By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Peter Diana / Post-Gazette
Wide receiver Hines Ward makes a catch in the mud in the first half against the Dolphins last night at Heinz Field. (vs. Dolphins 11/26/07)
So on a night when no offensive player on either team could make any kind of play, at least any kind of play that could impact a football game that resembled two teams trying to strangle each other in a bathtub, Hines Ward turned in the absolute best version of competence.
To no one's surprise.
On a modest yet decisive drive at the dreary end of a scoreless night, Ward caught three Ben Roethlisberger passes in succession for 38 yards that milked the only real opportunity for points from a balky offense on a near-impossible track.
"The defensive backs were worried about falling down, because one breakdown would win it," Ward said in the minutes after the Steelers slid to 8-3. "I told Willie [Parker], just protect the ball. At that point, for a receiver, it just becomes about route-running and getting some separation.
"That last drive, that's really all you could ask of any offense in these conditions."
The Steelers started the winning drive at the Miami 42, the fifth time they took possession inside Dolphin territory, this one with 4:13 remaining in the game.
On second-and-8 from the 40, Roethlisberger found Ward with perhaps his best separation of the night, floating in the Miami zone. Hines hydroplaned for 21 yards to the Dolphins' 19.
Parker gained 9 yards to the 10 on the first-down play, but Heath Miller got flagged for his second holding penalty of the game, dragging the offense back to the 29. Roethlisberger looked to Ward again, zipping one to him in the right flat for 6 yards to the 23, but it was still second-and-14 on a night when 14 yards equaled one mile.
"Hey Hines," Ward quoted Ben. "Just make a play for me. Make a play."
Ward curled free again in the fast-panicked Miami defense, leaking free for an 11-yard pass that put the ball at the muck of the 12, or its general vicinity.
Peter Diana / Post-Gazette
Wide receiver Hines Ward is slammed to the turf by the Dolphins' cornerback Michael Lehan. (vs. Dolphins 11/26/07)
Mike Tomlin walked up to Jeff Reed on the sideline, revealing a plan that involved, of all people, Willie Reid. Tomlin speaks often of "been there, done that guys," but he was thinking of Reid, the second-year wideout from Florida State, who's more of a "been here, done what?" guy.
"He told me they were going to try something with Willie to get the first down," Reed said, "but that if it didn't work, he was going to me."
On third-and-3 from the 12, Roethlisberger took a no-step drop and whirled to his right, hurling a fastball at Reid parallel to the line of scrimmage. Reid took it in the stomach and lanced 6 yards to the 6.
The Steelers would run three more plays, but there was only 1 yard left in the offense. On fourth-and-goal from the 6, Reed punched home a 24-yard field goal that saved the Steelers several metric tons of national embarrassment.
Don't look now, but the Steelers have suddenly gone 99 minutes and four seconds without scoring a touchdown, the last 60 of which are fresh in the consciousness of anyone who watched Monday Night Mushball against the winless Miami Dolphins.
That Reed somehow launched a winning field goal off a playing surface with the consistency of day-old sponge cake left on the side porch during a cloudburst is not terribly encouraging this morning. On a night perfect for fish, the Dolphins remained so perfectly awful that they still lost to a Steelers team that can't keep its quarterback upright and either can't or won't sustain a ground game.
In other words, nothing that ailed the Steelers in the hours after losing in overtime to the almost equally awful New York Jets a week ago has been cured, no matter how many caveats get offered up over Heinz Field's dubious playing surface.
Held without a touchdown by a Miami team that was fielding its 11th different starting defensive lineup in as many games, the Steelers are now 9-for-their-last-28 on third down, with Roethlisberger getting sacked 12 times in the past two weeks. He went to the floor five more times last night against a team that had only 12 sacks in 10 games at kickoff.
But for all of their evident offensive problems, they still have a wideout who happens to be the only Steelers wideout ever elected to four Pro Bowls, and you don't get that just for your sunny disposition. Although, yeah, he has got that, too.
Ward caught nine passes last night for 88 yards, helped Ben to an improbable 18 for 21, and effectively threw this team whatever kind of life preserver was necessary to avoid a first-place tie with the Cleveland Browns. And you thought that turf was ugly.
Gene Collier can be reached at gcollier@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1283.
First published on November 27, 2007 at 1:27 am
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