Bob Smizik: Steelers drop ball, and Falcons make them pay for it

Monday, October 23, 2006
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

ATLANTA -- It was understandable that in a defeat that could suck the life out of his team and one in which it played gallantly down the stretch, Bill Cowher chose to accentuate the positive.

Cowher opened his postgame news conference after a 41-38 overtime loss yesterday to the Atlanta Falcons with this tribute to his players:

"We left everything out on the field."

Did they ever!

Left on the field were fumbles by Santonio Holmes, Ben Roethlisberger and Willie Parker. Also left on the field was a muffed onside kick by Tyrone Carter. All were recovered by the Falcons.
All quickly were turned into touchdowns.

The Steelers just didn't lose this game, they gave it away.

In the process, they fell two games behind Cincinnati, which beat Carolina, and Baltimore, which was off. The Steelers are 2-4 and with 10 games remaining, there's plenty of time for them to challenge for a playoff spot. The question that hangs over them today is this: Are they good enough?

They've yet to beat a team with a winning record, and their schedule is thick with quality opponents the rest of the way, beginning in two weeks against Denver, a team that is 5-1 and has allowed only 44 points.

The Steelers have played well in all aspects of the game at various points in the season, but rarely have they put it all together.

They were offensively outstanding against the Falcons, accumulating a season-high 473 yards of offense in a memorable game of dizzying twists and turns and ups and downs. Although Atlanta shut down the Steelers' running game, it could not begin to stop the passing game.

Roethlisberger picked up where he left off last week against Kansas City by completing 16 of 22 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns. He did not throw an interception.

When he left with a head injury in the third quarter, Charlie Batch came on and was magnificent in rallying the team while completing 8 of 13 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. He did not throw an interception.

Roethlisberger's passer rating was a close-to-perfect 147.3. Batch's was 145.0.
It's not easy to lose games when your quarterbacks play that well. But the Steelers did because they could not hold on to the ball.

Holmes was stripped from behind while trying to follow his blockers on a punt return early in the game. On Atlanta's next play, Michael Vick threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Alge Crumpler.

Early in the second quarter, Roethlisberger fumbled a snap from center Jeff Hartings, in a mixup on the silent count, and the Falcons took over on the Steelers' 25, from where they scored six plays later.

Late in the second quarter, Carter was crushed by cornerback Jimmy Williams as he was catching the onside kick. The Falcons moved 51 yards in seven plays to score.

Midway through the third quarter, Parker fumbled while reversing his field trying to find running room in his own backfield. The Falcons took over on the 26 and scored six plays later.
Fumbles happen, and none of the four players should be overly criticized for dropping the ball. But it was the reason for the defeat.

Holmes, who was otherwise excellent by catching five passes for 91 yards and returning three kickoffs for 88 yards, said, "I was getting ready to follow the play we set up, and it was a blindside hit. I didn't see him, and he got a piece of the ball.''

Concerning Roethlisberger's fumble, Hartings said, "It was the way we do the silent count. I thought I felt him hit me. He didn't. He wasn't ready [when the ball was snapped.]"

Carter was more the victim of perfect Atlanta execution than any shortcoming of his own. Just as he was about to catch the high short kick, he was walloped by Williams and had little chance to hold on to the ball.

Parker blamed himself.

"I was trying to do too much. I could have stayed down instead of reversing my field. He [tackle Jonathan Babineaux] just got a hand on the ball."

It would be asking too much of a defense to stop the opposition from scoring considering the excellent field position the fumbles gave the Falcons. But linebacker James Farrior made a good point when he said, "At times like that, you have to hold them to a field goal, but they scored a touchdown. We have to do better in the red zone."

It wasn't to be, and, later in the game, the defense allowed scoring drives of 75 and 64 yards.
"We kept fighting and battling. We might not have won, but this team grew today," said defensive end Aaron Smith.

The Steelers need to do more than grow. They need to start winning -- soon and with near-weekly regularity.

(Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com. )