Steelers on road to dynasty

By John Harris, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Monday, January 24, 2011

Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II, center, admires the Lamar Hunt trophy with his father, Dan Rooney, left, Steelers great Franco Harris, far right, and broadcaster Jim Nantz after the Steelers' 24-19 win over the New York Jets in the AFC Championship NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011. The Steelers to the Super Bowl to face the Green Bay Packers.(AP)


Two years ago they won Super Bowl XLIII. Three years before that they roared to victory in Super Bowl XL. By all rights the Steelers are the closest thing there is to an NFL dynasty.

Yet the doubters persisted, even after the Steelers opened the season 3-1 without their franchise quarterback.

For some reason they weren't considered a sure thing against the New York Jets in the AFC Championship Game on their home field. Even their former coach picked against them before changing his mind at the 11th hour.

As they have done all year, the Steelers took out their frustration on their opponent. It could have been New England or Indianapolis or the 1972 Miami Dolphins. The Steelers kneecapped the Jets, 24-19, to move one step closer to becoming the first team to win seven Super Bowls.

"I got comments about me saying something about six Lombardi Trophies really early in the game, so I guess that kind of messed with them,'' said safety Ryan Clark. "But if I win this one, they won't have to hear about me talk about six next year. I'll be talking about seven.''

Call it Super Bowl envy.

The Steelers have what the other teams want. To be in position to win a third Super Bowl in six years in this era of free agency and constantly changing rosters is nothing short of miraculous.

Take away Maurkice Pouncey, the rookie Pro Bowl center, with an ankle injury on the game's opening drive, and the Steelers offense still didn't miss a beat. At halftime the Steelers led, 24-3, while outgaining the Jets, 231-50. Leading the charge was running back Rashard Mendenhall, who ran angrily through gaping holes and was rewarded with 95 yards and a touchdown.

In the first half the Jets looked like they were stuck in last week, when they upset New England in the divisional playoffs. They displayed signs of a team that was mentally drained and playing its third consecutive playoff game on the road. Everything went the Steelers' way.

Credit the Jets' first-half meltdown to the Steelers. The coup de grace resulted late in the second quarter when cornerback William Gay scooped up a fumble created when blitzing corner Ike Taylor sacked quarterback Mark Sanchez and bolted 19 yards for a touchdown.

PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 23: LaMarr Woodley #56 and Brett Keisel #99 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrate after sacking Mark Sanchez #6 of the New York Jets during the 2011 AFC Championship game at Heinz Field on January 23, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Jets looked like a different team in the second half. So did the Steelers.

The Jets scored the first time they had the ball. Sanchez lofted a 45-yard touchdown pass to former Steeler Santonio Holmes, who snuck behind the secondary and was wide open when he made the catch.

Offensively, the Steelers hit a wall. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted and fumbled twice. The second fumble was inexcusable, coming on the first play after the Steelers stuffed the Jets on fourth down at the 1 to take back the momentum. Roethlisberger dropped the snap in the end zone and was tackled for a safety. It was New York's second safety against the Steelers this season; the first one occurred during the regular season.

The Jets' luck was changing for the good. Receiving the punt after the safety, Sanchez struck again. This time he connected with Jerricho Cotchery on a 4-yard scoring toss to trim the deficit to 24-19 with 3:06 remaining.

By all appearances the Steelers had the Jets right where they wanted them.

They had the ball, the fans and the clock on their side. All that stood between the Steelers and another trip to the Super Bowl was Roethlisberger guiding the offense to a couple of first downs against a desperate Jets defense.

"We faced adversity all season,'' said cornerback William Gay. "People doubted us. They didn't expect us to win the division. They didn't expect us to be in the Super Bowl.''

Roethlisberger converted one first down with a 14-yard strike to tight end Heath Miller. Forcing the Jets to use their final timeout at the two-minute warning, the Steelers faced third-and-6 at New York 40. Again Roethlisberger delivered, flicking a 14-yard toss to rookie Antonio Brown.

Doesn't Roethlisberger always deliver in the clutch? After all, he has two Super Bowl titles to prove it.

Somehow you knew the Steelers would make the critical plays when the difference between winning and losing and going to the Super Bowl is a slipper slope to purgatory for the loser.

Maybe the Jets will be that team one day. But not on this day, and not against the team of champions.


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