Steelers 31, Titans 34 (OT)

Steelers run out of miracles

Before this season began, the talk was all about Pittsburgh getting back to the AFC Championship Game. As the season wore on, it became painfully clear that a return trip would be unlikely, but the Steelers came awfully close anyway. The Steelers and Titans played a hard-fought, amazing playoff game which was unfortunately tainted by more controversy involving the NFL referees.

At first, it looked as if this game would be a blowout. The Steelers were a banged up team playing on just six days of rest, while the Titans were rested and sharp. Tennessee's defense began the game by intercepting Tommy Maddox (Plaxico Burress was responsible for the interception because he fell down on the play), and Steve McNair converted by running the ball into the endzone from 8 yards out. On their next possession, the Titans put together a time-consuming 76 yard drive that ended with a short Eddie George TD run. The key play on the drive? None other than a successful conversion on 3rd and 16. The defense let us down once again today. But these 2002 Steelers were far too resilient to let a 14-0 deficit stop them from trying. George fumbled at his own 8 yard line, and Maddox hit Hines Ward for a TD. Chad Scott, playing with one good arm, intercepted McNair, setting up a Jeff Reed FG. Right before halftime, Reed added a second FG to make the score 14-13 Tennessee, and shift the momentum to Pittsburgh.

On the first play of the 3rd quarter, George was hit hard and fumbled again. He also was knocked out of the game on the play. The defense may have given up a lot of yards and points again, but at least they caused some huge turnovers. Amos Zeroue then had a brilliant 31 yard TD run, and amazingly, the Steelers had a 20-14 lead. But the Titans struck quickly to regain the lead. McNair threw two TD passes, and all of a sudden the Titans had a 28-20 lead. They also had what looked to be a long punt return, but it was challenged by Bill Cowher because the returner's knee appeared to be down early on the play. The ref announced to the crowd, "I don't believe that is a challengeable play, but let me double-check." What?! Well, he double-checked, and he was wrong. That was unreal. Here we are in the AFC Divisional Playoffs, and the NFL gives us the "I'm not sure" of the rules referee! What a joke. Anyway, the Steelers once again mounted a comeback. Maddox hit Ward on a 21 yard TD pass, and Ward threw to Burress on a tricky two-point conversion. Later in the 4th quarter, the two teams traded field goals, and the score was tied at 31. The Steelers has an opportunity to win late in the game. They had the ball on the Titans 40 (thanks to a cheap personal foul on Tennessee) with two minutes left, but Maddox threw three incompletions (one of which went right thru the hands of Burress). The Steelers had to punt and never got the ball again. Tennessee put together a last-minute drive, but PK Joe Nedney missed a 48 yarder, and the game was going into overtime.

The Titans won the coin toss and McNair went to work. Like he has done to the Steelers so many times in the past, he led a great drive down the field to beat us. The big play was a 31 yard pass to Justin McCareins. On the play, Dewayne Washington gave McCareins a huge cushion, then failed to make the tackle when McCareins caught the ball. It was typical of the complete breakdown of our secondary this season. Soon the Titans were set up for game-winning 31 yard FG attempt, and that's when all hell broke loose. Nedney drilled the FG, but the Steelers had called timeout before the play. Apparently not everyone realized that the play didn't count, because fireworks began going off at The Coliseum. That was crazy, and it iced Nedney more than any timeout could have done. On his second try, Nedney shanked it wide right. Steelers fans everywhere went nuts - "He missed! It's another miracle!! The Steelers are still alive, and -- wait...." Referee Ron Blum threw a flag on Dewayne Washington for running into the kicker. On the play, Washington sort of stumbled lightly into Nedney, who later admitted that he pulled an acting job by falling down. Running into the kicker is a pure judgment call whose sole intention is to protect the defenseless kicker from injury. To call such a ticky-tack penalty in overtime of a playoff game is unacceptable. On his third try (from 5 yards closer), Nedney made the kick and ended the Steelers season. Jason Gildon tried to call timeout before that third kick, but the refs told him the Steelers didn't have any, even though they had two! Bill Cowher ran after the refs and probably said some things that would not be printable. He had a right to be angry. "For a game to be decided on that call is ludicrous," Cowher said, trying to keep his composure. "Fine me if you want. That's the truth." Last week, the Giants got screwed by a call on the last play of the game (also a FG attempt). I can't believe the NFL would let something like this happen for the second week in a row. Two long-time rivals played a fierce and hard-fought game. They took it right down to the wire, and gave NFL fans everywhere a thrilling game. Then the refs decide who wins! McNair is a great clutch QB who beat our defense in OT. If Nedney just drills the kick and wins the game, then fine - by all means the Titans played their hearts out and truly earned a victory. But to have it all end like this just makes me sick to my stomach. It's simply not right.

So now the Steelers begin a long offseason. They will look back on 2002 as a season in which they underachieved. Their defense collapsed, giving up 30+ points in six regular season games and in both playoff games. With all the crazy parody in the NFL these days, one thing remains certain: you can't win the Super Bowl without defense. But the Steelers came much closer than they should have. They played these last couple of games with a ton of heart. They really should be proud of themselves. They did the best they could with what they had, and in the end they were just one bad call away from a return trip to the AFC Championship Game. I refuse to be disappointed with this team. Here are the numbers from the final game of the 2002 season:

• Tommy Maddox: 21-41, 266 yards, 2 TD
• Hines Ward: 7 rec, 82 yards, 2 TD

Elsewhere in the NFL Playoffs: New York Jets visit Oakland, Philadelphia beat Atlanta, San Francisco visits Tampa Bay

Steelers 36, Browns 33

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All I have to say is wow! I don't even -- this was just -- WOW!!!! Today's game will go down as one of the all-time greatest games in NFL playoff history, as the Steelers mounted an unbelievable comeback to stun the Cleveland Browns. I'm still in complete shock. The Steelers were seemingly finished on several occasions yet somehow found a way to claw their way to a win. And this was 100 times sweeter because it came against Cleveland!!

The crowd was fired up for this game, but the Browns offense quickly took the crowd out of the game. QB Kelly Holcomb started for an injured Tim Couch and played the game of his life. He threw an 83 yard pass to Kevin Johnson on the Browns first possession, which set up an easy TD run for William Green. Johnson smoked the crap out of DB Hank Poteat, who was playing the 3rd down CB spot because Chad Scott was out with a broken hand. Regardless of the injury to Scott, all the problems the defense has had this year caught up with them today - mainly their inability to defend the pass and their propensity for giving up the big play. Things went downhill after that first possession. Antwaan Randle El fumbled a punt, and Holcomb again exploited Poteat, hitting Dennis Northcutt on a 32 yard TD pass. But Randle El would redeem himself, returning a punt 66 yards for a TD. That was the only thing that went right for Pittsburgh in the first half. Tommy Maddox threw two interceptions. One was tipped at the line, but the other was a horrible throw when the Steelers had the ball in the red zone. After a Phil "Cow Pasture" Dawson hit a FG to give the Browns a 17-7 lead, the Steelers tried to mount a drive at the end of the half, but after a costly Terrance Mathis drop and a missed Jeff Reed FG (on a long attempt), the Steelers were down by 10 and clearly in trouble going into the locker room at halftime.

The 3rd quarter brought more of the same. Northcutt had a 59 yard punt return to give the Browns excellent field position, and then he caught a 15 yard TD pass from Holcomb. The Steelers were down by 17 and desperate for a score from the offense. After a Mckeesport Mike interception, the Steelers mounted a 10 play, 73 yard drive that ended with a 6 yard TD pass to Plaxico Burress. But as the game entered the 4th quarter, the defense still couldn't stop Holcomb, who threw a 43 yard pass to Andre Davis (Lee Flowers was the victim this time). That set up another Dawson FG, and the Steelers were down 27-14. Tommy Maddox came right back and led the Steelers on another TD drive. This time he found Jerame Tuman from 3 yards out. With the Steelers trailing by just 6, the defense had to come up big. However, what ensued was one of the sorriest defensive efforts I have ever witnessed. Holcomb marched the Browns 61 yards on just 5 plays. Then on 3rd down (of course), he hit Davis on a 22 yard TD. The secondary was AWFUL. This may have been their worst performance of the season, and they've had some really bad ones. The Browns went for 2 after the TD but didn't make it, and they also were busy spending all of their timeouts. Those two things didn't seem like that big of a deal at the time, but they turned out to be huge.

Maddox, the NFL's comeback player of the year, refused to die. He led the Steelers on another long drive. This one was 10 plays and 77 yards, and it was greatly aided by some stupid Cleveland penalties. This was the beginning of the collapse for the Browns. Maddox hit Hines Ward on a 5 yard TD to cut it to 33-28. Then, finally, with 3 minutes left in the game, the defense held. The Browns threw two passes, one of which was a bomb that was beautifully defended by Dewayne Washington (the underrated play of the game). The other pass was dropped by Northcutt. I bet everyone in Cleveland will criticize them for throwing the ball instead of running time off the clock, but I don't blame them. They had success all day - why not go for the kill? Good call by Butch Davis, but it didn't work and the Steelers got the ball back with one last chance. The offense did not disappoint. Maddox hit Burress on pass plays of 24 and 17 yards, and then found Hines Ward at the 3 yard line. On 2nd and goal from the 3, with just 54 seconds left in the game, Maddox handed the ball to Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, and he ran in for the TD, sending the crowd into COMPLETE PANDIMONIUM!!!! Everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs, looking around for someone to hug. I don't think I've ever seen the crowd as excited as they were after that TD. The Steelers then ran a nifty two point conversion - a Randle El pass to Tuman - to give them a 3 point lead. But the Browns still had one more chance. They drove down to the Pittsburgh 45 but did not manage the clock well in doing so. With 7 seconds left, Holcomb threw a pass towards the sideline. Cleveland WR Andre King tried desperately to get out of bounds so that Dawson could attempt the game-tying FG, but he didn't make it in time. The clock struck zero, and the Steelers had pulled off their most improbable post-season win since the Immaculate Reception!

Looking back on this game, the Steelers will obviously have a lot of work to do on their defense. Holcomb shredded them for 429 passing yards. Although the secondary was disgraceful, you have to give a lot of credit to Holcomb. There is going to be one serious QB controversy in The Mistake By The Lake next summer. The Steelers showed so much heart in this victory. They scored 29 points in the final 19 minutes of the game. There were so many times when us fans had given up on them. They had no business winning this game, but they did. Oddly enough, San Francisco made a similar comeback later in the day at home against the Giants. It's almost like the mystique of those two proud franchises, with their combined 9 Super Bowl rings and their numerous playoff appearances, refused to let them go down. And speaking of mystique, how about those Browns?? First they had John Elway's drive, then Earnest Byner's fumble, and now a blown 17 point lead in Pittsburgh of all places. It will take years for Cleveland to live this down. It must be sad for you guys to CONSTANTLY be humiliated like this. You have NO tradition, NO dignity, and worst of all, NO clue how to win a big game. You are NOTHING but a bunch of wannabes. Pittsburgh Rules! Cleveland SUCKS!!! Have fun watching us on TV next week!!!! Here are the numbers:

• Tommy Maddox: 30-48, 367 yards (team playoff record), 3 TD
• Hines Ward: 11 rec, 104 yards, 1 TD

Up Next: The Steelers will now travel to Tennessee to play another long time rival. This will mark the fourth time that the Steelers and Titans (i.e. Oilers) have met in the playoffs (the Steelers won the previous three). This is going to be one tough game. As everyone remembers, the Titans destroyed the Steelers when the two teams played in November, and with the way the defense played today, next week is looking grim, especially because the NFL screwed us with a 6 day week. But you know what? Let's worry about this game later - I'm far too thrilled about beating Cleveland to even care right now!!

Elsewhere in the NFL Playoffs: Indianapolis was shut out by the NY Jets, Atlanta surprised Green Bay at Lambeau, San Francisco came back to beat the NY Giants

Final 2002 AFC North Division Standings

Steelers 34, Ravens 31

Baltimore apparently not interested in winning anymore

The Baltimore Ravens came to Heinz Field for what turned out to be a rather meaningless season finale and did everything in their power to hand their bitter rivals a victory. This game started off well for the Ravens, as Jeff Blake heaved a long bomb on the first play. Blake still throws the prettiest deep balls I have ever seen. Too bad it doesn't make up for his other shortcomings. Blake threw an interception in the endzone, ending the drive and beginning what would be a long day of stupid mistakes. Maddox then threw an interception as well, and it was returned for a TD, but the Ravens were called for roughing the passer on the play. The Steelers proceeded to drive all the way down the field, and Maddox hit team co-MVP Hines Ward on a 23 yard TD pass. After the Ravens tied the game on their ensuing drive, the Steelers took control of the game. Jeff Reed kicked a FG and Amos Zeroue, who had a big game, scored a second quarter TD. But the defense looked soft all day, surrendering 336 yards in the air and allowing Jamal Lewis to rush for 86 yards on just 14 carries. Baltimore scored another TD in the 2nd quarter. Jeff Reed kicked a 48 yard FG right before halftime to give the Steelers a 20-14 lead.

Things started to fall apart for the Steelers in the second half. After Matt Stover cut the lead to 3 with a FG, the Steelers offense started giving the ball away. Dan Kreider juggled a pass right into the hands of a Baltimore defender, and Tommy Maddox threw an ill-timed interception in the endzone. The Ravens converted both of those turnovers into touchdowns, first on a 31 yard TD pass to TE Todd Heap (who was way too big for Dewayne Washington to defend) and then on a 20 yard TD pass to Chester Taylor. It was frustrating to watch. Obviously the Steelers were not up for this game. They had a huge win last week and knew that this game meant little to the overall playoff picture. Regardless, they still showed some heart in the end. Down by 11 with less than 10 minutes left in the game, the Steelers put together a 67 yard drive. Maddox had the surprise play of the drive, running for 21 yards on a big 3rd down play. Zeroue scored on a 5 yard TD run, but the Steelers missed the two point conversion and were still down by 5. No matter though, because Baltimore fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and the Steelers soon found themselves facing a 3rd and goal on the Baltimore 8 yard line. Maddox again surprised everyone by scrambling out of the pocket and hitting Antwaan Randle El for the touchdown. All of a sudden Tommy Gun looks like Mike Vick out there! Maddox then hit Burress on a HUGE two point conversion that gave the Steelers a 3 point lead. But the game was far from over. The Ravens still had enough time to mount a final drive, and they ended up driving all the way down to the 10 yard line. The drive was aided by some awful coverage on Heap (why wouldn't you put 4 guys on him when you KNOW that's who they are going to throw to?!) and a roughing the passer call on Joey Porter. So the Ravens had the ball in chip-shot FG range with under 30 seconds left and no timeouts. What do you do? Well, if you're a self-proclaimed genius like Brian Billick, you take a shot at the endzone. However, you throw the ball away if nothing is there. Instead, Jeff Blake threw one of the dumbest passes I have ever seen, floating the ball into double coverage in the back of the endzone where it was picked off by Washington. What an absolutely stupid play. Baltimore used to be a somewhat worthy rival, but now they are just a worthless joke of a team. Anyway, the Steelers struggled, and the game ended up not meaning anything to their playoff seeding (we'll get into that in a minute), but it did provide some much-needed momentum heading into the post-season. The offense overcame an 11 point deficit and the defense made the big plays when it counted the most. It was a good way to end the regular season.

While the Ravens and Steelers were battling at Heinz Field, heavy drama was unfolding in the rest of the AFC. Tennessee beat Houston, giving them a first round bye and making the Steelers the #3 seed. New England rallied to beat Miami, but both would miss the playoffs as the Jets stole away the East by clobbering Green Bay. The defending champion Patriots proved to be a one-hit wonder, while the Dolphins once again collapsed late in the season (I love it - every year they are the "best team" in the AFC because they finally have a defense, or because they finally have a RB, but it's ALWAYS the same result in the end). The Colts got in as the #5 seed, and get this - the #6 seed in the AFC is none other than the Cleveland Browns!!! Dear God, this means that the Browns - the hated rival Cleveland Freaking Browns - will come to Heinz Field next weekend for a playoff game!! Can you believe this?! My head is going to explode! This is the most insane season in NFL history! Here are the numbers from the regular season finale:

• Amos Zeroue: 26 rushes, 104 yards, 2 TD
• Hines Ward: 5 rec (team record 112 rec for the season), 46 yards, 1 TD

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland beat Atlanta, Cincinnati lost to Buffalo

Steelers 17, Buccaneers 7

Kings of the North

The Steelers sure have the Buccaneers number. For the second straight year, the Steelers dominated one of the so-called best teams in the NFL. In doing so, the Steelers have become the first ever champions of the AFC North. The amazing thing about this game is that the Steelers put them away in the first ten minutes of the game. There was all this trash talk during the week, and then before the game a couple of scuffles broke out while the players were warming up. But Warren Sapp and his big mouth were shut up rather quickly. On the Steelers first play, Tommy Maddox hit Plaxico Burress on a 41 yard bomb. A few plays later, Maddox found Antwaan Randle El, who dove into the endzone. The whole drive only took 6 plays but still covered 81 yards. The Bucs #1 defense was shocked, but this was just the beginning. QB Shaun King started his first game in two years for the injured Brad Johnson. On Tampa Bay's first possession, Chad Scott stepped in front of one of King's passes and ran it back for a 30 yard TD. The defense has been making so many big plays the past couple of weeks, but they hadn't scored a TD in a long time. This was HUGE. When the Steelers got the ball next, they again marched down inside the Tampa Bay 10 yard line. This time they were held to a FG, but it would be all the points they needed. It was unreal - the Steelers had scored 17 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. With their "tough" defensive style and short passing game, Tampa Bay is NOT a good come-from-behind team. The Bucs were finished before their fans were even settled into their seats. They had one good drive in the first half, which initially resulted in a FG. But the Steelers were called for holding on the play, so Jon Gruden stupidly took the points off the board. Later in the drive, FB Mike Alstott fumbled inside the 10, and the Bucs had nothing.

The second half was more of the same. The Steelers slowed the pace and didn't allow the Bucs to move the ball. Finally, Rob Johnson replaced Shaun King at QB, and promptly led the Bucs on a long drive. But then he fumbled inside the 10 too, and once again the defense had held. The other great part about Johnson coming into the game was that the Steelers defense was all over him. King kept getting away from what would've been about 20 sacks, but Johnson has no mobility and was sacked 6 times. Tampa got a late TD to ruin the shutout, but it didn't matter. The Steelers are going to the playoffs, and better yet, they seem to be peaking at the EXACT right time. What a great game they played tonight. Maddox was so sharp, completing 17 of 23 throws. The defense was all over the field. The much criticized secondary made some big plays, and the front seven had constant pressure on the QB's. I would just love to hear what Sapp and his boys have to say now! Boy, it's real unfortunate that these two teams won't meet again until 2006. The Steelers can still earn a first round bye for the playoffs, but they will need some help from Kansas City or Houston. I don't really care about that right now though, because the Steelers finally look like a team that was supposed to contend for the Super Bowl. Here are the numbers:

• Defense: 6 sacks, 3 forced turnovers, 1 TD
• Tommy Maddox: 17-23, 236 yards, 1 TD

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland beat Baltimore, Cincinnati upset New Orleans

Steelers 30, Panthers 14

Steelers finally wake up

What a difference a week makes. The Steelers erased the awful memory of last week's game and beat the Carolina Panthers to improve to 8-5-1 with just two games remaining in the season. The Steelers offense started off the game looking to make up for their numerous mistakes from last week. Tommy Maddox led the Steelers on a 77 yard drive and capped it with a TD pass to Plaxico Burress, who was arguably the star of the game after dropping five balls last week. The Steelers still had that "I want to turn the ball over" feel though. On the TD drive, Maddox fumbled but was able to pick it up and even complete a pass on the play. Later in the first quarter, Hank Poteat fumbled the ball away on a punt but the defense held. Finally, the Panthers were able to capitalize off of a Steelers mistake. Maddox threw an interception to Mike Minter (it wasn't Tommy's fault - Burress fell down on the play). Minter returned it to the 6 yard line, where 90 year old QB Rodney Peete hit Dee Brown on a TD pass. In the 2nd quarter, the Steelers moved the ball well but got conservative in the red zone. The result was two Jeff Reed FG's, giving the Steelers a 13-6 lead at halftime. While the offense looked a bit tentative, the defense continued to steamroll. They held Carolina to zero yards of total offense in the first half! Man, it feels good to have the D back.

In the 3rd quarter, the Panthers gave the Steelers a Christmas gift by fumbling a punt deep in their own territory. Jerome Bettis converted it into a 9 yard TD run. Down by 13, the Panthers put together their only good drive of the day. Old man Peete drove his team down to the three yard line, and then things got weird. Three plays in a row were challenged. Play #1: Peete throws to Smith, who dives and gets up, then runs it in. Refs signal TD but the replay shows Chad Scott touched him, so he is marked down at the 3. Play #2: Carolina's RB takes it down to the 1 but is stuffed. Panthers challenge and lose as replay reveals the guy wasn't in the endzone. Play #3: Peete tries to sneak it. Refs call TD, but the replay shows he's not even close. So after the Panthers had the replay take away three touchdowns, Dee Brown anti-climatically ran it in standing up for the TD! All that for nothing. On a side note: Panthers RB Dee Brown had two touchdowns today. It's hard to believe he's doing that well so many years after winning the slam dunk contest as a member of the Boston Celtics. I didn't even know he could play football. Anyway, back to the game - the Steelers clung to a 6 point lead and had looked nervous on offense. But on a big 3rd down play, Maddox heaved a 47 yard bomb to Plex. That set up a FG, which gave the Steelers a comfortable 9 point lead. Then the defense stepped up big time. They rushed social security boy and made him fumble at the 15. The Panthers challenged that call and lost again. Has anyone ever lost 4 challenges in one quarter before?!? Seriously, someone has to look that one up. Anyway, Bettis again ran it in from the 8, and the game was over. Just for good measure, the defense caused another fumble by the decrepit Peete. In all, the defense caused 4 turnovers, had 6 sacks, and held the Panthers to 131 yards of total offense. That's what we like to see! And the offense didn't screw up either. They were obviously still haunted by last week's performance, but they overcame it and played a good game. Burress played a big game too, making everyone forget all those drops. The Steelers now have a chance to clinch the AFC North next week. All they have to do is beat the Bucs in Tampa! Ughhh.... Here are the numbers:

• Plaxico Burress: 6 rec, 120 yards, 1 TD
• Defense: 4 turnovers, 6 sacks; only 178 yards allowed in past two weeks

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland lost to Indianapolis, Baltimore beat Houston, Cincinnati lost to Jacksonville

Steelers 6, Texans 24

47 yards of total offense enough to beat pitiful Steelers

Wow, I don't even know what to say about this game. I don't know if I have ever seen anything more disgusting in my entire life. The Houston Texans made history at Heinz Field today, blowing out the Steelers by gaining just 47 yards of total offense. The Steelers COMPLETELY self-destructed from the start. Tommy Maddox, playing his first game since that awful injury, was rusty at best. On the Steelers first possession, Maddox fumbled without even being touched while trying to run for a first down, and the Texans ran it back for a TD. On the Steelers second possession, Maddox threw an interception to Aaron Glenn, who returned it 70 yards for a TD. On the Steelers third possession, the team drove deep into Houston territory, but Antwaan Randle El fumbled the ball away. Amazingly, this was just the beginning of the Steelers ineptitude. The defense managed to shut down David Carr and the Houston offense, but all the Steelers could muster before halftime was a measly FG.

Jeff Reed kicked his second FG of the game early in the 3rd quarter, and that was all the points the Steelers would get. While the defense was busy playing their most inspired game of the season, the offense continually shot themselves in the foot. Plaxico Burress had an awful game, dropping at least 5 passes, including one that would have been a TD. The other receivers dropped passes too. The offensive line broke down and allowed 6 sacks. Even when the Steelers did something good, it just blew up in their faces. Like when Amos Zeroue ran the ball down to the one yard line, but the play was called back on a penalty. Or when Jeff Reed missed on his third FG attempt. Or when Houston's punt returner fumbled late in the game giving the Steelers a golden opportunity, which they did nothing with. Randle El fumbled a punt of his own late in the 4th quarter (his second turnover), and fittingly Kris Brown put the game out of reach with a FG (apparently he doesn't have a choking problem when he plays here wearing a Texans uniform). Maddox threw another interception to Glenn, which was returned for another TD, just to put the icing on a very foul-tasting cake. The defense finished the game with the following numbers: they held the Texans to 47 yards of offense, had 4 sacks, allowed the offense to stay on the field for 40 minutes, and lost the game by 18 friggin points!! Never before in the 83 year history of the NFL has a team performed that poorly on offense and won the game. The fact that they won by so much just makes this one of the most disgraceful displays in Steelers history. The Steelers lost to an expansion team for the third time since 1995. I really thought with all the parody this season that the Steelers were still a contender, but I realize now that I just didn't want to admit the truth. To make matters worse, Cleveland won today on a lucky hail mary pass, so they now trail the Steelers by just 1/2 game. This team is a joke right now - first the defense can't stop anyone, and now the offense not only has trouble putting points on the board, but today it GAVE UP 24 points! I'm too sick to write anything else about this slopfest. Here are the numbers:

• Defense: allowed 47 yards
• Hines Ward: 9 rec (98 for the season - team record), 76 yards

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland beat Jacksonville, Baltimore lost to New Orleans, Cincinnati lost to Carolina

Steelers 25, Jaguars 23

New kicker quickly becoming folk hero

The Steelers do not have a good history in Jacksonville (1-6 lifetime). They also have a recent history of kicking woes. But today they reversed those trends, coming up with a big victory against their old AFC Central rivals. Kordell Stewart started his second straight game, and for the most part, he played well. However, the offense stalled every time they got in scoring range. That almost cost them in the end, but it also opened up the door for new kicker Jeff Reed to have a record-setting day. The Steelers moved the ball well on their first two drives, but as previously mentioned, they had trouble getting into the endzone. Reed kicked two FG's in the first quarter, but then the Jags took the lead. The defense came back and FINALLY played a halfway decent game this week, but they still had a few breakdowns. Their first one came when Fragile Fred Taylor ran up the middle for an 18 yard TD, giving the Jags a 7-6 lead. But Kordell answered, leading the Steelers on a 71 yard drive, and capping it off with a beautiful 28 yard TD run. There are some things that Stewart still does extremely well, and running is one of them. Unfortunately, it would be the only TD in the game for Pittsburgh. They drove again in the 2nd quarter, but a pass that bounced off Plaxico Burress was intercepted and returned 53 yards, setting up a Jacksonville FG. Reed added his third FG before halftime, giving the Steelers a 16-10 lead.

The second half saw more of the same - the Steelers continued to move the ball well on offense, but couldn't get into the endzone. Reed kicked two more FG's, and the Steelers had a 22-10 lead. Meanwhile, the defense did a good job of keeping the once frightening Jaguars offense in check. They did some wild and crazy stuff, such as blitzing on 3rd down like they used to back in the day (i.e. 2001). They sacked Mark Brunell three times and caused him to throw some bad passes. But in the 4th quarter, they had a bad breakdown. The Jags had the ball on the Steelers 42 and were desperate enough to go for it on 4th down. Brunell found TE Kyle Brady (Penn State sucks) WIDE OPEN for a touchdown, making it a five point game. With just over 5 minutes left, the Steelers put together another good drive, but Stewart got sacked on a key 3rd down play. Jeff Reed was 5 for 5 on FG's, but this one would be from 50 yards out. Cowher wouldn't have even let Peterson try one this long, but Reed went out and for the second straight week, hit a long FG to give the Steelers a safe 8 point lead! With his sixth FG of the day, Reed tied the Steelers record held by the team's (and the league's) greatest ever kicker, Gary Anderson. After the kick, CBS cut to a shot of crybaby Tom Coughlin looking absolutely SHOCKED on the sidelines. It was one of the greatest shots in the history of sports television - if anyone has a picture of this, PLEASE send it to me. Anyway, the defense then found themselves in the exact same spot as last week - up by 8 and trying to stop the opposing offense from tying the game on the last drive. But although Mark Brunell is not quite as good as he once was, he is still 10 times better than Jon Kitna. Brunell led the Jags on 65 yard drive, and with just over one minute remaining, he hit Jimmy Smith for a TD. The same three guys that have been killing us down there for the last 8 seasons did it again today. But the Jags still needed a two point conversion to tie, and this time the secondary came up big. Dewayne Washington deflected Brunell's endzone pass, and the Steelers hung on for the win. This was a typical Kordell Stewart game - not entirely pretty, but certainly effective enough to get the W. Give credit to Kordell for helping us win two key games, but after going 1-8 in scoring territory today, expect Tommy Maddox back next week. The defense also took some baby steps towards picking up the pieces of their shattered season. Let's hope that they keep using this aggressive strategy. And how about Mr. Reed! He is the toast of the town - until he misses a PAT in the sand next week. Things are looking up right now though, especially since Carolina upset Cleveland, giving the Steelers a game and a half lead in the pitiful AFC North. With three of their last 4 games at home, hopefully the Steelers will keep up the momentum. Here are the numbers:

• Jeff Reed: 6 FG's (team record): 25, 29, 30, 46, 33, 50
• Kordell Stewart: 16-26, 202 yards, 84 yards rushing

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland lost to Carolina, Baltimore beat Cincinnati

Steelers 29, Bengals 21

Defense blows another lead, but Steelers still win

One thing has become very clear in the last few weeks: no lead is ever safe with this year's Steelers defense. For the second consecutive home game, the defense blew a 17 point lead, but this time they still pulled out the victory thanks to a solid performance from backup QB Kordell Stewart, and a little help from the Cincinnati "We Always Find a Way to Lose" Bengals. Once again the Steelers started off hot. On the game's opening drive, they marched 68 yards on 9 plays, and scored on a short TD run by Jerome Bettis, who was starting his first game in several weeks. Later in the first quarter, Stewart hit Hines Ward on 64 yard TD pass. Ward caught the ball near the sideline, and then ran for about 40 yards after the Cincinnati DB fell down trying to tackle him. New kicker Jeff Reed added a second quarter FG, and the rout was on -- or was it? Corey Dillon scored on a 10 yard run, and then after a Josh Miller punt pinned the Bengals at their own 2 yard line, the defense allowed Jon Kitna take Cincinnati on a 98 yard TD drive! (which of course included several key 3rd down conversions). All of a sudden, it was 17-14 at halftime.

The only score of the 3rd quarter came on Reed's second FG of the afternoon, a 44 yarder. It gave Pittsburgh a 20-14 lead, but the defense still couldn't hold on. In the 4th quarter, the Bengals mounted a 64 yard drive. Kitna hit Matt Schobel on a 20 yard TD pass, and to the shock of 60,000 of us at Heinz Beach, the 1-9 Bengals had taken the lead. The Steelers got the ball back and proceeded to call absolutely stupid plays. The main problem with blowing these leads has been the defense, but part of the blame goes to the offense for being too conservative. Down by one with just over 6 minutes remaining in the game, the Steelers went three and out on these brilliant plays: a 3 yard run by Bettis, a short swing pass to Dan Kreider, and a -5 yard screen pass to Zeroue. The Steelers had to punt, but lucky for them, they were playing the Cincinnati Bungles. The Steelers got the luckiest break of the season when T.J. Houshmandzadeh fumbled on the punt return. The Steelers recovered at the Cincinnati 28 yard line and AGAIN called stupid conservative Bettis up-the-middle and screen pas to Kreider plays. Jeff Reed was left with a 45 yard FG attempt, but the young kicker nailed it, giving Pittsburgh the lead and drawing a standing ovation from the crowd. The Steelers got the ball back again with about 3 minutes left, and finally ditched the conservative playbook. They lined up in a two TE set, but Stewart found Ward on a 37 yard pass that no one in the Bengals secondary was expecting. Bettis then ran for a 24 yard TD, and it looked again like the game was over. However, the special teams always has to make things interesting. Reed went from hero to goat when he missed the PAT. That meant it was an 8 point (i.e. one score) game. Then Houshmandzadeh returned the kickoff past midfield, and a 15 yard facemask penalty on Reed gave the Bengals great field position. They drove down to the 5 yard line, and had 4 chance to put it into the endzone. This time the defense stood their ground and stopped the Bengals, with Chad Scott making a nice play on 4th down to preserve the victory. Give credit to Kordell Stewart for playing a solid, mistake-free game in what may have been his final performance as a Steeler. Still, there is no way the Steelers should have had that much trouble with a team this bad, and I am SO sick of the defense blowing leads. Yeah, it was a win, but does it really give you a lot of hope going into the stretch run? Even if the Steelers win the division, what hopes can they have going into the playoffs? Well, here is the bright side - everyone in the AFC is mediocre this year. One team is going to catch fire in December like New England did last year. I'm not saying it will be the Steelers, but I don't think it's time to throw in the towell yet either. Here are the numbers:

• Kordell Stewart: 22-26, 236 yards, 1 TD, 40 yards rushing
• Hines Ward: 5 rec, 125 yards, 1 TD

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland beat New Orleans, Baltimore beat Tennessee

Steelers 23, Titans 31

Disaster strikes in Nashville

Don't let the final score fool you, because this game was anything but close. Not only did the Steelers get blown out in Tennessee, but they also lost their leader Tommy Maddox to a very frightening and very serious injury. This game started off great. On the very first play, Maddox hit Hines Ward on a 72 yard TD bomb. Wow, they are going to blow them away, right?? Well, after that first play, everything just went straight to hell. Maddox threw a costly interception on the next possession. It was returned to the one yard line, setting up an easy Tennessee touchdown. Meanwhile, the defense continued to play like absolute crap. If I were an offensive coordinator for an opposing team, I would just take a knee on 1st and 2nd down (to avoid potential injuries or turnovers), because the Steelers flat out SUCK on 3rd downs. The Steelers allowed the Titans to convert 12 of 19 3rd downs in this game! What a pitiful statistic. Eddie George ran for the Titans second TD of the first half on a 92 yard drive that saw the Tennessee offense convert several key 3rd downs. The Steelers had a couple of chances to cut the lead before halftime, but once again Todd Peterson missed two FG's. This may have been his last game in a Steelers uniform.

The 3rd quarter of this game was one of the most disastrous 15 minutes of football I have ever seen. Maddox threw his third interception of the day, and the Titans converted when Steve McNair hit Kevin Dyson on a 3rd down catch and run (did I mention that our defense can't tackle either). Later in the quarter, McNair hit WR Justin McCareins on a 55 yard bomb to set up the 4th TD of the game. The offense could do nothing, and the defense couldn't even get off the field as the Titans completely dominated the time of possession for the 3rd quarter. Pittsburgh got the ball back trailing 28-7, and that's when it happened - on the final play of the 3rd quarter, Maddox scrambled and was hit by Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck as he fell to the ground. The play looked completely innocent, but Maddox wasn't moving for a long period of time. Eventually an ambulance drove out onto the field, and Maddox was carefully loaded in and driven away. Reports later came in that he was at least temporary paralyzed, but that he had begun getting the feeling back in his arms and legs (thank God). Right now they are diagnosing it as a "spinal cord concussion", which apparently isn't as bad as a contusion. No word yet on when (or if) he will be back on the playing field, but right now everyone is just happy that he seems to be somewhat ok. Kordell Stewart entered the game after the injury and attempted to rally the Steelers, not that a football game meant very much after that. He threw a pair of TD passes, but it was too little too late as the Steelers failed to recover a late on-side kick. Stewart looked sharp, but let's remember that Tennessee was more than happy to give up a ton of yards in exchange for holding onto the lead. If anything, Stewart's performance may have given him some confidence heading into these important upcoming games, as he appears to be our starting QB once again. The Steelers will have to do some thinking this week. First off, they have to address their 3rd down dime defense. That's all everyone talked about before the game this week, and now that they went into the tank again, it's all everyone will talk about this week. The defense has become a joke. The Steelers have now allowed 30+ points in five games this season, their worst performance since 1988. The Steelers also need to do something about their kicking situation. Peterson must go. He is a nice guy and all, but there is really no room for debate here. We need to get a new kicker IMMEDIATELY. Finally, the Steelers need to look at what went terribly wrong on offense. They could chalk it up as a fluke, but they also need to start pondering life with Kordell. This was a very depressing game. Everything looks very bleak right now. Let's hope next Sunday's Bengals game gets here quickly. Here are the numbers:

• Hines Ward: 10 rec, 168 yards, 2 TD

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland best Cincinnati, Baltimore lost to Miami

Steelers 34, Falcons 34 (OT)

Holy crap - it's a tie!!

Steelers 23, Browns 20

Steelers take control of the division

The Steelers continue to roll. They have swept the season series with the Browns for the second straight year, and they now have a real strangle-hold on the AFC North. This game did not start off too good for the Steelers though, as Cleveland jumped out to an early 14-3 lead. The Browns first score was an 87 punt return by Dennis Northcutt. Our special teams still sucks, but in their defense, there were a couple of illegal blocks that the refs missed on the play. The Browns got their second score after QB Tim Couch completed a 63 yard bomb inside the 5 yard line. That set up a short TD pass. However, after that play, it was ALL Steelers. Tommy Maddox, who usually gets off to a fast start, had no problem coming from behind. He hit Hines Ward on a 20 yard TD pass. The Steelers drove again in the 2nd quarter, and Maddox threw his second TD pass of the game to put the Steelers ahead. This time it was to TE Mark Bruener on a nice play action pass. The offense piled up the yards all day. Amos Zeroue had his first ever 100 yard game. Mike Mularkey pulled out all the stops too, calling all kinds of trick plays. He had Antwaan and Hines throwing passes - it was fun to watch. The Steelers had a chance to add to their 17-14 lead, but for the third straight game, Maddox threw a bad interception right before halftime. I don't understand why he keeps doing that!

In the second half, the Steelers offense continued to move the ball, while the defense continued to kill Couch and the Browns. However, the Steelers could not convert opportunities to put the game away. Couch threw two interceptions and fumbled once, but the Steelers could not turn the mistakes into points. They tried going for it on 4th down a few times, probably because Cowher has little faith in struggling kicker Todd Peterson. To his credit, when he did get a chance to kick, Peterson drilled 3 out of 4 FG's, and two of them were over 40 yards. The Steelers took a nine point lead thanks to those FG's, and that turned out to be just enough. Cleveland got one more TD in the closing minutes, but they missed the PAT. Then when they got the ball back again, they had horrible field position and didn't even come close to mounting a game-tying drive. This was kind of a weird game, because the Steelers COMPLETELY dominated the Browns, but they only won by 3 points. Look at some of these numbers - Cleveland committed 11 penalties, Cleveland had three turnovers, Cleveland only had 193 total yards, and most startling of all, Cleveland only had the ball for 17 minutes! If you look at those numbers, you would think that the Steelers would have won by 40, but that's sometimes what happens in the quirky NFL. Whatever - it's a win, and this W puts the Steelers way out in front of the rest of the division. They now have a game and a half on Cleveland, and hold the tie-breaker. Baltimore is falling fast, and despite their big win over the expansion team, I think it's safe to assume that Cincinnati poses no real threat. This season is finally looking like it was supposed to look. Here are the numbers:

• Tommy Maddox: 23-42, 239 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
• Amos Zeroue: 29 rushes, 111 yards, 62 receiving yards
• Hines Ward: 9 rec, 79 yards, 1 TD

Additional Note: I know it's a Steelers web site, but I just have to publicly congratulate the Pitt Panthers for their incredible win over #3 Virginia Tech this weekend. It takes a lot of emotional toughness to be a loyal Pitt fan, but this game was the crowning moment. Pitt is now ranked for the first time in more than a decade.

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Baltimore lost to Atlanta, Cincinnati beat Houston

Steelers 31, Ravens 18

Complete and total ownership

Man, you have to love our offense under Tommy Maddox. For the fourth straight game, the Steelers scored at least 28 points, as they moved into sole possession of first place in the AFC North by once again dominating their bitter rivals. This game started off explosively, much like last week. Maddox led the team on a quick 68 yard TD drive. Amos Zeroue, who was starting for the injured Jerome Bettis, capped off the drive with a sweet 35 yard TD run. On their first possession, the Ravens also had success moving the ball. Veteran Steeler-killer Jeff Blake started the game at QB for an injured Chris Redman, and at first, it looked like this would be a battle. But even though the drive ate up a bunch of time, it eventually resulted in a punt. Maddox wasted no time driving the Steelers again. This time it was a 7 play, 80 yard drive in which Maddox hit Hines Ward on some long passes, and then found Plaxico Burress for a 20 yard TD pass. Baltimore then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and again the Steelers converted. This time Burress made a beautiful diving catch in the side of the endzone. CB Chris McAlister had perfect coverage, but somehow Plex always finds a way to burn him. It's so great to watch! Even better to watch is the Steelers newfound ability to score touchdowns instead of field goals when they get in the red zone. After Baltimore got on the board with a FG, Antwaan Randle El returned the kickoff to midfield (where he was embarassingly tackled by the kicker), and Tommy once again calmly marched the offense down the field. Zeroue scored again, and for the third week in a row, the Steelers carried a huge lead into halftime (28-3). Maddox completed his first 11 passes of the game and looked like an all-pro. The offense has exploded in the first half of these games. Everyone knows the Steelers are a much better team when they play with the lead, and that's exactly what Maddox and the offense have been giving them.

The game kind of turned ugly after that. Plaxico Burress and Ravens DB James Trapp got ejected for fighting. Maddox got hurt when one of Baltimore's big fat lineman stepped on his foot (he would return later after Kordell played a few series). Baltimore slowly mounted some TD drives in the second half. The defense still doesn't look nearly as good as they did last season, but then again, you are always going to be a bit lax when you have a huge lead every week. The Ravens eventually cut the deficit to 13 points, but since they have no quick-strike ability, that's as close as they got. The Steelers have now won in Baltimore six years in a row. They completely own the Ravens. Even if The Murderer would have played, the Steelers wouldn't have been intimidated, because they know in their heads that the Ravens just can't beat them at this point. After a horrid 1-3 start, the Steelers are back on top. However, after the Browns comeback victory over the Jets today, next week's game will once again be a battle for first place. But that's just fine. Pittsburgh is playing extremely well right now, so it's perfect timing for the big games. Here are the numbers:

• Tommy Maddox: 18-24, 172 yards, 2 TD
• Hines Ward: 8 rec, 97 yards

Steelers 28, Colts 10

It's about time!

It's week 7, and it looks like the Steelers are FINALLY starting to play like the Super Bowl favorites everyone made them out to be. They went into this big Monday night game needing a win to get back to .500, and also to prove that they could play against a tough team like the 4-1 Colts. Everyone said the same thing about this game - that the Steelers needed to get off to a quick start so that they could set the tempo. Well, that's exactly what they did. Indianapolis punted on their first possession, and Joey Porter (who else?) came in and blocked the kick. The offense then took advantage as Tommy Maddox hit Hines Ward on a 17 yard TD pass up the left sidelines. The second time the Steelers got the ball, their field position wasn't as good, but it didn't matter. They put together a long 80 yard drive that culminated with a Jerome Bettis TD. And they weren't done yet. They put together one more drive before the end of the half. This time it was Bettis again scoring the TD, and just like that, the Steelers were all over the Colts. Indy kicked a FG before halftime, but the Steelers still held an 18 point lead.

In the 3rd quarter, the Colts started to make things interesting. After Jerome Bettis left the game with an ankle sprain, Peyton Manning started to move the ball. He hit his TE on a 41 yard TD pass. The Colts then got the ball back and started to drive again, but Mckeesport Mike Logan made the play of the game. He intercepted Manning and returned it all the way to the Indianapolis 20 yard line. Maddox converted with another TD pass to Ward, and the breif Indianapolis comeback was over. This was a typical Monday night home game. Under Bill Cowher, the Steelers are now 10-0 at home on Monday nights. Not only do they win, but they always seem to win big against good teams. Tommy and the offense continue to pile up the points and play solidly. The defense really stepped up big tonight too. They needed to prove themselves, and although the Colts powerful offense made some plays, they mostly looked frustrated. Manning was seen on the sidelines shaking his head as he looked at pictures of the Steelers coverage schemes. This is exactly what the Steelers needed. They are now back to .500 and tied with the Ravens heading in to Baltimore next week for yet another showdown with their big rivals from last year. Are the Steelers back? Well, time will still tell, but right now all signs point to yes. Here are the numbers:

• Plaxico Burress: 6 rec, 79 yards
• Hines Ward: 5 rec, 76 yards
• Defense: 3 INT

Steelers 34, Bengals 7

AFC North a complete joke

The Steelers have struggled big time so far this season, but as long as they are playing in the AFC North Division, it's really no big deal! At 2-3, the Steelers are now in a tie with Baltimore for first place in the division. How sad is that? The Steelers went into Cincinnati desperately needing a win over the pathetic Bengals. In fact, they didn't just need a win - they needed to blow out the Bungles, and that's exactly what they did. The offense picked up right where they left off last week by putting together a 7 play, 71 yard drive that ended with a short Jerome Bettis TD run. In the 2nd quarter, Bettis rumbled for an uncharacteristically long 41 yard TD. The Bus finally got going today with his first 100 yard game of the season. Meanwhile, the defense FINALLY got their act together. Jon Kitna, who threw all over the Steelers last December, was picked off twice in the first half by Lee Flowers, and then by NT Casey Hampton, who ran all the way down to the 5 yard line. That set up a short TD pass from Tommy Maddox to FB Dan Kreider. Maddox looked solid again (16-25, 216 yards), although he did throw some crappy interceptions. It didn't matter though, because the Steelers had a 24-0 halftime lead.

Any thoughts the Bengals had of making a comeback in the second half were quickly dashed on the opening kickoff. Rookie Antwaan Randel El ran it back 99 yards for a TD. It was the second longest kickoff return in team history. That was pretty much the nail in the coffin. The rest of the game was just a matter of going through the motions. Everything clicked for the Steelers today - the offense, the defense, and even the special teams. We needed this win, and we are very fortunate to be sitting at the top of the standings, but we still need to carry that momentum into the big Monday night game next week. Meanwhile, the Bengals may have the worst team ever. I don't see how you can even begin to rebuild that franchise. No one wants to play there. Half the fans at that game today were rooting for the Steelers. They are beyond sad. They shouldn't even be allowed to play in the NFL. Here are the numbers:

• Plaxico Burress: 8 rec, 149 yards
• Jerome Bettis: 21 rushes, 109 yards, 2 TD
• Defense: 5 sacks, 4 forced turnovers

Steelers 29, Saints 32

Big surprise: QB switch doesn't help awful defense

I don't want to say I told you so, but two weeks ago I wrote about how many Steelers fans stupidly thought that all of our problems would be solved if we just benched Kordell Stewart. Well, we benched Kordell, and Tommy Maddox played a very good game. Furthermore, the running game finally got going and the Steelers scored 29 points. And guess what? It didn't matter because our defense is an embarassing joke. The Saints stormed out to a 13-0 lead in this game behind strong running by Deuce McAllister and accurate passing by Aaron Brooks. There was no spread offense or no-huddle strategy employed by the Saints today, just a soild mix of running and passing that the defense once again could not stop. Maddox came back and got the Steelers on the board with a 20 yard TD pass to Plaxico Burress. But the defense then left Jerome Pathon wide open and he caught a 64 yard pass, which set up the Saints third TD of the first half. Maddox responded with an 80 yard drive and a short TD pass to Hines Ward. The key play of the drive was a screen pass to Amos Zeroue that went for 54 yards, a play that worked well all day. Amazingly, the Steelers were only down 19-14 at the half.

So as the 3rd quarter began, everyone expected the defense to finally rise up and show why they were #1 in the league last year. But instead they surrendered a 52 yard TD run to McAllister, who wound up with 123 yards rushing for the day. The shootout was on, and the Steelers scored again on a Bettis TD run after Alan Faneca bravely came back into the game despite having his head cracked open. But the Steelers offense could only keep up so much. New Orleans kept driving and added two FG's to make it an 11 point game. By the time the Steelers scored again (on a 14 yard TD pass to Terrance Mathis), there was not enough time left to mount a comeback. The Steelers tried an onside kick but the Saints recovered, ending the game and leaving the Steelers with a pitiful 1-3 record. Even if the offense would have scored 50 points, there is no doubt in my mind that the defense would have given up 51. Even if the Steelers would have traded for Brett Favre, Marshall Faulk, and Terrell Owens earlier this week, they still wouldn't have been able to stop the Saints from marching down the field on every single possession. Does everyone get it now??? DEFENSE WINS FOOTBALL GAMES! Yet all anyone talks about is the quarterback. The defense has been the heart of this team for the past 30 years. When they collapse, the team goes to hell. I can't believe we suck this bad on defense, especially with all the players we had coming back and all the signing bonuses we paid out. All the defensive players should just stay in New Orleans, because it would be an embarassment to have them anywhere near this city. Here is an early congratulations to Jon Kitna, because he is sure to have the game of his life next week. Here are the numbers:

• Tommy Maddox: 22-38, 268 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
• Jerome Bettis: 19 rushes, 84 yards, 1 TD

Steelers 16, Browns 13 (OT)

Steelers win on a mulligan!

You have to LOVE this rivalry, because crazy stuff always seems to happen. There was no shortage of insanity in the 100th meeting between these two teams (the first AFC series to reach 100), as the Steelers faced a must-win situation in order to salvage their season. In the first half, the defense continued to look out of sync, but at least they didn't break. They allowed some long plays, but all Cleveland could produce was two FG's. Meanwhile, the offense blew some golden opportunities. They drove inside the 10 twice, but both times they had to settle for a FG. At halftime, the score was tied at 6.

The second half saw a lot of punts. Neither team could move the ball. The Browns finally got a big break at the end of the 3rd quarter, courtesy of our pitiful special teams. Josh Miller had a punt blocked, and Cleveland capitalized by putting together a 41 yard TD drive. Down by 7 and facing the possible end of their season, the Steelers still couldn't get anything going on offense. Finally, with about five minutes left in the game, Kordell Stewart led a drive down the field. Unfortunately, he got too greedy, and it may have cost him his job. Stewart threw into double coverage in the endzone, and Cleveland intercepted his pass. It was by far one of the worst passes he has ever thrown, and it's too bad, because he had played a very solid game up until that point (15 of 25 for 143 yards). Bill Cowher knew the situation was now desperate and he had to make a change at QB. So Tommy Maddox came into the game and as you can imagine, the crowd at Heinz Field went nuts. Maddox immediately ignited the Steelers offense. He marched right down the field like he was John Elway or something, taking the Steelers on a 7 play drive that was capped with a 10 yard TD pass to Plaxico Burress with just over a minute left in regulation. All of a sudden we were tied and headed for OT.

The Steelers won the OT coin toss but Maddox quickly came back down to earth. He threw an interception to Clevland's LB (who made a great catch) on his first pass. Soon the Browns were lined up for a game winning FG, but PK Phil Dawson's 45 yard attempt was partially blocked and the Steelers had a second chance. This time Maddox regained his composure and led the Steelers all the way down inside the 10 yard line. On 2nd down and goal, the Steelers sent out the FG unit to win the game. I've seen this so many times - a team decides to kick the FG on 2nd or 3rd down, just in case something goes wrong, but I don't know if I've ever seen that pay off until now. Todd Peterson kicked the ball but it was blocked. Unreal! Our special teams just has to make everything an adventure!! The ball bounced backwards and Peterson recovered it, tried to run, and fumbled (at least he didn't try to throw it like that guy for Miami did that one time). The Steelers eventually fell on the loose football. So who's ball was it? Well, the rule is that if the ball never crosses the line of scrimmage, and if it's not 4th down, then the kicking team retains possession. So the Steelers had yet ANOTHER chance to salvage this game. They got a mulligan! And this time Peterson drilled it right down the middle. The Steelers dug deep and finally won their first game.

So now the QB controversy in Pittsburgh has officially begun. Kordell didn't derserve to lose his job because of this game, even if that interception was sickening to see. However, Tommy Maddox won the game and possibly saved the season. I often defend Stewart just because the fans unfairly harrass him every time he throws an incompletion, but the truth is that the guy is not strong enough to be a leader and win in the clutch the way Maddox did today. I think Kordell will continue to start, but that Maddox will go in the first time Stewart screws up.

Meanwhile, this will go down as yet another classic Cleveland loss. Their fans will cry about how the rule that allows a team to keep the ball after a blocked FG is stupid. Maybe they're right, and maybe that rule will be changed someday, but for the Browns it will be too little too late! You gotta love seeing the Browns eat it over and over again like this. One last note: I had to board a plane at Pittsburgh International Airport shortly after this game ended. When you get on the plane now, they always pick someone in line to search and harass by making them open up all their stuff. It's supposed to be at random, but I've always doubted that it is. Sure enough, the guy that they took aside was decked out in a Browns shirt and hat. He was getting all frustrated and everyone there was loving it. Don't ever tell me that there is a more bitter rivalry in the NFL than this one. Here are the numbers:

• Tommy Maddox: 11-13, 122 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
• Hines Ward: 9 rec, 104 yards

Week 3: BYE WEEK

Steelers 17, Raiders 30

How to shred the Steelers defense

This game was absolutely sickening. After last week's defensive debacle, you would think that Tim Lewis would have been prepared for another all-out passing attack, but he wasn't. Rich Gannon and the Raiders came out with the same spread offense that the Patriots used and got the same results, and once again there was nothing the defense could do to stop it. On the first drive, the Raiders marched down the field but the Steelers held them to a FG. The offense then came out looking sharp, as Kordell Stewart hit Hines Ward for a 34 yard TD pass. But the defense just couldn't hold the Raiders. They came back on the field and continued to pass like crazy. Then when they finally ran the ball, the Steelers weren't ready, and Charlie Garner ran for a 36 yard TD. The Steelers offense tried to keep up. They drove all the way down to the 3 yard line, but just like last week, they blew a golden opportunity. Stewart fumbled the snap and 1st and goal, and the Raiders recovered. Another long drive and TD pass seemed to put the Steelers away in the second quarter, but the Steelers blocked a punt and kicked a FG before halftime. They were only down by 7.

The offense came out and did nothing at the start of the second half. So much for momentum. Oakland kicked a FG and mounted yet another long drive. It was 20-10 and the Raiders were ready to ice the game when a stunning turn of events occured. Joey Porter, the ONLY member of the defense who showed up for the game, intercepted Gannon at the goal line and returned it 84 yards. Stewart then followed up by throwing another TD pass to Ward. The whole stadium went nuts - could the Steelers really be down just 3 after this pitiful performance? Was this shaded of Kevin Henry? The answer was a resounding no. On the ensuing kickoff, old man Terry Kirby went virtually untouched for a 96 yard TD. That was just low. If you're gonna lose, the least you could do is not kick the fans in the nuts like that. It's nice to see that our special teams is in mid-season form. After that, it was over for real. Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress each fumbled, and Oakland added one more FG to make the final another blowout, 30-17. Rich Gannon threw 64 passes. He completed 43 of them (just 2 shy of the NFL record) for 403 yards. Jerry Rice made like it was 1989 with 11 receptions. The defense is a complete joke right now. Make no mistake about it - they are losing us games. The misguided fans at the game crucified Stewart when he threw an incompletion. It's amazing how he is always the scapegoat. The defense is the foundation of the team. When they crumble, the rest of the team crumbles with them. After the game, Cowher admitted that he didn't think the Raiders would come out throwing. Well Bill, you better get ready for it or you're going to be 0-16. Here are the numbers:

• Joey Porter: 12 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions
• Hines Ward: 7 rec, 92 yards, 2 TD

Steelers 14, Patriots 30

Psyched out

One thing is abundantly clear after Monday night's season opener: the New England Patriots own the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's almost like this was just a continuation of last January's AFC Championship Game. The game got off to a very inauspicious start. Kordell Stewart threw two interceptions on his first three passes. It was very obvious right then and there that the Steelers were not ready for this game. After the second interception, it looked like New England would be held to a FG, but the Steelers defense kept committing stupid penalties until the Patriots finally got into the endzone. The Steelers then began to calm down, but it would only be temporary. Stewart led the offense on a nice drive that culminated with a game-tying 13 yard TD pass to Hines Ward. The Steelers then had a chance to take the lead in the 2nd quarter. They drove all the way down to the one yard line but then proceeded to move backwards. Gandy had a false start penalty, Fu had a personal foul, and von Oelhoffen had a false start on the FG attempt. After being pushed back 25 yards, Todd Peterson missed the FG. That was the turning point in the game. New England kicked a FG to take a 10-7 lead into halftime, but they were just getting started.

The Patriots came out in the second half with a no-huddle spread offense that the Steelers defense never quite adjusted to. A very poised Tom Brady, looking much like the Super Bowl MVP that he is, torched the Steelers on the opening drive of the 3rd quarter. He threw a 37 yard pass on 3rd and long, and followed it up with a 40 yard TD pass to Donald Hayes. The Steelers tried to drive on their next possession, but Jerome Bettis fumbled inside Steelers territory. Jerome Bettis NEVER fumbles. The Patriots capitalized with another TD, and it was over. No late comebacks for the Steelers this time around. Brady finished with 294 yards passing and three TD's on our vaunted defense. Stewart finished the game with three interceptions and a fumble. The Steelers shot themselves in the foot repeatedly. They had 5 turnovers and 13 penalties. You can't win with those numbers. The Steelers have now lost their last three openers by a combined score of 67-17. I don't understand why they can't ever get up for their opening game. Monday Night Football, a new stadium, the fact that they waited all these months for revenge - none of that seemed to matter. However, even though the Steelers suck on opening day, I think this was more a matter of the Patriots getting inside the Steelers heads. For the second straight game, New England completely out-played and out-coached the Steelers. Give all the credit in the world to the Patriots. They showed everyone why they are indeed world champions. Anyone who still thinks they are a fluke is a moron. Here are the numbers:

• Hines Ward: 8 rec, 90 yards, 1 TD
• Antwaan Randle El: 6 rec, 87 yards

Pre-Season

Steelers 17, Vikings 14

The goal for the final pre-season game was to leave the starters in for an entrie half in an attempt to get the offense to start clicking, and it worked quite well. Kordell Stewart came back from his concussion to lead two nice first half scoring drives. The first drive was a 98 yarder which included a nice 27 yard run by Jerome Bettis (remember him?). The Bus also scored the TD on that drive. The second drive featured some punishing running from Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala. So much for the so-called death of our running game. See why I hate pre-season so much? Well, at least it's finally over now. Bring on the champs. God, I can't wait until September 9. I hope baseball goes on strike for the rest of the season so that there is nothing left to distract us from football. Here are the numbers:

• Kordell Stewart: 7-12, 105 yards
• Jerome Bettis: 6 rushes, 36 yards, 1 TD

Steelers 34, Lions 22

It's no question who the star of the pre-season has been - rookie WR Antwaan Randle El, who had another big game this weekend against the Lions in the inagural game at Ford Field. Randle El had a beautiful 29 yard TD reception. Most of those 29 yards came after he caught the ball and faked out a few guys. Now he may get a chance to start on opneing night in New England. That's because Hines Ward had to have an emergency appendectomy on Friday, and he may miss the opener. Other than Randle El, the other Steeler players who performed well included QB Tommy Maddox, who started the game in place of injured Kordell Stewart. Amos Zeroue also made the highlight reel with a nice 39 yard catch and run. Among the players who did not perform well were Jerome Bettis. What's up with the Bus so far? He has looked kind of crappy. Oh well, pre-season means nothing, even for Mr. Randle El. Here are the numbers:

• Tommy Maddox: 9-13, 150 yards, 2 TD's
• Antwaan Randle El: 3 rec, 60 yards, 1 TD

Steelers 34, Redskins 35

Fun N' Gun?!?!? Is that seriously what they are calling the Steve Spurrier offense?? Because if this pre-season game was any indication, the only "fun" that anyone is going to have this season is the opposing defense. Hey Stevo, here's some advice to welcome you to the NFL: get a REAL quarterback instead of your worthless college boys. Danny Wuerffel was about to get sacked at one point in the first quarter, so he stupidly heaved the ball into the hands of Brent Alexander. Sage Rosenfels threw the ball into the hands of about five different Steeler defenders before one of them (Nijrell Eason) finally picked it off. Shane Matthews threw an interception to a lineman on his first pass. What a joke! The Steelers starters completely destroyed Washington. Antwaan Randle El continued to impress. He had an electrifying 32 yard TD run on a reverse, and later caught a 17 yard TD pass. Charlie Batch also looked sharp before being knocked out of the game by a cheap late hit. It was 24-0 before all the scrubs came in and blew the lead, but who really cares what the final score was. Even cocky Spurrier knows who really won this battle. The Steelers did take a few blows in the process however. Kordell Stewart was knocked out of the game with a mild concussion when Lavar Arrington (Penn State sucks) slammed him into the ground. An even scarier moment occured later when Joey Porter rolled up on Kendrell Bell's ankle. Bell will likely be out for a few weeks, but it could have been much worse. This is reason #812 why I hate pre-season games. They should only play two of these things instead of four or five, but the NFL will never do that because they make so much money on these. Anyway, with Stewart and Batch out of the game, Tee Martin got to make one last stand - and he failed miserbaly. Martin made mistakes left and right. He sealed his fate - they may as well cut him now. Here are the numbers:

• Charlie Batch: 8-9, 118 yards, 1 TD
• Antwaan Randle El: 2 TD's