3rd-6, PIT26 2:56 B. Roethlisberger rushed to the left for 1 yard gain
One play shouldn’t define a game or a season, but more often than not one play from a playoff game stands out. Last week it was Ben Roethlisberger’s failed 3rd-and-6 bootleg. The Steelers punted, the Jaguars drove to the 7-yard line, kicked a field goal, and won the game.
That one play stands out more than any other play in the game. More than David Garrard’s 4th down run that kept the Jaguars’ drive alive. More than the Steelers’ failed two-point conversion attempt from the 12-yard line.
Why the 3rd down run by Roethlisberger? Because it showed such a clear misunderstanding of what was needed.
Let’s start with the first 2-point try. The Steelers had just scored to cut the lead to 28-23 with 14 minutes left in the game. Sure, 14 minutes is a lot of time, but two drives earlier the Jaguars had held the ball for almost five minutes and scored a touchdown. Time was indeed running out on the Steelers, and two points was going to get them within a field goal (instead of a touchdown) and increase their chances of winning the game. Even after a (phantom) holding penalty pushed the Steelers back to the 12-yard line, I have no issues with the Steelers going for two there. It showed that they were willing to do whatever they needed to do to win the game.
On the other hand, a Roethlisberger designed rollout/run on 3rd-and-6? That has “I’m so afraid of a turnover that I don’t even want my quarterback to attempt to give the ball to anyone else on the team for fear that something bad will happen” written all over it. That’s the mentality that losing teams have, not a team with a chance to win a playoff game.
That 3rd down play was the culmination o####ame in which the only times the Steelers scored were when they played aggressively. The Steelers opened the game with six straight pass plays (and ended up scoring a touchdown), and Roethlisberger threw on seven consecutive downs at one point in the game. Granted he had three interceptions in the 1st half. But when the chips were down and they needed yards, Big Ben gave them yards.
To take the lead and then go ultra-conservative was inviting trouble. And trouble came a-knocking in the form of David Garrad’s 4th down scramble. That was a designed run out of the shotgun by a guy that can run, and was coach Jack Del Rio’s way of saying, “we are not losing this game.”
A lesson Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin needs to learn. NFL Playoffs Round 2 Selections
It was a 2-2 week against the spread last week (and an abysmal 1-3 straight up). Two underdogs covered, as I predicted. Just not the ones I picked. (The story of my season this year.)
As we head into Round 2, you’ll hear a lot of people talking about how the top four teams rarely all make it to the Championship round. But it has happened twice in the last four years, and it seems likely to happen again this year.
Forget the fact that the four teams with byes are clearly the four best teams in the NFL and they’ve all had a week off to prepare. Just look at the eight teams that played last week for a moment. The Steelers blew their game at home but the team that beat them tried to give the game away in the 4th quarter, allowing 19 points in 8 minutes and 32 seconds. The Titans’ game plan was apparently to try and lull the Chargers to sleep, which almost worked, except for the Chargers’ game plan of doing their best Marty Schottenheimer impression until the 2nd half. (Which reminds me: Everyone who says that this season was more successful under Norv Turner than last season under Schottenheimer just because the Chargers won a playoff game is delusional. The Chargers went 14-2 last year and had a bye in the first round. Basically, this season as of right now is still not better than last year because San Diego must go on the road for their next playoff game. If the Chargers pull off the upset this week in Indianapolis, then we can talk.)
The Redskins played their sixth straight game on pure emotion while the Seahawks played some of the worst football known to man for 52 minutes and then played well for a grand total of 5 minutes, enough time to score 22 fourth quarter points, with 14 coming on interception returns for touchdowns. And Tampa Bay spent three weeks resting players and preparing for the Giants and then came out with the worst game plan in history, while the Giants’ game plan was to keep Eli Manning on a tight leash (20-27, 185 yards) and hope the defense (1 sack, 3 turnovers) could win the game.
My point? Could any one of those eight teams have beaten any of the four teams on a bye? I say no. I think all four home teams win this weekend, with only the Giants coming close and covering the spread.
Green Bay (-7½) over Seattle A rematch of the fantastic 2004 playoff game in which Matt Hasselbeck declared—after the Seahawks won the coin toss in over time—“we’ll take the ball and we’re going to score!” And then he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. I’ll tell you what I’m tired of hearing about: Playoff experience (the Packers have little, the Seahawks have a lot). In Joe Montana’s 13 non-Super Bowl championship seasons, did the 49ers lose because the other team had more playoff experience, or was the other team just better sometimes? Something to think about, because the Packers are the better team. By far. Pick: Packers 30, Seahawks 13
New England (-13) over Jacksonville Can everyone please just stop with propping up the Jaguars as world beaters? They played a very solid first half against the Steelers last week and then came through when they needed to in the 4th quarter. But their quarterback completed just 9 passes for the entire game. I just don’t see it. The Patriots are rested and ready for the first time in a month. They haven’t had an opportunity to run up the score on an opponent in eight weeks. I don’t think this one will even be close. Pick: Patriots 42, Jaguars 16
Indianapolis (-9) over San Diego I thought that the spread on this one was too high until I remembered how bad the Chargers looked last week. The same Titans team that the Colts almost beat with their backups had the Chargers dead to rights with about 20 minutes left in the game. The Titans led 6-3 and the Chargers had a 3rd-and-4. Rivers completed a pass to Tomlinson for a 1st down and San Diego eventually pulled away. This same Chargers team—without tight end Antonio Gates—is supposed to travel across the country and beat a rested Colts team in the dome? Pick: Colts 34, Chargers 17
NY Giants (+7½) over Dallas With the Jessica Simpson distraction looming over the Cowboys’ heads, there’s no way their focus is there for this game. (Just kidding. That might have been the most ridiculous “controversy” in the history of controversies.) Terrell Owens is hurt, the Cowboys have not played well the last few weeks of the season, and this Giants team is apparently better than I’ve given them credit for, especially defensively. The Giants bring enough pressure to disrupt the Cowboys’ offense, and save for one bad 4th quarter pass against the Patriots, Eli Manning has played very well the last two weeks. Plus this will be the third time the Cowboys and Giants play each other this year, and five of the last six playoff games between division foes has been decided by two touchdowns or less. I have a funny feeling that the Giants will keep this one close, but I just can’t see the Cowboys losing this one. Pick: Cowboys 27, Giants 24
If the four favorites win, we’ll have the best final four since the ’98 season when the 15-1 Vikings took on the 14-2 Falcons and the 14-2 Broncos played the 12-4 Jets. The Vikings had set all of the offensive records but fell to the surprising Falcons in overtime, while the Parcells-coached Jets led 10-0 late in the 3rd quarter before the Broncos stormed back for a 23-10 win.
And if it’s Patriots-Colts and Cowboys-Packers, settle in for one of the best Championship Sundays in a long time.
Throwing Out More Thoughts on Sports, Life, and Whatnot
Carolina’s thrilling 3-1 win over Edmonton in Game 7 the other night was just the 14th Game 7 ever played in Stanley Cup Finals history. 66 years of Finals and only 14 Game 7s? You know I had to watch that one. I love history in the making.
I’ve got a few suggestions for making the game of soccer a little more exciting: power plays, a much bigger goal (maybe 40 x 40), and two soccer balls. Oh, and every time a player takes a dive and reacts as if he’s been shot with a bazooka, the other team gets a penalty kick…Sorry. I couldn’t let the entire World Cup go by without taking one poke at the sport.
Does Dunkin Donuts lace their smoothies with crack or heroin? I can’t even see the sign for a store without my car veering off the road toward the front door. And, honestly, those drinks aren’t even that good.
I’d like to thank the Miami Heat and Carolina Hurricanes for making at least two of my predictions from my NBA and NHL Playoff Preview come true. They were the two biggest predictions, too. Sure I was wrong on five others from that piece, but I got the two biggies right.
I was going to devote an entire piece to the fact that journeyman relief pitcher Jason Grimsley—who was caught receiving human growth hormones (HGH) delivered to his home—might have his name etched in stone as one of the most important figures in baseball history. I was going to go on and on about how he might be the first link in a dizzying chain of connections that might bring down some of the biggest names in the sport and cause real change. But I’m so sick of the steroids and HGH talk. I can’t take it anymore. I mean if Grimsley’s on the juice, anyone could be. Forget questioning Albert Pujols. What about every middle relief pitcher at all levels of the game? Are they all using? So enough of this talk for me. No matter what happens—no matter how tainted it may have been—we’ll always have that magical summer of ’98, when every McGwire and Sosa at bat was a stop-the-world event.
Picture this: it’s 10am on a Thursday and a bar full of strangers are cheering and hi-fiving. Is it World Cup Fever or just any excuse to drink in the morning? We got robbed on that penalty kick that allowed Ghana to win the game, by the way.
Big shocker from the NBA: Isaiah Thomas has fired hall of fame coach Larry Brown and named himself the successor. He probably figures that if it works for Pat Riley it will work for him as well. Sorry, Isaiah. You were a great player, but coaching and managing is just not your thing. And I’ve watched Pat Riley. I know Pat Riley. And you, sir, are no Pat Riley.
This could be the craziest baseball season in years. Detroit is in first place. Atlanta is 15½ games out of first—and they trail the Mets! Toronto is only 3 games behind the Red Sox and Yankees. 2½ games separate the five teams in the NL West. And the most anticipated pitching performance of the year was 43-year-old Roger Clemens’ return last night (he last 5 innings and allowed 2 runs). Strange days, indeed.
Who told Pink that she could re-invent herself with her fourth album? Who ever thought Paris Hilton could actually carry a tune? And why do crappy songs like Christina Aguilera’s Ain’t No Other Man keep getting stuck in my head?
I’m a little tired of the Ben Roethlisberger talk, but one thing I know for sure: the defending World Champion Steelers have the 2nd-toughest schedule next season and Big Ben’s injury is going to affect them, especially early on.
Many people were writing stories about how Dirk Nowitzki was the next Larry Bird and a game-changing power forward. Others (including myself) were misguided into thinking that Shaq had anything left in the tank other than one great game in every 10. Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade waltzed in and stole the show in the playoffs and Finals. This kid’s a certifiable superstar. And he has some improving to do in his game. Which is scary.
People wonder why interest in horse racing is down? Without a Triple Crown possibility, the Belmont was reduced to a bunch of horses owned by Saudi princes and one owned by George Steinbrenner.
Is this the year of the “almost” underdog? George Mason makes the Final Four. The 8th-seeded Edmonton Oilers reach the 7th game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Mark it down: the Detroit Tigers will come within one out of winning the World Series—only to have the Cardinals prevail in 7 games.
My brother wants to know why I don’t write more about golf. Did you watch the US Open last week? How much fun is it to watch everyone fail miserably? It’s akin to a 79-78 NBA game. It’s painful sometimes. And just what on earth was Phil Mickelson thinking? So, Boots, that’s why.
Darren Kelly got tired of waiting for his ship to come in. A lifelong sports fan, he wants nothing more than for his full-time job to involve watching and writing about sports. To this end, he launched Sports in a Can. There's no money in it...yet. More of his fine writing is available on the Patriots Insider website: http://patrio ts.scout.com.
