PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Steelers receiver Hines Ward catches a pass as Jacksonville's Brian Williams defends during the first quarter Saturday, Jan. 5, at Heinz Field.
Christopher Horner/Tribune-Review
What the Steelers were and what they've become were on display for all to see Saturday night at Heinz Field.
The trip down memory lane was all too brief.
And what followed was all too familiar.
They'll have the offseason to sort out what went wrong and why it happened in the wake of a 31-29 playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It was a night that had started out with such promise.
Coach Mike Tomlin preceded his players onto the field and gestured repeatedly to the crowd for noise, a departure for Tomlin from his normal stoic, we've-got-this-covered persona and a reminder of how Bill Cowher used to foam at the mouth on such occasions.
Guard Alan Faneca, emerging from the home tunnel for what was probably the final time, stuck a finger in the air as he sprinted through the gauntlet of teammates on either side.
Hines Ward appeared waving a Terrible Towel.
Upon the conclusion of the introductions, the Steelers sprinted to the opposite end of the field to salute the faithful.
Brett Keisel and Clark Haggans danced to the music on the sideline prior to kickoff.
PITTSBURGH - JANUARY 05: Santonio Holmes #10 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks back as he scores a touchdown in the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the AFC Wild Card game on January 5, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
And then the offense went to work.
The Steelers came out throwing and kept throwing until it was time to power the ball into the end zone, and then they did that.
There were no fade patterns from the 1-yard line this time, no wide receiver sweeps.
Just running back Najeh Davenport running behind fullback Carey Davis out of a formation that included tight ends Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth and guard-turned-tight end Chris Kemoeatu.
At 7-0, they had the momentum, the fast start they had craved and the crowd insanely into the game.
Then the kickoff team took the field.
Ninety-six yards later, the Jaguars were in business at the Steelers' 1.
On a night when Tomlin had vowed he wasn't going to "save any nuts," that he wasn't going to "squirrel them," his often-porous kickoff coverage unit did not include starting linebacker James Harrison until the outset of the second half.
It was 21-7 Jacksonville by then.
Harrison made two tackles covering kickoffs in the second half.
But this was about more than special teams.
It was about more than injuries.
PITTSBURGH - JANUARY 05: Heath Miller #83 of the Pittsburgh Steelers jumps over Clint Ingram #51 of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half of the AFC Wild Card game on January 5, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
This was about the Steelers being unable to run the ball, about Ben Roethlisberger throwing three first-half interceptions around being sacked four times in the opening two quarters. It was about the defense surrendering an eight-play, 82-yard drive in 4:45 for a touchdown immediately after the Steelers had found a ray of hope by closing to within 21-10 with 9:24 remaining in the third quarter.
It might have really been a ballgame at that point, but the offense was able to produce only a field goal after James Farrior picked off a pass at the Jacksonville 43 less than a minute into the third quarter.
It became much more that that after an inspired, fourth-quarter rally had somehow turned a 28-10 deficit into a 29-28 lead.
But an inexcusable call for a two-point conversion from the 12-yard line by Tomlin -- a rookie mistake -- and the defense's inability to hold the lead late helped conspire to seal the Steelers' fate.
With this team, it's always something.
Against the good teams, that's no longer enough.
Mike Prisuta is a columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-320-7923.
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