to in their first two games of the season by ten points or more), to get to Super Bowl XLII, and after looking very unimpressive at times during the regular season (despite their 10-6 record, they had a point differential of +22, went 3-5 at home, and had a strength of victory of just .375). In fact, based on regular season performance, the 2007 New York Giants were the worst team to ever reach a Super Bowl, a curiosity later surpassed when the 2011 New York Giants won Super Bowl XLVI to become the first team with a negative point differential to win a Super Bowl.
Super Bowl
The Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowls (Known as the AFL-NFL World Championship Game for these first two contests), defeating the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders following the and seasons, respectively. The Packers were led by quarterback, Bart Starr, who was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for both games. These two championships, coupled with the Packers' NFL championships in , , and , amount to the most successful stretch in NFL History; five championships in seven years, and the only threepeat in NFL history (1965, 1966, and 1967).
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX served as the final Super Bowl victory for the Cowboys' dynasty of the 1990s. Dallas would win only one more postseason game until 2009. Injuries forced Michael Irvin and fullback Daryl Johnston to retire after the 1999 season, and Aikman also retired due to injuries one year later. Smith became the NFL's all-time leading rusher in 2002 before he was released by the team after that season. 1995 was statistically the best season for the Cowboys' triplets, although all three have stated that the 1995 Super Bowl was easily the toughest of the three Super Bowl runs. The Cowboys also became the first team to win Super Bowls under three different head coaches (Tom Landry in Super Bowls VI and XII, Jimmy Johnson in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII, and Switzer). Two other teams have since won Super Bowl championships under three different coaches, with the Green Bay Packers winning under Vince Lombardi, Mike Holmgren, and Mike McCarthy, and the Pittsburgh Steelers winning under Chuck Noll, Cowher, and Mike Tomlin.
2006 Kansas City Chiefs season
The Chiefs were a 50-to-1 bet and the longest shot to win the Super Bowl, according to odds posted January 3, 2007 by online sportsbook PinnacleSports.com. Pinnacle pegged Kansas City at 30–1 to win the AFC title and a berth in the big game. The Chiefs held the sixth seed in the AFC playoff bracket, the same berth as the previous year's Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chiefs were eliminated by the Colts in the first round of the playoffs, losing by a score of 23–8.
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of 31–17, earning their first Super Bowl win. The game was played at Hard Rock Stadium (formerly Joe Robbie Stadium) in Miami Gardens, Florida, for the fifth time (and in South Florida for the tenth time), on February 7, 2000, the latest calendar date for a Super Bowl yet.
James Mungro
In 2006, he won a super bowl ring after winning Super Bowl XLI with the Colts.
Adam Vinatieri
In the 2001 playoffs, during a blizzard against the Oakland Raiders in the final game at Foxboro Stadium, Vinatieri kicked a 45-yard field goal into a swirling winter wind to tie the game 13–13 and send it into overtime. The Patriots won the game on another field goal of 23 yards by Vinatieri. In Super Bowl XXXVI that season, Vinatieri kicked a 48-yard field goal on the final play to give the New England Patriots their first Super Bowl victory, a 20–17 upset win over the St. Louis Rams, who were 14-point favorites coming into the game. Two years later in the 2003 season, in an almost identical situation, he kicked a 41-yard field goal with four seconds left in Super Bowl XXXVIII to boost the Patriots to another championship (after missing one field goal and having another attempt blocked in the first half). This time, the Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers 32–29, making Vinatieri the first player ever to be the deciding factor in two Super Bowl games (Vinatieri kept the balls used on both of these kicks).
In 2004, Vinatieri led the NFL in scoring with 141 points (31-for-33 on field goals, and a perfect 48-for-48 on extra point attempts). In a game against the St. Louis Rams, Vinatieri scored 16 points (four field goals and four extra points), and threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Troy Brown on a fake field goal attempt (that pass gives him a career passer rating of 122.9). In Week 10, against the Buffalo Bills, he scored a career-high 17 points on five field goals and two extra points. He went on to score a field goal and three extra points in the Patriots 24–21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Super Bowl XLVI
With the win the Giants became the fifth team to win at least four Super Bowls, while the Patriots became the fourth to lose four. At the time, Brady had yet to win in Lucas Oil Stadium and had not won a game in Indianapolis since 2007, when the Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts on their way to a perfect regular season. Belichick dropped to 3–2 as a head coach in the Super Bowl, while Tom Coughlin won his second Super Bowl in as many tries. Some news organizations, among them "The St. Louis Post-Dispatch", said that their victory made them NFL's version of the 2011 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, saying that these two championship teams that had been given the last rites by many near the end of the season, emerged as champions at the end.
Eli Manning became (and still remains) the only quarterback to throw for more than 4,900 yards and win a Super Bowl in the same season.
2006 Oakland Raiders season
The Raiders move to 9–8 against the Steelers in regular season matchups. The Raiders are also now 4–2 (Since 2001) against opponents that were in the Super Bowl the previous season. Both losses came last year when they lost to the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles (both on the road). In 2004, the Raiders defeated the Super Bowl runner up Carolina Panthers in Carolina, defeated the Patriots at home in 2002 and beat the New York Giants at Giants Stadium in 2001.
2006 New Orleans Saints season
Coming off their sweeping win over the Bucs, the Saints flew to Heinz Field for a match-up with the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. In the first quarter, the Saints trailed early as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed a 37-yard touchdown pass to WR Hines Ward and a 2-yard touchdown pass to TE Heath Miller. Afterwards, New Orleans got on the board with quarterback Drew Brees completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to WR Terrance Copper. In the second quarter, the Saints started to take command as kicker John Carney completed a 20-yard field goal, while rookie RB Reggie Bush got a 15-yard touchdown run on a reverse. Pittsburgh got a 32-yard field goal from kicker Jeff Reed, but New Orleans responded with RB Deuce McAllister getting a 4-yard touchdown run. In the third quarter, the Steelers started to fight back as Roethlisberger completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to WR Cedrick Wilson for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, RB Willie Parker followed up two 70+ yard runs with a 3-yard and a 4-yard touchdown run to give Pittsburgh the lead. The Saints tried to fight back with McAllister getting a 4-yard touchdown run, but Pittsburgh held on to win. With the loss, the Saints fell to 6–3.
David Caldwell (American football executive)
Caldwell spent ten years (1998–2007) with the Indianapolis Colts as an area scout. He was a member of the staff when the team won Super Bowl XLI in 2006.
Adam Timmerman
After the 1998 season, Timmerman joined the Rams and won another Super Bowl ring in Super Bowl XXXIV. He also made it back to the Super Bowl with the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, losing to the New England Patriots. He became the first player in NFL history to ever win and lose a Super Bowl with one team, the Green Bay Packers, and win and lose a Super Bowl on another team, the St. Louis Rams. Timmerman was voted a Pro Bowl alternate four consecutive seasons (1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002) and in 2001 he was called into duty to play in the Pro Bowl due to injuries to other NFC guards. The Rams released Timmerman on February 27, 2007, and he officially retired following the 2007 season.
Ben Roethlisberger
On January 22, 2006, the Steelers defeated the Broncos 34–17 in Denver to win the AFC Championship and advance to Super Bowl XL. Roethlisberger completed 21 of 29 passes for 275 yards and threw two touchdown passes and scored one touchdown himself on a four-yard play-action bootleg. His run was the last touchdown of the game, sealing the win for the Steelers.
Super Bowl XLII
The Giants became only the fourth team to win the Super Bowl without playing a single home game in the preceding playoffs. They joined the Green Bay Packers (who won Super Bowl I against the Kansas City Chiefs), the Kansas City Chiefs (who won Super Bowl IV against the Minnesota Vikings) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (who won Super Bowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks) in accomplishing this feat. However, Green Bay had to win two games, Kansas City three, and Pittsburgh and the Giants, four, in order to accomplish this. Since, the Green Bay Packers accomplished it in 2010 by winning three road playoff games en route to their Super Bowl XLV victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the Packers accomplished this feat as a sixth seed, while the Giants accomplished this as a fifth seed. In addition, Green Bay beat the top three-seeded teams on the road, while New York defeated the fourth, first, and second seeds on the road.
History of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XLIII was played on February 1, 2009 at the Buccaneers' Raymond James Stadium. By halftime, the Steelers were ahead at 17–7. Arizona's effort was hampered by penalties, in particular three personal fouls, but they managed to get ahead after WR Larry Fitzgerald scored a 63-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 23–20. But Pittsburgh's Santonio Holmes was able to convert a 6-yard TD in the final two minutes. With that, the game ended 27–23 and the Steelers gained their sixth championship, becoming the first team to win six Super Bowls since the start of the Super Bowl era.
Super Bowl XL
With the Steelers win, they became the fourth team to win Super Bowls on three networks (NBC-IX and XIII, CBS–X and XIV, and ABC) joining the Green Bay Packers (NBC- I, CBS-II, Fox- XXXI and XLV), San Francisco 49ers (NBC- XXIII, CBS- XVI, and XXIV, ABC- XIX and XXIX), and Washington Redskins (NBC- XVII, ABC- XXII, CBS- XXVI). (These teams have since been joined by the New York Giants, who also surpassed them by winning a Super Bowl on each of the networks that carried the game; their win in Super Bowl XXI was carried by CBS, their win in Super Bowl XXV was carried by ABC, their win in Super Bowl XLII was carried by Fox, and their win in Super Bowl XLVI was carried by NBC.)
Roman Harper
Harper started five games in 2006 but was put on injured reserve on October 10. He started 16 games in 2007 and 15 games in 2008. In 2009, Harper earned his first Pro Bowl berth and helped lead the Saints to their first Super Bowl win in franchise history. In Super Bowl XLIV, he led the Saints with 8 tackles and defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17.
Jeff Saturday
Though the Colts won at least 10 regular season games for five consecutive years under Head Coach Tony Dungy, the team could not get to the Super Bowl, losing in the AFC Playoffs from 2002 to 2005. In 2006, the Colts went 12-4 in the regular season and earned the 3rd seed in the AFC. On January 21, 2007, Saturday helped the Colts win the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots when he recovered a teammate's fumble in the end zone and scored a touchdown. Saturday also provided the key block on the game-winning touchdown run by Joseph Addai, pancaking Vince Wilfork. Peyton Manning, the Colts Quarterback at the time and a longtime friend, claims that Saturday wants this play to be known as "The Block." Two weeks later, Saturday helped the Colts win Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears.
History of the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle fell short in its bid for its first NFL title, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Super Bowl XL in Detroit, Michigan on February 5, 2006 by a score of 21-10. Although the Seahawks outgained the Steelers, 396 yards to 339, and led in time of possession, those differences were erased after the first quarter in which Seattle could only muster a field goal. Pittsburgh won on the strength of three big plays converted for touchdowns, including the longest run in Super Bowl history. Seattle, on the other hand, was plagued by highly questionable penalties, dropped passes, and an interception during a drive deep into Pittsburgh territory.
Jason Spitz
Jason Spitz (born December 19, 1982) is a former American football center who last played for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He won Super Bowl XLV with the Packers over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Louisville.
2006–07 NFL playoffs
Manning started off the drive with three nonconsecutive completions for 58 yards, with a roughing-the-passer penalty on the third play adding another 12, moving the ball 70 yards in a span of 19 seconds and bringing up a first down at the Patriots' 11-yard line. Three plays later, Joseph Addai's 3-yard touchdown run gave the Colts their first lead of the game with only one minute remaining. Brady responded by leading his team to the Colts' 45-yard line. But cornerback Marlin Jackson intercepted Brady's next pass with 17 seconds left, ending the game, and sending the Colts to their third Super Bowl in team history (first as the Indianapolis Colts).
Jeff Garcia
Taking over the reins of a Buccaneers team that went 4-12 in 2006, Garcia led them to the NFC South division title. The Buccaneers lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants, 24–14, in the Wild Card game. Garcia would be named to his fourth Pro Bowl that season, his first since 2002. As of 2018, Tampa Bay has not returned to the playoffs.
Super Bowl VI
The Dallas Cowboys became the first team to win the Super Bowl after losing it the previous year. The Miami Dolphins would duplicate this feat the following season by winning Super Bowl VII. This would be the only game the Dolphins would lose in 1972, going undefeated the next season prior to their Super Bowl VII win. To date, Miami holds the unenviable record of the fewest points scored in a Super Bowl, with three, and the only team not to score a touchdown. No team has been shutout in a Super Bowl.
History of the Pittsburgh Steelers
On Sunday January 22, 2006, the Steelers won their 6th AFC Championship at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado when they beat the Denver Broncos 34–17. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed a 21 out of 29 passes, 2 of which were touchdowns. He also ran for another touchdown as he led the team to victory. It marked the 1st time since the 1985–'86 New England Patriots and the second time in NFL history that a Wild Card team would get to the Super Bowl after winning the Wild Card Round, the Divisional Round, and the Conference Championship on the road. It also marked the first time that a sixth-seeded team would get to play in the Super Bowl.
Jerry Reese
Reese had his second Super Bowl victory in 2011 when the Giants won Super Bowl XLVI over the Patriots.
2006 Miami Dolphins season
This season was also best known for the Dolphins almost signing former San Diego Chargers quarterback Drew Brees, as they were one of the two teams (the other being the New Orleans Saints) interested in acquiring the released quarterback. However the Dolphins later declined the idea after doctors informed them that Brees’ shoulder injury was too severe, and they ended up signing Daunte Culpepper instead. Brees ended up signing with the Saints instead and led them to their first Super Bowl title in 2010.
Super Bowl
In Super Bowl XLVI, the New York Giants won another title by defeating the New England Patriots.
Super Bowl III
The Jets have never gone back to the Super Bowl since the merger, only reaching as far as the AFC Championship Game in the 1982, 1998, 2009 and 2010 seasons. On the other hand, the Colts won Super Bowl V (1970), then after relocating to Indianapolis they won Super Bowl XLI (2006) and lost Super Bowl XLIV (2009).
2006 New Orleans Saints season
The second game back in the Superdome was not marked by the media attention of the Saints' home opener, but fans in attendance were not disappointed. The sold-out crowd was treated to a dramatic contest between the Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Though Tampa Bay proved to be a formidable opponent despite their season-long losing streak, the Saints won 24–21. The win was capped off by a fourth quarter punt return by Saints rookie Reggie Bush. Prior to the play, Bush roused the notoriously raucous New Orleans audience to their feet; by the time the ball was snapped, the cheers had reached a tremendous level. The noise only increased as Bush raced past the Bucs' special teams for 65 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown, his first as an NFL player. After the game, the traditional "Who Dat?" cheer was punctuated by spontaneous chants of "Reggie, Reggie" as the Saints claimed their fourth win of the season while improving to 4–1.
Pittsburgh sports lore
In the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals stormed back from a 20-7 deficit to take a 23-20 lead on two touchdowns by All-Pro wideout Larry Fitzgerald as well as a safety caused by a holding penalty against the Steelers in their own endzone. Trailing for the first time in the game, Pittsburgh then marched down the field in impressive fashion to set up a potential go-ahead touchdown with less than one minute remaining. On second-and-goal from the Arizona 6-yard line, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw high to the right corner of the endzone where receiver Santonio Holmes made an incredible diving catch on his toes and miraculously kept both feet in bounds while maintaining control of the ball. The Steelers went ahead 27-23 and proceeded to win their record sixth Super Bowl title.
Super Bowl XLVI
Per convention as an even-numbered Super Bowl, the Patriots as the AFC representatives had the home team designation. Super Bowl XLVI was the sixth Super Bowl in which the two teams had competed in a previous Super Bowl matchup, as the Giants and Patriots had previously met in Super Bowl XLII. Both head coaches (Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick) and both starting quarterbacks (Eli Manning and Tom Brady) returned from Super Bowl XLII.
History of the Indianapolis Colts
However, on January 15, 2006, the Colts were eliminated in the divisional round by the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, 21–18. Trailing 21–10 late in the game, the Colts regained possession and put eight points on the board to make it 21–18. After a Jerome Bettis fumble on the goal line, Nick Harper picked up the fumble and almost ran it back, but was tackled at the 40-yard line by Ben Roethlisberger. The Colts then drove down the field, only to have Mike Vanderjagt miss a 46-yard field goal attempt wide right. The game put an end to one of the most successful seasons in Indianapolis history and prevented the team and Manning from reaching the Super Bowl again.
Super Bowl
The New England Patriots became the dominant team throughout the early 2000s, winning the championship three out of four years early in the decade. They would become only the second team in the history of the NFL to do so (after the 1990s Dallas Cowboys). In Super Bowl XXXVI, first-year starting quarterback Tom Brady led his team to a 20–17 upset victory over the St. Louis Rams. Brady would go on to win the MVP award for this game. The Patriots also won Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX defeating the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles respectively. This four-year stretch of Patriot dominance was interrupted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 48–21 Super Bowl XXXVII victory over the Oakland Raiders.
2006 Rose Bowl
The 2006 Rose Bowl Game, played on January 4, 2006 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, was an American college football bowl game that served as the BCS National Championship Game for the 2005 College Football season. It featured the only two unbeaten teams of the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season: the defending Rose Bowl champion and reigning Big 12 Conference champion Texas Longhorns played Pacific-10 Conference titleholders and two-time defending AP national champions, the USC Trojans.
Mike Holmgren
With the 2005 NFC Championship win, Holmgren became the fifth member of a small coaching fraternity that has taken two different NFL franchises to the Super Bowl, joining Bill Parcells, Dan Reeves, Don Shula, Dick Vermeil, and John Fox. Had the Seahawks won Super Bowl XL, he would have become the first head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with two different franchises, however they fell short, losing 21–10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Nick Harper (American football)
On January 14, 2006, Harper was involved in an altercation with his wife that resulted in him getting cut with a knife in his right leg, requiring stitches. The next day, after the Colts had finished first in the AFC with a 14-2 record, the team faced the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the playoffs. With under two minutes remaining in the game and trailing 21-18, Harper picked up a Jerome Bettis fumble near the Indianapolis goal line and returned it to their 43 yard line before getting tackled by Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Colts' commentators, as well as teammates such as Gary Brackett, said had Harper returned the football along the sideline instead of in the middle of the field, or had his leg been 100% healthy, the Colts would have won the game. Indianapolis would end up missing the potential game-tying field goal, and Pittsburgh went on to win Super Bowl XL.
Super Bowl
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts continued the era of AFC dominance by winning Super Bowls XL and XLI in 2005–06 and 2006–07, respectively defeating the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears.
List of Super Bowl champions
The Pittsburgh Steelers (6–2) have won the most Super Bowls with six championships, while the New England Patriots (5–5), the Dallas Cowboys (5–3), and the San Francisco 49ers (5–1) have five wins. New England has the most Super Bowl appearances with eleven, while the Buffalo Bills (0–4) have the most consecutive appearances with four (all losses) from 1990 to 1993. The Miami Dolphins (1971–1973) and New England Patriots (2016–2018) are the only other teams to have at least three consecutive appearances. The Denver Broncos (3–5) and Patriots have each lost a record five Super Bowls. The Minnesota Vikings (0–4) and the Bills have lost four. The record for consecutive wins is two and is shared by seven franchises: the Green Bay Packers (1966–1967), the Miami Dolphins (1972–1973), the Pittsburgh Steelers (1974–1975 and 1978–1979, the only team to accomplish this feat twice), the San Francisco 49ers (1988–1989), the Dallas Cowboys (1992–1993), the Denver Broncos (1997–1998), and the New England Patriots (2003–2004). Among those, Dallas (1992–1993; 1995) and New England (2001; 2003–2004) are the only teams to win three out of four consecutive Super Bowls. The 1972 Dolphins capped off the only perfect season in NFL history with their victory in Super Bowl VII. The only team with multiple Super Bowl appearances and no losses is the Baltimore Ravens, who in winning Super Bowl XLVII defeated and replaced the 49ers in that position. Four current NFL teams have never appeared in a Super Bowl, including franchise relocations and renaming: the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans, though both the Browns (1950, 1954, 1955, 1964) and Lions (1935, 1952, 1953, 1957) had won NFL championship games prior to the creation of the Super Bowl.
2006 Pro Bowl
The start of the game was interrupted by a surprise rainstorm that lasted through the first quarter, although it ended midway through the second. Both teams' first possessions were punted away, and each of their second drives ended in interceptions; the Chicago Bears' Nathan Vasher intercepted Peyton Manning, then John Lynch picked off Matt Hasselbeck. The AFC scored first on their next drive, culminating with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Chris Chambers. After the teams traded punts, Michael Vick took over for the NFC in the second quarter, and led the team to the AFC 15-yard line, where Neil Rackers kicked a 32-yarder to make it 7–3. Manning led the AFC right back down the field, and Shayne Graham's 31-yard field goal increased the AFC's lead.
2006 NFL season
Also available will be "NFL GameDay", the NFL Network's comprehensive Sunday night review which features post-game reactions and game analysis, all for $1.99 a show or $19.99 for the full season.
The New Orleans Saints returned to their home at the Louisiana Superdome in Week Three. The Saints played home games during the 2005 NFL Season in San Antonio, TX, Baton Rouge, LA, and East Rutherford, NJ, due to the damage to the Superdome caused by Hurricane Katrina. The Saints finished the 2006 regular season 10–6,
clinched a 1st Round Bye, and beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The
Chicago Bears defeated the Saints in the NFC Championship, 39–14.
Yankees–Red Sox rivalry
In 2002, when the NFL's New England Patriots held their victory celebration after winning their first Super Bowl and the first championship for the city of Boston since the Celtics won the 1986 NBA Finals, linebacker Larry Izzo fired up the crowd, chanting "Yankees suck!" The chant would become a fixture of Patriots Super Bowl victory rallies following their victories in Super Bowls XXXVIII in 2004 and XXXIX in 2005, which were sandwiched around the Red Sox 2004 World Series win. Dan Shaughnessy wrote about the chant: "Can you imagine a Giants or a Jets celebration in New York City in which a New York player would take the time to chant, 'Red Sox suck? Shaughnessy opined that should such a thing occur, it would be more likely at a Jets celebration, as a Giants celebration, like those of the Mets and the Rangers, would be more likely to feature such chants made in reference to the Philadelphia teams, as one of the Giants' primary rivalries is with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Super Bowl XLI
For the Colts, Rhodes rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown, while also catching an 8-yard reception. Addai rushed for 77 yards and caught 10 passes for 66 yards. Wilkins returned four kickoffs for 89 yards and 3 punts for 42 yards. Adam Vinatieri became the first kicker ever to play in five Super Bowls and the first to win four Super Bowl rings. Vinatieri's three field goals and two extra points gave him 49 points for the entire 2006 post-season, an NFL record. The Colts' win was the first major professional championship for Indiana since the Indiana Pacers' ABA title in the 1972–73 season.
History of the Houston Texans
The Texans made the most of the remainder of the season as Carr led the team to victories in what would prove to be his final two games as a Texan. Snapping a nine-game losing streak to the Indianapolis Colts, the Texans stunned the eventual Super Bowl Champions 27–24 as Carr went 16–23 with 1 TD and no interceptions or sacks; and finished the game with a 6-play, 31-yard drive to put Kris Brown in a position to kick the winning field goal. Carr finished the season by beating the Cleveland Browns in Houston; giving the Texans their first back-to-back wins in two years. The Texans finished 6-10 in 2006, four more wins than the previous year. Had it not been for the last minute defensive failures versus the Bills and the Titans, the Texans would have finished with their first breakeven season at 8–8, on the back of their rapidly improving offense.
Lovie Smith
Smith led the Bears to a 27–24 victory against the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks during the 2006 Divisional Playoffs, winning the first playoff game of his career. Later, a 39–14 victory came against the New Orleans Saints at the NFC Championship. Smith became the first African-American head coach (and the second minority coach, behind Tom Flores) to lead his team to a Super Bowl, just hours before Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy, his good friend and mentor, became the second. The friends together became the first two African American head coaches to oppose each other in a Super Bowl. The Bears lost Super Bowl XLI, 29–17.
Super Bowl VI
First Miami defeated the Kansas City Chiefs (winners of Super Bowl IV), 27–24, in the longest game in NFL history with kicker Garo Yepremian's game-winning field goal after 22 minutes and 40 seconds of overtime play in the final Chiefs game at Municipal Stadium. Later, Miami shut out the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Colts, 21–0, in the AFC Championship Game, with safety Dick Anderson intercepting 3 passes from Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas and returning one of them for a 62-yard touchdown.
America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions
After some speculation on the future of the series, the 2006 Indianapolis Colts, winners of Super Bowl XLI had their episode air on September 5, 2007, one night before the season opener. The 2007 New York Giants also received an episode, signaling the series' will be annually renewed at the beginning of the next NFL season; the most recent episode, covering the 2016 New England Patriots, debuted on September 6, 2017."The following list compiles the top 20 Super Bowl teams, as determined by the experts. The teams listed below were revealed in countdown form in the weeks leading up to Super Bowl XLI. The first 18 episodes aired on NFL Network, while the top two teams' specials were shown on CBS on February 3, the day before Super Bowl XLI." Each episode in the top 20 would be introduced with, "NFL Network presents America's Game, a countdown of the 20 greatest Super Bowl champions, and now its number ___"
1996 Green Bay Packers season
In 2007, the 1996 Packers were ranked as the 16th greatest Super Bowl champions on the NFL Network's documentary series "". The 1996 Packers were ranked 6th-greatest Super Bowl team of all-time by a similar panel done by ESPN and released in 2007.
2006 Pro Bowl
Among NFL rookies, Buccaneers running back Carnell Williams was the leading vote-getter, receiving 219,736 votes to surpass Steelers tight end Heath Miller (217,928 votes). Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware (104,592 votes), Vikings punter Chris Kluwe (100,555 votes), and Bengals inside linebacker Odell Thurman (88,715 votes) rounded out the top five.
Super Bowl XL
With the win, the Steelers tied the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys with the then-record five Super Bowls. The Steelers' victory was their first Super Bowl victory since Super Bowl XIV. Pittsburgh, who finished the regular season with an 11–5 record, also became the fourth wild card team, the third in nine years, and the first ever number 6 seed in the NFL playoffs, to win a Super Bowl. The Seahawks, on the other hand, in their 30th season, were making their first ever Super Bowl appearance after posting an NFC-best 13–3 regular season record.
Super Bowl XXVI
With the win, the Redskins became the first team, and Joe Gibbs the first coach, to win a Super Bowl with three different quarterbacks. Two other teams have since duplicated this feat: the New York Giants (Phil Simms in Super Bowl XXI, Jeff Hostetler in Super Bowl XXV, and Eli Manning in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI) and the Green Bay Packers (Bart Starr in the first two Super Bowls, Brett Favre in Super Bowl XXXI, and Aaron Rodgers in Super Bowl XLV).
Inés Sainz
Sainz has interviewed, among others, tennis players Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, basketball players Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, baseball players Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez and association football players Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. By July 2006, Sainz had covered three Champions League tournaments and four NBA Finals, the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2006 World Cup. As of 2009, Sainz had covered six Super Bowls, the first, Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. In January 2009, promoting American football stars to a Mexican audience, Sainz ran an informal biceps competition during the Super Bowl XLIII "media day," awarding her "Strongest Right Arm" award to the Arizona Cardinals' defensive end Antonio Smith. According to the "Palm Beach Post," at the 2007 Super Bowl's "media day," Sainz was photographed as often as Peyton Manning; and according to "The Daily Telegraph," she was "besides Manning, the single-most popular person on the premises." During a period when Terrell Owens was not speaking with the press in 2008, it was only Sainz who was able to gain an exclusive interview with the wide receiver.
Jonathan Dekker
Dekker was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as a rookie free agent and spent the 2006 season on the practice squad. He played in three games for the Steelers in 2007. On August 16, 2008, he was placed on the waived/injured list, after suffering a knee injury. Dekker was part of the Super Bowl XLIII team that won the Super Bowl.
Michael Strahan
It seemed as though Strahan would retire after the 2006 season when he did not report to Giants training camp and missed the entire preseason, but the 14-year veteran opted to return for one final year. His 15th and final season proved to be the Giants' first championship since 1990. On September 30, 2007, he sacked Donovan McNabb from the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football, increasing his career total to 133.5, setting a new franchise record. On Sunday February 3, 2008, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Strahan had 2 tackles and 1 sack in Super Bowl XLII, in what is considered one of the biggest upsets in NFL history. Bolstered by a strong defense and unrelenting pass rush, the Giants went on to win the game 17–14, over the then-undefeated 18–0 New England Patriots, giving Strahan his first Super Bowl win as an NFL starter. His saying was "Stomp you out!"
Kevin Gilbride
Midway in the 2006 season, Gilbride was named interim Offensive Coordinator. The 'interim' tag was removed following the season, and on January 18, 2007 Gilbride was officially announced as the Offensive Coordinator. In his first full season, the Giants went 10–6 and defeated the heavily favored Green Bay Packers on a Lawrence Tynes field goal in overtime of the NFC Championship Game to set up a trip to Super Bowl XLII against the undefeated New England Patriots. In what is called one of the greatest upsets of all-time, the Giants won 17–14 to capture their third Super Bowl title.
NFL on NBC
Super Bowl XLIII was NBC's first Super Bowl broadcast since Super Bowl XXXII, The five-hour pre-game show was preceded by a two-hour special edition of "Today" hosted by the regular weekday team live from Tampa and the NFL Films – produced "Road to the Super Bowl". Matt Millen was part of the coverage as a studio analyst. The" Today" contribution included portions of a taped interview with President Obama and pictures of troops viewing the proceedings in Iraq. His calling of the game made John Madden (in his final game broadcast) the first person to have announced a Super Bowl for each of the four major U.S. television networks, having called five Super Bowls for CBS, three for Fox, and two for ABC prior to joining NBC in 2006; Al Michaels also became the second person (after Pat Summerall on CBS and Fox) to be the lead Super Bowl play-by-play announcer for two different major U.S. networks (ABC and NBC). The Super Bowl was one of two major professional sports championship series NBC broadcast in 2009, as it would also broadcast the Stanley Cup Finals. Both championship series involved teams from Pittsburgh winning championships (the Penguins would win the Stanley Cup that year).
Jerome Bettis
After the Steelers' defeat in the 2004 AFC Championship Game on January 23, 2005, Bettis announced that he was considering retirement, but would not make a final decision for several months to prevent the sting of the defeat from clouding his judgment. Later, Bettis agreed to stay with the Steelers for another season. He stated he would love to play in the Super Bowl in 2006 since it was to be played in his hometown of Detroit. His wish came true as the Steelers played in, and won, Super Bowl XL (40) against the Seattle Seahawks, 21–10, on February 5, 2006.
History of the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis faced the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on February 4, 2007. After overcoming a rocky start that saw the Bears Devin Hester return the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown and the Colts’ Peyton Manning throw an early interception, Indianapolis would go on to win the game 29–17. Rain fell throughout the game, for the first time in Super Bowl history, significantly contributing to the six turnovers committed by both teams in the first half. Peyton Manning was awarded the Super Bowl MVP after completing 25 of 38 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown, caught by Reggie Wayne. Colts' running backs Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai combined for 190 rushing yards and a touchdown, while kicker Adam Vinatieri converted 3 of his 4 field goal attempts. Defensively, safety Bob Sanders and cornerback Kelvin Hayden each intercepted Bears' quarterback Rex Grossman late in the game, with Hayden returning his for 56 yards and a touchdown, essentially sealing the Colts’ victory. 
Indianapolis became the first “dome team” to win a Super Bowl in an outdoor stadium, the first to win in the rain, and the first to win after having the statistically worst rushing defense in the league during the regular season. Tony Dungy became only the third man to have won the Super Bowl as both a head coach and a player, as well as the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl. With their win, the Colts became the only team to date to win a Super Bowl from the AFC South while also becoming the first team to win a professional sports title for the city of Indianapolis.
2006 Sugar Bowl
The 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl game was played on January 2, 2006, as part of the Bowl Championship Series. This 72nd edition of the Sugar Bowl featured the West Virginia Mountaineers, champions of the Big East, and the Southeastern Conference Champion Georgia Bulldogs. West Virginia's upset victory bolstered the Big East's profile in the wake of losing three members to the ACC, and likely preserved the conference's automatic inclusion in the BCS. The game was played in Atlanta, as its traditional site, the Louisiana Superdome, was unfit for use in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Super Bowl XL
The Steelers became just the third team to win the Super Bowl despite not playing a single home game in the playoffs. The Green Bay Packers, who won Super Bowl I (against the Kansas City Chiefs), and the Kansas City Chiefs, who won Super Bowl IV (against the Minnesota Vikings), also accomplished the feat. The Steelers, however, had to win four games to accomplish the feat, while the Chiefs won three and Packers won only two games.
2006 Green Bay Packers season
The Packers picked up notable undrafted free agent Tramon Williams during the 2006 offseason, who later became the starting corner for the Super Bowl Champion 2010 Green Bay Packers. He was also selected but did not participate in the 2010 Pro Bowl.
Robert Kraft
Under Kraft's ownership, the Patriots experienced newfound and sustained success. While the Patriots appeared in Super Bowl XX under their original owners, the Sullivans, this was one of only six playoff appearances in 34 years. Since Kraft bought the team, however, they have made the playoffs 18 times in 23 years. They won AFC East titles in 1996, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019; they represented the AFC in the Super Bowl that concluded each of the following seasons: 1996 (lost), 2001 (won), 2003 (won), 2004 (won), 2007 (lost), 2011 (lost), 2014 (won), 2016 (won), 2017 (lost) and 2018 (upcoming). The Patriots finished the 2003, 2004, 2010, and 2016 seasons with identical 14–2 regular-season records – after having never won more than 11 games prior to Kraft buying the team – and finished the 2007 regular season at 16–0 before losing to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
2005–06 NFL playoffs
The three-time Super Bowl champion Patriots, who for the first time in their previous three playoff trips would have to win three games to advance to the Super Bowl, defeated the Jaguars 28–3. Linebacker Willie McGinest set NFL playoff records for sacks in a game (4.5, one ahead of the old record held by Richard Dent and Rich Milot) and career postseason sacks (16, two ahead of the old record held by Bruce Smith), while quarterback Tom Brady threw for 201 yards and three touchdown passes.
Ted Thompson
The Packers went on to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31–25 to win Super Bowl XLV. They became the first #6 seed from the NFC to win the Super Bowl, and second #6 seed to win the Super Bowl since the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005.
Daryn Colledge
Colledge was selected by the Packers in the second round (47th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft, the highest-ever selection from the state of Alaska. During his fifth and final season in Green Bay in 2010, the Packers won Super Bowl XLV, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 31–25. 
He became an unrestricted free agent and on July 29, 2011, Colledge announced on his Twitter page that he and the Arizona Cardinals agreed to a 5-year contract.
Dan Klecko
He also caught a touchdown against the New England Patriots, his former team, to tie the game in the 3rd quarter of the 2006 AFC Championship game. The Colts went on to win that game. They advanced and won Super Bowl XLI in Miami, Florida.
2006 Indianapolis Colts season
The Colts defeated the Bears 29–17, and finished the season with an overall record of 16–4 and Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy became the very first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl. The game's MVP was Colts QB Peyton Manning, who finished the game 25 of 38 for 247 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception. Rookie RB Joseph Addai finished the game with 19 carries for 77 yards rushing and had 10 catches which was one shy of the Super Bowl record. RB Dominic Rhodes had 113 rushing yards and one touchdown on 21 carries also.
History of the New York Giants
The New York Giants won Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots by a score of 21–17. The winning touchdown drive began with a 38-yard reception by receiver Mario Manningham. As in Super Bowl XLII, Eli Manning was the game's MVP, defeating Tom Brady for a second time in the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XL
The Steelers became just the third team to win the Super Bowl despite not playing a single home game in the playoffs. The Green Bay Packers, who won Super Bowl I, and the Kansas City Chiefs, who won Super Bowl IV, also accomplished the feat. The Steelers, however, had to win four games to accomplish the feat, while the Chiefs won three and Packers won only two games.
History of the Green Bay Packers
The Packers played the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were seeking a record seventh Super Bowl title, in Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Packers struck first with two touchdowns near the end of the first quarter, one on a Jordy Nelson touchdown catch and the other on a Nick Collins interception return. Collins' touchdown marked the third consecutive playoff game in which the Packers returned an interception for a touchdown. The first half ended with the Packers leading 21–10, but they had lost both cornerback Charles Woodson and wide receiver Donald Driver to injury. The Steelers started to rally, but the Packers defense caused a key fumble on the first play of the fourth quarter and later stopped the Steelers on their final drive, winning their fourth Super Bowl and their record 13th overall NFL championship, 31–25. Aaron Rodgers was voted the game's MVP. With the win, the Packers joined the Steelers, 49ers and Cowboys as the only NFL teams to win at least four Super Bowls. They would eventually be joined by the New York Giants, who won their fourth Super Bowl (Super Bowl XLVI) following the 2011 season, and the New England Patriots, who won their fourth Super Bowl (Super Bowl XLIX) following the 2014 season.
2006 Chicago Bears season
The Chicago Bears returned to Soldier Field to play the second-seeded New Orleans Saints for the right to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLI. On a cold field with unsure footing, and eventually falling snow, the Bears defeated the Saints 39–14 to claim their first NFC Championship since the 1985 Season. After the game, Bears owner Virginia McCaskey was presented the George Halas Trophy, named after her late father, "Papa Bear" George Halas. With the win, Lovie Smith became the first African American coach to achieve a Super Bowl berth. In Super Bowl XLI, The Bears would match up against the Indianapolis Colts, and Smith would face his mentor, Tony Dungy.
2006 New England Patriots season
Manning started off the drive with three nonconsecutive completions for 58 yards, with a roughing-the-passer penalty on the third play adding another 12, moving the ball 70 yards in a span of 19 seconds and bringing up a first down at the Patriots' 11-yard line. Three plays later, Joseph Addai's 3-yard touchdown run gave the Colts their first lead of the game with only one minute remaining. Brady responded by leading his team to the Colts' 45-yard line. But cornerback Marlin Jackson intercepted Brady's next pass with 17 seconds left, ending the game, and sending the 2006 Indianapolis Colts to their third Super Bowl in team history (first as the Indianapolis Colts).
Green Bay Packers
After finishing the regular season 10–6 the Packers clinched the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs. They first faced No. 3 seeded Philadelphia, winning 21–16. In the Divisional round, they defeated No. 1 seeded Atlanta 48–21. They then played the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in the NFC Championship Game – only the second playoff meeting between the two storied rivals (the other a 33–14 Chicago victory which sent them to the 1941 NFL Championship Game). Green Bay won 21–14 to move on to Super Bowl XLV. On February 6, 2011, they defeated the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers 31–25, becoming the first No. 6 seed from the NFC to win a Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers was named Super Bowl MVP.
Marty Schottenheimer
Schottenheimer was never able to win a Super Bowl championship as a head coach, but three of his former assistant coaches won Super Bowl as head coaches: Cowher with the Steelers in 2005; Dungy with the Colts in 2006; and McCarthy with the Packers in 2010. Additionally, Wade Phillips has never won a Super Bowl title as a head coach, but he did win a Super Bowl title as the defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos in 2015.
Indianapolis
Originally the Baltimore Colts, the franchise has been based in Indianapolis since relocating in 1984. The Colts' tenure in Indianapolis has produced 11 division championships, two conference championships, and two Super Bowl appearances. Quarterback Peyton Manning led the team to win Super Bowl XLI in the 2006 NFL season. Lucas Oil Stadium replaced the team's first home, the RCA Dome, in 2008.
Tebucky Jones
Jones is best known for his role on the 2001 Patriots team that won Super Bowl XXXVI. In the Super Bowl, in the fourth quarter with the St. Louis Rams in a do-or-die situation down 3-17 against the Patriots, Rams quarterback Kurt Warner fumbled on 4th-and-3 next to the goal line, and Tebucky Jones picked up the fumble and raced down the length of the field for what would have been a 97-yard touchdown, but the return was negated by a holding penalty on Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest.
Russell Wilson
Wilson led the Seahawks to a 31–17 home win over the Carolina Panthers in the Divisional round, making the Seahawks the first defending Super Bowl Champion to win a playoff game since the 2005 Patriots. The Seahawks hosted the Green Bay Packers in their second consecutive NFC Championship game. Wilson threw 3 first half interceptions while completing only 2 passes to his own team as the Seahawks fell behind 16–0 at halftime. With the Packers leading 19–7 and 5 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, Wilson threw his 4th interception. From that point onward, Wilson led the Seahawks on an improbable comeback. On the Seahawks' next drive, Wilson ran the ball in for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 19–14. After a successful onside kick recovery, Wilson led the Seahawks down the field, and Lynch ran in to give the Seahawks a 20–19 lead. Wilson completed a 15-yard 2 point conversion pass to Luke Wilson to make it 22–19 Seahawks. The Packers tied it up at the end of regulation and forced overtime. The Seahawks won the coin toss, and the offense took the field. Wilson led the Seahawks on an 80-yard drive that was capped by a 35-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Kearse. The Seahawks completed their largest postseason comeback in franchise history as they clinched a Super Bowl berth.
2006 Pro Bowl
Notes:On December 19, 2005, the NFL announced that fans had cast more than 70.5 million votes via the Internet and the Sprint wireless telephone service, bettering by more than 16% the 61 million votes cast for the 2005 Pro Bowl. Of the top ten vote-getters, all were offensive players and seven, including four of the top five, hailed from the AFC. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning led all players, garnering 1,184,142 votes, a new single-player record, and narrowly edging out Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander (1,110,575 votes) and Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson (1,044,360 votes).
Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis entered the 2006 season with a veteran quarterback, receivers, and defenders, and chose running back Joseph Addai in the 2006 draft. As in the previous season, the Colts began the season undefeated and went 9–0 before losing their first game against the Dallas Cowboys. Indianapolis finished the season with a 12–4 record and entered the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year, this time as the number three seed in the AFC. The Colts won their first two playoff games against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens to return to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2003 playoffs, where they faced their rivals, the New England Patriots. In a classic game, the Colts overcame a 21–3 first half deficit to win the game 38–34 and earned a trip to Super Bowl XLI, the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance since 1970 and for the first as Indianapolis. The Colts faced the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl, winning the game 29–17 and giving Manning, Polian, Irsay, and Dungy, as well as the city of Indianapolis, their first Super Bowl title.
2006 Rose Bowl
The game was a back-and-forth contest; Texas's victory was not secured until the game's final nineteen seconds. Vince Young, the Texas quarterback, and Michael Huff, a Texas safety, were named the offensive and defensive Rose Bowl Players Of The Game. ESPN named Young's fourth-down, game-winning touchdown run the fifth-highest rated play in college football history. The game is the highest-rated BCS game in TV history with 21.7% of households watching it, and is often considered the greatest college football national championship game of all time.
Super Bowl XLV
The Green Bay Packers finished the season with a 10–6 record and became the first number 6-seeded team in the NFC to compete in the Super Bowl. They are only the second number 6 seeded team to reach the Super Bowl, with the only other number 6 seed to accomplish this feat being the Pittsburgh Steelers, who won Super Bowl XL following the 2005 season. Green Bay also joined the 2005 Steelers as the only teams ever to defeat the top three seeded teams on the road in the playoffs. In order to secure their fifth Super Bowl bid they defeated their longtime rivals, the Chicago Bears, in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field.
Super Bowl X
Super Bowl X was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1975 season. The Steelers defeated the Cowboys by the score of 21–17 to win their second consecutive Super Bowl. They were the third team to win back-to-back Super Bowls. (The Miami Dolphins won Super Bowls VII and VIII, and the Green Bay Packers won Super Bowls I and II.) It was also the first Super Bowl in which both participating teams had previously won a Super Bowl, as the Steelers were the defending champions and the Cowboys had won Super Bowl VI.
Kurt Warner
Warner first attained stardom while playing for the St. Louis Rams from 1998 to 2003, where he won NFL MVP awards in 1999 and 2001 as well as the Super Bowl MVP award in Super Bowl XXXIV when he and the Rams beat the Tennessee Titans. He led the 2008 Arizona Cardinals to Super Bowl XLIII (the franchise's first Super Bowl berth), and owns three of the top five highest single-game passing yardage totals in Super Bowl history. Warner is one of only two quarterbacks to win the Super Bowl in their first season as a starter, the other being Tom Brady. Warner currently holds the tenth-highest career passer rating of all-time (93.7), and the fourth-highest career completion percentage in NFL history with 65.5%.
Super Bowl XLVI
The Giants and Patriots became the 3rd and 4th teams (after the Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers) to appear in Super Bowls in four different decades (both in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s) and the second and third to appear in Super Bowls in four consecutive decades (joining the Pittsburgh Steelers). The Giants became the first team in Super Bowl history to win Super Bowls in four different decades (1986, 1990, 2007, 2011). The Patriots became the first team in Super Bowl history to lose Super Bowls in four different decades (1985, 1996, 2007, 2011).