PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers advanced to their third Super Bowl in six years thanks to a big-play defense that returned a fumble for a touchdown and staged a late goal-line stand in a 24-19 victory over the New York Jets.
Pittsburgh, which led 24-0 in the first half and held on, faces the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl in Dallas in two weeks. The Packers beat Chicago 21-14 earlier Sunday.
William Gay went 22 yards after fellow defensive back Ike Taylor sacked Mark Sanchez and the ball came loose. Pittsburgh then stopped New York four times inside the 2 in hanging on.
The Steelers (14-4) have won a record six Super Bowls. New York (13-5) has not been back since winning the most significant Super Bowl in 1969, validating the AFL with a victory over Baltimore.