Saturday, January 22, 2005
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
What: Patriots vs. Steelers.
When: 6:30 p.m. tomorrow.
Where: Heinz Field.
TV/Radio: KDKA/WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970) and the Steelers Radio Network.
The skinny: The winner plays in the Super Bowl Feb. 6 in Jacksonville, Fla.
The weather: Track Pittsburgh's hour-by-hour forecast at our Weather page.
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Former Steeler Vrabel turns into two-way star for New England
Stadium crews set for snow job
Steelers faithful on pilgrimage from far and wide to be here
Fans are rowdy, but only to a point
Steelers Notebook: Change of plan -- Roethlisberger says he will try to get nervous
Patriots Notebook: Weather forces change in travel schedule
Steelers Nation / Fan photos from around the world
Black & Gold Gatherings Sites for Out-of-Town Fans
Chris Hope was a rookie in 2002, a third-round draft choice from Florida State, and he remembers his first game in the NFL because it was a Monday night rematch of the AFC championship game.
He was not with the Steelers in 2001, when they lost to the New England Patriots in the conference championship at Heinz Field, but what he saw in the season opener at Gillette Stadium didn't differ a lot from what happened to the Steelers the year before.
"They ran the spread all the way down the field," said Hope, a starting free safety. "They were just picking it up and throwing it and running and getting first down after first down."
The Patriots systematically dissected the Steelers in the 2002 opener more acutely than they did in the AFC championship game, and they did it with an empty-set formation featuring five receivers and no running backs.
Tom Brady threw 43 passes in that game, including 25 in a row during a stretch between the first and third quarters, and the Steelers showed little ability to handle the formation.
That, though, all changed when the teams met again at Heinz Field on Halloween. The Steelers were ready for the formation the first time the Patriots used it, and their adjustment was the reason they jumped to a 21-3 lead in the first quarter and ended New England's record 21-game winning streak with a 34-20 victory.
"We adjusted so much as a defense from the first time we played them after 2002 and after the AFC championship game," said Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter.
"We're a totally different defense from then. We got a new coordinator, we got a different adjustment, and I think we played the spread a totally different way. I think we were better prepared. Not taking anything away from Tim [Lewis, former defensive coordinator], but we came at them from a whole different angle, and I think it confused [Brady] more than he thought."
Porter was at the epicenter of what happened to Brady and the Patriots in their first meeting this season. And he hopes to be a factor tomorrow when the teams meet again in the AFC championship game at Heinz Field.
But it was the Steelers' ability to shut down one of the Patriots' favorite formations that turned their last meeting into a lopsided Steelers victory.
Brady threw 43 passes in that game, just as he did in 2002, and he passed for 271 yards. But he threw two interceptions and had a fumble, with two of the turnovers coming on consecutive plays in the first quarter.
And both from the empty-set formation.
"I think we showed 'em we could stop it or contain it," Hope said.
"We anticipated they might try to do that, so we tried to come up with a better preparation in case that may happen again, and it did," linebacker Clark Haggans said.
It happened like this:
After Ben Roethlisberger threw a 47-yard touchdown to Plaxico Burress to take a 7-3 lead, Brady began the next series with a five-receiver formation from the Patriots' 29 -- the first time New England unveiled the formation. But Porter came free from the right side and hit Brady's throwing arm, forcing a fumble that defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen recovered.
Five plays later, Roethlisberger threw another touchdown to Burress, this time from 4 yards, for a 14-3 lead.
"When Joey got that sack and Kimo got that fumble, it was a big, big lift because we got field position and scored," Haggans said.
Undaunted, Brady began the next series with the same empty-set formation, and the Steelers made him pay again.
On first down, Brady's pass in the left flat for Bethel Johnson was intercepted by cornerback Deshea Townsend and returned 39 yards for a touchdown.
Two empty-sets, two turnovers, two touchdowns.
21-3.
"Given the fact that that's what hurt this defense in the past, I think it was very significant of us to come in and make big plays early on," said Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu.
"They had so much success before doing that to us and we came out and showed the ability that we can stop it," Townsend said. "It kind of changed the whole game plan. They were going to put it on Tom Brady's shoulders and spread it out, and we showed some success with it. It just changed the momentum of the game."
"You let 'em know it's not going to be like the time you got us out there at Foxboro where you just threw the ball all over the place every down," Porter said. "We were ready for that. We put ourselves in a situation where we said that's not going to happen."
Like the Steelers, though, Porter figures Brady will adjust.
But all because the Steelers found an answer.
"He's had a week to prepare for that," Porter said. "He watched the film of what we did last time. I guarantee he'll be ready for it this time."
(Gerry Dulac can be reached at gdulac@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1466.)
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