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Post by shavonfan on Jan 8, 2006 16:21:26 GMT -5
Okay, Leona...the Steelers are about to play! If they win, they face your Colts next week. Ready to bet me again if that happens?
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Post by ocelot on Jan 8, 2006 19:44:38 GMT -5
The Steelers Won! I'm ready to bet again. I still think the Colts can beat them, but we'll see.
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Post by shavonfan on Jan 8, 2006 19:52:42 GMT -5
Yeah, yeah yeah....we'll see! Ha! Okay, I'm a little cocky right now, but forgive me. The Steelers just put it to the Bengals. Let's here it for a strong running attack to control the game at the end! I request, oh, say......"Run To You" by Bryan Adams! Oh, and the bet is on!
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Post by achebeautiful on Jan 19, 2006 20:59:15 GMT -5
So, anybody think that the Steelers have a chance to make it to the Super Bowl? And just who will you be rooting for on Sunday, anyway....Denver or Pittsburgh?
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Post by ocelot on Jan 19, 2006 21:13:27 GMT -5
I'm rooting for Pittsburgh. I think they have a chance of making it to the Superbowl. They beat Indy.
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Post by achebeautiful on Jan 19, 2006 21:20:46 GMT -5
Hey, very cool! Thanks, Leona!
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Post by achebeautiful on Jan 20, 2006 19:56:03 GMT -5
Broncos bring many challenges for Steelers defense Thursday, January 19, 2006
By Teresa Varley
The Steelers are getting a good look at game film of the Denver Broncos this week and they are impressed with what they see.
"They play aggressive," said linebacker Joey Porter. "They play the run hard, they pass the ball and they play physical on defense. They're a very, very, very good football team."
The Broncos are ranked first in the AFC and second in the NFL in rushing, with Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell sharing the load. Stopping them will be a major key for the Steelers to be successful.
“Mike Anderson is good,” said nose tackle Carey Hampton. “I like all of their running backs. The other running back Bell is good too. He averages more yards per carry than Anderson. We’re going to have our hands full with both of them.”
It’s not just the running game that the defense will be focused on. Quarterback Jake Plummer has the ability to hurt a defense, especially if he gets outside of the pocket.
“We are going to have to try to keep him in the pocket and keeping him from bootlegging,” said Hampton.
He isn’t alone in that thought.
“When there is pressure on him he gets out of the pocket and he can run the ball as well as anyone can,” said linebacker Clark Haggans. “He has great feet. And he has great speed so there have been a lot of times throughout the year when people got pressure on him. He runs for 15 or 20 yards, picks up a first down, cruises out of bounds and is back in the huddle calling the next play. So that is something that we can’t have.
“He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, hardly any. He makes plays when he has too. He gets out of the pocket and he can stay in the pocket and is passing off to great receivers. And with their running game, I think that they are number one or two in the NFL in the run. So I know that takes a lot of pressure off him as well.”
The Broncos are the only team in the playoffs that the Steelers did not face earlier this season. But, many of the players have caught them on television and with the type of season they had, going 13-3 during the regular season, they sure haven’t flown under the Steelers radar.
“We have been keeping track of them all season just as everybody else,” said Haggans. “You just have to try to get as familiar as you can with them. By watching some tape and trying to relate some games that you have in common such as the Chargers and just try to play off of that.”
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Post by achebeautiful on Jan 20, 2006 19:58:17 GMT -5
"Mile high air a hot topic" Wednesday, January 18, 2006
By Teresa Varley
One of the hot topics this week is the thin air in Denver and what kind of effect it will have on the Steelers. Head coach Bill Cowher is hoping it doesn’t have much of an effect and is taking the approach that the less time spent there the better.
The Steelers will leave for Denver on Saturday afternoon, keeping to the same type of schedule that they have for all road games this year.
It can take up to a week to adjust to the air there, so if you don’t have that kind of time to spend there, then some experts saying limiting the amount of time is better.
”The biggest thing is hydrating, making sure you get enough food in your body,” said Cowher. “We’ll stick to our normal schedule, a lot like New England did last week. We’ll get out there late Saturday and we’ll play Sunday. I don’t think it will have much of an effect. Going in as late as we’re going in, I don’t think it will have as big of an effect.”
* * *
Cowher and Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan are taking part in the mutual admiration society this week. Both of them had high praise for the other in their weekly press conferences.
“I think they have the best signal-caller in the game today in Mike Shanahan,” said Cowher. “We will have to prepare for everything. He’s one of those guys that whatever you saw last week, you won’t see it again. He’ll give you regular people on third down and long. He’ll spread you out on third down and short. We’ve got to be prepared for anything and everything. He does a great job of keeping you off balance
“The fact that he’s unpredictable is what makes it hard. We’re going to have to be on top of our P’s and Q’s in making adjustments to see what his plan is; whether it’s to come out spreading the field with (Jake) Plummer, or lining with three tight ends trying to hammer the ball against us. They do a great job. We’re going to have to be prepared to make some adjustments through the course of this game; there is no doubt about that. We’ll have a plan going in and it’s going to be one of those things that we are going to have to make adjustments on the fly.”
Cowher has so much respect for Shanahan that he offered him the job of offensive coordinator with the Steelers back in 1992 when he took over the Steelers head coaching job. Shanahan went to San Francisco in the same position instead.
“I’ve always been good friends with Bill, going back to the days when I interviewed out there for the coordinator job,” said Shanahan. “I almost went out there. It was between Pittsburgh and San Francisco. I just have a lot of admiration for what he’s done and how he handles himself. He’s a man’s man, and I just like the way his football teams play.”
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Post by achebeautiful on Jan 20, 2006 19:59:41 GMT -5
"Plenty of trust placed in Roethlisberger's hands" Thursday, January 19, 2006
By Teresa Varley
Ben Roethlisberger might only be in his second season in the NFL, but he is going to be playing in his second AFC Championship Game and had matured beyond his years in the league.
Roethlisberger has earned the trust and respect of his teammates in those two years, and the coaches as well.
“I don’t look at him as a young quarterback to be honest,” said Cowher. “He’s been doing this for two seasons. To me he has earned that trust. He has a good feel for the game.
“In a lot of respects we are going to be able to go as far as he’s going to take us. I’m not trying to put any pressure on him. That’s the facts and he likes that, he knows that. You’ve got to have balance. In this league if you’re one dimensional you’re not going to get where you want to go. We understand that and we think we have some weapons around him and at the same time we’re not going to try to lose our identity. Part of that is having balance and trying to do some things that maybe against what people think you are. We’ve played some high scoring games. Ben has proven the ability to do that. “
Roethlisberger was told about Cowher’s comment regarding the team going as far as he takes them, and he didn’t mind it at all.
“I have no problem with that,” said Roethlisberger. “I want to come out and make sure I take care of the things I have to do. As a quarterback, naturally if you do that, if you don’t turn the ball over and do things you’re supposed to do, you give yourself and your team a better chance of winning the game.”
Roethlisberger’s performance this off-season is a far cry from last year when by his own admission he didn’t perform up to his abilities and was worn down near the end of the season. This year, it’s a different story.
“You sit there and watch Ben and he played night and day from last year's playoff time to this year's playoff time,” said wide receiver Hines Ward. “He's just going out there and having fun playing the game of football.
”Last year he had a lot of success early, and all of the success kind of got overwhelming sometimes. So you can understand for most rookies coming into the league finishing off 15‑1 heading into a Championship Game his first year, things can get overwhelming and hit you by storm.
“But he's been calmer and more collected this year and that has a lot to do with crediting our veteran guys going out and working with him and him starting in the game and trusting in his teammates to go out there and make plays for him.”
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Post by achebeautiful on Jan 20, 2006 20:05:42 GMT -5
"Rocky's Advice"
By Teresa Varley Rocky Bleier knows something about AFC Championship games. The former Steelers running back was a member of the team that won four championship games en route to the team’s four Super Bowl wins.
Bleier understands what it takes to win the big games. He knows it all plays out on the field, but he also knows there is more to it.
“The most important thing is the momentum the team has, the confidence and the belief that it creates within themselves,” said Bleier. “That’s what you need – confidence in your ability that nobody can beat you. You have to have confidence in your teammates and trust in offense, defense and special teams. Everybody knowing each person on the team is doing their job. When you have that feeling and you go out and play your game, you don’t have to take risks, and you don’t have to make big plays. Your disciplines are more in tact and you stay home and do what is necessary, what you have been taught because you trust your other teammates to do their job. That scenario is where I see the team this season and going into this game.”
The Steelers won their first AFC Championship game in 1974, on the road in Oakland. Bleier rushed for 98 yards, while Franco Harris rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Bleier knows the challenges can increase when on the road, but he feels being on the road has helped this year’s team.
“It’s a road game, but that doesn’t stop them,” he said. “Their experience on the road is that they win and play better on the road. That’s a whole confidence builder in itself, knowing they can go out there and if they play their game and are up in this game and they have a belief in each other and nothing happens they will come out victorious. I think that’s the same way I think our teams felt in the early part and especially in the later part – in 1978 and 1979. I firmly believed we were the best team ever and nobody could beat us and only we could beat ourselves. I think this team has that same kind of confidence.”
The Steelers are underdogs again this week, just like they have been throughout the entire playoffs. A lot of people didn’t expect the Steelers to still be playing, and Bleier thinks that might be a good thing as far as taking some of the pressure off of the players.
“The only expectations are what you place on yourself,” said Bleier. “The outside expectations, nobody thought the team would get this far or play like they did at the end of the season. All of a sudden it happens. They are playing more relaxed and with more discipline. They aren’t as uptight in the game plan and part of that is being the sixth seed.
“Coming into the championship game the sixth seed is out the door. It’s do or die. This is it. Whether you or the first seed or a sixth seed the question is can they do it again this week. Maybe fortunately for us fans it’s not here and it’s on the road. Sometimes the expectations from the fans and the excitement can become overwhelming to the team. You want to win it for the fans here. You get out there, you have their fans, and the best way to silence their fans is to score. As soon as it happens the noise is gone.”
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Post by achebeautiful on Jan 20, 2006 20:15:15 GMT -5
THE SUPER BOWL MATCHUPS Man, what else is there to say? Can you remember a season when all four teams had legitimate chances to win the Super Bowl like this? We won't have the star power of Tom Brady or Manning, but no matter what, we will see the ultimate "teams" in Detroit (and that is what the sport is truly about -- this message brought to you by Don Cheadle and Up With People, where everyone always wins).
Pittsburgh's James Farrior hopes to get a shot at Matt Hasselbeck like he did here in 2003. The Super Bowl combinations are fun to work through. A survey posted on NFL.com earlier in the week showed that you were completely mixed as to what the matchup would be (Panthers-Steelers was voted the most likely combination (with only 30 percent of the votes), and for good reason: Carolina played in the Super Bowl two years ago, and Pittsburgh was 15-1 last year before losing in the AFC Championship Game to New England. And these are the two road teams! These are not your older brother's fifth and sixth seeds, folks).
That game would be known as the "Grit Bowl"; both teams are 8-2 on the road this season (including 2-0 in the playoffs). Both coaches have been to the Super Bowl once but lost. In any other NFL season, the possibility of a No. 5 and No. 6 seed making the Super Bowl would be disastrous, but not with these two teams. This year, I think it would actually make for a better Super Bowl and fan interest.
I don't even know what to say about a Seahawks-Steelers Super Bowl. It just seems odd for some reason. Broncos-Panthers would feature the battle of the "Jakes" at quarterback, and Broncos-Seahawks would rekindle that much-celebrated old AFC West rivalry (remember when the Seahawks were an AFC team?).
But before you go thinking these two home teams will prevail, I will throw a "Cheeks Crack Stat of the Week" at you. Do you know when the last time both home teams won the conference championship games? How about 10 years ago? That's right. New England beat Jacksonville at Foxborough and Green Bay toasted Carolina at Lambeau to get to Super Bowl XXXI.
After laying out some of my thinking, let's get a little more into the games, shall we?
THE GAMES Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos:
Wow. A classic AFC battle. The last time these two traditional heavyweights met in the playoffs was in the 1997 AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh (John Elway and the Broncos won 24-21). Is it possible we will see a blitz every other play in this game? Maybe 10 men in the box for both teams? I think both teams blitz their safeties more than any other team (and it took Brady and the Patriots two quarters to figure it out, but Manning and his crew never quite solved the Pittsburgh blitzkrieg).
Jake Plummer can surpass Dan Fouts by reaching a Super Bowl, and his beard could be superior, too. More important, we will see the most facial hair on the two quarterbacks in a championship game since San Diego's Dan Fouts met Kenny Anderson's Bengals in Cincinnati in 1981 (when both beards probably froze over). Some of you know I am partial to Fouts, but if you have a more recent "Battle of the Beards," please let me know.
(And maybe I wouldn't be so focused on the beards of Ben Roethlisberger and Jake Plummer if it weren't such a topic of discussion among the ladies with whom I was watching the games.)
Two of the best safeties in Polamalu and Denver's John Lynch, two of the best running games and defenses and two of the best coaches in the NFL. Hmmm. When in doubt in these situations, I go with the home team, but I can't deny the Steelers and their ridiculous roll right now. I think the Steelers have more up their sleeves than the Broncos, and I know that a trick play or special-teams play will make a difference in this game (and that advantage has to go to the Steelers). I used this equation when figuring out the equally matched Bears-Panthers game last week: I'll go with Big Ben (and his beard), Hines Ward, Antwaan Randle El and the emerging Heath Miller over Plummer, Rod Smith, Ashley Lelie and Jeb Putzier in the passing game department. Steelers roll on and cause multiple celebration heart attacks, 21-17.
Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks:
Somehow, this game seems like the right matchup after a somewhat mediocre NFC regular season. Once again, how could you be surprised if either team won? My brother pointed out how crazy Delhomme has acted lately (whether it's yelling at his teammates or celebrating a score), and he's right. Whatever Delhomme's doing, it is working (uh, get the ball to Smith?), and now he has the best passer rating in postseason history for anyone with over 150 passes.
Adept fantasy players saved their seasons by picking up Nick Goings on the waiver wire in 2004. Don't scoff at Carolina's new running back, Nick Goings, because -- as you fantasy football gurus well know from 2004 and his run of 100-yard games -- he is no slouch. The key to this game is whether Shaun Alexander comes back 100 percent and is able to penetrate the tough Panthers defense. I think Matt Hasselbeck, though completely on top of his game right now, will have a harder time than usual finding his receivers down the field against the tough Panthers secondary, which is as physical as any in the league. If Alexander struggles early, this game will be a blowout, but I think he'll actually play decently (but not great).
I know the 12th man is as strong as ever in Seattle, but I am going to go with the road team here. Seattle will -- surprisingly -- turn it over early and won't be able to contain Smith and Delhomme with their slightly better-than-average defense. Don't worry, Seahawks fans, because no one else has been able to stop this pair almost all season. Panthers march to Detroit, 24-20.
What? Did you expect me to pick both home teams just because they are each 9-0 in their own buildings? I know they both won't win, so I am going with the fans' "most likely" pick. That is the matchup that most of us "neutral" fans want to see in two weeks at Ford Field.
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Post by achebeautiful on Jan 22, 2006 12:56:30 GMT -5
Preview Pittsburgh at Denver NFL.com wire reports
Matchup Breakdown | Game Notes
(Jan. 18, 2006) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers know that to become the first sixth-seeded team to reach the Super Bowl, they'll have to keep defying long odds, even after stunning the NFL's top overall seed last week.
Bill Cowher's club appears to be thrilled to have the opportunity.
The Steelers look to become just the second team to reach the Super Bowl by winning three road playoff games when they take on the Denver Broncos, one of the NFL's most dominant teams at home.
Pittsburgh's run gained considerable momentum when the Steelers knocked off the Indianapolis Colts 21-18 in a thrilling and controversial contest. The Steelers held on to win despite a reversed call on an apparent interception by Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu with 5:26 left, a decision the NFL admitted was wrong a day later, and a rare fumble by running back Jerome Bettis that would have been returned for the go-ahead touchdown if not for a game-saving tackle by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
"Once in a blue moon, Jerome fumbles," Roethlisberger said. "Once in a blue moon, I make a tackle. They just happened to be in the same game."
Hines Ward and the Steelers look to continue their amazing hot streak. Polamalu's interception of Peyton Manning seemed to seal the victory for the Steelers. But when he got up to run and fumbled the ball, then recovered, Colts coach Tony Dungy challenged and the call was reversed. The league said a day later that referee Pete Morelli was wrong on the call, one that prompted Steelers linebacker Joey Porter to say that the league "wanted Indy to win this game."
After the Steelers sacked Manning on fourth down from the Colts' 2 with 1:20 remaining, Roethlisberger handed off to Bettis on the next play. Bettis lost the ball on a hit from linebacker Gary Brackett, and Nick Harper grabbed it and headed toward a winning touchdown. Only Roethlisberger giving chase and reaching out a hand to make a saving tackle at the Indy 42 prevented it.
The tackle proved to be the biggest play of the game for Pittsburgh, as Indianapolis' Mike Vanderjagt missed a 46-yard field goal to send it to overtime with 21 seconds remaining, sealing the Steelers' third trip to the AFC Championship Game in the past five years under Cowher, and second in a row.
This time, with his team surviving last week to stun the Colts, and with the way his defense is playing, Cowher's club appears to be reveling in the chance to overcome the odds and make its first trip to the Super Bowl since 1995.
"We are traveling a path right now that no one else has been on," said Cowher, whose team is the first No. 6 seed to reach a league championship game, and trying to become the first since the 1985 Patriots to win three road games to reach the Super Bowl. "But we certainly aren't going to let history dictate our journey. As I told the players, your journey can make history."
Pittsburgh's play on the defensive side of the ball may give it the chance to continue that journey. The Steelers put constant pressure on Manning and sacked him five times. In the first two rounds, Pittsburgh has held the AFC's top scoring teams, Cincinnati and Indianapolis, to 17 and 18 points.
"When we play with a chip on our shoulder and play mad, that's when we play our best football," Porter said. "We play our best football when we're ticked off."
Porter and the Steelers will want to stay angry this week, because the Broncos may pose an even greater challenge than the Colts. Sunday's victory gave Pittsburgh five consecutive victories over Indianapolis in the postseason, but the Steelers will be facing a Denver club that has won 11 in a row at Invesco Field at Mile High, is 4-0 in AFC title games at home and is coming off a 27-13 victory over two-time defending champion New England last week.
The Steelers, meanwhile, are 1-4 in league championship games under Cowher, and they'll face a Denver team that's equally motivated to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1998.
"It's working out," Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said. "But it's not my dream to get to the AFC championship. It's winning the Super Bowl. One game left and we're in, and obviously we've got to win again if we get there. It's definitely the process I wanted to take when I came here."
Jake Plummer's consistent play has him on the verge of the Super Bowl. Bailey made the pivotal play in the Broncos' win last week, intercepting Tom Brady in the end zone and returning it 100 yards to the 1 to set up a third-quarter touchdown that gave Denver a 17-6 lead.
Denver took advantage of five New England turnovers and Mike Anderson ran for two 1-yard touchdowns as the Broncos earned their sixth playoff meeting with the Steelers. Denver has won three of the five postseason matchups with Pittsburgh and two of the three playoff meetings at Mile High. The Broncos won the last meeting 24-21 at Denver in the AFC title game on Jan. 11, 1998.
The Broncos, who went on to win the second of back-to-back Super Bowls that season, expect a battle as they try to earn a trip to Detroit's Ford Field.
"It's going to be physical, probably the most physical game we play all year," Broncos safety John Lynch said. "They're going to come up and hit you and we have to bring it back to them. The team that establishes the run the best is probably going to win."
Denver will try to do that with Anderson and Tatum Bell, who powered the NFL's second-ranked rushing game this season. Pittsburgh will counter with Bettis and 1,200-yard rusher Willie Parker, who led the Steelers' fifth-ranked ground attack.
Both teams, though, also rely heavily on their quarterbacks throwing the ball. Roethlisberger threw two first-quarter touchdowns as the Steelers jumped out to a 14-0 lead last week, and the efficient and mobile Jake Plummer passed for 3,366 yards, 18 TDs and just seven interceptions this season for the Broncos.
The mobility of Plummer and Roethlisberger may be crucial, as the Steelers and Broncos both blitz heavily. The tactic worked especially well for Pittsburgh last week as it frustrated and rattled Manning, and the Steelers may try to put heavy pressure on Plummer as they go for yet another upset on the road.
"No team ever won all three games on the road and won the Super Bowl," Steelers receiver Hines Ward said. "Why not try to make history? We're one game away from having a chance to do it."
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Steelers -- 2nd place, AFC North; beat Cincinnati Bengals 31-17, wild-card round; beat Indianapolis Colts 21-18, divisional round. Broncos -- 1st place, AFC West; first-round bye; beat New England Patriots 27-13, divisional round.
STEELERS LEADERS: Offense -- Roethlisberger, 2,385 passing yards and 17 passing TDs; Parker, 1,202 rushing yards; Bettis, 9 rushing TDs; Ward, 69 receptions, 975 receiving yards and 11 receiving TDs. Defense -- Porter, 10 1/2 sacks; Chris Hope, 3 INTs.
BRONCOS LEADERS: Offense -- Plummer, 3,366 passing yards and 18 passing TDs; Anderson, 1,014 rushing yards and 12 rushing TDs; Rod Smith, 85 receptions, 1,105 receiving yards and 6 receiving TDs. Defense -- Ebenezer Ekuban, Trevor Pryce and Lynch, 4 sacks; Bailey, 8 INTs.
STEELERS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense -- 138.9 yards per game (5th in NFL); Passing Offense -- 182.9 ypg (24th); Total Offense -- 321.8 ypg (T-15th). Rushing Defense -- 85.5 ypg (3rd); Passing Defense -- 198.0 ypg (16th); Total Defense -- 283.5 ypg (4th).
BRONCOS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense -- 158.7 ypg (2nd); Passing Offense -- 201.7 ypg (18th); Total Offense -- 360.4 ypg (5th). Rushing Defense -- 85.2 ypg (2nd); Passing Defense -- 227.7 ypg (29th); Total Defense -- 312.9 ypg (15th).
LAST MEETING: Oct. 12, 2003; Broncos, 17-14. At Denver, Jason Elam's 47-yard FG as time expired lifted the Broncos.
STREAKS AND NOTES: Steelers -- Roethlisberger is 13-1 on the road in his career, including the playoffs. ... Pittsburgh allowed only eight TDs on the road during the regular season, fewest in the NFL. ... Roethlisberger is the first QB since 1970 to start back-to-back league championship games in his first two seasons. Broncos -- Plummer has the second-highest postseason completion percentage (62.3) among active players with at least 100 attempts. ... Denver's defense has allowed only 50 points during the team's current five-game winning streak. ... WR Smith has a TD catch in each of his last three postseason games and three TDs in three career games against the Steelers, including the playoffs.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Steelers -- 8-2 on the road; Broncos -- 9-0 at home.
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Post by ocelot on Jan 22, 2006 18:32:57 GMT -5
Congrats to the Steelers on making it to the Superbowl. They really deserve it.
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Post by achebeautiful on Jan 22, 2006 18:46:47 GMT -5
GameCenter: Recap Steelers Super Bowl bound with 34-17 win DENVER (Jan. 22, 2006) -- Big Ben, The Bus and all those Terrible Towels sure are traveling well this postseason. Next stop, the Super Bowl, the final destination of a Pittsburgh road trip the Denver Broncos were powerless to derail.
Ben Roethlisberger had a brilliant afternoon, throwing for 275 yards and two scores, and Jerome Bettis extended his career one more game, lifting the Steelers to a dominating 34-17 victory in the AFC title game.
Bettis shouted, "We're going home!" as the game wore down and he celebrated on the sideline. He is, indeed, back to his hometown of Detroit for Pittsburgh's first appearance in the Super Bowl since 1995.
The Broncos (14-4), outschemed, outplayed and pushed around all day, shuffled off to their locker room, heads down, after their first home loss in 10 tries this season.
Though the next game, against either Seattle or Carolina, will be a homecoming for Bettis, the Steelers (14-5) have looked extremely comfortable on the road.
They became the first team to win three away games to make it to the Super Bowl since the 1985 New England Patriots. Some might look at that as a surprise. Anyone who has watched the Steelers over the past decade -- and especially the last two months -- certainly wouldn't.
They came out passing, not running, much the same way they did when they upset Indianapolis last week. Roethlisberger called pass plays on seven of Pittsburgh's first 11 snaps and threw completions on five of those.
The first drive resulted in a field goal. On Denver's next possession, Pittsburgh's Joey Porter blitzed to force a Jake Plummer fumble. Five plays later, Roethlisberger hit Cedrick Wilson for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead, quieting the Invesco Field crowd much as the Steelers did in Indy last week and Cincinnati the week before.
After a Denver field goal, the Steelers essentially salted this game with a 14-play, 80-yard drive that ate up nearly 7½ minutes and had the Broncos defense totally off balance and gasping for air.
Bettis capped it by bulling in from the 3 for a 17-3 lead to put him well on his way to the Super Bowl. Jut-jawed coach Bill Cowher smiled widely for that one, remembering Bettis' near disaster on the goal line last week in Indy.
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Post by achebeautiful on Jan 22, 2006 18:50:47 GMT -5
Thank you Leona!
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