Advancing to playoffs unlikely for Steelers; reasons abound

Tuesday, December 12, 2006
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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Winning four of their past five games has put thoughts of making the playoffs into many a Steelers fan's head, and, perhaps, even the Steelers believe they still have a shot.
More likely, they soon will think of what might have been.

The Steelers will be eliminated from playoff contention this weekend even if they win Sunday as long as Jacksonville and Cincinnati both win, according to the NFL. The Steelers would lose tiebreakers to either team in any scenario if all three finish 9-7. Two wild-card teams make the playoffs from each conference.

Even coach Bill Cowher wondered aloud about some of his team's close losses during his news conference yesterday.

"I can think of two or three games that probably a year ago we would have won," Cowher said. "Who can say what those two or three games would create, momentum-wise, and what that creates opportunity wise?"

Forget the momentum, two or three more victories would have given the Steelers a record of 8-5 or 9-4 and in the lead for at least a wild-card playoff berth or hot on the heels of Baltimore for the AFC North Division title. Instead, they are 6-7 and must win their final three games to have a small chance at making it as a wild-card team at 9-7.

"We understand where we are," Cowher said. "It's the same place we've been. We have no margin of error. We have three games left and three very tough opponents beginning this week with Carolina."

Three, possibly four losses, rank among the most galling to them this season:

The Bengals beat them, 28-20, Sept. 24 in Heinz Field, even though the Steelers outgained them in yards, 365-246. A turning point came early when, with a 7-0 lead and a first down on Cincinnati's 6, Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception in the end zone. That happened twice among his three interceptions. The Steelers also lost two fumbles, one by punt-returner Ricardo Colclough in the fourth quarter, when the Steelers led, 17-14, that set up a touchdown.

The Falcons beat them, 41-38, in overtime in Atlanta Oct. 22, although the Steelers outgained them, 473-399. There were no interceptions, but there were three lost fumbles by the Steelers, each of which the Falcons converted into touchdowns. The Steelers had a 17-7 lead in the second quarter.

Officials called a false-start penalty as the Steelers were spiking the ball near the end of regulation to try a 51-yard field goal and, by rule, 10 seconds were run off the clock to send the game into overtime. That prompted Dan Rooney to say, "These officials should be ashamed of themselves."

The Steelers never led in a 20-13 loss at Oakland Oct. 29, but they outgained the Raiders, 360-98. The Raiders returned two Roethlisberger interceptions for touchdowns, one for 100 yards, two of four interceptions he threw. Oakland has not won a game since and is 2-11.

Denver won, 31-20, in Heinz Field, although the Steelers outgained the Broncos, 499-336.
Roethlisberger threw three interceptions, and the Steelers lost three of their six fumbles.

Most NFL teams can point to games they should have won. Even the Steelers could do so last season despite winning the Super Bowl -- 23-20 at home to New England, 23-17 in overtime at home to Jacksonville, 16-13 in overtime in Baltimore and 38-31 to Cincinnati at home, despite outgaining them 474-324.

That's why, when Cowher said that last season they might have won the close games they're losing this season, it is not necessarily so.

"Going into last week's game we were 5-7, and somebody asked what was the difference between last year," Cowher said. "Last year, we were 7-5. You're talking about a two-game difference."

Of course, they won a close game too, 24-20, in Cleveland.

"We are where we are and we're dealing with it," Cowher said. "We have the opportunity ahead of us now. We will need help.

"But we've got to take care of business, and those other things will take care of themselves."
They always do; there's just not much chance they will take care of themselves in the Steelers' favor this time.

(Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com. )