Alexander Says Seahawks Would Win Super Bowl XL '99 Times Out Of 100'

Almost two decades later, Super Bowl XL is still being talked about, usually in a negative light. Recently, former Seattle running back Shaun Alexander, who rushed for 1,880 yards and 27 touchdowns that season to win league MVP, claimed that the Seahawks were the better team, they just ran into the Steelers at the wrong time.

"If we had played the Steelers 100 times, we probably would've lost one," Alexander said on KOA Sports Radio's Big Al and JoJo podcast. "And that night, it was the one. We knew they wouldn't be able to play with us if we did three things. Don't turn the ball over, don't have any offensive penalties, and don't let them have any big plays. And if you go in reverse order, 50-yard reverse pass for a touchdown, 80-yard run in the beginning of the third quarter. We knew they wouldn't be able to drive.”

As Alexander said, big plays killed the Seahawks in this game. Steelers running back Willie Parker reeled off a 75-yard run on the second play of the third quarter, then receiver Antwaan Randle El hit Hines Ward for a 43-yard touchdown on a trick play.

The calls also did not go Seattle's way, with the most-infamous one being an offensive pass interference penalty that negated a 16-yard touchdown by receiver Darrell Jackson. As easy as it might be to blame the officials, Alexander isn't using those questionable calls as an excuse for what happened.

"On one hand, you want to be like, 'Aw, come on refs.' But on the other hand, we played through the refs and we still had a shot, and we didn't bring it home," Alexander said. "That was the pain of that game. Here it is 15 years later, you still remember it."

The Seahawks finally bringing home their first ring several years later, a 43-8 trouncing of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVII, takes away the sting a bit. Still, that game against the Steelers only serves as a bitter reminder of what could've been.