Steelers 27, Patriots 41

Steelers unable to overcome dynasty

Two weeks from now the New England Patriots will win their third Super Bowl in four years. There is a reason why the Patriots are going to go down as one of the all-time great teams in NFL history, and it's because of the way New England responds in big games. Tonight they made all the big plays and zero mistakes, while the Steelers found themselves in the familiar position of making costly mistakes and losing yet another AFC Championship Game at home.

The game started off bad for Ben Roethlisberger. All week he had to deal with the "will Ben play like a rookie again?" questions, and right away he gave fuel to his critics by throwing another post-season pic on the first series of the game. That led to a New England FG. On the Steelers second possession, they drove into Patriots territory but got stuffed on 4th and 1 (Bettis actually fumbled on the play but he wouldn't have made it anyway). On the first play after the stop, Tom Brady hit Deion Branch for a 60 yard TD, and all of a sudden the Patriots were up 10-0. The Steelers defense broke down tonight - perhaps for the first time all season - and unlike last week they were unable to bail out the mistake-prone offense. The Steelers got on the board with a FG, but on New England's next drive, Brady again completed a deep pass, and then completed a 9 yard TD to David Given on a play that saw Willie Williams slip and fall. Again, it was the way the defense played all night - they made uncharacteristic mistakes. It was almost like they were in awe that they were up against the Great Tom Brady. Down 17-3, the Steelers had a chance to get back into the game. They drove deep into Pats territory. Then the play that was the dagger in the heart - Roethlisberger threw a pass towards the sidelines that was intercepted and returned 87 yards for a TD by Rodney Harrison. That one was hard to swallow.

I'm not even sure what to say about the second half. I really don't feel like going into details. Basically the Steelers kept kind of threatening to come back, but each time they did, something went wrong. One time Aaron Smith got called for holding on 3rd and 17. Another time the Steelers thought they had recovered a fumble but the play got reversed. Another time Plex dropped a sure touchdown pass. It really didn't matter, because every time the Steelers even got remotely close, New England just came right back and scored again. They are a championship team and there was no way they were about to blow a 21 point lead. The game ended with the Steelers on the losing side again.

Angry fans will now spend next week dishing out blame. They'll say Roethlisberger screwed up and some people will even be dumb enough to say Maddox should have started. But let's be realistic - the kid is 22 years old. We put him on this pedestal that he couldn't possibly stay on. He choked in the playoffs, but he is a rookie who gave us a great season. People will also blame Cowher, saying that he always gets outcoached in big games. But what did coaching have to do with this game, at least in the decisive first half? Bill Belichick said it best earlier this week - he said that this was a game between two evenly-matched teams and it would come down to who executed the best. Belichick was 100% right - the Patriots executed a near-perfect performance while the Steelers blew opportunities and made huge mistakes on both offense and defense. That's why New England is going to the Super Bowl and the Steelers are not.

I know this is never much consolation, but we should all at least appreciate what a tremendous season it was. Had you told me back in August that we would lose the AFC Championship Game to the defending Super Bowl champions - after going 15-1 with a rookie QB - I would have been thrilled. This season brought us many great memories and unforgettable games. Although the Steelers once again came up short, they still did so much more than any of us had ever expected, and that's got to be worth something. Here are the numbers:

• Hines Ward: 5 rec, 109 yards, 1TD
• Jerome Bettis (in what may be his final NFL game): 17 rushes, 64 yards, 1 TD

Elsewhere in the NFL Playoffs: Philadelphia beat Atlanta in the NFC Championship Game

Steelers 20, Jets 17 (OT)

Destiny plays for the Steelers!!!

Wow, wow, WOW!! Have you EVER seen anything like that in your entire life??? This game was over at least three different times. The Steelers were going to again fall victim to the ghosts of past playoff failures. Their 15-1 dream season was all but shattered. But somehow the Steelers found a way to pull out one of the most improbable victories in NFL history!

The Steelers and Jets picked up right where they left off last month. Both teams were extremely stingy on defense throughout the entire first half. Points were going to be tough to come by, and the Steelers got on the board first with a 45 yard FG by red hot Jeff Reed. Then the defense made a huge play, as Troy Polamalu picked off Chad Pennington deep in Jets territory, setting up a TD run by 1996 Bettis. The Steelers led 10-0 and were playing tough defense against a tired Jets team. The rout is on! Or was it?

New York decided that they weren't ready to give up. They kicked a FG to cut the Steelers lead to 7. After a series of bad plays by the Steelers - a dropped Verron Haynes 3rd down pass and a false start penalty - the Jets captured the momentum of the game. Santana Moss returned a punt 75 yard for a touchdown, and the game was tied. When halftime hit, the 64,000 of us at Heinz Field were more than a little nervous.

In the 3rd quarter, the Steelers finally started to move the ball on offense. They drove down to the Jets 34 yard line, but then everything started falling apart. Everyone talked about how Ben Roethlisberger would potentially struggle in his first ever playoff game, and everyone was right. Roethlisberger threw an interception to Jets DB Reggie Tongue, who returned it 86 yards for a touchdown. Are you kidding me? The Steelers got the ball back. They drove again. This time they got down to the Jets 23 yard line after getting a much needed spark by running Duce Staley for a few snaps. Then 1996 Bettis - who NEVER EVER fumbles - fumbled the ball back to New York. That did NOT just happen! At that point, I really thought the game might be over. It was the 4th quarter and everything we had done since the Polamalu interception went horribly wrong. On the Steelers next possession, they drove again. Big deal, they've been driving all half! This time though, they finished. They converted three 3rd downs during a 12 play, 66 yard drive. When Roethlisberger hit Ward with a 4 yard shovel pass TD, Pittsburgh's fortunes had changed. The game was tied at 17.

Now it was up to the defense. They played a great game, but this drive was not their finest moment. Steeler-Killer Justin McCareins caught a 22 yard pass, and the Jets eventually found themselves at the Steelers 28 with just two minutes left in the game. Jets kicker Doug Brien, who was the hero last week in San Diego, came on to attempt a 47 yarder, not a chip shot by any stretch of the imagination. Brien kicked the ball, and even from my bad angle at Heinz Field I could see that it started to push to the left. The ball hit off the bottom left of the post and bounced out! YES! This is it!! We're gonna win this thing now! The Steelers would simply need to drive down to get into FG range. They had all kinds of time to work with. Then the unthinkable happened - on the first play of what was supposed to be our game-winning drive, Roethlisberger floated a horrible pass right into the hands of Jets defender David Barrett. NO!!! Ben was so composed all season in pressure situations, and now he was playing like - gasp - a rookie! The Jets soon found themselves at the Steelers 24 yard line with 4 seconds to go. This was it - the dream was dead. There was NO WAY that kicker was going to miss it again. The Steelers did the usual "ice him with a timeout" crap, but it didn't matter. They needed a miracle. Brien kicked the ball... Hey, it looks like it's going left again.... OH MY GOD!!!!!!!! HE MISSED AGAIN!!! UNBELIEVABLE!"

To the shock of everyone, the game was going to overtime. The Jets won the toss and started to drive again. They converted a big 3rd and 13 (of course it was McCareins again) and were threatening to give Brien a third chance. How many times can I have my heart ripped out in one night. But the defense held. The news was not all good though, as the Jets pinned the Steelers at their own 13 on the punt. The way the offense was playing, I had a horrifying vision of the Jets winning the game with a defensive TD. However, the Steelers played good solid Steeler football, and began marching down the field slowly. Duce Staley had permanently replaced 1996 Bettis by this point (Bettis had a good game but had run out of gas and turned into 2004 Bettis). Two huge plays on the drive came on 3rd down - 3rd and 6 to Hines Ward for a 17 yard gain, and 3rd and 5 to Haynes on a draw play that netted 8. The Steelers were in FG range, and Jeff Reed was not going to go out like Doug Brien. Reed kicked it through the uprights for the 33 yard game winning field goal. Game over! Did that really just happen??

As I said in the opening, I have NEVER seen anything like that. I have never seen a kicker miss TWO game winning field goal attempts in the final two minutes. The Steelers were dead so many different times. When I got home from the game, I had to check the Internet just to make sure I wasn't dreaming! This was beyond improbable.

You have to take your hats off to the New York Jets. I honestly didn't think they had a chance. They played with SO much heart. This was their third overtime game in a row! That was a great team, and although Jets fans will no doubt be crushed, they should be proud of this season.

So now the Steelers move on to host their 5th AFC Championship Game in the last 11 years. We won't know the opponent until after tomorrow's huge Colts-Patriots game, but right now I'm too emotionally spent to care. Let's just take a minute to thank the Lord that the Steelers will live for another day. Here are the numbers from a truly amazing playoff classic:

• Jeff Reed: 2/2, 45 yards and 33 yard game-winner
• Hines Ward: 10 rec, 105 yards, 1 TD
• 1996 Bettis: 27 rushes, 101 yards, 1 TD
• Defense: held Jets to 3 points, held Curtis Martin to 77 yards

Elsewhere in the NFL Playoffs: Indianapolis lost to New England, St. Louis lost to Atlanta, Minnesota lost to Philadelphia

Final 2004 AFC North Division Standings

Steelers 29, Bills 24

Steelers finish with best record ever

The Pittsburgh Steelers have become the first AFC team ever to win 15 games in a regular season, and even more impressively, they won their 15th game (and 14th in a row) with a cast of backups against the team most people were calling the hottest in the league. The Steelers had already clinched everything going into this game, and the Bills had a post-season spot to play for, but Buffalo could not take care of business and the Steelers won again.

The Steelers moved the ball well early in the game, and Tommy Maddox looked sharp despite not playing since week 2. Buffalo got the first TD of the game but the Steelers fired back with a Maddox to Randle El 16 yard TD pass. When the first half came to a close, Jeff Reed had booted three FG's to give the Steelers a 16-10 lead. Somehow the Steelers backups seemed to be outplaying the Bills starters.

But early in the 3rd quarter, the momentum shifted towards Buffalo. Maddox threw a terrible pass that was intercepted and returned for a TD by Nate Clements, giving the Bills a 17-16 lead. On Buffalo's next possession, they drove about 90 yards down the field after starting at their own 1 yard line. They got stopped at the Steelers 11 yard line but were poised to extend their lead to four and begin to pull away. However, kicker Ryan Lindell missed a chipshot field goal, and all of a sudden, everything fell apart for the Bills. Fast Willie Parker ripped off a 58 yard run to put the Steelers in FG range and give them the lead back. Then Drew Beldsoe, who has a very spotty history against the Steelers, got hit by a blitzing Ricardo Colclough. The ball popped right into the hands of James Harrison, who ran it in for an 18 yard touchdown. And just like that, the Steelers had a nine point lead and the game in their hands. That was hard to believe. Both teams made their share of mistakes today, with each team committing three turnovers. But how did Buffalo let a missed FG turn the game so dramatically, especially when they HAD to win to stay alive for the playoffs? Mike Mularkey and company will have all off-season to ponder that, because the Bills are now out of the AFC playoff picture despite a great late-season run.

As for the Steelers, have you ever seen a team like this before? Here we were, playing AT Buffalo, with a bunch of second-stringers, not needing to win, against the team that had won six in a row while averaging 38 points per game -- and we beat them?! Players like Fast Willie and James Harrison step up when the regulars can't go. I just can't get over the depth and spirit of this year's team. I cannot believe that after we were 1-1 to start the season, that we would finish 15-1!! I know the playoffs are going to be EXTREMELY tough, and I know we could lose in the first round given the competition, but let's worry about that later. Right now let's just look back and appreciate what very well may have been the best regular season in team history. Here are the numbers from today's game:

• Antwaan Randle El: 7 rec, 81 yards, 1 TD
• Fast Willie: 19 rushes, 102 yards
• Steelers: 4th team ever to go 15-1 (1984 49ers, 1985 Bears, 1998 Vikings)

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Baltimore beat Miami but misses out on the playoffs (what a shame), Cleveland beat Houston, Cincinnati beat Philadelphia

Steelers 20, Ravens 7

No love lost in this rivalry

The Steelers have the #1 seed in the AFC all locked up thanks to a big win over their fiercest rival, but the win may have been at least somewhat costly. The dirty Ravens took a cheapshot that knocked QB Ben Roethlisberger out of the game with a rib injury.

The Steelers have been missing Plaxico Burress the past several weeks, and on the game's first drive, he showed why he has been missed. Plex burned the Ravens secondary and was wide open for a 36 yard TD catch. Baltimore struck back, driving quickly down the field and capping the drive with a 5 yard TD run by The Drug Dealer. However, that would end up being the only offense the Ravens would muster all day. The Steelers were unable to pull away in the first half mostly due to some bad mistakes. The worst mistake occurred right before halftime when Antwaan Randle El, who had just made a brilliant one-handed catch the play before, fumbled deep in Ravens territory. Pittsburgh still held a 10-7 lead going into halftime.

In the 3rd quarter, the Steelers put together one of their patented run-heavy, clock-eating drives. 1996 Bettis just keeps running like, well, like it is 1996. Today he tore thru Baltimore's "great" defense, even bowling over The Murderer at one point! Behind the Bus, the Steelers marched 71 yards in 14 plays, and on 3rd and goal, Big Ben found Jerame Tuman in the endzone for the touchdown. However, after Roethlisberger released the ball, Ravens LB Terrell Suggs drilled Big Ben into the ground. The play drew a personal foul penalty, but more significantly, knocked Roethlisberger out of the game. It was a cheap shot by a dirty team. Suggs was upset because before the game, he boldly proclaimed, "We're Pittsburgh's Kryptonite.... Some teams just can't beat us: Pittsburgh, Denver, Jacksonville. I'm not afraid of their offense one bit." I'm sure that as Roethlisberger's second TD pass of the game floated into the endzone, Suggs realized how much of an idiot he looked like for making that statement, so he took out his frustration by nailing our QB. What an absolute worthless piece of crap, but he fits in well with the other thugs and criminals who make up this team. I had forgotten how much I hate the Ravens and how great it was to essentially knock them out of the playoffs until that play. Anyway, Tommy Maddox came in and led the Steelers to another FG. Baltimore's last comeback attempt was crushed when James Harrison, subbing for the injured Clark Haggans, batted down a Kyle Boller pass in the backfield. Harrison was ALL OVER the field today. He played brilliantly, just like he did when he had to replace Joey Porter in Cleveland. For a guy who barely made the team this year, Harrison is looking like a guy who maybe should be a full time starter.

So the Steelers now have nothing to play for next week, and that's good given all the injuries. Hopefully, Big Ben will bounce back quickly - it shouldn't be too much of an issue since the next real game isn't for three more weeks. As for the Ravens, they are probably done. That's good for The Drug Dealer, because he can start his off-season jail sentence early. It also gives The Genius time to dissect what went so terribly wrong with this 2004 team that was supposed to run away with the AFC North. Good riddance to the Ravens, and bring on the playoffs! Here are the numbers:

• Ben Roethlisberger: 14-19, 221 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT (in three quarters)
• 1996 Bettis: 27 rushes, 117 yards

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland lost to Miami, Cincinnati beat New York Giants

Steelers 33, Giants 30

All too easy

I boldly predicted that the Steelers could phone this win in, and sure enough, it was a total cakewalk as Pittsburgh extended its winning streak to 12 games by beating the hapless Giants mercilessly into the ground.

Some people may have worried when New York returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a TD, and when the same guy who returned that kick (a guy named Willie Ponder) went on the burn the Steelers all day long, but not me. I knew it was in the bag. Even when Ben Roethlisberger threw his first of two ill-advised interceptions on the Steelers first drive, it was obvious to all that the Steelers still had complete control of the game. Ben rebounded from his pic to lead the Steelers on two first half TD drives. Antwaan Randle El played the game of his life, making HUGE plays all day. He actually THREW the first TD of the game, taking a pitch from Roethlisberger and tossing a screen pass that went for a 10 yard TD to Verron Haynes. Randle El then caught a 35 yard TD pass from Big Ben on a 3rd and long play. Jeff Reed added two first half FG's and the Steelers led 20-14 at halftime.

The Steelers continued their mass dominance in the second half. The two teams traded FG's in the 3rd quarter, but the Steelers still had the upper hand. Eventually the Steelers must have decided that since this was a nationally televised Saturday game, they better give the people their money's worth, so in the spirit of the Christmas season, the defense generously allowed Eli Manning and the Giants to put together TD drives of 72 and 52 yards. New York took a 30-26 lead with about 8 minutes left in the game, but the Steelers were still going to win easily. Big Ben (who had his first ever 300 yard game) hit Randle El on a beautiful 36 yard bomb to put the Steelers inside the Giants 10 yard line. El made a spectacular catch even though he was covered by two New York defenders. Roethlisberger pulled out the same Elway-like comeback skills he displayed in Dallas and Jacksonville, not that he needed it as there was no chance that New York was going to win anyway. 1996 Bettis, who had yet another big game subbing for the injured Duce Staley, punched in a short TD run on 3rd and goal, and the Steelers took a 33-30 lead. Willie Williams then intercepted young Eli on the next drive. The Crybaby ran onto the field screaming for an interference call, but there was no interference on the play. I would say that Willie's interception iced the win for Pittsburgh, but this win was iced before the game even started. The Steelers cleaned up on the Giants 33-30.

The Steelers definitely did NOT almost blow a crucial late-season game to a clearly inferior team. The defense in no way made Eli Manning - a QB who had a 0.0 QB rating last week - look like his brother. The special teams never once reverted back to awful 2001 form. The offense had no trouble at all getting the ball into the endzone, and it was kind of them to allow Jeff Reed to kick four field goals. The Steelers didn't almost fall victim to a trap game and didn't have to scramble to come back at the end to barely salvage the win. They rolled over the Giants with complete and total ease - just like I said they would. Man, am I a genius or what? Here are the numbers:

• Ben Roethlisberger: 18-28, 316 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
• Antwaan Randle El: 5 rec, 149 yards, 1 TD reception, 1 TD pass
• Hines Ward: 9 rec, 134 yards
• 1996 Bettis: 36 rushes , 140 yards, 1 TD

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland lost to San Diego, Baltimore lost to Indianapolis, Cincinnati lost to Buffalo

Steelers 17, Jets 6

Steelers take AFC North

Going into this game, everyone knew that both of these teams were going to be tough on defense, and just like the last couple of Steelers-Jets meetings, this game turned into a hard-fought battle. But in the end the Steelers once again found a way to win, making it 11 in a row for the season, but more importantly, wrapping up their 3rd division title in the last four years.

The first three quarters of this game featured nothing more than two field goals. The Steelers got one in the first half thanks to a Troy Polamalu interception. The Jets were actually outplaying the Steelers for much of the first half, but had every big play or drive negated by a penalty or turnover. Finally New York got on the board thanks to a long bomb to Justin McCareins which put them in range for a Doug Brien FG. McCareins apparently got bored of burning us as a member of the Titans, so now he is doing it as a Jet.

As the two defenses continued to pound away, the game remained tied at 3 into the 4th quarter. Then the Steelers finally broke the game opened, charging down the field on an 80 yard drive. Duce Staley was somewhat effective, but he still looks rusty and gave way to 1996 Bettis, who quickly became the star of the game. The Steelers were faced with 3rd and 3 at the New York 10 yard line, and the Steelers called a gutsy play: the halfback option pass. Bettis threw the ball to a wide open Jerame Tuman, and the Steelers took a 10-3 lead. New York still wasn't ready to give up however. Chad Pennington and company put together a decent drive and kicked another FG. With just over six minutes left, the Steelers were faced with a tough play-calling decision. Do you (a) just run the ball, taking as much time as possible off the clock, and put the game on your defense, or (b) go for the jugular? Well, they chose option B. After two straight surprising passes, the Steelers had 3rd and 4 at their own 37. Ben Roethlisberger heaved one deep to - who else - Big Play Lee Mays, who was wide open and caught it in stride for a 46 yard gain. Two weeks ago, Mays was the biggest scrub on the team and the frequent joke of my fantasy football league (we always had a mock Lee Mays Moment of the Week). Now he's Mr. 4th Quarter! 1996 Bettis then got outside for a 12 yard TD run, which iced the game for Pittbsurgh.

The Steelers have to feel like they really earned this one. It wasn't easy, as the Jets defense did a great job shutting down Roethlisberger and the running game for three quarters. 1996 Bettis certainly made the case to be named the starter again, passing and running for the games only two touchdowns. The Steelers defense looked really strong, which is SO vital at this time of year. They gave up a few big plays but didn't let the Jets into the endzone. And finally, the coaching in this game was just superb. The Steelers had trouble moving the ball, so they pulled out a halfback option. Then they made the decision to throw the deep pass to Big Play Mays when most teams would have just tried to run time off the clock. If those plays fail, then everyone would be calling the talk shows this week asking, "What were they thinking?" But the plays did work, and the Steelers coaches deserve a lot of credit. Pittsburgh now finds itself with an unbelievable 12-1 record and yet another division title, but still just two games up on San Diego and Indianapolis for the playoff bye. Here are the numbers from today's slugfest:

• 1996 Bettis: 10 rushes, 56 yards, 1 TD rush, 1 TD pass
• Defense: 6 pts allowed; 3 INT

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland lost to Buffalo, Baltimore beat New York Giants, Cincinnati lost to New England

Steelers 17, Jaguars 16

The great escape

Wow, what a game! The Steelers and Jaguars both needed this game. Pittsburgh needed to keep pace in the extremely competitive race for the top two seeds in the AFC, while Jacksonville had an opprtunity to move into the final wild card position.

The game started off as a passing showdown between two old friends from the MAC conference - Byron Leftwich and Ben Roethlisberger. There was a lot of talk the past few weeks about how Big Ben has cooled off and how the passing game is struggling, but Roethlisberger silenced all the critics by compiling a passer rating of 158.0! On the Steelers first drive, Roethlisberger found Hines Ward (another guy who has been quiet of late) for a nice 37 yard TD. But Lord Byron struck right back, hitting Troy Edwards (yes, that Troy Edwards) for a 22 yard TD. For the first time in his miserable six seasons in the league, Edwards played like a first round pick. The Steelers defense was definitely off in this game. They did a good job of stopping Fred Taylor, but they let the Jaguars move the ball and control the clock way too much. They also shot themselves in the foot several times, like when they had an interception nullified by a penalty or when Joey Porter took a stupid personal foul to keep a drive alive (when are we sending that guy to anger management class?). Pittsburgh took the lead again as Roethlisberger hit TE Jay Riemersma on a 26 yard pass, and the score was 14-7 Steelers at halftime.

The Steelers offense was hot in the first half, but they did virtually nothing in the second half. Duce Staley, who was making his first start since the Patriots game, never really got going against the tough Jacksonville defensive tackles. Meanwhile, the Jags offense kept moving the ball, but couldn't get into the endzone. Twice the Steelers defense held the Jaguars in the red zone and forced FG's, preserving a 14-13 lead late into the 4th quarter. That's when the game really started to get interesting.

Leftwich started the Jaguars on a potential game-winning drive with 6:44 left in the game. The drive would have stalled around midfield if not for a very questionable illegal contact penalty on Chris Hope. The Steelers took WAY too many dumb penalties in this game, but this should not have been one of them. Eventually, the Jags got close enough for kicker Josh Scobee to hit a 36 yarder and give the Jags a 16-14 lead at the two minute warning. At this point the Steelers had used up all of their timeouts, so Big Ben had a huge challenge in front of him. He had never really had to do the two-minute drill thing before. The closest he came was the Dallas game, but the defense (aided by Vinny Testaverde) set him up pretty nicely that time. This time he would have to drive the length of the field in two minutes with no timeouts. So how did he respond? Try six plays, 56 yards in just over a minute!! The drive was aided greatly by two big passes to scrub WR Lee Mays, who becomes the latest Steelers role player to come up huge. Would we really be where we are right now without the big performances we've seen from the likes of Mays, James Harrison, Willie Williams, Chris Hoke, ect? Roethlisberger's drive was so efficient that by the time he had gotten the Steelers into FG range, there was actually TOO MUCH time left on the clock! At this point Cowher chose a peculiar clock management strategy. He had Roethlisberger run down the play clock on 2nd and 1, and then spike the ball with 23 seconds left. This set up Jeff Reed for the FG attempt on 3rd down. Now, it's understandable that they would want to kick on 3rd down in case of a bad snap or something, but wouldn't you want to run the clock so that you wouldn't give Leftwich time to get the Jags in FG range?? Anyway, Reed came on to attempt a clutch 37 yarder, and he NAILED it right down the middle! For the second time this season, Jeff Reed won the game - or did he? The clock management blunder left Jacksonville with 18 seconds and a timeout. After a bad squib kick and one long pass play, the Jags had a chance to attempt a game-winning 60 yard FG!! Josh Scobee kicked it and it was long enough, high enough, and..... WIDE RIGHT! And this puppy was BARELY wide too. Jacksonville winning that game on a 60 yard FG would have been on of the great moment in the history of their franchise, but it didn't happen and the Steelers hung on for an unreal 10th straight victory.

Now that the passing game is up to par again, I'm sure there will be new concern among Steelers fans. The defense looked breakable for the first time in a long time. The running game was bad - should 1996 Bettis get put back into the starting lineup? That will be a hot topic this week. But let's all remember that this is a long season. No team can keep the high level of play that the Steelers displayed against New England and Philly up for 16 weeks. The important thing is that in the NFL, good teams find a way to win. It's always been that way. There is no way I will complain about being 11-1. As for the Jaguars, you have to give them credit. They have a good team down there. At 6-6, they are a longshot to make the playoffs this year, but they could be real contenders next season. Here are the numbers from a great Sunday night battle:

• Ben Roethlisberger: 14-17, 221 yards, 2 TD
• Hines Ward: 4 rec, 80 yards, 1 TD

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Baltimore lost to Cincinnati, Cleveland lost to New England

Steelers 16, Redskins 7

Business as usual

Everyone knew this would be an ugly, low scoring game, and everyone was right. The NFL's top two defenses battled it out in the cold at Heinz Field today, but in the end it was Pittsburgh who came up with the big plays en route to their 9th straight win.

The star of this game was Antwaan Randle El, not because of his work replacing the injured Plaxico Burress on offense, but rather because of his stellar punt returns. El set up the first Steelers score - a Jeff Reed FG - with a 59 yard return. Then he set the Steelers up in great position again with 43 yard return. This time the Steelers converted it for a touchdown from 1996 Bettis, who went over 100 yards for the 4th game in a row. Another Reed FG gave the Steelers a comfortable 13-0 lead going into halftime.

The 3rd quarter saw the Redskins try to claw their way back into the game. Their putrid offense scored a TD on a 4th and goal play to make it 13-7. But the Steelers came right back with a typical long, 11 play drive. They just kept pounding it with 1996 Bettis until they got into FG range. When Reed kicked FG #3, the game was out of reach for Washington.

This game will go down as one of the least memorable games ever. Nothing happened. I was watching the other channel where Cleveland and Cincinnati were putting up the second most points in NFL history, then flipping back to see Clinton Portis get stuffed for the 800th time. The Redskins have an excellent defense. They did a great job of holding Big Ben and the WR's in check. If only they had a halfway average offense, they may be be able to actually compete in the horrid NFC, but oh well. Meanwhile, the Steelers didn't have to do much to nab their 10th win. They just keep right on rolling with their power offense and stingy defense. Nothing new and nothing fancy - just keep marching towards the post-season. Here are the numbers:

• 1996 Bettis: 31 rushes, 100 yards, 1 TD
• Defense: 5 sacks, 1 INT

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cincinnati beat Cleveland by the unbelievable score of 58-48, Baltimore lost to New England

Steelers 19, Bengals 14

Steelers play ugly, win anyway

Anytime you win this many games in a row, you're bound to have those not-so-smooth games. This usually happens on the road and/or against the division, and both scenarios applied today. The Steelers were sloppy at times, but so were the Bungles, and in the end Pittsburgh would out-defense Cincinnati to win an amazing 8th straight game.

The first half was a red zone nightmare for the Steelers offense. They were moving the ball and eating up clock, much like they have been doing all season, with 1996 Bettis going over 100 yards for an unheard of 3rd straight week. But each time they got inside the Cincinnati 20 yard line, they completely self-destructed. It was a variety of things - penalties, sacks, and even a fumble. After 4 trips inside the endzone, the offense only had 3 points - yes, 3 lousy points - to show for their effort. The defense meanwhile was playing well but not dominate. Carson Palmer threw two first half TD passes. The first one was a brilliant 36 yard catch by WR Chad Johnson, which no one would have been able to defend. But later in the half, Palmer continually smoked the secondary on 73 yard drive, capping it with his second TD pass. Fortunately the defense was also keeping the Steelers in the game. James Farrior, football's most underrated and maybe best defensive player, picked off Palmer and returned it for a touchdown. This was a HUGE play because the Steelers deserved to be down 14-3 at halftime, but thanks to Farrior's heroics, it was a much more managable 14-10 deficit. I watched Howie Long do this dumb countdown on the pregame of the NFL's best defensive players. All the usual suspects were in there - Jevon Kearse, Ted Bruschi, The Murderer - but not one mention of James Farrior. Good - I hope everyone we play does not realize what a key member of our defense he has become. He is seriously making the case for D player of the year - I kid you not.

Steelers 24, Browns 10

Letdown? What letdown??

So much for the "inevitable" letdown loss that the Steelers were supposed to suffer in Cleveland today. This one wasn't even close. In fact, all the fireworks in this game took place BEFORE the opening kickoff. First we had worthless piece of crap Browns DT Gerard Warren verbally threaten to elbow Ben Roethlisberger in the throat. Then just minutes before the game, LB Joey Porter and Browns crackhead William Green got into a fist fight. The whole thing was caught on camera, and both players were ejected before the game! Porter's ejection didn't hurt the Steelers defense however, as they dominated Cleveland to give the Steelers their seventh straight win.

Cleveland took the opening kickoff back to the 20 yard line, resulting in an early FG. As it turns out, that would be their only offense for the day. The Steelers scored two first half touchdowns in typical Steeler fashion, marching down the field and eating clock. They had drives of 13 plays and 10 plays, and each drive was capped with a TD run by 1996 Bettis. The Bus once again filled in nicely for injured Duce Staley, as he again racked up a 1996 special with 103 yards. Roethlisberger may have had his worst game yet, as he was often seen throwing into heavy coverage. But when 10 of 16 is your "worst" day and you're a rookie, it means you're pretty darn good.

Cleveland had several chance to get back into the game, but the Steelers defense would not budge. Troy Polamalu picked off Jeff Garcia at the goal line at the end of the first half, killing the Browns best opportunity. Later in the second half, they forced more turnovers. James Farrior NAILED Lee Suggs, causing a fumble. Then to ice the game in the 4th quarter, Garcia was hit from beind by Aaron Smith and fumbled. Russell Stuvaints picked up the ball and trotted in for the touchdown. Garcia was benched as he couldn't break Pittsburgh's defense. Only a late Kelly Holcomb garbage TD kept the defense from going two straight games without allowing a TD. The Steelers may not have fired on all cylinders today, and Cleveland did play pretty decent defense (witness a goal line stand which saw them stop the Steelers three times from the one yard line), but the Steelers still won easily on the road. This team is scary good right now.

Steelers 27, Eagles 3

Is this really happening?

Beating the NFL's two undefeated teams would have been extremely impressive, but the Steelers have done much more than that. What we have witnessed in the past 8 days is the systematic dismantling of two teams that no one else could beat. To the amazement of the football world, the Steelers blew out both the Patriots and now the Eagles, and right now at this very second, few people will argue that the Pittsburgh Steelers are the #1 team in the NFL.

Early this morning it was announced that Duce Staley would be unable to play. That was a huge blow, because (a) Philly has a weak run defense and (b) Duce would have had a lot to prove against his former team. The Steelers did not stray from the game plan however, and got a hug performance by Jerome Bettis, who played like it was 1996 or something. On the first possession of the game, Pittsburgh marched down the field on an 11 play, 80 yard drive that featured almost all running, including an end-around 16 yard TD run by Hines Ward. That drive set the tone - the Steelers were going to play ball control offense and just ram it down Philadelphia's throat. On the Steelers second possession, it was more of the same. This time it was 9 plays, 64 yards. Ward got the TD again, this time in the form of a 20 pass reception. The first two drives featured a powerful running game led by 1996 Bettis, but both were kept alive by the quick thinking of the NFL's hottest rookie in years, Ben Reothlisberger. Twice the Steelers were faced with 3rd and 13. On the first drive, Roethlisberger ran for a 16 yard gain. On the second drive, he rolled out and threw on the run, finding Verron Haynes on an 18 yard pass play. Those were two HUGE plays that you won't even see on the highlight reel, and they both show why this kid is so great. On the Steelers third possession, guess what happened? How about 10 plays, 62 yards, and ANOTHER touchdown (Roethlisberger to Jay Riemersma on a short 2 yarder). Just like that it was 21-0 and the undefeated Eagles - the team that wins every game by double digits - found themselves in stunned disbelief. All they could muster in the rest of the half was a measly FG, and they still couldn't figure out how to stop the rushing attack of the Steelers.

The second half belonged to the defense. I thought Philly would at least get some points on the scoreboard. After all, they have Donovan McNabb and T.O., right? Well, believe it or not, those two players were total non-factors. The defense put on an absolute clinic. The Eagles even got some good field position several times thanks to their special teams, yet they could do NOTHING. They couldn't even get into FG range! It was unreal. The Steelers meanwhile continued to pound it with 1996 Bettis. Before the game, I was tailgating with a guy that hates Bettis, and I joked that the Bus would roll up 150 yards. Well, 1996 Bettis was one yard short of matching that prediction. How about 149 yards! That's right - 149 from the Bus. Then Verron Haynes got into the act rolling up 51 yards of his own. Even Fast Willy Parker ripped off a long run in his first action of the season. Memo to all of Philadelphia's remaining opponents: RUN THE BALL!!! The Steelers totally exposed the Eagle defense today. They were supremely unimpressive.

So now the season is halfway over and the Steelers are 7-1. I have to type that again because I still do not believe it - the Steelers are 7-1. The Steelers did not win 7 games ALL of last year! Is this a team of destiny? I don't want to talk about stuff like that just yet, but what the Steelers did in the last two weeks is truly historic. Who else is left? What other "elite" NFL team would like to come in here and get shelled by us next? How about the 1972 Dolphins? Could we go back in time and get them, because we'd beat them too! That's honestly how I feel right now. It still doesn't seem real, but the Steelers are absolutely unbelievable. Bring on the second half of the season! Here are the numbers:

• 1996 Bettis: 33 rushes, 149 yards
• Ben Roethlisberger: 11-18, 183 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
• Defense: held Eagles to 113 total yards

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cincinnati beat Dallas, Baltimore plays Cleveland tonight

Steelers 34, Patriots 20

The streak is over!!!

Happy Halloween, Pittsburgh! The Steelers have done something no one else was able to do. Coming into this game, the New England Patriots had not lost a game since September 28, 2003. They came into Pittsburgh with an NFL record 21 game winning streak, but all that is over now! The Steelers not only defeated the defending champs today, they DOMINATED them from start to finish.

The Steelers came out looking nervous. Ben Roethlisberger overthrew a couple of passes during the first drive, and the defense gave up a long drive to Tom Brady and company, which fortunately only resulted in a FG. Down 3-0 to an "invincible" team, Roethlisberger wasn't at all phased. That's what I love most about this guy - you can't tell if he's playing the Super Bowl champs or if he's playing a college game against Kent State. Roethlisberger calmly heaved a 47 yard TD bomb to Plaxico Burress, smartly picking on Ty Law's backup after Law left the game with an injury. That TD got the crowd into a frenzy, but more importantly it started an incredible 3 minutes of football which gave the Steelers an insurmountable lead. On the ensuing drive, Brady was hit from behind and lost the ball to the Steelers. The offense quickly converted as Roethlisberger found Plex once again on a 4 yard TD pass. On the FIRST play of the next drive, Deshea Townsend stepped in front of a Brady pass and took it back 39 yards for the touchdown! Just like that, it's Steelers 21, "Unbeatable" Patriots 3!! That sequence of events will go down as maybe the moment of the season. Going into the half, the Steelers added a FG, but New England got a late TD to make it 24-10.

There was some nervousness at the start of the 3rd quarter. The Patriots were starting the comeback, and they would get the ball first. But the defense came up huge AGAIN, as Kevin Faulk (in for an injured Corey Dillon) fumbled and Joey Porter recovered. After having a quiet season up to this point, Porter was ALL OVER the field today. The Bus scored the TD to convert on the turnover, and the Steelers were once again up by 3 TD's. All week you heard about why the Patriots never lose games - it's because they wait for the other teams to make mistakes, and they capitalize on those mistakes. Well, if that's true, then the Steelers beat New England at their own game today. The rest of the game consisted of the Steelers working hard to hang onto the lead. I kept waiting for the roof to cave in. I'm not pessimistic, but we were playing THE New England Patriots - I thought at least they would be able to make it close. But give all the credit to the defense, the running game, and the coaching calls. The Steelers put together a long drive in the 3rd quarter that yielded only 3 points, but ate over 8 minutes off the clock. The Steelers mostly ran the ball on the drive. We needed a big game out of Duce Staley today, and he responded with 125 yards. Late in the 4th quarter, the Patriots got another TD and still had a slim chance to build a comeback, but the Steelers killed the final several minutes and never gave New England a chance.

This was an unbelievable performance by the Steelers. They played a nearly flawless game against a team that no one else was capable of beating. Ben Roethlisberger has gone from rookie surprise to the talk of the league. Duce Staley has added a running game that has been missing for too long. And what can you say about the defense? They were the stars of the game today. They created turnovers and the offense took advantage of them. Pittsburgh has now equaled their win total from all of last year in just 7 games! I've been trying to hold back, but now I just can't help but be really excited about this team. And guess who comes here next week? That's right, it's that other undefeated team. I can't wait! But for now, the Steelers should take a day to appreciate what they just accomplished. Congratulations guys - the whole country is going to be talking about this game tomorrow morning. You are bringing pride back to us Steeler fans. Here are the numbers:

• Ben Roethlisberger: 18-24, 196 yards, 2 TD
• Duce Staley: 25 rushes, 125 yards
• Joey Porter: 8 tackles, 3 sacks

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cincinnati lost to Tennessee, Baltimore lost to Philadelphia, Cleveland had a bye

Steelers 24, Cowboys 20

Vinny comes thru again!

Wow, what a game! The game ended a few hours ago, and I still can't believe the Steelers pulled this one out! When I previewed the game this week, I talked about Vinny Testaverde's long sorry history against the Steelers. Well sure enough, it was Vinny who played a key role in the outcome of this game.

The game started off with each team scoring a touchdown on their first possession. First it was Dallas, whose TD drive was aided by two long runs on 3rd down, including the TD from 21 yards out. The Pittsburgh defense had trouble recognizing 3rd down runs all day. The Steelers first drive featured heroics by Plaxico Burress, who made a one handed catch on a 3rd down play, then caught the TD to cap the drive. Ben Roethlisberger came out firing again, looking like he's been playing in the NFL for years. The rest of the first half was messy. The two teams would trade FG's and go into the locker room tied at 10, but the Steelers were slowly being decimated by injuries. Chad Scott and his backup Ricardo Colclough left the game with injuries, as did Duce Staley at one point. Then Big Ben came down on his knee and had it iced up on the sidelines. For a while it looked as if Frenchy may have to come in, but Big Ben toughed it out and stayed in the game.

I think injuries and maybe even fatigue caught up with the Steelers in the 3rd quarter. Dallas took a 13-10 lead with a Billy Cundiff FG (if you're name is Billy Cundiff and you want to play football, you almost have to be the kicker). Then the defense really began to fold. Deshea Townsend got smoked twice in the same drive, once by Terry Glenn and again by Keyshawn Johnson for a touchdown. The Steelers were down 20-10 as the 4th quarter began, but they weren't ready to give up yet. Big Ben led an 11 play, 74 yard TD drive. He looked sharp, making plays out of nothing (like hitting Jay Riemersma on a 14 yard shovel pass when he was about to be sacked) and finding TE Jerame Tuman for a leaping 7 yard TD catch. The receivers all came thru with great catches today. It's almost like they are extra motivated by the rookie QB. Still, the Steelers trailed 20-17 and time was winding down.

Steelers 34, Browns 23

Big Ben's big breakout game

Rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger just keeps getting better week after week, and today he showed flashes of brilliance as Pittsburgh won a big divisional game to go to - that's right - 4-1!

The first half of this game was just flat-out fun. The Steelers got things started early as Ricardo Coakley returned the opening kickoff 48 yards, which led to a great 25 yard TD run by Duce Staley. Just like that - 80 seconds into the game - the Steelers were up 7-0. Duce finally got into the endzone this week while racking up his 3rd straight 100 yard game on the supposedly revamped Cleveland run defense.The lead didn't last long however, as the Browns got a gift defensive TD. Roethlisberger threw a pass a bit high, and Antwaan Randle El juggled it into the hands of Browns defender Chris Crocker, who returned it for a TD. With the game tied at 7, Roethlisberger took over. He shook off a sack then fired a 48 yard pass to Plaxico Burress (who had his first big game of the season). It was such a great play. To top that off, Roethlisberger capped the drive two plays later by running it into the endzone from 6 yards out. In the 2nd quarter, Roethlisberger and Plex hooked up again. This time Big Ben rolled to his right, and Plex just kind of snuck out thru the back of the secondary, leaving him WIDE open for a 37 yard TD reception. There were also some FG's on both sides, giving the Steelers a comfortable 27-13 lead at halftime. Big Ben had 200 yards passing in the first half alone.

The Steelers didn't waste any time putting the game away in the second half. On their first drive of the 3rd quarter, the offense (led by Duce Staley) marched down the field in an 8 play, 63 yard drive which was capped, of course, by yet another short Bettis TD run. That was it - game over. Cleveland put up a bit of a fuss later in the game, but a late fumble by Jeff Garcia ended that. Roethlisberger didn't do much in the second half because the Steelers primarily ran the ball to kill the clock, much to the dismay of a contigent of fans behind me at the stadium. Not to go on a side rant here, but if there's one thing that really bugs me, it's when a bunch of yinzers get tanked up at a Steelers game and then think they know more than the coach. People were SCREAMING at Cowher for running the ball on 1st and 2nd down with a 21 point lead. Why in the world would you throw in that situation? I can't even think of one legitimate reason NOT to run the ball! Anyway, the point is that Big Ben didn't need to do much in that second half because he had led the Steelers to victory long before that.

The defense played well again. The one annoying thing that kept happening was that Jeff Garcia kept eluding tacklers (drawing some "interesting" comments from the crowd related to Garcia's alleged lifestyle choice). Cleveland wouldn't have scored at all had we been able to tackle him. The offense on the other hand was nearly flawless. It's so great to have a running game again. It's great to see Plex remembering that he is in a contract year. But most of all, it's great to see a rookie QB playing like he's a 10-year veteran. The Steelers now face some tougher teams, but what can you say about 4-1? I know I have no complaints. Here are the numbers:

• Ben Roethlisberger: 16-21, 231 yards, 1 TD pass, 1 TD rush
• Duce Staley: 21 rushes, 117 yards, 1 TD
• Plaxico Burress: 6 rec, 136 yards, 1 TD

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Baltimore beat Washington, Cincinnati has a bye

Steelers 28, Bengals 17

Elusive winning streak started

Hang onto something, because the Pittsburgh Steelers have put together their first winning streak since 2002. The Steelers outplayed their division rivals for three out of the four quarters today, and that was enough to get them a big home win which leaves Pittsburgh with a fairly impressive 3-1 record.

The game didn't start off too good for the Steelers. I predicted that Duce Staley would have his first big game as a Steeler against Cincinnati's putrid run defense. Duce did have a big day, but he also made some costly mistakes, starting with a 1st quarter fumble that the Bengals offense converted into 7 points. But after that, the Steelers took control. Ben Roethlisberger, who played solidly for the second straight week, found Plex over the middle for a big 30 yard gain. Someone must have reminded Burress that this is a contract year, because he actually showed up for the first time today, leading the team in receiving. The offense eventually got inside the 5 yard line, so you know what that means - wake up the Bus so he can score yet ANOTHER touchdown, then go sit back on the bench! This is just a strange phenomenon. Anyway, with the game tied at seven, the Steelers put together an impressive 80 yard TD drive. Roethlisberger really looked impressive on this one, making smart decisions all the way down the field. The best play came on the TD, when Roethlisberger read a blitz and flipped a TD pass to Verron Haynes. The Bengals kicked a FG before halftime, cutting the Pittsburgh lead to 14-10.

When I said the Steelers outplayed the Bengals for three quarters, I meant the 1st, 2nd, and 4th quarters. The 3rd quarter saw the Steelers nearly fall apart. Cincinnati opened by marching down the field and taking the lead on a Rudi Johnson touchdown. Johnson burned the Steelers for 123 yards. That was great for my fantasy football team, but not so great for the Steelers defense. Meanwhile, the Steelers could do nothing on offense, and Staley fumbled for the second time. The Steelers were fortunate that the Bengals didn't run away with the game at that point. Finally, at the start of the 4th quarter, the Steelers woke up in a big way. How big? How about a 13 play, 89 yard touchdown drive. Staley redeemed himself on this drive with some huge runs, putting him over 100 yards for the second straight week. After a cheap pass interference call on the Bengals gave the Steelers the ball at the one yard line, the Steelers brought in Jerome Bettis (big shock) to rush for his 5th TD of the season. The Steelers had a 4 point lead, but as the clock ticked down near the two minute warning, the Bengals were going to get one last chance to win it starting from their own 20 yard line. However, the defense stepped up big. On the first play of the drive, Troy Polamalu picked off his former roommate Carson Palmer, and then proceeded to make an obsessed dash towards the endzone. I was screaming for him to just go down, but he knew what he was doing. Troy shook off tacklers and then plowed over Palmer for a TD and the icing on the game.

Steelers 13, Dolphins 3

Steelers overcome Dolphins, Jeanne

For a minute this weekend, no one was sure whether or not this game would even be played. Yet another hurricane (Jeanne) was bearing down on Florida, so the two teams agreed to play this game on Sunday night instead of Sunday afternoon. But when the game began, it was clear that the effects of the storm were still present, as rain POURED down onto Pro Player Stadium.

The first half was a complete mess. Miami's pitiful offense turned the ball over on each of their first three possessions. Unfortunately, the Steelers couldn't capitalize too much. Ben Roethlisberger, whose first start was almost forgotten about due to the storm, threw an early interception with the Steelers in excellent field position. He then calmed down a bit and led a drive which resulted in a Jeff Reed FG. It didn't seem like much at the time, but when the really heavy rain started, you knew points would be hard to come by. For the rest of the half, the Steelers and Dolphins traded punts. Near the end of the half, the Steelers blocked a punt and had a chance to add another FG. Reed made the kick but had it called back on a penalty, then missed the second attempt. So the Steelers went into the half with a slim 3-0 lead.

The rain stopped in the second half, but the field was still a muddy quagmire. Even in good weather, this game would have been a battle of defense. The Steelers and Dolphins traded field goals, with Jeff Reed booming a long 51 yarder. Finally, in the 4th quarter, Roethlisberger showed why he was a #1 draft pick. It looked like yet another three and out series when the drive began, as the Steelers were faced with 3rd and 12. But Roethlisberger rolled out and hit Plex for an 18 yard gain. Then he found Hines Ward for a big 20 yard gain. Down close to the goal line, Roethlisberger again rolled out and threw a pass to the front corner of the endzone where Ward made a tremendous diving catch for the game's only touchdown. Miami tried to drive one final time but the Steelers defense blitzed and knocked the ball out of AJ Feely's hands, effectively ending an ugly game.

Roethlisberger had a rough first game given the tough opposing defense and even tougher opposing weather, but he pulled it out at the end. The running game looked solid as well, with Duce Staley getting his first 100 yard game as a Steeler. It was really nice to see the defense playing so physically. This looked like the Dick Lebeau defense of the mid-90's, causing 4 turnovers and just crushing people left and right. But before we get too excited, let's take a moment to reflect on how truly bad this Miami team is this year. AJ Feely may be one of the worst starting QB's ever. They were down to like their 5th running back (some guy named Leonard Henry). Even when their defense does something good, their offense can't move the ball. They are now 0-3 for the first time in more than 30 years. It's not entirely their fault - you can blame bad luck, hurricanes, Ricky Williams, Ricky's weed, and a bunch of other factors that were out of their control. But the fact remains that they are a horrible team right now. Nevertheless, a win is a win, and the Steelers will gladly take a 2-1 record back to dry land. Here are the numbers:

• Hines Ward: 9 rec, 96 yards, 1 TD
• Duce Staley: 22 rushes, 101 yards
• Ben Roethlisberger: 12/22, 163 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland lost to the NY Giants, Cincinnati lost to Baltimore

Steelers 13, Ravens 30

Not quite there yet

Coming into this game, the Steelers had a huge opportunity to open the season with a bang. A win at Baltimore would put them up two games on their arch rivals and give them all kinds of momentum, but those prospects fell apart quickly in today's game.

This one wasn't even close. Baltimore came out and played typical Ravens football. The first drive consisted of mostly predictable runs by The Drug Dealer mixed in with an even more predicatble pass to TE Todd Heap. But hey, it worked for them, and the great Steelers defense from last week was nowhere to be found as the Ravens made it an early 7-0 lead. The Steelers offense couldn't do anything against a strong Baltimore defense. That led to total ball control by Baltimore in the first half, and two FG's by old man Stover, giving the Ravens a 13-0 haltime lead.

The second half got off to an awful start for Pittsburgh. Gary Baxter hit Tommy Maddox, causing a fumble that the Ravens returned to the one yard line and eventually scored on to make it 20-0. But on the fumble play, Maddox jammed his elbow as he was hit and had to leave the game. This meant an unexpected NFL debut for Ben Roethlisberger, who earlier in the week was injured himself. Roethlisberger faired ok - he led two TD drives late in the game, but he also threw two pics, one of which was returned for a TD by Chris "I usually always choke against Pittsburgh but I guess not this time" McAlister. To be honest, no one can really measure Roethlisberger's performance. The Ravens were playing mostly prevent-style, given the fact that they had a 20 point lead, and Ben never really had a chance to get situated being down that much.

I feel like I should write more about this game, but there really isn't much to say. It will be interesting to see what happens with the QB situation. Maddox almost definitely will not play next week in Miami, so Roethlisberger will get his first career start. But that's next week - this week was just crap. The Steelers showed that they aren't quite ready to be contenders again in the AFC North just yet. Baltimore played their game (ball control + good defense), and they played it exceptionally well. The Steelers just got out-coached, out-physicaled, out-everything. Here are the numbers:

• Hines Ward: 6 rec, 151 yards, 1 TD
• Ben Roethlisberger: 12-20, 176 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT (NFL Debut)

Why I can't stand Deion Sanders: The Steelers have had many third-string nickel backs over the years. People remember names like Chris Oldham, Randy Fuller, and Travis Davis. These guys even made big plays at times, but never were they worshipped with the kind of intensity that Ravens nickle back Deion Sanders was worshipped with today. I swear CBS had a camera following him around, monitoring his every move. He was in on two defensive plays - both incompletions that he was not responsible for causing - and they showed those two plays on EVERY highlight reel I saw after the game (Fox, CBS, ESPN, ect). Sanders even had a punt return negated by a 15 yard penalty because, like a moron who hasn't played for four years and doesn't know the rules, he took off his helmet and began strutting around like it was 1994 or something. "Ha ha - they didn't have that rule last time Deion played. That's just Deion being Deion," the announcers all joked. His entire career, that's all we've heard. We had Deion Freaking Sanders shoved down our throats, and just when you thought he was gone for good, he shows up out of nowhere with his one man media show. Meanwhile more complete cornerbacks like Ty Law or Champ Bailey don't even get a third of the attention because they don't strut around like idiots. It sickens me that this is what makes you a superstar athelete in today's world. Just drive the media into a hysterical love-fest frenzy, and you're all of a sudden a Hall of Famer, even when you are 37 and are involved in only two meaningless plays before leaving the game injured.

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland lost to Dallas, Cincinnati beat Miami

Steelers 24, Raiders 21

Not a bad start

The Steelers kicked off the 2004 season with a bang, then almost blew two big leads, but in the end played solidly enough to escpe with a rare opening day win.

The offense looked really impressive on the first drive of the game. They mixed the run and pass effectively, eating up almost nine minutes of clock and wearing down the Raiders defense (especially 900 LB run-stopper Fat Ted Washington, who had to come off the field during the drive). Duce Staley had a great Steeler debut as the running game's comeback was a big success, but it was Jerome Bettis who capped off this drive with a one yard TD run. And speaking of much-anticipated returns, Dick Lebeau's defense stepped up with a big play later in the first half. Clark Haggans knocked the ball out of Rich Gannon's hands, and Aaron Smith ran it back 49 yards. That set up another short TD run by Bettis, and this was looking like opening day 2003 all over again. But right before haltime, the defense screwed up big. Gannon pumped faked, and Troy Polamalu bit hard, leaving WR Doug Gabriel (who?) WIDE OPEN for a 58 yard TD bomb. Oakland added a FG early in the 3rd quarter and all of a sudden it was a 14-10 game.

However, the offense again appeared to take control of the game. They put together a quick 4 play drive that featured a big pass to Hines Ward. Once again they got down to the one yard line, so what do you do? Of course, bring in Jerome! (more on his insane stats later). Bettis added a third TD to make it 21-10. But it wasn't over yet. Oakland kicked another FG, and then late in the 4th quarter put together a drive. The defense appeared to stop the Raiders, as they were faced with 4th and 13 at the Steelers 38. So Gannon decided to pump fake (again) and air one out down the middle of the field, and to the shock of 60,000 of us at Heinz Field, it was caught for a TD by Alvis Whitted! Then to really add insult to injury, Whitten caught another pass on the two-point conversion. What?! The game was TIED with just over four minutes remaining. Unreal. However, the Steelers pulled it together. Oakland's poor clock management earlier in the half left them with no timeouts, so the Steelers played for the last play. They slowly and meticulously drove down the field, and Captain Clutch (Hines) made another huge catch at the Oakland 24 yard line. As the final seconds ticked down, Jeff Reed came on the field to attempt the 42 yard game-winner. Reed kicked....it was high enough, it was long enough, it was... GOOD! Steelers win!!

Even though the Steelers will be embarrassed about blowing a big lead against a not-so-good team, they actually played pretty well. The offense made some crappy mistakes (like Maddox fumbling when no one touched him), but they looked very crisp, and most importantly, were able to establish a running game. The defense gave up two HUGE plays, but they also made some big plays, twice causing turnovers when Oakland was in FG range (the Aaron Smith fumble return and a big James Farrior interception in the second half). They just need to practice on the pump fakes! So overall a good start to the season, and a fun game to kick things off.

Before we get to the numbers, I have to point out the craziest stat I have ever seen: Jerome Bettis had 5 carries for 1 yard, and 3 touchdowns!!! Are you kidding? Poor Duce - he gets the ball to the one and Jerome gets all the credit. Here are the other numbers:

• Duce Staley: 24 rushes, 91 yards
• Hines Ward: 7 rec, 99 yards

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Baltimore lost to Cleveland, Cincinnati lost to the NY Jets