Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
SAN DIEGO -- By beating a very good San Diego Chargers team last night in a difficult environment in a city absolutely juiced by the "Monday Night Football" television cameras, the Steelers accomplished a couple of impressive feats.
They put themselves in position at the quarter-pole of the NFL season to win their division and maybe a whole lot more.
And they kept the collective citizenry of Pittsburgh from jumping into one of the three rivers.
The two go hand-in-hand, of course.
You think it was depressing around town after the Steelers lost at home to the New England Patriots a couple of Sundays ago?
It would have been downright unbearable if they hadn't found a way to survive the Chargers, 24-22, getting a 40-yard field goal from Jeff Reed with :06 left to do it.
The only downer on this otherwise magnificent night was quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's left knee injury on the winning drive. Defensive end Luis Castillo rolled up on Roethlisberger's leg, leaving him writhing in pain on the turf. There was no immediate word on the severity of the injury.
It was a shame to see Roethlisberger go down because this win was impressive in a number of ways. It kept the Steelers (3-1) even in the loss column with the Cincinnati Bengals (4-1) in the AFC North Division. It also kept them within sight of the Indianapolis Colts (5-0) in the race for home-field advantage in the AFC postseason tournament.
Hey, it's never too early to start thinking playoffs, right?
As much angst as that loss to the Patriots caused -- you would have thought the world was ending if you listened to the talk shows -- this win was so much more significant. It kept the Steelers from losing a second consecutive game, something they haven't done since midway through the 2003 season, an incredible span of 28 games. Another loss might not have destroyed the season, but it could have created just a bit of doubt on a team that fancies itself as a Super Bowl contender.
As it is, the Steelers are feeling mighty good about themselves this morning.
"I don't think this team will ever stop believing -- regardless of the situation," defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen said. "This is a tough football team."
The Steelers beat a strong opponent, a team good enough to roll over the Patriots and the New York Giants in its previous two games. And they did it in front of a boisterous crowd that had Qualcomm Stadium rocking.
The game was so big even Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger showed up.
That's pretty big.
There were stars all over the lot for the Steelers.
There was Hines Ward, playing on a bad right hamstring, making catch after catch, six in all for 83 yards. He had receptions for 12 and 14 yards on the Steelers' first touchdown drive and catches for 33 and 13 yards on a fourth-quarter touchdown drive. "I wasn't healthy at all, but there's no way I was missing a Monday night game," he said afterward.
There was Roethlisberger, rebounding from a sub-par performance against the Patriots, beating the Chargers with his arm and his legs. He scored the first touchdown on a 7-yard quarterback draw.
There was Jerome Bettis, back in the lineup for the first time this season, making his presence felt in his usual, punishing way. He fairly danced for a 16-yard gain the first time he touched the ball on a screen pass and later scored on a 1-yard run. He also was huge on the winning drive, converting two third-and-1 plays. "That's the kind of guy he is," Bill Cowher said. "That's why you want him out there."
There was linebacker James Harrison, filling in for injured Clark Haggans, making one of the best interceptions and returns you'll ever see. He tipped a deflected pass to himself with his right hand, then rambled for 21 yards, looking like an Olympic hurdler along the way when he leaped over would-be tackler LaDainian Tomlinson.
There even was Heath Miller -- yes, tight end Heath Miller -- playing a big role in the offense that went far beyond just his blocking. He caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to give the Steelers a 21-16 lead in the fourth quarter.
It all made for marvelous theater.
Not to mention one terrific win.
(Post-Gazette sports columnist Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1525.)
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