MIAMI -- Glenn and Lyle Blackwood, the Miami Dolphins' Bruise Brothers, crushed the Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl hopes Sunday.
The Blackwoods combined for nine tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and broke up four pass attempts. It was free safety Lyle Blackwood's interception that proved the big defensive play in an otherwise offense-dominated 45-28 Miami victory that sent the Dolphins to the Super Bowl.
With the Dolphins leading 17-14, Blackwood stepped in front of a Mark Malone pass for John Stallworth at the Pittsburgh 35. Dan Marino then needed just 69 seconds to take Miami in for Tony Nathan's 2-yard touchdown run for a 24-14 lead with 36 seconds left in the half.
'When he released the ball, I knew I had the interception,' Blackwood said. 'I looked and saw Stallworth to my left and said 'I'm going to beat him to the ball.' All I was worried about was holding onto the ball.
'He (Malone) didn't see me or he wouldn't throw the ball. It was a gamble on my part, if he had pumped and thrown behind me I would have looked silly for six points.'
'I thought it was the best interception I ever say Lyle make,' said strong safety Glenn Blackwood. 'If Lyle hadn't made a good break on the ball they would've completed it.
'I was surprised they threw that type of pass, it was just a great play by Lyle. He covered the deep third of the field and intercepted a square-out.'
Pittsburgh had controlled the ball for 10:25 of the first quarter by running on the Dolphins. But Miami's 1-point halftime lead was stretched to 17 one drive into the second half, forcing the Steelers out of their conservative game plan.
'They said 'we can't be patient running the ball, we have to score on them,'' Glenn Blackwood said. 'I think we knew what they were going to be doing a little more.'
Malone completed 20 of 36 for 312 yards and three touchdowns, but had three passes intercepted.
'I got excellent time to throw the football,' Malone said. 'They just did the right things at the right time.'
Glenn Blackwood, who became a father for the first time when his wife had a baby girl Friday, had a second-quarter interception to go with six tackles, three passes defensed and a forced fumble.
'Our defensive line was batting the ball down, my interception was a deflection,' he said. 'Those kind of things are invaluable.'
Just like interceptions that break open close game.
'Lyle Blackwood, I never saw him break on a ball like that all year,' cornerback Don McNeal said.
