8:36 p.m.: Jake Plummer with a beard looked like a rugged outdoorsman, mountain-man cool and dashing. Kyle Orton looks. . . like a wanted poster. From 1879.
Hey, it's no more of a random reference than a pregame show. "Hey," Stuart Scott shouted, "Big Ben, come over here." Oh, yeah, like that wasn't scripted.
8:38 p.m.: If you want a glimpse, a cable-esque view behind the scenes at Hank shooting these ditties, go to You Tube yo-self and search for video of him and the University of Tennessee dance team. Unfortunately, the two statue dudes don't explode when they tape it.
8:40 p.m.: The family of Joshua McDaniel cordially invites you to his Bar Mitzvah, the occasion on which he becomes a man at age 13. . . .OK, so the Denver coach looks 16. Got your permit, dude?
FIRST QUARTER
8:43 p.m.: So far, the Broncos are protecting backup right tackle Tyler Polumbus -- an extra tackle aligning at tight end, a true tight end in the slot in between Polumbus and a split tight end. They fear the Steelers' rush. And the Steelers need a rush because they can't cover Eddie Royal, and they couldn't cover the Broncos' receivers in the Mile High air two years ago, if you recall. . . 8:45 p.m.: Poor Ryan Clark. He's pacing like an expectant father. Expectant of Willie Gay messing up, like that should've-been interception? Amazing stat Ron Jaworski just offered about Gay: 69 percent of passes this season in Gay's direction have been completed. As Jaws said, why not throw in his direction? Broncos get a Royal push to a 3-0 lead. . . 8:49 p.m.: Big Snacks Casey Hampton and Gay need oxygen already? And Jerome Bettis never really had a problem there? Is it a bad sign we're asking so many questions already? . . . 8:56 p.m.: Don't panic just yet. But Ben Roethlisberger didn't look settled on that opening drive. He pumped but didn't get a good look when he had time backpedaling from the rush. He needed to take a chance or throw it away then, when he had a moment before Elvis Dumervil arrived (which may well be often tonight). Rashard Mendenhall looked decent, by the way, though you noticed the Broncos reaching for the ball on him. . . 9:00 p.m.: Keep an eye on that left defensive end position. Nick Eason or helpmate Ziggy Hood have to beat Polumbus, though so far the Broncos' haven't let Polumbus handle a third-team defensive end by himself. . . Wow, an incompletion! That's due to pressure. After all, this is Kyle Orton, it ain't Elway. . . 9:03 p.m.: Mitch Berger, kids! That's all I'm saying about that. After all, he did win a Super Bowl ring. . .
SECOND QUARTER
9:11 p.m.: The Steelers' offensive line has done enough of a job so far. Now it's on Roethlisberger, the receivers and Bruce Arians to put them in position (short outs or underneath patterns, anyone?). . . 9:15 p.m.: Thanks, Jon Gruden, for relating how Josh McDaniel and the Patriots didn't have an answer for the Steelers last season. But he and the Broncos do tonight. . . Of course, just as I type that, Orton rushes a throw feeling the heat, and threw a strike directly to Tyrone Carter, who got his first NFL interception return for a touchdown -- and only his second NFL touchdown in his 10-year, 143-game career. And three consecutive Steelers' touchdowns by the defense? Is that close to an NFL record?. . .Steelers, 7-3. . . 9:24 p.m.: Orton threw a nice ball before being clouted by Deshea Townsend, but the Steelers are getting to him -- with the rush and in his head. It should pay off later. . . 9:37 p.m.: Former Pitt assistant Jon Gruden, who constantly refers to them as "the Pittsburgh Steelers," as if there's no mistaking them with the Farrell Steelers or Pittsburgh Gladiators, pointed out something from film study -- every time Mike Wallace aligns on the outside of the bunch formation, the pass comes to him. Interesting. . . 9:44 p.m.: CORRECTION Carter's touchdown marked the second of his career. He took one back in the fourth quarter of the 2008 regular-season finale, also playing for an ailing Ryan Clark. So, what, that makes two in nine regular-season games for him?. . .9:48 p.m.: So the Boy Coach tried to run down the clock. Doesn't send a great message to his own team. If the Steelers could get a field goal out of this, it could well drive a stake into the Yonkos. . . 9:52 p.m.: Or vice versa, I meant to write. Hey, at least Limas Sweed can hold onto something. Just so happens it was a Denver jersey. Halftime, 7-3 Steelers, who start the third quarter with the ball -- and a chance to maybe run some sweeps, throw short to Heath Miller (remember how he killed the Broncos in the 2005 AFC Championship game?), run the hurry-up. . . .
THIRD QUARTER
10:06 p.m.: Eighteen plays in the first half is hardly ample circumstance to develop a rhythm. Now a no-huddle quickly gets you into sync, but we'll see. . . 10:11 p.m.: Well, ask and ye shall receive. They brought the no-huddle, Denver brought the blitz, and on a slow-developing cross pattern play the ball was swiped from Roethlisberger's mitts. Fifty-four yard fumble return makes it 10-7, Yonkos. A defensive scorefest. . . 10:21 p.m.: There's a quick reply. See how the running game opens things up, and how the passing game opens up the run? By the way, after dancing lessons, shouldn't Mendenhall be able to hip-hop down that sideline better? Anyway, a long Mendenhall run -- gaining almost as many yards as the passing game did in the first half -- and two beautiful Roethlisberger strikes, and the Steelers regain the lead at 14-10. . . . 10:27 p.m.: Orton indeed panicked on that bad third-down pass. Was that a Ziggy Hood sighting? Yes, indeed, the rookie roared in from right end on a two-lineman alignment. Anybody else notice, too, that Gay thought for a second about picking up that bounding Berger punt around the goalline? . . . 10:38 p.m.: Between Roethlisberger and Arians, you got to admit the play-calling has been superb the second half. Varied. Utilizing the run -- the counters, the delayed draw. Just a bad throw by Roethlisberger there in the end zone negated a dandy drive. Gruden talked about a "poorly thrown ball" and lackluster route-running. It's a sign, though. The Steelers' defense and offense are playing better. . . 10:42 p.m.: Don't miss this point -- the Broncos' defense is huffing and puffing. The Steelers have them where they want them. Meaning: on the field most of this half.
FOURTH QUARTER
10:50 p.m.: The spider sense says the defense is going to have to make another play -- a takeaway, a change of field position. . . 10:53 p.m.: Eason and Keyaron Fox caused Orton to hurry that second-down throw. Makes you remember how many front-line players are missing: Aaron Smith and replacement Travis Kirschke, Lawrence Timmons. . . 10:54 p.m.: Sing along: Mitch Berger, kids. A 24-yard punt is something you've seen before somewhere. . . . 10:56 p.m.: Limas Sweed alert, Limas Sweed alert. He was in on that first-down run by Mendenhall. . . 10:59 p.m.: Steelers need to score on this possession to salt the game, or maintain their mojo. . . 10:59 p.m., Part Dieux: How often do you see Heath Miller unable to secure a pass that hits his hands? . . . Still thinking, aren't ya?. . . 11:05 p.m.: See 10:50 p.m. entry. (Hey, it isn't often I'm right. Lemme bask in it for a minute.) Polamalu pick leads to Roethlisberger-using-his-feet touchdown pass to Mike Wallace. Steelers, 21-10. . . 11:10 p.m.: Two-score lead in the back half of the fourth quarter? It's pass-rush time that, in the film room, will become known as "Goodbye Polumbus". . . 11:13 p.m.: You know what those replays really show? That Orton is completely unhinged. Sure, James Harrison glanced Orton's arm while it loaded up. But Orton then promptly threw that ball into his lineman's earhole. . . 11:18 p.m.: Oops, remember that's Aaron Smith, Travis Kirschke, Lawrence Timmons AND Ryan Clark missong on defense tonight -- one-third of the top dozen, give or take. And Mendenhall went out of bounds after that long run? Don't they want to literally run out the clock? Why do I pose so many questions? Why do I pay for checking?. . . . 11:24 p.m.: The Steelers running the football -- 174 yards total, 155 by Mendenhall -- and running down the clock and running over an opponent, that all should look familiar. And check out the half-empty stadium, mostly occupied still by Steelers fans.
A signature. . .
11:34 p.m.: It's ovah.Nice hurdle by Hines Ward. Touchdown on, what, the second pass of the drive? Both to him, by the way. Eleven-play, 74-yard, five-minute drive, all but a few inches of it coming on the ground. And Willie Colon was back, so no apparent concerns about his injury. Steelers, 28-10. . . .11:39 p.m.: A second interception by Carter, matching that Cleveland game at last season's end, and it's complete. A remarkable second-half effort. A fifth consecutive Steelers victory. And, ahem, they closed. Next comes Cincinnati Sunday at Heinz Field, in a divisional biggie. It's often hard for Monday night victors to match their enthusiasm and effort the next Sunday, so we'll see.
Posted
Nov 09 2009, 08:36 PM
by
Chuck Finder