Monday, January 24, 2005
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
One common thread runs through the massively disappointing recent Steelers history in AFC championship games, an era that includes four losses in five games played on their home field.
As is well known that common thread is William Laird Cowher.
He has been the man in charge as seasons of grand expectations too often have fallen one game short of the Super Bowl, and too often when the Steelers were favored to win. As is also well known, Cowher has taken an abundance of abuse locally and nationally for this abysmal record.
His many detractors will gladly be willing to blame this latest defeat -- a humiliating 41-27 defeat to the New England Patriots last night at Heinz Field -- on Cowher. But that would be wrong.
Of course, Cowher played a role in this loss. But he was a bit player when it comes to being responsible for it.
This defeat falls squarely on Cowher's players, who were grossly inadequate on this major stage.
The team that had played so well for so long -- 15 wins in a row -- came up awful on almost every front in the most important game of the season. Some of the credit for that must go to the Patriots, an excellent, possibly great, team that is one win away from its third Super Bowl championship in four years. But only some.
Cowher bashers will say the team came out flat. They weren't flat; they were flattened. They were outplayed in every facet of the game.
The culprits were numerous.
First and foremost stood quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. For the second consecutive game, Roethlisberger played like a rookie -- a bad rookie at that.
The quarterback position was the major difference in the game.
Roethlisberger's numbers looked decent -- 12 of 24 for 226 yards and two touchdowns -- but that's misleading. His three interceptions crippled the Steelers and it was clear that the last thing Cowher and offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt wanted to do was throw the ball.
While Roethlisberger stumbled, New England quarterback Tom Brady was magnificent, completing 14 of 21 for 207 yards and two touchdowns. He did not throw an interception and had a superb passer rating of 130.5. Brady is clearly the NFL's best big-game quarterback since Joe Montana.
As for Roethlisberger, as well as he played this season, on the basis of his final two games, he'll enter next season as a bit of a question mark. He'll have to prove himself again.
He was hardly alone in disappointing play.
The No. 1 defense in the league was no match for the Patriots and Cowher made no attempt to hide his disappointment this unit.
"We couldn't come up with the defensive stops," he said. "That was as big as anything."
After trailing, 24-3, at the half, the Steelers scored 17 points on their first three possessions of the third quarter. But the defense gave up 10 points and the Steelers couldn't get back in the game.
As bad as the Steelers played, Plaxico Burress had a chance to get them back in the game but instead made one of the biggest drops of his career in what was undoubtedly his final game with the team
.
The Steelers trailed by 14 early in the fourth quarter and had first down on the Patriots' 4. After Jerome Bettis ran for a yard, Burress ran a fade pattern toward the left corner of the end zone. Roethlisberger's pass hit him in the hands. What more could he ask for? Maybe a bucket of glue. Burress couldn't hold on to the ball.
"It would have been nice to get seven there," Cowher said.
When Bettis could get only another yard on third down, the Steelers had to kick a field goal.
They were down 11 instead of seven and the difference was enormous.
Not that it would have made any difference the way the defense continued to play.
The tone of the game was set early as the Steelers botched almost everything.
On their second possession, when they were down, 3-0, Bettis made a crucial fumble that the Patriots recovered. On the next play, Brady threw a perfect 60-yard touchdown pass to Deion Branch, who ran past Deshea Townsend.
Townsend was supposed to have help on the play, but a safety never came over to help.
Down, 24-10, midway through the third quarter, the Steelers were in the process of making a rare defensive stop. The Patriots had third-and-17 on their 37. A screen pass fell incomplete and a punt should have been forthcoming. But defensive end Aaron Smith held on the play, giving the Patriots a first down.
On the next play, Brady threw 18 yards to David Givens and an unnecessary roughness penalty against Clark Haggans moved the ball to the Steelers' 25.
From there, Corey Dillon, who had been help in check all night, ran threw a spiritless defense for a touchdown.
It was a sad ending to an otherwise remarkable season. Cowher is 1-4 in AFC title games. It's a miserable record. But he has had plenty of help.
(PG sports columnist Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1468.)
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