Steelers 21, Seahawks 10

Champions at last!!!!!!!!!

IT HAPPENED!! The dream happened!!! After 26 years of coming close so many times, this 2005 team finally put it together and won it all. The Pittsburgh Steelers are once again champions of the world.

The way the Steelers won this game was much like the rest of the season - totally unpredictable. For much of the game, the underdog Seahawks outplayed the Steelers. Seattle's offense was able to effectively move the ball. QB Matt Hasselbeck threw for 275 yards while league MVP Shaun Alexander rushed for 95. With those kinds of numbers, it's a wonder (not to mention a credit to Pittsburgh's defense) that Seattle could only score 10 points. On offense, the Steelers were dismal, especially when you consider the fact that it was QB Ben Roethlisberger and the offense that marched us through the playoffs against quality opponents. Seattle also won the turnover battle, which historically has meant doom for the opposing team. In the end, it wasn't about stats. This wasn't one of those typical Steelers games where you would be able to look at the box score and see one of those big 11 play, 75 yard drives. Instead this Super Bowl boiled down to four big plays made by the Steelers vs. only one big play made by Seattle. I will list those plays going forward.

There was so much excitement in the air as the game neared. I was blessed enough to be able to be there at Ford Field to witness this game, and the crowd was just unbelievable. I'm not sure how well it translated over to TV, but the ratio of Steelers fans to Seahawks/neutral fans was maybe as high as 4 to 1. People were tailgating all over the place before the game, and inside the dome it sounded like Heinz Field North. There were literally Terrible Towels everywhere! The Steeler Nation really blew me away today - the loyalty and support they give this team cannot be topped by any team in any sport.

When the pre-game festivities ended and the game finally began, the Steelers offense came out looking nervous and flat. On their first possession, they committed two false start penalties to kill any chance for a drive. Throughout the playoffs, the Steelers have counted on their offense to come out on fire and give them an early lead. This has been especially key since all 4 playoff opponents were high-scoring teams who averaged 25 points or more per game. That did not happen in this game. The offense sputtered for the entire first half. They didn't even get a first down until the second quarter, and when they finally did, that drive came to a crashing halt when Roethlisberger threw an interception on a poorly underthrown deep ball.

Seattle could smell blood. That first half was their big chance to capitalize. If they could get a big lead, the Steelers would have been in deep trouble. That did not happen either. In the ultimate "bend but don't break" performance, the defense gave up their fair share of yardage but never allowed Seattle anywhere near the endzone. It was a combination of Pittsburgh making plays and the Seahawks screwing up their opportunities. Seattle had some big plays called back on penalties, and none was more costly than when a touchdown was negated after WR Darrell Jackson pushed off from FS Chris Hope (That was a push off by the way. I like all these Seattle apologists who are already building the "Seattle got screwed by the refs" case. Just because offensive pass interference is rarely called doesn't mean it's not illegal).

Another problem for the Seahawks was their inability to make big plays once they got into scoring range. Their offense crossed over into Steelers territory 9 times during the game - 9 TIMES - and they only got 10 points. Part of that was kicker Josh Brown missing two field goals, but both of those missed attempts were over 50 yards because the Seahawks couldn't get him any closer than that. The one he did make was 47 yards, and that gave Seattle a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The real goat for the Seahawks in this game had to be TE Jerramy Stevens, the guy who incurred the wrath of Joey Porter this week after making a juvenile comment about Jerome Bettis going home to be a loser. I don't know if Porter got inside Stevens' head, but he sure looked rattled. He dropped at least three passes and looked like he was afraid to get hit. His biggest drop came on what would have been a huge 3rd down conversion deep in Steelers territory early in the second quarter.

So while the Seahawks were busy not converting on their chances, the Steelers offense was doing everything in their power to give them more chances. The running game came to a grinding halt, receivers were dropping passes, and worst of all, Big Ben was playing like, well - like a 23-year old quarterback. Finally, late in the 2nd quarter, the Steelers put together a drive. They had 1st and 10 at the Seattle 22 yard line, but after a pass interference call on Heath Miller (see, they called it on us too) and a Grant Wistrom sack, the Steelers soon found themselves out of field goal range and facing 3rd and forever. That's when they made the first big play of the game.

1. Big Ben improvises on 3rd and 28.

What do you call on 3rd and 28? Really the best case scenario seemed to be to try to pick up 10 or 15 yards in an attempt to get back into FG range. The Steelers would have been thrilled going into the locker room knotted at 3-3 after the first half that they had. But like the Denver game, this team proved again that they aren't satisfied with playing it safe. Roethlisberger rolled to his left and started to run, then he stopped - somehow knowing EXACTLY where the line of scrimmage was - and back-pedaled a bit. He then threw across the field to Hines Ward, who caught the ball all the way down at the 3 yard line! It was an amazing throw by a super quarterback. Roethlisberger did NOT play a good game, but he reminded everyone that there was no way the Steelers could have gotten here or could have won it without him. Three plays later, Roethlisberger rolled left and dove into the endzone for the Steelers touchdown. The play was reviewed but there was no clear evidence that Ben didn't make it in, so it stood (again, that is the right call - you cannot overturn something unless if it is inconclusive, which this play was). The first half ended with the score Pittsburgh 7, Seattle 3.

All I could think about as I watched those old men prancing around on stage at halftime was how lucky the Steelers were. It felt like they should have been down by two or three scores, but instead they were actually IN THE LEAD?!? Maybe this was a team of destiny. Would the Seahawks use this as inspiration to finally start making some plays, or would they use it as an excuse to fold? How about the Steelers? What would they do with this lead in the second half, and would they make enough adjustments on offense to be able to move the ball?

The second half began with a play that resembled much of what happened in the first half. Roethlisberger threw a pass that was behind Ward, but that he still could have caught. It just looked like nothing had changed. That is, until the second play of the half.

2. FWP makes Super Bowl history.

The Steelers had 2nd and 10 at their own 25 after the incompletion. Everyone in the stadium knew what was coming - Fast Willie Parker off tackle for a gain of maybe one or two. Parker had rushed for only 11 yards up to that point. He took the handoff, ran to the right, broke through the line untouched, and was GONE!!! Parker raced 75 yards for a touchdown! It was the longest run in Super Bowl history (breaking Marcus Allen's record for that famous play where he cut one back against the Redskins). That was UNREAL! All of the Steelers fans went totally nuts. I've personally never lost it on a play quite like I did on that one. I jumped into the arms of the stranger next to me, much to his surprise! It was a game-changing play, and it was one that totally demoralized Seattle.

On their next possession, the Steelers fed off of that momentum to build a drive. Roethlisberger hit Ward on two long passes, and the Steelers found themselves having a 3rd and goal from the Seattle 7 yard line. They called timeout before the play to discuss their options. They definitely wanted the touchdown. Going up 21-3 would have been the death nail for the Seahawks. Most of all, they wanted to be careful with the football. So what happens? Roethlisberger tries to throw a pass towards the sideline to Cedrick Wilson, but he doesn't get any zip on the football. CB Kelly Herndon steps in front of the pass and returns it 76 yards (another Super Bowl record) before finally getting tackled at the Pittsburgh 20. Three plays later, Hasselbeck hits Droppy McDrops-alot for the TD, and instead of 21-3, it's 14-10.

I cannot tell you how truly demoralizing that play was. The crowd just grew totally silent after that. I just sat there shaking my head. How could he make such an ill-advised throw? That was almost an exact replay of the Rodney Harrison interception in last year's AFC Championship Game. It was the same feeling I had 10 years ago when Neil O'Donnell threw that second interception to Larry Brown. Sure, the Steelers still had the lead this time, but you could see the momentum shifting back to Seattle. The Steelers offense went into scared mode, opting for safe running plays and more three-and-outs. The defense was able to stop Seattle a couple of times, but you just felt like it was only a matter of time before they would take the lead.

That time seemed to come early in the 4th quarter. Starting at their own 2 yard line, the Seahawks began marching up the field. They used the little dink-and-dunk west coast offense plays that they had been using all day to gain yardage, but this time it appeared that it was finally going to net a big play. Seattle made it inside the Steelers red zone, and Hasselbeck hit Stevens at the Steelers one yard line, but their was a flag. The play was called back on a holding call. This was one play that the refs may have messed up on. In full speed, it sure looked a lot like right tackle Sean Locklear hauled down LB Clark Haggins, but on the replay, it appeared that he hadn't done enough to warrant a holding call. Regardless, these things happen, and championship teams don't use them as an excuse to throw in the towel (Troy Polamalu can attest to that better than anyone). The Seahawks still had the ball deep in Steelers territory, and at the very least could have gotten within one point with a FG. That's when big play #3 happened.

3. Ike Taylor hangs onto a piece of immortality.

All season long, first-year starter Ike Taylor has been impressing everyone with his great coverage skills. The only thing he has been lacking is the ability to hang onto interceptions. He has been dropping them all year, including one in the first half of this game. But on 3rd down from the Steelers 27 yard line, Hasselbeck floated one right into the hands of Taylor, and this time he wasn't about to let go. Ike returned it 24 yards and more importantly, killed Seattle's potential go-ahead drive. Hasselbeck definitely made a poor decision on that play - it just seemed like the defense somehow caused the Seahawks to self-destruct every time they got into scoring range. It would be the closest the Seattle Seahawks would get to their first ever championship.

Hasselbeck also committed a low block on the interception return, which gave the Steelers even better field position at the Seattle 44 yard line. The Steelers desperately needed to capitalize off the interception. Roethlisberger made a nice play running up the middle on 3rd down to keep the drive going, and then it happened.

4. The "I can't believe that worked again" play.

Steelers 34, Broncos 17

Pittsburgh's going to the Super Bowl!!!!

YES!!!!!!!! The Pittsburgh Steelers have done the impossible!! They have beaten the top three seeds in the AFC - all on the road - to advance to their sixth Super Bowl. This is absolutely unreal!!! This team has been so amazing over the last few weeks. I am so proud to be member of the Steeler Nation right now.

The Broncos had not lost a home game all season, but the Steelers went into Invesco Field today and totally had their way with Denver. The defense shut down the powerful Denver running game and held Jake Plummer in check during the first half. The biggest key to stopping the Mike Anderson / Tatum Bell running combination was to build a lead and make Plummer beat you with his arm, and the Steelers offense did just that. Their first possession was a bit rocky - Ben nearly had a pass picked by Champ Bailey and FWP fumbled (only to have the call overturned) - but the Steelers still drove far enough for a Jeff Reed field goal.

The defense then began making HUGE plays. They sacked Plummer and caused him to fumble. The Steelers capitalized on that play, as Ben Roethlisberger (who is playing like Joe Freaking Montana right now) made a great play, lobbing the ball over Bailey's head and into the arms of Cedrick "I'm only good in the post-season but that's perfectly ok with us fans" Wilson in the back of the endzone to make it 10-0 Steelers. The Steelers knew Denver's run defense was too good to beat, so they put the ball in Ben's hands again with the same great results. Denver then drove for a FG to cut it to 10-3. Mike Shanahan made a curiously conservative call on that drive, calling a running play on 3rd and 10 from the Steelers 12 yard line. That's the kind of play call that Cowher usually gets crucified for.

Ben and the offense could not be stopped in that first half. The fact that Denver had cut the lead to 7 only seemed to encourage them. They drove 80 yards on 14 plays, totally sucking the life out of the crowd. Jerome Bettis (more on him later) punched it in from the 3 yard line to make it 17-3. On Denver's next possession, the defense stepped up AGAIN. Plummer threw a weak pass to the side of the field that was picked off by Ike Taylor. What a GREAT time for Ike, who has been dropping interceptions all season, to make a play!

So the Steelers had a chance to score again before the half, but there wasn't much time left. Ken Wisenhunt called a tremendous play where Bettis lined up close to the line then took a quick handoff from Ben and sprinted up the middle. It was the perfect all and it resulted in a touchdown, but the play was called back on a Hines Ward formation penalty. "That's ok, I'll settle for the FG," I thought at that point. Not this team. On the next play with the final seconds ticking away on the first half clock, Ben sprinted to his left and fired a pass to Hines Ward in the back of the endzone!! Not only did it give the Steelers a huge lead, it also marked the beginning of the end for Denver. That was a championship caliber play. Think about it - Hines screws up and costs the Steelers a TD. No one would have been too upset had they just run it up the middle and let Reed get the three points. But they smelled the kill. They didn't want Denver to have ANY momentum whatsoever going into that locker room. So Hines gets open and makes the big catch, and just like that, it's 24-3 Pittsburgh. When we look back at this team someday, that series of events may be the one defining moment.

The second half had Steelers fans biting their nails. Plummer led two touchdown drives, but Jeff Reed had kicked a FG in between those two drives to keep the Steelers ahead by two scores. It was frustrating to watch because it was clear that Denver's game plan was out the window. Plummer was mostly running around and improvising. Sometimes it cost him (he did throw an interception to Larry Foote at one point), but at other times he was able to make plays. Still, Jake Plummer was NOT going to overcome that deficit. The Broncos had one final chance late in the 4th quarter, and the defense put the clamps on them. They sacked Plummer on 4th down, causing him to fumble for the 4th turnover of the day. How ironic that the big plays that helped Denver beat New England were all made by the other team today. The Steelers then put the exclamation point on their first conference championship in ten years. Roethlisberger ran a bootleg, dove into the endzone, and sent the Steelers to the Super Bowl!!!!

This is amazing. I'm almost at a loss for words. What a run! Ben Roethlisberger is 23 years old, and he just took our team on the single greatest playoff run in NFL history (as you know, no #6 seed has ever made it to the Super Bowl, let alone beating the top three seeds to get there). Big Ben is one more good performance away from becoming a Steeler legend in his second year. One guy who is way past his second year is The Bus. Jerome Bettis FINALLY gets to play in the Super Bowl in this his final NFL season, and he gets to play in his hometown of Detroit! The defense is playing at a level that the Steel Curtain would be proud of. They really messed with Plummer today, making him look like, well, Jake Plummer. I'd like to take this time to apaolgize to Joey Porter - I'm so sorry I doubted your ability. You have been all over the field these past few weeks. You really made me look foolish, but I've never been happier to be foolish! And finally, let's give some props to Bill Cowher. All those times he lost in this game, and all those times he "got outcoached", and all those times he was too conservative in big games - it all doesn't seem to matter right now, does it?

Maybe I'm getting way too ahead of myself. After all, making it the the big game is just half the battle. The #1 seeded Seahawks are going to be just as tough of a challenge as the AFC opponents. I guess after you've come up short so many times though, you just can't help but be elated. Steelertribute.com will have all kinds of Super Bowl coverage over the next two weeks, but for now I just want to savor this win. I've been doing this web site for the past nine seasons, but this is the first time I have ever gotten to type these words: ladies and gentlemen, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to the Super Bowl!!!!!!!!! Here are the numbers:

• Ben Roethlisberger: 21/29, 275 yards, 2 TD
• Defense: 2 INT, 2 forced fumbles, 3 sacks
• Cedrick Wilson: 5 rec, 92 yards, 1 TD
• Steelers: 6th AFC title

Elsewhere in the NFL Playoffs: Seattle beat Carolina in the NFC Championship Game to advance to their first ever Super Bowl

Steelers 21, Colts 18

Steelers shock the world!!!

The game that was played today between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts will go down as one of the greatest post-season games in the history of pro football. No one gave the Steelers much of a chance entering this game. After all, the Colts nearly went undefeated during the regular season. Their offense and defense dominated all the other good teams in the AFC. They dismantled the Steelers back in November. They were playing in the loudest dome in the NFL. The Steelers were a #6 seed - it seemed like there would be NO WAY they could pull this out. But after a great performance was capped with the wildest final five minutes in team history, the Steelers had pulled out an upset for the ages.

Almost every preview of this game said the same thing: to even have a chance, the Steelers must score early. That would allow them to set the tempo and control the crowd. It HAD to be done, and it was. Ben Roethlisberger came out throwing, hitting TE Heath Miller for two long passes (36 yards and 18 yards). Eventually the Steelers drove 84 yards in 10 plays, and Roethlisberger hit Antwaan Randle El for a 6 yard TD pass (El's first receiving TD since week 1 against Tennessee). Later in the first period, Roethlisberger found Miller for a 7 yard TD pass. The Steelers jumped out to an unbelievable 14-0 lead against the NFL's best team! The previews also all said that Roethlisberger would need to play the game of his life, and he proceeded to do just that.

While the offense was busy racking up a two-touchdown lead, the defense was golden. Peyton Manning, whose history of big-game choking caught up with him again today, could do very little in the first three quarters against the Steelers defense. In fact, all the Colts managed was one measly field goal. It was shocking - the Colts machine was being grounded. The defense came out with their best performance of the season. It was quite a turn around from the first game, where the Colts picked them apart from play one. Marvin Harrison only had 3 catches! Edgerrin James only rushed for 56 yards. Their offensive line - especially all-pro Tarik Glenn - looked completely lost. Dick Lebeau and the D deserve a huge pat on the back.

The Steelers offense continued to move the ball well in the second half. The defense helped set up good field position, and the Steelers were able to put together a 30-yard TD drive which ended with a short Jerome Bettis TD run. The Steelers held a 21-3 lead heading into the final quarter, but this was the Indianapolis Colts, and you knew it wasn't going to be quite that easy. However, no one could have prepared for the events that were about to transpire.

Manning finally broke their offense out of its slump, hitting TE Dallas Clark on a 50 yard TD pass. That was exactly what the Steelers did NOT want - to give up a quick touchdown. But the offense stepped up with a drive that took 8 MINUTES off the clock! It was probably the most amazing non-scoring drive ever. The Steelers twice took a big risk going for it on 4th down, and twice they converted. Anyone who says Bill Cowher is too conservative in big games needs to watch that drive again. By the time the Steelers punted, the Colts were left with just over 6 minutes left.

This is where things started to turn crazy. Manning threw a pass over the middle that was intercepted by Troy Polamalu, who dove for the ball, rolled over with it, fumbled as he stood up to run, then fell on the ball. Indianapolis challenged the play, only because they had nothing to lose, but to the shock of the entire Steeler Nation (not to mention thousands of other football fans watching the game), referee Pete Morelli reversed the call and called it an incomplete pass!! It was perhaps the worst call ever made in a big football game. I don't care what their explanation will be - that was an interception. You can watch it over and over again and see that Troy clearly fumbled as he was getting up to run. He already had possession of the football. No way that was an incomplete pass! I cannot believe they blew that call. What a complete disgrace. The NFL should be truly embarrassed. The Colts found new life, and marched down the field to score their second touchdown of the quarter. When Manning hit Reggie Wayne on a perfect 2-point conversion play, the Colts were suddenly only down by 3 points.

The Steelers then had to punt the ball back to the Colts after a quick three and out. Indianapolis had the ball on their own 18 yard line with just over two minutes remaining in the game, and all they needed was a field goal, a rather easy task for that offense. At this point, the Steelers could have folded like the Bengals did last week. Something very unfortunate and out of their control had happened to them, and they could have sulked and gave up. I'll be honest - that is what I was doing at that point! But not this team. Not this defense. Instead, they came out with these three stops: 2 yard pass, 8 yard sack, incomplete pass. Then on 4th down, Joey Porter and James Farrior buried Manning on his own 2 yard line!!!!!! That was it - game over. Or was it?

All the Steelers had to do was punch the ball in from the two yard line. They couldn't quite take a knee yet because the Colts had all their timeouts. So they gave it to the Bus, who charged up the middle and.... FUMBLED THE BALL! The ball bounced and was scooped up by CB Nick Harper, who started taking off down the field! Roethlisberger made a last-second ankle tackle to save the touchdown (which turned out to be HUGE), but nevertheless Harper had run the ball all the way out to the Colts 42 yard line. Now Indianapolis would have a fresh set of downs, all of their timeouts, and only needed to get enough yards for a game-tying field goal. It was about to be one of football's all-time disasters. Joe Pisarcik, Earnest Byner.... Jerome Bettis?? This was not supposed to happen. This was not the way for a great career to come to a close.

All the Colts had to do now was to drive down a short field, which they did very swiftly. They even took a shot at the endzone that was broken up by rookie Bryant McFadden. Eventually the Colts ran out of downs, and with 21 seconds left in regulation, Mike Vanderjagt trotted out to attempt a 46 yard field goal. The Peyton-dubbed "idiot kicker" is the most accurate kicker in league history. The guy never misses, especially in the dome. This game was destined for overtime, and it seemed as if the Steelers were going to let victory slip through their fingers. Vanderjagt's kick was up and..... WIDE TO THE RIGHT!!! It was UNBELIEVABLE! He really hooked it hard! Vanderjagt slammed his helmet down in despair. He really choked and I feel bad for him, but his team was beyond lucky to even have a chance, so hopefully Colts fans won't take it out on him. The game finally came to a close and the Steelers had survived the most gut-wrenching, emotion-draining final minutes in team history. I was on my knees screaming when Vanderjagt missed that kick, and I came very close to passing out! It was unreal - I've never seen a more insane series of events. Hines Ward summed it up best: "It went from an all-time high to an all-time low back to an all-time high."

It hasn't quite hit me yet what happened today. The Steelers just upset the #1 seed and the team most people thought was about to win a championship. This may have been the biggest win of Bill Cowher's career. For the Colts, this will forever be remembered as one of the most disappointing performances ever. They looked flat for much of the game, then couldn't pull it out even when the refs and a Steeler mistake gave them a golden opportunity. For Manning, it was the Florida Gator syndrome all over again. I really like Peyton, but I was disappointed with the way he reacted after the game. He took a shot at his O-line, talking about how they had "trouble" with the protection. A leader shouldn't do that, but he was just upset. The Steelers on the other hand are elated. Roethlisberger makes his second appearance in the AFC Championship Game in his second year, and he outperformed an all-world QB to get there. The defense should be just as proud. The whole team just played a tremendous game. What a huge day in Pittsburgh!

The AFC Championship Game will not be the Colts vs. the Patriots, like the NFL obviously wanted. Instead it will be an unlikely matchup - Pittsburgh vs. Denver. It's hard to believe that is where the Steelers are going next week. Denver is a very underrated team - all they did was go 13-3, quietly win one of the most competitive divisions in football, and dethrone a Patriots dynasty. It won't be easy, but we'll talk more about that in a few days. Here are the numbers from a truly memorable game:

• Ben Roethlisberger: 14-24, 197 yards, 2 TD, tackle of the year
• Defense: 5 sacks (most on Manning this season)
• Steelers: first #6 seed ever to reach AFC Championship Game

Elsewhere in the NFL Playoffs: Denver beat New England, Seattle beat Washington, Chicago lost to Carolina

Steelers 31, Bengals 17

Amateurs!

"It's time for a change. It's like going from a black-and-white TV to a color TV. It was Pittsburgh; it's Cincinnati now, and it'll probably be that way for a while now."

That was the quote from Cincinnati WR Chad Johnson after the Bengals beat the Steelers last month to put them in first place in the AFC North, and it proves the point I've been making all year about this team: they are complete and total amateurs. They hadn't won for 15 years - 15 YEARS - but all of a sudden they were acting like they were in the Super Bowl. They had no clue how tough it gets in January. They had no frame of reference to realize that come playoff time, those "big" regular season wins mean nothing. They were little boys playing in a man's league, and it showed today. They got off to a lightning start in this Wild Card showdown, but eventually they came apart at the seams against a much more battle-tested Steelers team.

The first quarter of this game was all Cincinnati. They got a FG and a TD on their first two drives and jumped out to a 10-0 lead. However, that first drive was costly. Kimo von Oelhoeffen rolled into the Carson Palmer's left knee, tearing his ACL. What a terrible way to start your first playoff game in 15 years. I honestly feel really bad for Carson - he had a spectacular season, and he only got to throw one pass. Now he'll be lucky if he is ready for training camp next season. That's just an unfair and disheartening thing to have happen.

The Bengals did a good job of not panicking though (at least not yet). Backup QB Jon Kitna was the starter before Palmer got there and had shredded the Steelers in the past. He looked like an all-pro in the first half, leading his offense to two touchdowns. The Steelers defense on the other hand looked flat and lost. The low point came in the 2nd quarter, when penalties (including a STUPID personal foul on Troy) gave the Bengals NINE chances to score inside the red zone. Fortunately, the Cincinnati defense really sucks. After a slow start, the Steelers offense got on a roll behind Ben Roethlisberger, who played one heck of a game and shook off the ghosts of playoff past. Ben led drives of 60 and 76 yards, and capped each with TD passes. The first was a 19 yard screen pass to Willie Parker, and the second was a 5 yard rocket over the middle to Hines Ward. Thanks to the offense keeping in the game, the Steelers were only down 17-14 at the half.

The Bengals got the ball first in the 3rd quarter and started to drive yet again. They did a great job of picking up the Steelers heavy blitz, and Kitna still had plenty of time to find the open receivers. Eventually the drive stalled and the Bengals lined up for a chipshot field goal which would have given them a 6-point lead. But that's when they turned back into the Bungles. The snap was high and it went thru the hands of the holder. It cost the Bengals three easy points and gave the Steelers decent field position. And after that, everything changed. The Bengals started to make mistakes left and right. On their next possession, Kitna knocked the ball out of his own hand while scrambling, killing that drive. A bad punt gave the Steelers good field position. Kitna threw two interceptions to the Steelers defense, who oddly enough did quite well once they stopped blitzing.

Meanwhile, the Steelers offense just continued to pound on the putrid Cincy D. After the botched FG, they drove 66 yards and The Bus pounded one in from the 5 yard line. Then on their next possession, they pulled off the play of the season. On 3rd and 2, Antwaan Randle El took a direct snap, threw backwards across the field to Ben, who heaved it 43 yards down field to a wide open Cedrick Wilson for the touchdown!! What a gutsy call on 3rd and 2! CBS cut to a shot of Ken Wisenhunt, who had a great "I can't believe that just worked" look on his face. The play put the Steelers up by two scores, and that was it - game over. The 4th quarter saw the Steelers do what they do best - run the clock out on the ground, while the Bengals laid down and let them do it, having given up long before that.

An experienced playoff team may have been able to shake off that first mistake, but not this Cincinnati team. They completely proved me right - they had no business being in the AFC Playoffs this year. I'm sure they will point to their QB being out, but Kitna was doing just fine. They just weren't ready yet. They shouldn't hang their heads too low - it was a great season for them, and they will be a force (perhaps) for many years to come. They had to get this first game out of their system. The Steelers went thru the same thing in 1992 when they were shelled at home by an experienced Buffalo team. Chad Johnson and the others will learn when to talk about the torch being passed, and they will learn that things like that don't happen until this time of year.

So what's next for the Steelers? How about the impossible? That's right - it's another trip to Indy!! Ugh.... I don't want to even think about how difficult that's going to be until later this week. Let's savor this victory for a while. Let's appreciate the fact that even though the Steelers didn't "win" the division this year, they certainly proved who the best team was in the end. This was a sweet win, but I'm sure Cowher and company will be looking towards next week very soon, just like an experienced, professional playoff team should. Here are the numbers:

• Ben Roethlisberger: 14-19, 208 yards, 3 TD
• Cedrick Wilson: 3 rec, 104 yards, 1 TD
• Steelers: first road playoff win since 1989

Elsewhere in the NFL Playoffs: New England beat Jacksonville, New York Giants lost to Carolina, Tampa Bay lost to Washington

Final 2005 AFC North Division Standings

Steelers 35, Lions 21

Steelers headed to the playoffs

The road to the playoffs was much more bumpy than it was last year, but in the end the Steelers still made it in. They will be the 2nd wild card (i.e. the 6th seed) in the AFC thanks to a big win at home today against the lowly Lions.

Denver's victory over San Diego last night meant that the Steelers needed to win this game, especially since everyone knew that Cincinnati had no intention of beating Kansas City. But no one told the Steelers defense that. The same defense that allowed 3 points in the last two games looked very flat today against a putrid Detroit offense. Granted, Joey Harrington probably played the game of his life, but the Steelers defense kept allowing 3rd down conversions, including a pathetic 3rd and 19 conversion in the 1st quarter. At one point the Lions jumped out to a 14-7 lead, making all 63,000 of us at Heinz Field very nervous. The offense also looked somewhat flat in the first half, but fortunately the special teams came up huge. They either scored or set up all three of the Steelers first half touchdowns. The first was an 81 yard punt return score by Antwaan Randle El, who has been playing great lately as a return man. The next two TD's were set up by a long kickoff return and a fumble recovery on special teams. The two touchdowns were scored however by Jerome Bettis. More on his big day in a moment.

In the second half, the offense picked it up and added two more TD's. Fast Willie rumbled for 135 yards, giving him over 1200 on the season - not too shabby for a guy who was a backup in college. The defense struggled a bit more in the 3rd quarter, allowing yet another TD from Harrington and company, but ultimately the Lions remembered that they suck. Also, the fact that their defense punched out shortly after halftime made it an easy second half for Pittsburgh. The Steelers played a bit shaky - definitely not a playoff-worthy performance - but they still thumped a bad team.

The big story of the day was Bettis. This was by all accounts his final home game, and he went out in style rushing for three touchdowns. He also got what I thought was the biggest single ovation I have ever witnessed in 20 years of attending Steelers games when he went off the field late in the 4th quarter. The Bus took one final bow and said goodbye to the fans who have cheered him on for the past 10 seasons. If it was your last game, Jerome, know that you will be sorely missed.

So now the Steelers move ahead to the playoffs. It sucks to be Kansas City right now, as 10-6 usually should be enough to get you into the post-season, but maybe they should have thought of that when they were trying to arm-tackle Tiki Barber while single-handedly killing my fantasy team two weeks ago (not that I'm bitter about that). The Chiefs were 10-6 because they hammered a Cincinnati team that tanked the game so that they could play Jacksonville instead of Pittsburgh. But guess what losers - you have to play us anyway!! (because Miami beat New England). That's right - Steelers vs. Bengals, Part 3 will take place next Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium, and I personally can't wait for the Steelers to get another crack at that team. We'll talk more about that game later this week, but for now, let's congratulate the Steelers on making the post-season. All seemed lost when they were 7-5 a few weeks ago, but they made a remarkable run to get in, and now who knows what's possible? Yes, it will be a VERY tough road, but last year we were 15-1 with a relatively easy road and look how that turned out! Here are the numbers:

• Jerome Bettis: 3 TD; 13662 career rushing yards (5th all-time), 91 career TD's
• FWP: 135 yards; 1202 yards for the season
• Special Teams: 6 kick returns, 202 yards, 1 TD, 1 forced fumble

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cincinnati llost to Kansas City on purpose, Cleveland beat Baltimore

Steelers 41, Browns 0

Cleveland annihilated on Christmas Eve

Steelers 18, Vikings 3

Defense, special teams shine

This was a very non-descript game. The critics kept saying that the Vikings hadn't played anyone decent during their six game winning streak, and maybe the critics were right. The Steelers defense and special teams, which were as much responsible for that three-game losing streak then anyone, stonewalled Minnesota every time they had a chance to get into this game. The Steelers won again and kept their playoff hopes afloat.

Pittsburgh began the game with a long drive that featured a 50 yard pass to team rookie of the year Heath Miller. It was nice to see Heath involved in the passing game again, but the drive only netted a FG. Minnesota then got the break of the game when a punt bounced off of Antwaan Randle El's facemask and was recovered by the Vikings at the Steelers 3 yard line. But that's when the defense set the tone for the game, not allowing Minnesota into the endzone and forcing them to settle for a FG. It would be the only points of the game for the men in purple. Minnesota had another great chance later in the first half, but Brad Johnson was picked off at the 5 yard line by Joey Porter, who made a special cameo appearance in today's game. The special teams got into the act next. Captain Sideways (aka Randle El) decided to actually go forward on a punt return for the first time ever, and the result was a 72 yard run back. I kid El, but he truly made the play of the game there. The Steelers offense converted on the opportunity when Ben Roethlisberger dove into the endzone from 3 yards out to give the Steelers a 10-3 lead. Again, Minnesota had a chance to score but again the Steelers picked off Johnson in the red zone (this time it was Deshea Townsend), and Pittsburgh held a 7-point lead at halftime.

The second half saw more of the same domination from the defense and special teams. The Vikings had a good first drive but it didn't net any points because Paul Edinger's FG attempt was blocked by Kimo von Oelhoffen. The special teams made another play on the Vikings next possession when they recovered a fumble on a kickoff. Those two big plays each resulted in Jeff Reed field goals, which was more than enough to seal the deal. Just to add icing on the cake, the special teams pinned the Vikings deep in their own territory, and the defense tackled Michael Bennett in the endzone for a safety. I have seen the defense play like this before, and trust me - it was great to see that again, especially during this time of the year. But I don't know if I have ever seen a more complete game by the special teams, and I don't just mean this year. That was a truly remarkable performance. It was exactly what the Steelers needed.

As far as the playoff picture is concerned, the Steelers got some help last night from the Giants, who shredded the weak Kansas City defense behind a flurry of Tiki Barber rushing yards (that performance also knocked me out of my fantasy league playoffs, which really sucked!). So the Chiefs are now one game behind the Steelers, but unbelievably, the Chargers beat the undefeated Colts in Indianapolis to keep pace! That's right - the same Chargers who couldn't beat Miami at home last week even though their season was riding on it took out Peyton and company. Ugh... So now here is the deal - the Steelers do not 100% control their fate anymore. Yes, they hold the tie-breaker over San Diego, but if it ends in a three-way tie among Pittsburgh, San Diego, and Jacksonville (currently one game up on both teams), then guess which team is out? Yep, it's your Pittsburgh Steelers. That is an unlikely scenario given that the Jags finish with the Texans and Titans while the Chargers have to go to KC and play Denver in the finale. The Steelers just need to focus on winning next week in Cleveland. I don't believe there will be an 11-5 team that will sit home for the playoffs. That only happened one time in NFL history (Denver in 1985), and that was back when there were only five playoff teams in each conference. Here are the numbers from today's big win:

• Special Teams: 72 yard punt return, 1 blocked FG, 1 fumble recovery
• Defense: 2 INT, 2 sacks

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cincinnati hammered Detroit and wrapped up the division for the fist time since 1990, Cleveland beat Oakland, Baltimore hosts Green Bay on Minday night

Steelers 21, Bears 9

Back in the hunt

Have the Steelers ever needed a win more than they needed one this week? They were riding a three-game losing streak and their shot at the AFC Playoffs, which seemed like a sure bet a month ago, was all but gone. The Steelers had been playing poorly and making dumb mistakes in the past three weeks, and today things were not going to get any easier as the red-hot Chicgo Bears rolled into town on an 8 game winning streak. But someone lit a fire under the Steelers players and they cooled off the Bears today with a dominant victory that has them back in the thick of the playoff picture.

This game was going to be a battle of defense. Most people, including me, expected a final score of something like 10-7. That's why it was so shocking that the Steelers were able to move the ball so well in the first half. On their second play from scrimmage, the Steelers ripped off a 45 yard screen pass to FWP. A few plays later, Ben Roethlisberger hit Hines Ward for a 14 yard TD. After the Bears cut the score to 7-3, the offense put together a second TD drive. This one was a 10 play, 73 yard clock-eater. It was SO huge to be up 14-3. Chicago does not have the offense to catch up when they are down by that much. The game was pretty much over by that point.

The Steelers added another TD in the 3rd quarter to really put the nail in the coffin. Jerome Bettis scored two of the three touchdowns and had a monster 100 yard day. It was old fashioned Bettis time - it was really great to see him have one of those games where he just pounds on a really good defense. It may be the last time we ever get to witness that. The rest of the game consisted of Bettis and the Steelers running down the clock, an art they have perfected. Many of the Steelers players deserved blame for the past three losses, but they also deserve all the credit for the win this week. In what has become an irritating trend, the Steeler Nation often likes to beat up on the coaches (as this web site has pointed out before). While the coaches sometimes make bad calls, they cannot control whether or not the players execute, and lack of execution has cost us the last three games. Not today, however - today everyone clicked. The offensive line was back in full force. The offense looked sharp with near perfect balance (173 oassing yards, 190 rushing yards). There were no turnovers. The defense shut down Kyle Orton and company (yes, that's not a tremendous feat, but consider the fact that their past eight opponents could not do that). Even the special teams snapped out of their funk. This is why it's hard to give up on this team even though the road to glory is going to be really tough. If they play like they did today, they could beat ANYONE in the league.

I can already here the cynics now: "Chicago was overrated.... They really aren't that good of a team." That is dead wrong. As I stated in my preview this week, I have a lot of money riding on Chicago this season, so I have been keeping close tabs on them. I even went to a game in Soldier Field a few weeks ago and saw first hand what their defense is capable of. Trust me - this is a very good team with an incredible defense. The fact that the Steelers picked that defense apart today is no small feat.

Later in the day, the Steelers got some help. Miami upset San Diego, and Dallas beat Kansas City in one of the better games of the season (how about them Cowboys! I've always loved that team!!). So here is the deal: the Steelers are now tied with the Chiefs and Chargers for the final wild card position. I'm not going to worry about tie-breakers right now because if the Steelers win out, there is no way all three of them can finish in a tie (KC and San Diego play each other in two weeks). So the Steelers just need to keep winning. They can still salvage this season. I saw that spark today. I've been waiting for that spark for a while now. This team is not done yet. I just hope they believe that too. Here are the numbers:

• Jerome Bettis: 17 rushes, 101 yards, 2 TD
• Ben Roethlisberger: 13-20, 173 yards, 1 TD

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

Steelers 31, Bengals 38

Snap out of it!

This was a must-win game for the Steelers. They played hard, but in the end it was the little mistakes that ate away at them again. I never thought I'd be saying these words, but the Cincinnati Bengals will be the division champions this year (barring a spectacular meltdown).

This game turned into a shootout right from the start. Ben Roethlisberger threw for a career high 386 yards. Still, this was the type of game that suited the Bengals offense more than the Steelers. Big Ben led two first half TD drives, one of 68 yards that ended with a short Bettis TD run, and another of 72 yards that ended with Quincy Morgan's first TD as a Steeler. But the Bengals answered each drive with a TD of their own, and thanks to a bad Roethlisberger interception, took the lead in the 2nd quarter. The Bengals won the turnover battle 4-0 today, and that turned out to be enormous.

Down by 7 in the 3rd quarter, the Steelers marched down the field and Hines Ward caught a sliding bullet of a pass for a 20 yard TD. That should have been the play of the game. It tied things up at 24 and gave the Steelers all kinds of momentum. But on the ensuing kickoff, the special teams allowed Tab Perry (who?) to return it 94 yards, which set up an easy TD. That sucked the life out of the crowd and the team. The Steelers had multiple chances the rest of the game. The offense kept moving the ball, but kept finding inexplicable ways to blow it. Willie Parker and Duce Staley kept fumbling, and even though the Steelers recovered, it killed drives. Ben threw another very costly pic which ultimately led to another Cincinnati TD. The Steelers finally did score a late TD to cut it to 38-31, then got the ball back with 2:30 left, but two costly holding penalties killed any chance they had for last second heroics.

These past three weeks have been beyond frustrating. If the team were fading away, or succumbing to injuries, then fine - I'd be upset, but I could accept it. The problem is that this is still a good team with the same players who were winning every single week last year and in the first half of this year. Hines Ward dropped a TD pass and fumbled the ball away, and both of those plays cost the Steelers points. The running backs couldn't hang onto the ball. Ben played a killer game but threw some horrible interceptions. The special teams - which looked SO GOOD early in the season - let up a monster play. The defense is giving up 100 yard rushing games now even though Farrior and Hampton are both healthy. The offensive line can't get a running game going and is making costly mistakes (although they looked better this week). Even guys like Jeff Reed are struggling. I don't know what this is. It's like the whole team is in a collective batting slump, and there's really no good explanation for it!

Tunch Ilkin, the Steelers great color analyst, said once that the NFL landscape always shifts every four weeks, and man is he right. I was sitting in a bar in Chicago just three weeks ago tonight watching the Steelers pound the Browns and run their record to 7-2. They had the inside track to the #2 seed and the bye week that goes with it. Now here we are three weeks later, and the Steelers must battle Kansas City and San Diego for the #6 seed - and they will be lucky to get that. The season has collapsed right before our eyes. It's sad to watch. Here are the numbers:

• Ben Roethlisberger: 29-41, 386 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
• Hines Ward: 9 rec, 135 yards, 2 TD, 1 Fumble

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

Steelers 7, Colts 26

Indianapolis stays perfect

Going into this game, the Steelers had an obvious plan: try to run the ball and keep the Colts offense off the field. It did not work. The offensive line played another crappy game, and the Colts offense caught fire enough to pound the Steelers and run their record to an impressive 11-0. It seemed like no matter what the Steelers tried, they just couldn't match up with this team.

As usual, the Steelers began the game by falling behind. On the Colts first play from scrimmage, Peyton Manning hit Marvin Harrison on an 80 yard TD pass. Harrison was WIDE OPEN as Ike Taylor bit really badly on a play-action fake. All those Manning to Harrison touchdowns over the years and this one was the longest - just an awful way to start the game. The Steelers then gave up a FG and were struggling to not let the Colts blow things wide open, but Troy Polamalu made a huge play, intercepting Manning across the middle and returning it inside the 10 yard line. The play set up a Roethlisberger to Ward TD pass, but more importantly, it disrupted Peyton's rythm for the rest of the first half. The Colts added two more FG's while Jeff Reed missed on his only attempt. It was 16-7 Colts at halftime, but the way the game started, it seemed as if it could have been much worse.

The second half began with a surprise onside kick by the Steelers. It was a gutsy call designed to give the Steelers much-needed momentum, but when Indianapolis recovered, the call backfired. Manning soon found his rythm again and threw for another TD. That seemed to take the wind out of the Steelers sails. The rest of the game consisted of the Colts offense running out the clock and the Colts defense dominating the Steelers offense.

I wish I could write more about this game, but there really isn't much left to say. The Colts look unstoppable. I didn't fully realize how good they were until tonight. They may not lose all year. The Steelers meanwhile are in serious trouble now. They MUST beat Cincinnati next week to even have a shot at the division, and the playoffs in general may even be at risk at this point. I think the most discouraging thing is the poor play of the offensive line. Dwight Freeney literally bowled over Marvel Smith (who got hurt again) and Trai Essex all night. This team seems to be slowly fading away. We'll see what happens next week, but right now there is reason to worry if you are a Steelers fan. Here are the numbers:

• Ben Roethlisberger: 17-26, 133 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT

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

Steelers 13, Ravens 16 (OT)

Disastrous loss

Ever since their huge win over the Bengals four weeks ago, the Steelers have looked flat and uninspired. Granted, some very key players have been missing, but that hadn't stopped them from being able to win, especially when you look at the past few opponents. Today the Steelers went to Baltimore to take on the 2-7 Ravens in a game that was vital to the AFC playoff standings, and they blew it big time.

This game was full of so many mistakes that I don't even know where to begin. Let's start with the most obvious problem - the offensive line. Tommy Maddox got his second start of the season, and while he didn't make any real big plays, he did turn in a very solid game given the circumstances. The offensive line allowed six sacks, and Maddox was running for his life for much of the game. OT Marvel Smith missed the game with an injury, and it really hurt the line. My buddy had remarked that perhaps it wasn't a coincidence that we were 6-10 the year Smith was hurt, and I'm starting to think that Smith may be the most underrated player on the team. The Steelers running game also failed miserably. Maddox threw 36 times, which is almost always a bad sign for a Steelers offense. The receivers dropped passes left and right. The defense played OK but took some really dumb penalties and in the first half, allowed Baltimore to score their first touchdown in weeks. They also allowed the Ravens to drive for the game-winning FG in OT. Even the special teams looked like crap. And don't even get me started on the coaching. At one point, the Steelers had 3rd and inches and got cute with a Randel El option play. When that didn't work, they tried a play action pass on 4th and inches that resulted in sack #806!

The Steelers trailed for most of the game before finally putting together an 85 TD yard drive in the 4th quarter (FWP scored the touchdown on an 11 yard screen pass). The Steelers then had a golden opportunity at the end of regulation. They were driving and were around midfield when Maddox attempted a pass to Hines Ward along the sidelines. Ward accidentally kicked the ball into the air, and LB Terrell Suggs made a diving interception. It was a fluke play, and it cost the Steelers a chance to win. In overtime it looked as if the game might end in a tie because neither offense could move the ball. The Steelers got a good drive going and had 3rd and 4 at the Baltimore 46 yard line. Even if they didn't make it they were going to pin Baltimore deep. But then Maddox got sacked AGAIN and Bryant McFadden got called for two straight false start penalties on the ensuing punt. The Steelers just couldn't do anything right. Eventually the Ravens put together a drive and Matt Stover kicked a 44 yard FG to end a miserable game.

The Steelers were awful on every front. Playing like garbage finally caught up with them. Now they are in deep trouble. Fortunately the Bengals lost to the Colts, but the problem is that the Bengals are going to win next week which means that the Steelers have to somehow beat the unbeatable Colts next Monday to keep pace. Plus they are a game behind Denver for the playoff bye week. They really screwed themselves. I'm not sure how to feel about this team yet. Perhaps I could make a better evaluation when Roethlisberger, Farrior, Smith, ect. come back to the lineup. Right now this just seems to be a team that may win a wild card game but nothing else. I really hope I'm wrong. This team is capabale of so much more. I'm just hoping that they will get hot at the end of the season, but even if they do, the road thru the playoffs may still be too difficult to overcome. Here are the numbers:

• Tommy Maddox: 19-36, 230 yards, 1 TD
• Defense: 5 sacks, 1 INT

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cincinnati lost to Indianapolis, Cleveland shut out Miami

Steelers 34, Browns 21

Hines Ward makes history

I was nervous about this game going in. The Steelers had not played well in the previous two games, and had really not played well at home since week 1. Ben Roethlisberger was still out, which in the other two games Ben had missed, meant that the offense can't move the ball. The defense had been playing poorly as well, especially on 3rd downs. However, the Steelers showed all their fans that there was indeed nothing to worry about as they rolled over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday night. It was an evening that belonged to WR Hines Ward, as he passed Steeler legend John Stallworth to become the Steelers all-time leading receiver.

The game started off terribly. Trent Dilfer led Cleveland on a quick opening drive that resulted in a touchdown run. Underrated RB Reuben Droughns, who ran really hard against the Steelers tough run defense all night, bowled over a few defenders on his way into the endzone. The Steelers first drive was disastorous. Ward made a brilliant catch in the endzone but it was called back after a challenge (has the "it must be inconclusive evidence to overturn a play" rule gone COMPLETELY out the window this year?), and then the Steelers got stuffed on a 4th and 1 deep in Cleveland territory (I wonder what all the "Cowher is too conservative" bashers have to say about that call). Down 7-0, the Steelers finally woke up, scoring 27 unanswered points to take the win. Charlie Batch just flat out played a tremendous game. He looked rusty last week, but this week he looked a lot like the QB that the Detroit Lions gave a $10 million signing bonus to once upon a time. Batch led the Steelers on an 80 yard TD drive and a 42 yard FG drive. Along the way Ward caught three passes to officially pass Stallworth, a moment that got him a huge ovation from the Heinz Field crowd.

At the end of the first half, the Steelers made some plays that killed the Browns. From his own 22 yard line, Dilfer threw a pass that was tipped by Troy Polamalu and picked off by LB Joey Porter (in a rare cameo appearance). Batch then hit Ward on three straight completions, the last of which appeared to be a touchdown. Ward started celebrating, but the refs ruled him down at the one yard line and the clock was ticking down to the final seconds. With no timeouts left, Batch had to make a quick decision - should he spike it and take the FG, or should he run a play and risk time running out if it didn't work? Batch made the gutsy call to attempt a sneak into the endzone, and it worked. The Steelers went up 17-7 and never looked back.

Batch played his heart out in that first half in front of his family and hometown fans. That was great to see, but unfortunately, the first half was all he would get. Batch broke his hand and could not return in the second half. Tommy Maddox came in and everyone got nervous. However, on the Steelers first possession of the half, they made sure that Maddox would not need to do much to secure the win. The Steelers ran a reverse to Antwaan Randle El similar to last week's opening play in Green Bay, but this time El heaved the ball down the field to a wide open Hines Ward for a 51 yard TD play! It was a trick play that completely fooled the Browns, and it iced the game. But the best part about the play was that it rounded out a great night for Ward. The refs had taken two first half touchdowns away from him, but he finally got one (from an unlikely passer no less). The rest of the second half was just mostly clock-killing time, although one cool thing was seeing Browns defender Leigh Bodden return a blocked FG for a TD. Why was that cool? Because Bodden went to my alma mater, Duquesne University. It's not often - actually, it's not ever - that you get to see a Duquesne player do anything in the NFL, so that was nice to see, especially since the game had long since been decided. The Steelers meanwhile had Maddox throw a lot more passes than a team would usually attempt when they are up by 20. The reason for that was obvious: Maddox is in a big-time slump, and he needs to pull out of it immediately since he may be the starter again next week.

The Steelers are now back in first place in the division by virtue of their tie-breaking win over Cincinnati earlier this year, but there are some tough games ahead. This win was a momentum builder and was much-needed after the ugliness of the previous two games. But this game should be remembered for what Hines Ward did. Ward has truly reached legendary status in Steelers history. In an era where the "star" wide receivers in the league openly bash their quarterback, or admit that they don't try on every play, or dance around like fools, Hines Ward plays with pride, dignity, and grit. He blocks like crazy on every running play and hustles on every passing play (always with a smile, no less). He is the complete package, and he has endeared himself to blue-collar Steelers fans everywhere. Here are the numbers from Hines' record game:

• Hines Ward: 8 rec, 124 yards, 1 TD (became Steelers all-time receptions leader)
• Charlie Batch: 13-19, 150 yards, 1 TD rush

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Baltimore lost to Jacksonville, Cincinnati had a bye

Steelers 20, Packers 10

Steelers win ugly again

It's a good thing that the Steelers have been playing against lousy opponents the past two weeks, because had they turned in these kinds of performances against good teams, they would be riding a two game losing streak right now. Today's game in Green Bay was an ugly game marred by little offense and sucky defense, but in the end the Steelers did just enough to beat the awful Packers.

The Steelers jumped out to a modest 6-3 lead to open the game. Charlie Batch started his first game since 2001 today and he definitely looked rusty. The big play of the first half came when the Packers had the ball deep in Steelers territory. CB Bryant McFadden, who played a really good game for a rookie, nailed Brett Favre and separated him from the football. Troy Polamalu scooped it up and ran 77 yards for the Steelers touchdown. That was huge - it was a 10-14 point swing. The Packers then blew another golden opportunity right before halftime as kicker Ryan Longwell missed a chipshot field goal, but they were still only down by 10.

The Steelers defense is starting to concern me. They made the big touchdown play in the first half, but they really played poorly all day. They have a real problem getting off the field on 3rd downs. At one point between the 2nd and 3rd quarter, Green Bay had the ball for 17 straight minutes!! That is unaccepatable to say the least. The Packers opened up the 3rd quarter with a long TD drive to cut the Steelers lead to 13-10. At that point they had all the momentum while the Steelers offense could do nothing under Batch. Fortunately, the defense started stepping up and actually stopping the Packers a few times. In the 4th quarter, the defense made the play (or caught the break, depending on how you want to look at it) that iced the game. Favre threw a pass that bounced off of the hands of WR Donald Driver and into the hands of S Tyrone Carter. Favre has thrown some bad interceptions lately, but I thought that one was clearly Driver's fault. I've always said that there should be an interception stat for receivers much like how there is a wild pitch vs. passed ball stat in baseball. Anyway, the Steelers suddenly had the ball on the Packers 20 yard line and Duce Staley, seeing his first action of the year, was able to score a short TD to give the Steelers a20-10 lead. Green Bay couldn't put together any drives the rest of the game and for some reason, didn't seem to be in a hurry either. They may end up being the league's worst team this year. It will be a sad end to Brett Favre's career.

So the Steelers pulled out another ugly win against an inferior opponent. You can't be too hard on the offense. Yes, Charlie Batch is a veteran and he should be able to do more than throw for 65 yards, but he didn't do anything to help lose the game, and that's already more than you can say for Tommy Maddox. I was very disappointed in the defense again. I'm not sure what the problem is. Perhaps Dick Lebeau is just taking the "let's just play it safe, bend but not break, and let the crappy teams beat themselves" position. I'm not sure I like that approach. What does it say about your defense when Bryant McFadden and Tyrone Carter were your two biggest stars? I hope we get it together before playing Cleveland at home next week. Here are the numbers:

• Duce Staley: 15 rushes, 76 yards, 1 TD

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cincinnati beat Baltimore, Cleveland beat Tennessee

Steelers 20, Ravens 19

Ugh.... it's still a win

I honestly thought this game was going to be a blowout. The Ravens have sucked this year and were playing without Ed Reed and The Murderer. The Steelers were coming off a huge win and hadn't lost a Monday night home game since 1991. But it didn't turn out that way. Larry Foote said it best when he compared this game to a college rivalry. Even when one of the two teams isn't fairing well, you know they are going to be up to the challenge because of who the opponent is. As much as I hate Baltimore, I have to give them credit for being up to the challenge. Fortunately, despite a myriad of mistakes, the Steelers were still able to pull this one out.

The first drive of the game couldn't have gone better. The Steelers marched methodically down the field, eating almost nine minutes off the clock, and capping the drive with yet another Heath Miller TD catch. It seemed as if the 64,000 of us at Heinz Field might be able to get home early, but that was not the case. The rest of the first half was miserable. The Steelers defense, which played perhaps its worst game of the last two seasons, had trouble stopping The Drug Dealer even though he publicly told everyone this week that he was no longer into trying. The secondary couldn't stop Derrick Mason, which coincidentally was also a problem when he played for Tennessee. And Anthony Wright actually looked like a solid NFL quarterback. To make matters worse, the Steelers also failed to convert two big opportunities - a long Quincy Morgan kick return and a Drug Dealer fumble - into more than three points. At halftime the score was tied at 10, and it seemed like it could have been much worse.

The second half was a replica of the first half. The Steelers offense began the half with their second TD drive, and once again it was Miller who scored. What a great pick this kid is turning out to be. It's only a matter of time before the rest of the NFL starts to recognize that Miller is a real threat. After the TD, the defense went back into soft mode and allowed two more Baltimore field goals. The Steelers still had a one point lead late in the 4th quarter when they lined up for a punt that should have pinned the Ravens deep in their own territory. Instead a bizarre play ensued as longsnapper Greg Warren hiked the ball too early, and it shanked off of Sean Morey's leg. The botched punt resulted in great field position for the Ravens and soon old man Matt Stover was drilling his 4th FG of the game to give the Ravens a shocking 19-17 lead with only 3:21 left. What's with the bonehead plays this year? Seriously, can you remember any other season where we witnessed this many costly dumb plays?? So the Steelers had to drive quickly, and guess what - Ben Roethlisberger made it look easy. He completed two quick passes for 37 yards and got the Steelers into FG range. Jeff Reed nailed a 37 yarder to give the Steelers a one point lead. However, the Ravens still had over a minute and only needed to get into FG range, but the defense FINALLY came up big and stopped them around midfield. That ended this truly bad game.

The Steelers really looked like crap in all areas of the game. I rarely pile on the coaches, just because I think WAY too many people in this town curse Cowher every single time there is an incomplete pass, but there were some coaching blunders in this one. The Steelers called timeout right before halftime, even though the Ravens had the ball with the clock ticking down. That allowed Baltimore to attempt a hail mary for no reason. Then at the end of the game, the Steelers had 3rd and 3 but opted for an obvious Bettis run to the left to set up the Reed FG attempt. That was a little too conservative, especially given the fact that (a) it was still going to be a long kick, (b) a first down essentially assures the fact that the Ravens never see the ball again, (c) you only needed 3 yards, and (d) your defense couldn't stop future Hall of Famer Anthony Wright. So there is some criticism to go all the way around, but one fact remains - the Steelers still won. That's what often happens in the NFL - good teams find a way to win close games against bad teams. I'll take it. One last footnote that isn't getting much talk but is worth bringing up - did you just assume that Ben Roethlisberger was going to get us into FG range there at the end? I know I did. Ben has now done led three last minute come-from-behind drives this season. This is huge - the Steelers have not had a QB capable of this for a long time. If you aren't excited about Big Ben, you should be. Here are the numbers:

• Heath Miller: 2 TD's
• Me: made it from my seat in Heinz Field, to my car several blocks away, to my home 11 miles away, thru post-game traffic in just 35 minutes (by far the most amazing stat of the evening)

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland lost to Houston, Cincinnati beat Green Bay

Steelers 27, Bengals 13

Not so fast, Cincinnati

It's not too often that the 6th game of the season is a "must win" game, but that was the case for the Steelers today. Cincinnati has been dominating the AFC North this year and they were threatening to jump out to a huge lead in the standings if they could beat Pittsburgh at home. It was the biggest game in Cincinnati in the past 15 years, and the Steelers not only needed to win to keep pace in the division, but also to silence their angry fans who were still steaming from last week's gut-wrenching loss. The Steelers were up to the challenge today though. Going into this game, I thought the Steelers would play well (they often have under Cowher when their backs are against the wall like this). However, I had no idea that the game would be a blowout.

Cincinnati will be haunted all season by their first two possessions in this game. The Bengals got the ball to start the game and marched right down the field on the Steelers offense. Rudi Johnson was running well and Carson Palmer looked sharp as he has all season. Cincinnati eventually had the ball at the Steelers 16 yard line when Palmer hit Chad Johnson on what looked like a beautiful diving TD pass. But the Steelers challenged the catch and the refs ruled that Johnson was out of bounds before he had possession. A few plays later, Palmer found WR Chris Henry (WVU sucks) wide open in the endzone, but he dropped the easy touchdown. "Wouldn't it be the icing on the cake if they missed the chip-shot field goal?" I jokingly said to my brother at that point. Well, PK Shayne Graham did just that, pushing a 30 yard attempt wide left. On the Bengals second possession, they drove all the way inside the Steelers 10 yard line, but only came away with a field goal. They had two excellent drives to start the game and only had three points to show for it. This was simply a case of the Bengals not being quite ready for a game of this magnitude. I thought Marvin Lewis made a mistake this week when he prevented his players from doing interviews and other normal stuff because it was a big game. The Bengals quickly reverted back to the Bungles in the clutch today, and they never quite recovered from those first two drives.

Meanwhile, the Steelers offense barely even got onto the field, but they did manage to put together one nive 60 yard drive in the 2nd quarter which ended with a TD pass to TE Heath Miller. It's so nice to see a TE finally getting involved in the passing game. Cincinnati kicked another FG before halftime, but the Steelers still took a 7-6 lead into the locker room. It was strange - it did not feel like we should have had a lead at that point. But we did, and the second half wouldn't even be close.

Palmer has been great all season. I know this first-hand because he is the QB on my 5-1 fantasy team. But today my team suffered their first loss since week 1, and it was due in large part to the play of the Steelers defense. Palmer hadn't thrown an interception in the past 20 quarters, but the Steelers picked him off twice to begin the 3rd quarter. The first interception (by Chris Hope) led to a Jeff Reed FG, and the second one (by Aaron Smith at the line of scrimmage) set up a nifty 37 yard TD run by FWP. Parker got back on track today by racking up 131 of the Steelers 221 yards on the ground. That TD run was vintage FWP because he weaved his way outside and then outran a defender to the endzone. The offense then put the game away in the 4th quarter as Hines Ward caught a TD pass and then did a nice little Chad Johnson riverdance celebration. Ben Roethlisberger came back and the Steelers really needed him. Ben only threw 14 passes, but likes weeks 1 and 2, that was really all the Steelers needed. They pushed the Bengals solid defense around in the ground game and in the second half, the defense just made their offense look putrid. Palmer got some garbage yards and a TD at the end of the game when it was already over, but that was it.

I can't say enough about how impressive this win was. The Bengals smelled blood. The Steelers were so down from last week's loss, and Cincinnati was playing at home in front of their fans (yes, they actually had more Bengals fans than Steelers fans at their game this year). But the Steelers weren't ready to allow Cincinnati to take the division away from them. The Steelers had to win, and they did it in a way that left no doubt about who was the better team, at least for now. I can't wait for the second game, because it's probably going to be even bigger. This may actually be turning into a good rivalry. Here are the numbers:

• FWP: 18 rushes, 131 yards, 1 TD
• Heath Miller: 6 rec, 58 yards, 1 TD

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland lost to Detroit, Baltimore lost to Chicago

Steelers 17, Jaguars 23 (OT)

Maddox gift-wraps win for Jacksonville

The Jaguars can thank the San Diego defense for their win today. By knocking out Ben Roethlisberger last week, the Chargers paved the way for Tommy Maddox to get his first start of the season, which he proceeded to massively botch. In fact, I think it would be fair to say that Maddox single-handedly cost the Steelers this game. I like Tommy a lot, and he is a solid verteran QB, but that performance today ranks as one of the all-time worst QB performances in team history.

The game started poorly for Maddox. He threw two first quarter interceptions, one of which was returned inside the 10 yard line, leading to a Jaguars touchdown. But the Steelers came back on two big plays. The first was a nice 15 TD catch by TE Heath Miller. The rookie caught the ball at about the 8 yard line and then just willed his way into the endzone. Miller had a breakout game today, leading the Steelers in receiving on a day where Hines Ward missed his first game ever. The second big play came on special teams when Antwaan Randle El raced 72 yards down the sideline on a punt return score. Those two plays gave the Steelers a 14-7 lead. The Steelers defense, which would later come up with a clutch play at the end of the second half, made a clutch goal line stand at the end of the first half to preserve a 14-10 lead.

In the 3rd quarter, the Jaguars put together their only decent offensive drive of the entire game, capping it with a beautiful one-handed TD catch by rookie WR Matt Jones. The Steelers offense responded in the 4th quarter with a no-huddle drive that yielded a FG and locked things up at 17. Late in the 4th quarter, both teams blew golden opportunities to win the game. The Steelers got into FG range, but Captain Clutch (Jeff Reed) missed a 46 yard kick. I know - it was a long attempt. Maybe we're just expecting too much from Reed, but can you blame us? After all, the guy NEVER misses. So the Jags then had their chance to win, but they made a really dumb mistake. They too were in long FG range and decided to throw one up for the endzone. Byron Leftwich was hit as he threw, and rookie CB Bryant McFadden picked it off in the endzone. Amazingly, this game was headed to OT.

The Steelers won the OT coin toss. Quincy Morgan fielded the opening kickoff and raced thru a wall of blockers. The Jaguars didn't catch up to Morgan until he was all the way down to the Jacksonville 26 yard line!! This was it - game over. All the Steelers had to do was call three safe plays and let Reed attempt another long FG, because there was no way he was going to miss twice. But on 3rd down, Maddox dropped back and fumbled the football without even being hit. To make matters worse, he clumsily tried to pick it up rather than fall on it, and the Jaguars recovered. That was unreal - the Steelers handed their big chance away. But the defense hung tough, driving the Jags offense backwards on the ensuing possession. The Steelers would get the ball for a second time in OT, and with decent field position too. But two plays later, disaster struck. Maddox looked to his right and threw a terrible pass. Jacksonville CB Rashean Mathis intercepted it and ran it back untouched 41 yards for the game-winning TD.

Steelers 24, Chargers 22

Steelers pull out huge road win

Pittsburgh was faced with a very daunting task as it headed into this Monday night game at San Diego. The Steelers trailed the Bengals by two games in their division and were coming off a tough loss. Their opponent was on a roll, scoring 86 points in the past two weeks. Would the Steelers be able to overcome the odds?

The Steelers were the first team to get on the board. In the 2nd quarter, they went 84 yards in 9 plays, capping the drive with a brilliant QB draw call. Ben Roethlisberger, who started the game slightly shaky, ran it right up the middle for a 7 yard touchdown. Later in the quarter, LB James Harrison stopped a Chargers drive by intercepting a pass that tipped off the hands of star TE Antonio Gates. San Diego then gave the Steelers 30 yards by commiting two stupid personal fouls. The Steelers offense was able to take over from there, and Jerome Bettis (in his first action of the season) capped the drive with a 1 yard TD run, giving the Steelers a 14-0 cushion.

One of the unsung heroes in the first half was Antwaan Randle El. After his mental "mishap" two weeks ago, El played an odd role tonight - he was, in effect, Matthew Barnaby. For you Pens fans who remember Barnaby, he didn't score many goals, but there were some games where he would come out and atagonize players in order to draw a bunch of penalties, which in turn enabled the more skilled players to score. That's what Randle El did tonight. He drew blatant pass interference calls, and even got someone to shove him down after a whistle, resulting in a 15 yard infraction. I don't know why San Diego was so frustrated by him, but whatever he was doing, it worked well.

The Steelers were in great shape with a 14 point lead, but right before halftime, San Diego's quick-strike offense drove right down the field and cut it to 14-7. The defense just fell asleep on that drive, and the momentum had suddenly shifted. In the second half, the Chargers offense was unstoppable. They drove deep into Steelers territory three straight times, but fortunutely they only came away with field goals each time. It was enough to take a 16-14 lead. I do give the defense some credit - they did keep LT in check, but they couldn't get off the field on 3rd downs, something that killed them in the last game as well. The Steelers offense meanwhile hadn't been doing much, but as soon as they saw their lead evaporate, they responded with a quick 3 play, 62 yard drive that ended with a nice 16 yard TD pass to rookie TE Heath Miller. But once again, the San Diego offense came roaring back. They drove down the field as well, and Ladainian Tomlinson gave the Chargers the lead right back with a short TD run. However, the TD only put the Chargers up by one, as they failed on the two-point conversion. That play ended up being HUGE, because the Steelers got the ball back with about 4 minutes left and began their last-minute march down the field. Roethlisberger looked sharp and calm, leading the Steelers on a 40 yard drive and into FG range. Bettis also made some big plays on the drive, converting two 3rd and 1 plays into first downs. That set up Captain Clutch, aka Mr. Automatic, aka Jeff Reed for a 40 yard FG attempt. Reed's kick sailed right down the middle, and the Steelers had pulled off a huge road win against the NFL's hottest team.

The loss may have been bittersweet however. On the final pass of the last-minute drive, Roethlisberger took a helmet to the knee. It looked REALLY bad on TV. All of Pittsburgh will be holding their collective breath as they await the results of the MRI on Ben's knee. For now, let's just be happy that the Steelers pulled this one out. This game was very similar the to New England game - two good teams battling it out, the Steelers blowing an early lead, and the defense going into hibernation in the 4th quarter. The difference in this one was that we kicked the FG at the end instead of them. Here are the numbers:

• Ben Roethlisberger: 17-26, 225 yards, 1 TD pass, 1 TD rush
• Jeff Reed: 40 yard game-winning FG

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cincinnati lost to Jacksonville, Cleveland beat Chicago, Baltimore got destroyed by Detroit

Steelers 20, Patriots 23

Patriots flex championship muscle again

The Steelers had played so well in their first two games against lesser teams, leaving many to wonder how they would fair against that team that wins the Super Bowl every year. In the end, the Steelers played a hard-fought game, but New England did what they always do - they found a way to win.

At first it looked as if the Patriots had picked up right where they left off in last year's AFC Championship Game. Tom Brady marched New England down the field for a touchdown on their first possession. It really is something to sit there and watch Brady. He doesn't wow you the way Peyton Manning does. He doesn't make the highlight reel plays like Michael Vick does. But he picked apart our secondary for much of the game, finding seams where it seemed none existed. This guy is truly an all-time great. After New England's first TD, Pittsburgh responded with a bang. Ben Roethliberger hit Hines Ward on a slant pattern, and Ward was off to the races for an 85 yard touchdown! Jeff Reed also added a FG to make the score 10-7. The Steelers defense made two huge plays before halftime, forcing two Patriot red zone turnovers. The first was a fumble, and the second was a tipped pass which resulted in an interception near the goal line. Those two plays potentially saved 14 points.

However, the Steelers also made two absolutely terrible plays which would, in my opinion, end up costing them the game. Roethlisberger hit Anwtaan Randle El on a long pass down to the New England 15 yard line, where he proceeded to make the bonehead play of the century. Randle El was about to get tackled when he inexplicably tried to lateral the ball to Hines Ward. It was surreal - what was he thinking?! Ward wasn't looking for a lateral (why would he be?) and the ball bounced to the turf where New England pounced on it. We were going to have 1st and 10 from the 15, and he threw it away! I'd be upset with a high school player for doing something that stupid, much less a professional athelete. Later in the first half, more stupidity occured. Jeff Reed nailed a 47 yard FG, but the Steelers were called for a false start, and the ensuing 52 yard attempt was no good. Those two plays cost the Steelers 6-10 points, and New England did not have to even lift a finger to earn it. You just can't shoot yourselves in the foot against great teams.

The 3rd quarter saw staunch defense from both sides. The teams traded field goal's and the Steelers clung to a 13-10 lead, but it just seemed like a matter of time before Brady and company rallied. In the 4th quarter, the New England offense finally put together another touchdown drive. This one covered 86 yards and took the steam out of the Steelers defense. By the time the final few minutes rolled around, the Patriots had added a FG to increase their lead to 7, but the Steelers had one last chance. Following a great kickoff return by Ricardo Coclough, Roethlisberger began marching the Steelers downfield. The key play on the drive happened on a 4th and 11. The Steelers were down to their last play and threw a pass towards the endzone to Quincy Morgan. It was incomplete, but Chad Scott (yes, Chad Scott) was flagged for pass interference! On the next play, Ben hit Hines Ward on a beautiful play-action pass, and the game was tied with 1:21 remaining. Heinz Field went nuts, but I think everyone had the same bad feeling: there was 1:21 left on the clock, and New England has won two Super Bowls under this exact same scenario. Sure enough, Brady did it again. He quicky got the Patriots into FG range, where Adam Vinatieri (who has never missed a clutch kick) won the game on a last-second 43 yard FG.

This was a tough loss, but not a devastating one. The game really lived up to the hype, and the Steelers showed that they can take even the toughest of teams. New England struggled for much of the game but showed that there is a reason why they have all those rings. I think the thing that frustrates me the most are those two 2nd quarter mistakes, especially Randle El's lateral. The Steelers played so flawlessly in the first two games, then they go and blow golden opportunities when they can least afford to. Anyway, it's done, and now the Steelers now have 15 days to rest before their next game. The scary thing is this: the Bengals could conceivably be 5-0 by the next time the Steelers take the field. Here are the numbers:

• Ben Roethlisberger: 12-28, 216 yards, 2 TD
• Hines Ward: 4 rec, 110 yards, 2 TD

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cleveland lost to Indianapolis, Cincinnati beat Chicago, Baltimore had a bye

Steelers 27, Texans 7

Another solid performance

This was almost an exact replay of last week's game: the Steelers moved the ball well on offense, didn't allow much on defense, and played a very solid football game. When you do that - especially against lesser teams like the Houston Texans - you come out with an easy victory.

The Steelers offense picked up right where they left off last week. They scored on every possession once again until the 4th quarter when it didn't matter anymore. The Texans held Pittsburgh to a FG after an 11 play opening drive, but any momentum gained by that was quickly surrendered by Houston's putrid offense. QB David Carr - more on him in a minute - was running for his life all day, and on Houston's 3rd play from scrimmage, he was sacked and fumbled the ball at his own 22 yard line. That set up the a nice 16 yard TD pass over the middle from Ben Roethlisberger to Hines Ward. Big Ben threw another near-perfect game, throwing for 254 yards and 2 touchdowns. Later in the first half, Roethlisberger again found Ward in the endzone capping off an 87 yard drive that really took the wind out of the Texans defense. Before halftime, Roethlisberger would hit Antwaan Randle El on a 54 yard bomb to set up Jeff Reed's second FG. It was 20-0 at halftime - once again, the Steelers were going to make sure a lot of people could go home early.

Give Carr credit. He led the Texans on a nice 78 yard TD drive to start the second half. It looked as if the Texans may have had some kind of a chance, but that all went down the drain on the Steelers ensuing possession. Roethlisberger made a classic Roethlisberger play - he scrambled to his right and HEAVED the ball all the way across the field to Cedrick Wilson (who was so wide open he could have fair caught the ball). That play occurred on 3rd down and it covered 40 yards. Houston officially gave up a few plays later. FWP, who had another fine game, ran through the middle of the Texans defense for a 10 yard TD scamper. Houston DB Phillip Buchanon made the worst attempt at a tackle this side of Deion Sanders. That was it - game over. You gotta give credit to FWP - the guy has now run for 100 yards in each of the past three regular season games. But the real star on offense was Roethlisberger. He looked so sharp again today, and I think he will get his due credit after being overshadowed by FWP last week. However, even though the offense looked good, the defense really had a field day. Troy Polamalu was ALL OVER the field, sacking Carr three times. I really feel bad for David Carr. The guy is not a bad QB, but he gets no protection whatsoever. Houston's O-line looks almost as bad as Pitt's O-line. Carr just threw up his hands in disbelief after having to scramble every other play just to avoid a sack. The Texans are doing a great disservice to their franchise player by not finding the personnel to protect him. It's been four years now - they couldn't have found some linemen in four years??

So the Steelers romped all over another team who is not on the same level as them. That's encouraging and it feels good right now, but the level of competition is about to go up quite a few notches. Next week the champs come to town for a huge early season showdown. We'll talk more about that game in a few days, but for now, give the Steelers credit for playing 100% textbook solid football. The biggest stat of the season so far has to be this one: zero turnovers. Keep that up and we may be looking at more blowouts. Here are the numbers:

• Ben Roethlisberger: 14-21, 254 yards, 2 TD
• FWP: 25 rushes, 111 yards, 1 TD
• Troy Polamalu: 6 tackles, 3 sacks
• Jeff Reed: 2 FG's; set team record for consecutive FG's

Elsewhere in the AFC North: Cincinnati beat Minnesota, Cleveland beat Green Bay, Baltimore lost to Tennessee

Steelers 34, Titans 7

Pre-season means nothing!

I watched exactly two quarters of pre-season action this summer. I learned a long time ago that pre-season is never a good indicator of how good or bad a team is going to be in the regular season. But that didn't stop many Steelers fans from pushing the panic button after the offense sputtered in the fake games. "Big Ben looks awful, he is headed for a sophomore jinx, when is Maddox coming in.... Heath Miller was a waste of a draft pick and we will never use him.... We have no deep threat now that Plex is gone...." People were going nuts before the Steelers even took the field for a real game. Well, anytime anyone ever uses the pre-season as a measuring stick again, just say "Opening Day 2005", because the Steelers offense put on an absolute clinic against a team that has owned them for the better part of the past decade.

Tennessee got the ball first and marched down the field. Steve McNair started picking apart our defense like he always does, and he completed the drive with a TD pass. The defense was a bit off today, but that first TD would be all that they would surrender. However, the big story of this game was the offense. Ben Roethlisberger shut up every one of his critics today with a brilliant performance. How brilliant? Well, Roethlisberger actually finished the game with a PERFECT passer rating. So much for him "sucking" I guess. On the Steelers first possession, Big Ben threw all over the Titans defense, capping the drive with a TD pass to #1 draft pick Heath Miller - the guy "who we wasted our draft pick on" scored the season's first TD. After a Jeff Reed FG gave the Steelers a 10-7 lead, the Steelers decided to dispel the myth about having "no deep threat". Roethlisberger heaved a 63 yard bomb that hung over the middle of the field, and Antwaan Randle El made a beautiful adjustment to catch it in stride and go into the endzone. I have to admit that I'm still not convinced that Randle El is a starting WR, but he sure looked like one on that play. Would Plex have been able to make that adjustment? If so, I never once saw it in him. Roethlisberger's second TD pass and a subsequent Reed FG gave the Steelers a 20-7 lead at halftime. The defense bended a bit but didn't break, and they made a huge play picking off McNair near the goal line late in the 2nd quarter (the interception wasn't McNair's fault - Chris Hope popped Drew Bennett causing him to lose the ball).

As good as Roethlisberger looked though, his play would actually be overshadowed by FWP (Fast Willie Parker). FWP went nuts today. He ripped off long runs of 25 and 45 yards, and he caught a screen pass for 48 yards. He also scored on an 11 yard TD at the start of the 3rd quarter that put the game away for good. Parker had 209 total yards before the end of the 3rd quarter!! The Steelers actually took him out at that point just to not risk injury. It will be interesting to see what happens when Duce and Bettis come back, because I just don't think you can take FWP out of there right now. The rest of the game was just a matter of running out the clock - the Steelers actually ran 22 straight running plays to end the game! When it was all said and done, the Steelers had blown out the Titans and had silenced all the worriers.

I realize this is only the first game, but if everyone else can go nuts over games that don't count, I can go nuts over one that does. All you people who were ready to jump off the bandwagon: what do you think now? Big Ben played the sharpest game of his brief career today. And how about FWP? How dumb does the North Carolina coach who benched FWP for most of his college career have to feel right now? I just loved this game. I needed it too - I drove all the way out to Athens on Friday to watch Pitt lose one of the biggest disaster games in a Pitt history that is chalk-full of horrible disasters. The Steelers still have a long season ahead of them, but they sure looked like contenders right now. Here are the numbers:

• Ben Roethlisberger: 9-11, 218 yards, 2 TD
• FWP: 161 yards, 1 TD

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