Blog 'n' Gold : James Farrior

Steelers-Brownies, live

Chuck Finder — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:53:00 GMT

12:51 p.m.: One word, in honor of the late Myron Cope, who warbled and rhapsodized and sang (to loosely call it that) about this Cleveland franchise about whom he fondly recalled stories about urinating off the top of old Municipal Stadium:

Pumpkinheads.

12:53 p.m.: Defensive introductions started with Travis Kirschke, starting for the out-for-the-year Aaron Smith. It ended, appropriately, with a spinning, hair-flying Troy Polamalu, much to the glee of the 2/3-full Mustard Bowl.

12:59 p.m.: Maybe it was all those honorary, Alumni captains -- the Steelers won the toss. Hines Ward went down the line, shaking every Alum's hand as if it were a wedding receiving line. James Farrior shook the hands toward the end of the line, where ex-teammates stood. Game on.

FIRST QUARTER

1:02 p.m.: Not a great first play from scrimmage. Rashard Mendenhall almost got the ball stripped, and Chris Kemeoatu came up limping. Second play, the 29-yard pass -- with plenty of time -- went to Mike Wallace, who nearly broke it for a touchdown. Ramon Foster in at left guard for Kemeoatu. . . 1:10 p.m.: After a Daniel Sepulveda punt that just didn't bounce with backspin, the Browns started in a rare Wildcat formation with Steelers-slayer Josh Cribbs taking the snap. He got 23 yards on his first two carries. Which prompts the question: Why not do it ALL the time. The guy played quarterback in college. And Derek Anderson threw just two completions last weekend in that eye-gouging, 6-3 victory over Buffalo last weekend, when his receivers didn't want to catch his passes. When things go bad for a club. . . 1:13 p.m.: For the record, Kemeoatu is back in, missing just three snaps. . . 1:18 p.m.: Roethlisberger has been knocked down three times in the pocket, all by Shaun Rogers. And why punt TO Cribbs? Just so Sepulveda could making a saving tackle downfield? Brownies have grand location at their own 48, and they certainly are winning the field-position struggle early. . . 1:23 p.m.: Willie Parker is in. Maybe Bruce Arians will finally stick to the ground game. Parker always runs for 100 against the Brownies. . . 1:26 p.m.: Just when Parker was running decently, Max Starks goes down. But he's walking off all right, though it appears to be a shoulder/elbow/arm injury. Doug Legursky just went in to play right guard, with Trai Essex moving over to his former tackle position on the left side, replacing Starks. . . 1:29 p.m.: That wasn't merely a fumble -- a botched snap that was kicked and recovered by Cleveland -- to award the Brownies the ball at the Steelers' 39-yard line, but it was a play where Legursky got hurt, limping off the field. This game might be a battle of attrition, as Mike Tomlin likes to say, for the offensive line alone. . . 1:31 p.m.: Eric Mangini is as smart as me -- he finally realized what these eyes say on the first series: The Cleveland Wildcat is working, particularly against an Aaron Smith-less defense. Don't. Stop. Using. It. . . . Cribbs' running and passing ability scared local coaches on Heinz Field before. . ..1:35 p.m.: OK, so Cribbs isn't used to NFL defenses, certainly not the best safety in the game. But it is time to worry: Troy Polamalu, after picking off that pass, landed on his previously injured left knee and limped off slowly Medical personnel keeps stopping by and checking on him, but he is sitting on the bench with the rest of the guys. We'll soon see. . . Starks, by the way, returned to the o-line. End of quarter, Ott-Ott.

SECOND QUARTER.

1:42 p.m.: The Brownies are rushing two -- count 'em, 2 -- and the Steelers get called for holding, in the form of Willie Colon. This, remember, is the worst rushing defense in the NFL, graciously permitting 170 yards per game. And the home side is determined to throw. . . 1:45 p.m.: Well, THAT worked. Santonio Holmes running 27 yards of that 41-yard pass from Roethlisberger, courtesy of a Mendenhall hold on pass blocking. And, first-and-goal at the 8, Roethlisberger has so much time he doesn't know whether to wind his watch (credit: Mike Lange), and finally finds Heath Miller in the left corner in front of Cleveland linebacker David Bowens. Ben was 5 for 5 for 90 yards on that drive. Steelers ahead, 7-0. . .1:49 p.m.: Breathe. Polamalu is back in. . . 1:53 p.m.: Brett Keisel committed the third of four drops thus far of Derek Anderson passes. The Browns are driving against some second teamers: Chris Hoke in the middle, Nick Eason at end. And Anderson has plenty of time to throw, but is that a good thing or a bad thing? . . . 2:05 p.m.: Who was the wiseacre that said the Steelers should run the ball? For one thing, something was bad wrong with that touchdown pass -- it was meant for Holmes, and Hines Ward cut in front and took it to the house, Steelers 14-0. Note that Roethlisberger is 10 for 14 for 211 yards -- with seven touchdowns in the past three games. He has thrown for gains of 52, 41 and a hat trick in the high 20s. . . 2:08 p.m.: If you cannot keep it from Cribbs' hands in the Wildcat formation, why ever kick it to him? A 98-yard kickoff return by a guy who had a couple of them on this same Heinz Field in 2007. Hulloh?. . . 2:21 p.m.: There's a snapshot you won't see for a long time -- outside of all the studio shows. The Brownies were celebrating a fourth-down stop and running off the field, when the officials yanked the chains to their fullest; meanwhile, the Steelers were motioning first down, and they were right. . . 2:27 p.m.: The standard for a touchdown catch in the NFL must include carrying the ball to the sideline, into the locker room and then home to your mantel. Ward rolled completely over, and it was out of bounds where he dropped the ball. Upon further review, ref Walt Anderson reported that the receiver "did not maintain control through the complete process." So the Steelers settled for a Jeff Reed field goal and a 17-7 lead. Ruh-roh, here comes a kick off. . . After a pooch kick, the Brownies take a knee (?) and head to the locker room down, 17-7, at halftime.

THIRD QUARTER

2:47 p.m.: First of all, Cribbs should never see another Steelers kick in his lifetime, but at least they're pooching them now (although the guy could have lateraled it back to Cribbs). Secondly, the Steelers had no choice but to challenge that play for a Cleveland first down -- it was a completed pass, no way that just happened for these Brownies.(Statistical oddity of the first half: Anderson had a 39.6 passer rating on 2 for 9 (and Cribbs went 0 for 2, remember); Roethlisberger's was almost 100 points higher, and it would've been higher had not Ward "dropped" the TD pass). Oh, and the first-down pass was upheld. . . 2:52 p.m.: Two completions in a row! These Brownies are on a roll. Seriously, they have confidence. Not a good sign. . . 2:54 p.m.: An actual Brownies touchdown, just their fourth in six games. Polamalu was beaten on the throw. Cleveland pulls within 17-14. Two questions arise: Will the Steelers ever blow out an opponent by more than one score? And will they win this game? You let a bad team hang around. . . oh, wait, they constantly do that, huh? . . . 3:07 p.m.: In case anyone hasn't noticed, the Steelers have completed six passes of 20 yards or more thus far. Roethlisberger stands 7 yards shy of 300 passing with a quarter and a half still to play. They have compiled a gaudy 366 yards already, on pace for nearly a 500-yard day. And still they lead only by 24-14. They need the defense to make a stand, join the party, place a game on ice. Not a bad defensive stand there, but they should be smothering the second-worst offense in the NFL (if you still consider Oakland an NFL team). .. . . 3:19 p.m.: It's Turnover Time on the North Shore. Roethlisberger to the Browns, Anderson back to the Steelers -- on, and this is a sign to worry, the first sack of a Cleveland quarterback in 19 pass attempts to that point -- and now Parker (he's cold, remember) back to the Browns. What's the old polka? "I don't want her, you can have her, she's too phat for me?" Or somethin'. . . 3:25 p.m.: Back to 3:19. Anderson back to the Steelers (on yet another sack and turnover; at least the Steelers' defense has reaquainted itself with that staple diet). Mendenhall back to the Browns. That's five turnovers on a dozen plays, four in the past eight. Better production than Dunkin' Donuts.. . Thank goodness we can close the book on that quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

3:35 p.m.: After a defensive stand, the ball is back in the hands of the offense. . . so long as they don't drop it or otherwise place it into the Brownies' breadbasket. A grinding, old-school Steelers drive is in order here. And they're trying to do it, surprisingly, with Mendenhall. Oops, scratch that: They just threw their eighth completion of the day of 20 yards or more. . . 3:44 p.m.: The o-line and the passing game fell on their facemask there, and Jeff Reed kicked a 39-yarder to extend the Steelers' lead to 27-14. . . 3:52 p.m.: Cleveland was 5 for 11 on third downs. Five for 11 (while the Steelers were 2 for 8). Then Anderson just threw into coverage, with Ryan Clark outdueling Polamalu for an interception. Yes, indeedy, the club that continued to rank dead last in the NFL in interceptions has equaled its entire season, five-game output in one day: with two. Party on. . . 4 p.m.: Roethlisberger has surpassed 400 yards for only the second time in his career, with a high of 433 in a 2006 loss to Denver. He is at 417 at the two-minute warning, though the Steelers seem grounded at this point. (But, with Air Arians, you never know. . . .) Interesting to note: Three of his top four career yardage games previously came in losses. . . 4:07 p.m.: It's ovah. Steelers 27, Brownies 14. The Minnesota Favre-Petersons were coming back on the Ravens last we heard -- and then they come into Heinz Field for the last, true potent offense the Steelers will face all season. Should be innerestin'.

Steelers-Bungles live

Chuck Finder — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:07:00 GMT

Pregame, 4:05 p.m.: Let that be a lesson to ya, if the 0-for-2008-09 Detroit Lions can take a lead into the two-minute warning, anything can happen on a Sunday. . . 4:12 p.m.: Didja catch Ex-Coach Cahr on the CBS pregame show? Mr. Bill was speaking to the smushmouth Steelers choir when he called them the P-word: "The game has changed. The rules have changed. I think right now, I hate to say this, but the running game is a complement. It's not the foundation that it once was. You look at the last three AFC teams that were in the Super Bowl, that's Pittsburgh, New England and Indianapolis. They're all passing games. The running game is a complement." And he didn't mean that as a compliment. 4:14 p.m.: Jim Nantz provided the pregame kibosh: The last Bungles coach to beat the Steelers was Hall of Fame-to-be cooordinator Dick LeBeau. Then Cincinnati enlivens Paul Brown's building with that long kickoff return. Game on.

FIRST QUARTER

4:16 p.m.: You notice Tyrone Carter, padded left thigh and all, started. You also notice that LeBeau and the fellas welcomed back Carson Palmer, who hasn't played them in a while (since, what, the Kimo von Ohlhoffen treatment in the 2005 playoffs? seems it, anyway), with a zone-blitz drop where James Farrior nearly picked off his first pass. But, trust us, they cannot give Palmer all day to throw. They'll have to harry him. . . The visitors needed that long, slow-building pass play. And if Ben Roethlisberger doesn't have time to look downfield, and if he -- sing along with the chorus -- doesn't hold onto the ball for several extra seconds, such big plays never get made. You take the incompletion, the occasional interception, the disdain for the 3- to 6-yard quarterback scrambles for back-breaking big plays like that. . . 4:23 p.m.: Chris Simms' daddy is exactly right -- the officials need to call nullifying penalties on Hines Ward, who is in for a long day with angry Bungles, and Cincinnati's James Joseph trading shoves deep into the Steelers' bench area. Got to stop that stuff early. And how about Willie Parker? A 24-yard run, again with nice blocking, marked his longest since the Cleveland finale last season. Remember, he had 47 yards total in Chicago a week ago, and that was considered a breakthrough ground performance.. . . 4:29 p.m.: The same as in Chicago, a short-yardage situation at the goalline -- and this time they tried Parker, who fell short. Yes, they'll have to improve at this. Yes, they almost had to run Parker. But, yes, they also had to get Jeff Reed some positive mojo. One last thought about this 3-0 Steelers lead: Shouldn't Parker have bounced that third-and-goal outside? Sure looked like he had a better chance of scoring around left end instead of cutting it inside. And the angle would've been no worse for Reed. . . though he did cut that from-the-left-hashmark attempt pretty close to the upright, huh?

BTW: About the Lions' victory? Nice to see new coach Jim Schwarz send them back from the locker room onto the Ford Field surface to shake hands and savor the moment with the remaining Lions fans.

4:36 p.m.: Carter flew into that second-down run as if he was shot from Troy Polamalu's cannon. Cedric Benson: zilch on three carries. Carson Palmer: oh for 3. Chad Ochocinco: nada (and he looked like, on the catch erased by a Cincy flag, as if he couldn't get his feet to work right, stepping out of bounds before he reached the first-down marker). And two penalties. But, then, the defense had a strong start a week ago, too. . . What's Spanish for "Oy?". . . 4:43 p.m.: On a sunny day, with a catchable pass (though a tad high), Santonio Holmes shows that his drops are a mental gaffe, not due to rain, gloves or owie wrists. And there goes Parker again, utilizing blocking and calls that catch the upfield rush of the Bungles. Could be yet another 100-yard day for him in Cincy. . . 4:46 p.m.: Parker's more than halfway there, with 53 yards -- a season high -- on just nine carries. And Mike Wallace has bypassed Limas Sweed and almost any other Steelers' rookie receiver since, what, Louis Lipps? OK, so Troy Edwards caught alotta balls as a rookie (tying Ward in 1999 for a team-leading 61, but somebody had to catch 'em), but he soon after proved to be a mini-mirage. . 4:48 p.m.: Once again, Roethlisberger eluding the rush -- almost every other NFL quarterback goes down on that play -- and receivers breaking off routes come to a positive ending for the Steelers more often than not. And Willie Parker's first touchdown catch in 39 games gives the Steelers a 10-0 lead. Which begs the question: Shouldn't they try throwing more screens, flares, releases and circles to a guy named Fast Willie? He spent many a training-camp day working with the JUGS machine after practice on receiving. . . First quarter ended, and Parker had 90 yards of offense in it.

SECOND QUARTER

BTW: That 27-yard touchdown catch marked the longest TD reception of Parker's six-year career, his third longest reception overall of his career and his longest in his past 64 games, regular season and post-season.

4:58 p.m.: The other Mike Wallace should be proud, though maybe the kid does need to work on his sideline tight-roping. The Steelers need that Red Zone success, though. Man cannot live on field goals alone.Their past four trips to the opposition's 25-yard line or closer have come up with zero touchdowns and now just two 3-pointers. . . 5:07 p.m.: See what happens when you don't get to Palmer? Ochocinco brings energy with big gains and touchdown celebrations, and he has a special one planned for today -- should he get there. But if the Bungles score on this drive, it revives the crowd and their confidence. . . 5:17 p.m.: Sweed sighting! And, if you hadn't noticed, parker has 72 yards rushing already. The Steelers have gotten the game at their quick pace. A score after this two-minute warning, particularly a touchdown, would go a long way. . . . 5:26 p.m.: Holmes' inability to stop and drop the toes at the sideline -- and, gee, he has done that before somewhere, hasn't he? -- and the Steelers' failure to pick up points on this half-ending drive could well come back to Bengal-bite them. . . 5:30 p.m.: On that drive-starting pass to Chris Henry, the Steelers' rushed only four. You see the difference thereafter, with Palmer dumping off quick short ones when pressured more. . . . 5:33 p.m.: Mock cheer from Bungles fans as hometown club gets last-second field goal -- Steelers 13, Cincy 3 at halftime.

THIRD QUARTER

5:56 p.m.: No better way to overcome a mistake, a turnover, a killer touchdown like Joseph's, making it 13-9, than by coming back with a touchdown of your own. Then Sweed does what he did too often lost year, got a case of the dropsies, and Reed just hooks at the last coupla yards that long one. You have just infused lots of La Vida into Ochocinco and the Co.

Insert NFL Films follies music here.

6:05 p.m.: After a big stop by the defense, the offense has no choice but to try to run the ball, try to shorten the game. The Bungles have done a much better job this half filling the holes, hanging with the blocks. But the Steelers still need to run -- can't rely on . . . Mike Wallace all the time?! Third third-down catch for the rookie, fifth overall for 87 yards -- even more yards than Parker has acmulated on the ground. But that must change. The more the Steelers try to sit in pass protection, the more they're going to get called for holding on Antwan Odom and Jumpy Geathers, take our word for it. . . 6:08 p.m.: There's Hines Ward. . . 6:10 p.m.: Cincy is regularly rushing five and six, but the Steelers' receivers are wiiide open in the secondary. They MUST score here. . . 6:11 p.m.: That scary time for fans: Short yardage (insert "Friday the 13th" music here). Have to give Parker a carry, but Big Ben is going to take a beating if he's your go-to. . . uh, fullback. Your franchise QB shouldn't be your short-yardage TD guy. And what was exchange between Bruce Arians, who has called a pretty nice game so far, and Coach Mike Tomlin? Arians looked a bit excited, if not miffed, at what his boss was saying. . . 6:19 p.m.: First Keith Rivers, now Rey Maualuga. What is it with these first-round linebackers from USC constantly getting hurt against the Steelers early? If I'm playing 'backer for Pete Carroll right now, I'm hitting my knees every night hoping Mike Brown doesn't know I'm alive. . . 6:20 p.m.: A Sam Wyche call by Marvin Lewis -- now that's, what's the word 'Cinco, cajones? If the Bungles score a TD here, it's their game. If they get a FG, this one's going down to the wire. If the Steelers can stop them, it's their game, especially able to run the ball and kill some clock now that the game is going into the fourth quarter. Steelers 20, Bungles 9 -- but driving.

FOURTH QUARTER

6:25 p.m.: Raise your hand if you yelled "Fake!" at the TV when the Bungles lined up for that 52-yard FG. And, being the Bungles, they missed. What they showed the first two weeks of the season, a confidence and a moxie and a defense, could be unmasked if they fall down on the job here. Because they are still in this game, even if the Bungles don't believe it. . . 6:30 p.m.: First of all, the Steelers ran off almost two minutes there, every tick helping their cause. Second, they tried to establish the run -- but they have to maintain that balance on first and second downs, keeping Cincy off balance. Thirdly, that punt by Daniel Sepulveda was disappointing. He can boom them farther. Though, in his favor, he was (1.) cold, having yet to punt in this game, and (2.) trying to loft the ball so Cincy cannot rip off a long return like it did last week. . . 6:39 p.m.: Benson ripping off that touchdown run isn't a good sign. Halting that two-point conversion helps, though -- the Bungles will need a touchdown, and maybe a successful two-pointer, too, if the Steelers can tack on a field goal. Huuuuge offensive possession here. A ton o ftime left, with 9:08 to go. Sorry, folks, I have to head out for the holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur. I'm handing off the blog baton to Dan Gigler. . . 6:44 p.m.: Well here you go folks, five minutes remaining, Steelers just punted, Cincy taking over with not terrible field position? Who will 'kiss the baby' -- Steelers D or Acht Funf? (I took German in high school, not Spanish) 6:50 p.m.: Steelers defense getting shredded right now like the cheese I put on the chili I had for lunch (Not Cincinnati-style, thank you). 6:54 p.m.: Ike Taylor perfect pass defense on Eight Five setting up a 4th & 2 with one minute left ... this is the game. 6:57 p.m.: Bengals convert a quick slant to Lavereaus Coles, 1st & 10 47 seconds left ... Palmer a dart on what looked like a sure TD to VIII-V and Taylor and Ryan Clark get fingertips on it, another Palmer pass to Chris Henry is defended by William Gay -- 4th & 10, 36 ticks left ... 7:02 p.m.: Carson Palmer converts a 4th & 10 on a scrambling, last seconfd dump to Brian Leonard -- admittedly a guy we like from what we saw of him on Hard Knocks -- and then a flip to Andre Caldwell for the go ahead touchdown. Pass to Leonard makes it 23-20 on the conversion. 7:05 p.m.: Rashard Mendenhall, proving he has as much sense as my puggle, flips the kickoff to Stefan Logan, eating up valuable time. Logan exacerbates the problem by not going down, and Ben takes over with 2 seconds left -- no time to do anything. Hail Mary short ... Steelers lose, fall to 1-2, and third place in the division. You think people complained about G-20? Just wait. Don't even turn on a radio this week, because the sky is officially falling in Steelers Nation ...

Steelers-Bills, preseason Game 3 live

Chuck Finder — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:30:00 GMT

6:30 p.m.: If the players are using this as a simulation of a regular-season game, then, dadgummit, we ought to do the same.

6:31 p.m.: Oops, forgot the binoculars. That's what exhibitions are for, right? Working out the bugs.

6:32 p.m.: Best as these naked eyes can tell, Jeff Reed is dressed but doing nothing more than warming up his vocal chords. Piotr Czech, an alum of Wagner College (or, in his old-school case, would it be pronounced Vahg-nurr?), will handle the kicking chores tonight while Reed rests a leg he hurt slightly by stepping in a hole at Washington a week ago. Reed, who just took three soft practice swings with his right leg and stretching gently, is ready in case of emergency. These team needs a Chad Ochocinco who can kick.

Nah. This guy's too much fun.

6:44 p.m.: Inactives for the evening -- or, if nothing else, hurt or injured fellas officially getting the night off -- include these guys in street clothes (gold T's and black shorts): receiver Santonio Holmes (back), halfback Willie Parker (hamstring), fullback Frank "The Tank" Summers (hamstring), defensive linemen Nick Eason (unknown paranthetical reason) and Steve McLendon (elbow). They joined the previously pronounced-out players: quarterback Dennis Dixon (shoulder. . . which left a sling, so it must be improving), tight end Sean McHugh (knee arthroscopy) and guard Darnell Stapleton (knee -- though he maintains he aims to return by camp's close).

For one thing, that means a lot of work for a few running backs: Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore (in his first game this preseason), Carey Davis, Isaac Redman, Justin Vincent.

7:42 p.m.: Limas Sweed started for Holmes, though the Steelers' offense opened the game in a two-tight-end set, and Mendenhall for Parker. Speaking of Mendenhall, the play after a lovely, crowd-stirring 12-yard run, he fumbled away the ball to Buffalo. Didn't Hines Ward set up the bounty this time a year ago for a fumbling Mendenhall? Might be time for that South Side monetary dare. The next series, he wasn't exactly hitting the holes with speed and fury, either, huh?

8:04 p.m.: Some nice blocking by the line to spring Mendenhall a couple of times. The Steelers reach the Buffalo 33. End of the first quarter.

8:11 p.m.: Ben Roethlisberger looks rather sharp. Completed eight of his first nine for 80 yards, picked his targets deftly and picked apart the Buffalo secondary. Didja catch him turn his head and look behind him to check out the Bills' pass rush. . . which the line held off until third-down in the red zone, where Penn State's pass-rusher extraordinaire Aaron Maybin decked him. Czech, 34-yard field-goal attempt good. Steelers, 3-0. Drive: 13 plays, 49 yards, 7:32.

8:20 p.m.: Shouldn't James Farrior save those plays for the regular season? After all, that's on tape now, as Mike Tomlin likes to say. Everybody can see it now. Two plays from scrimmage, two scores. Steelers, 10-0. Drive: one 22-yard interception, hardly no time at all.

8:44 p.m.: Interesting to note, as Vin Scully says, that Mendenhall was part of the goalline offense, and not Isaac "Red-Zone" Redman. Hey, rookie tight end David Johnson -- with Carey Davis suffering an ankle injury earlier and sidelined for the night, so the club reported -- lined up at fullback in front of him. And, with the offense motoring nicely downfield on the pass, the Steelers set up Mendenhall's untouched touchdown run of 4 yards just 31 seconds before halftime because of the threat of the throw. And should Mendenhall be gesticulating like that on his way into the end zone? Steelers, 17-0. Drive: 13 plays, 87 yards, 6:17. That's a regular-season drive.

9:04 p.m.: For the first time, Czech had a kickoff -- even though he booted it 68 yards to the 2 -- returned beyond the 20. . . all the way to the 31. Still and all, this big kicker (6-5, 210) could easily get a look, if not a job, by showing a leg that sturdy.

9:30 p.m.: After a Bills defender knifed through and decked a slow-moving Redman, the free-agent from Bowie State certainly has shown some speed, some moves, some shake on the past couple of plays. That ought to please Tomlin, who had a little chat with Redman Thursday about showing more than goal-line ability if he hoped to make the team. He heard, all right.

Hmmm, the first-team defense is still in starting the second half.

9:12 p.m.: It's second-teamer time. As far as simulations go for the regulars, 17-0 doesn't look too bad. Czech from 40 faded right, no good.

9:40 p.m.: Charlie Batch is 7 of 9 for 79 yards -- and those two incompletions should've been caught. Dallas Baker could've given him a touchdown. (Though am I the only one to detect a little push in the back by the Buffalo defender on that one?) And Brandon Williams could've snagged that deep ball down the middle. Just the same, Batch and Roethlisberger are a combined 22 for 28 for 247 yards. Impressive.

9:58 p.m.: Even before Joe Burnett blocked that Rian Lindell field-goal attempt, the rookie cornerback-returner looked to have a roster spot sewn up. The more you can do, ya know? As far as rookies and newcomers, Burnett, first-round pick Ziggy Hood (like he wouldn't make the club) and certainly Stefan Logan appear to be roster locks from their play tonight and previously. Redman tonight made a pretty good case to join that group, too. Receiver Mike Wallace, guard Kraig Urbik and camp splash Ramon Foster, a free-agent offensive tackle, also have made strong cases for themselves. Here's a practice star many onlookers wonder how he would look in extended game action: free-agent receiver Tyler Grisham never seems to drop anything thrown in his direction at St. Vincents College or the South Side. What about Heinz Field or. . . ?

10:06 p.m.: First preseason shutout in 35 such games, since 2001 when the Steelers put a 20-0 pasting on. . . Buffalo right here in Heinz Field. Eight first downs for Buffalo, but half of those on the Bills' final drive. Doubly impressive. On to Carolina. Eleven days until Tennessee.

Super Bowl Polamalu (XLIII), Live

Chuck Finder — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:25:00 GMT

10:09 p.m.: Double wow. Double yoi. Greatest Super Bowl finish ever? Certainly for the Steelers.

Break open that 6 Pack now.

10:02 p.m.: Good call by McAulay: Holmes "toes" were in bounds. A freeze frame in NFL history, let alone the Super Bowl. With 35 seconds left? On what could be the game-winning drive? After putting them there? And nearly catching the potential winning touchdown in the other corner? In. Cred. A. Bull.

But wait...........................Arizona gets the ball with half a minute left. Fitzgerald and Warner have worked that magic before. Like, say, the fade touchdown that gave the Cardinals that 23-20 lead (sorry I missed a while there, but I have to write another story, on deadline, while the game is going on. What I wouldn't do for younz guys.)

9:59 p.m.: No way. Did Holmes really make that catch? Did he get both feet in?

Move aside, Lynn Swann and the bobble over Dallas' Mark Washingon. Heck, poor James Harrison made probably the greatest play in Super Bowl history at the end of the first half, what with the circumstances and how much that turned around a game that could've been 10-10 at half. Holmes just made the greatest catch in Supe annals. Heck, that may even surpass Joe Montana-to-Dwight Clark in that NFC Championship moment for the ages

9:58 p.m.: No timeouts left, a desperate need to score a touchdown, and first-and-goal at the Cardinals' 6 with 49 seconds left. You don't want overtime against this team, do you? Nice try on that overthrow by Santonio Holmes, who just made a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge catch and run to give the Steelers a chance to tie (the first overtime Supe) or win.

9:57 p.m.: Wow.

9:56 p.m.: Nothing like a fourth-quarter, must-have drive in the Super Bowl. Now that's drama. And Roethlisberger, with his idol John Elway the comeback kid in the crowd, with Elway's No. 7 and the Steelers on his back, was trying to collect yet another fourth-quarter flourish for which he has become famed already.

9:45 p.m.: Think Mike Tomlin wants that touchdown in the last goalline situation back right now?

In either?

9:43 p.m.: You have to pass from your own 1-yard line. You have to go for the first down. It looked like they got it, but holding on that offensive line again, Justin Hartwig. Safety. So it suddenly became 20-16, Steelers. That's better than a sack, even an interception. Maybe not a punt, though. We're about to find out. Give those knuckles a rest, Galaxy.

It was the first safety since Supe XXV, in Tampa, when Bruce Smith of Buffalo sacked the New York Giants Jeff Hostetler of West Virginia in the end zone.

9:30 p.m.: Fitzgerald is back. Mostly, Warner is finally looking for his franchise player. His 1-yard fade route -- who can stop that? -- gave Arizona Ol' Mo' and pared the Steelers' lead to 20-14. Hold onto your seats.

9:17 p.m.: Troy Polamalu, commercial MVP.

9:12 p.m.: First of all, didja expect Big Ben to outhrow Wingin' Warner through three quarters. It's 162 yards to 153, but, more important, that vaunted passing game has only 153 yards -- and less than 10 yards per completion. Fitzgerald entered the fourth quarter with just one catch, covered like a full-length mink by Ike Taylor. Warner isn't even throwing in Fitz's direction. That's some dandy defensive work right there, folks.

9:04 p.m.: End of third quarter, Steelers 20-7. With this defense, with the way the Steelers' offense is moving the ball and, more important, grinding up clock, it looks like you can almost pop open that 6 Pack.

Almost.

8:56 p.m.: Sixteen-play, 79-yard drive, which is incredible in and of itself. But to take up 8:39 of a quarter -- more than half -- on one drive, all those whack penalties or not? Now that's a crusher. With Reed's 21-yard field goal giving the Steelers a 20-7 lead, the Cardinals must muster some kind of score on their next drive, or they're history.

8:52 p.m.: That third-down was non-call was warranted. Then, on Jeff Reed's field goal, the Cardinals picked up a third personal foul of the drive when Adrian Wilson, in referee Terry McAulay's word, "ran over the holder," Mitch Berger. Automatic first down. And the clock's ticking away.

If you enlarge you can see Adrian Wilson about to level Mitch Berger

8:50 p.m.: I'm sorry, but this goal-line offense is laughable. There you got your wish, Willie Parker on a run -- and the blocking wasn't there, so he got corralled for a loss. Then a Heath Miller drop? You don't see that very often.

8:44 p.m.: Quiet. Listen. . . . You can almost hear Mike Holmgren and all those Seahawks fans yapping about the Steelers getting all the breaks from officials. In this instance, it's warranted. Santonio Holmes committed a facemask penalty on DRC, who was the one flagged. No wonder Holmes heard "facemask" and started pleading his case to the side judge -- he knows when he's guilty. . . .Then a second personal-foul penalty? On a questionable call on Arizona linebacker Karlos Dansby for roughing Roethlisberger. Ya know, maybe those Pacific Northwesterners were on to something.

8:35 p.m.: Kurt Warner, just when he was leading the Cardinals downfield when they badly needed it, was called for a fumble -- his longtime bugaboo. But Arizona challenged that his arm was going forward, as replays seemed to show. If the Steelers get a field goal, minimum, on this next drive, it could be a death knell already for Arizona. At some point, of course, these former sleepwalkers (they're word) and realize, Hey, we are the Cardinals after all.

8:34 p.m.: Sorry, I'm still not recovered. . . . (Nice photos by Dan Gigler, too. Jus' givin' a shout out.)

8:19 p.m.: Bruce Springsteen is going to Disney Land. Will the Steelers, too?

7:57 p.m.: Excuse me while this intrepid reporter arises from his keyboard to worship at the altar of The Boss.

No, not Micco (sorry, Jer).

7:55 p.m.: Touchdown, 17-7, Steelers. Please refer to 7:07 for details.

That made Harrison's the longest play in Super Bowl history, offensive, defensive, special teams. Remember, Willie Parker registered the longest touchdown run, at 75 yards, in winning Super Bowl XL. Momentum, signs, you name it -- it points in the Steelers' direction right now.

7:51 p.m.: First and goal at the Steelers' 1, just 18 seconds left after good clock management. The Cardinals appeared to be in a must-throw down, and . . . someone call for oxygen for James Harrison. A 100-yard interception return for a touchdown -- hey, Deshea Townsend, get outta his way and block for somebody. Warner for Boldin went awry. Harrison exhausted, though Tomlin came over to congratulate.

The play was under review, but his head was the first thing that touched in the end zone. So it's a bigger miracle for the opposition since Tony Dungy got a Polamalu interception reversed in the Super Bowl XL playoff run.

Unbelievable play by the Defensive MVP of 2008 who, by now, we ought to expect this kind of thing. Believe it now, as Tampa gave its Super Bowl that slogan. (BTW: An unidentified Steeler clipped a Cardinal on the return.)

7:48 p.m.: That 12-yard catch and run by No. 11 marked the first catch of the day by Pitt's Larry Fitzgerald. The Steelers need to contain him to win this game, and so far they've done that. But. . . .

7:36 p.m.: Forget the bad offensive series by Arizona, and the strong push by the Steelers' D. The turning point, may have come at 2:59. The stadium entertainment folks just played "Love is Like a Rock" by Pittsburgh's own Dawnee Ahhriss.

7:30 p.m.: That quaking you feel just might be momentum, with a couple of penalties and a nice Breaston return giving Arizona some momentum. But that Steelers' pass rush, gaining a holding call on one and a sack on another, picked up the pace for the defense.

7:20 p.m.: Game-saving drive by the Cardinals. They looked poised and comfortable against that secondary, that defense. An Anquan Boldin open play, a couple of James/Breaston plays and a lack of a rush on Warner, and the Cardinals have a nine-play, 83-yard drive to cut the Steelers' lead to 10-7.

7:14 p.m.: Key thing to notice on that Cardinals first down: Kurt Warner got happy feet in the pocket and threw a bad pass. And there really wasn't a rush near him.

7:07 p.m.: Gary Russell just ran off the field faster than he ran on it. A plunge for a touchdown. A point after. An 11-play, 69-yard drive covering seven-plus minutes. And it was 10-0, Steelers.

Stat time: The Cardinals are 1-6 this season when they fall behind by 10 points or more. And 1-12 in two seasons under Whis.

7:04 p.m.: Third and goal at the one, and Mike Tomlin calls timeout. Will they call two plays and quickly go for a fourth-down try? Can Tomlin plunge that aggressive bent into his pocket and actually kick another field goal? Stay tuned. (Oh, yeah, right, like you were going to change over to "60 Minutes" or something right now. . . .)

7:00 p.m.: End of first quarter, 3-0 Steelers. But they're threatening. And hold on for an interesting stat if they do score. (Whis has that red flag ready. . . .) BTW: Steelers 140 yards, Cardinals 13. But that isn't the stat that counts most, ya know.

6:57 p.m.: Did NBC's John Madden just say, "That's Ben Roethlisberger being Superman"? Well, that was vintage Roethlisberger escapability, continually scanning downfield -- though you gotta wonder if he saw Hines Ward open and Heath Miller just popped into the picture at the last second.

6:54 p.m.: Yes, Nate Washington was as wide open as he looked on TV. Wider, even. Roethlisberger put too much air underneath it, underthrowing Washington, and rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie rallied to nearly intercept it. DRC, as they call him, is a star in the making. But the dude from Tiffin beat him badly on that one.

6:50 p.m.: Less of a stellar and more of a Stiller first possession by Arizona. Edgerrin James looked a bit rattled, with that fumble. Kurt Warner looked a tad confused by the defense's movement. And how about Troy Polamalu being all over the field: on a tackle, on the sidelines having trainer John Norwig reinsert his left contact lens, on Larry Fitzgerald one-on-one in bump-and-zone coverage off the line on third-and-17. That last part merits watching later. Nothing like having the two best players in this game, and possibly even the NFL, going head to head.

This just in, if it's a sign: Reed's field goal was the shortest in a Super Bowl in three decades since. . . the Steelers' Roy Gerela also kicked an 18-yarder in Super Bowl X, played in 1976.

6:46 p.m.: Color me shocked. This intrepid reporter was sure the Cardinals would come out in three or four wides. On second down, they did. . . and got a first down on a Kurt Warner pitch to Woodland Hills' Steve Breaston. Methinks Coach Whis will ditch the run rather soon and use those spread formations.

6:42 p.m.: After being aggressive all season, if not his entire head-coaching term thus far, Mike Tomlin opted for the points. Jeff Reed's field goal from 18 yards, after a 9-play, 71-yard, good-looking drive, gave the Steelers a 3-0 lead over Arizona.

Don't get cocky, Steelers galaxy. Arizona gave up a first-drive touchdown at Carolina and trailed 7-0 before scoring 33 unanswered points. And they were down to Atlanta, 17-14, in the wild-card game and responded with a touchdown and a lead they wouldn't relinquish in just 70-some seconds.

6:35 p.m.: For one thing, Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt might be regretting that decision to defer already, huh? Boomer Esiason on Westwood One said Ben Roethlisberger already looks better than he did in all of Super Bowl XL. . . But this goal-line offense (Russell?) still has great difficulty without using Parker or the pass. . . .Maybe it's a Steelers sign: Roethlisberger, who many folks (including much of the Pacific Northwest) still don't think he scored going left in Ford Field, scores on a pass on which he took the run option. Touchdown -- or is it? Whisenhunt challenged, which is a smart call (especially being a student of history, having been in the press box in Detroit that day). Roethlisberger is close yet again. . . replays arethisclose. After review, officials overturn the touchdown call. Fourth-and-goal from the one, Darnell Dockett with the tackle and Whisenhunt with the touchdown-saving move.

6:33 p.m.: What bad knee? Hines Ward was open for 10 to 15 yards, easy.

6:31 p.m.: If someone fleet such as Santonio Holmes had returned that kickoff through the middle hole, it might well be 7-0 Steelers by now. Maybe Gary Russell was blinded by all the flashing cameras.

6:28 p.m.: Big-game conditions: 68 degrees, winds out of the north-northwest (holy Hitchcock) and skies mostly cloudy, though it's nighttime, so it doesn't matter. Best weather for a Steelers game since, what, September?

6:27 p.m.: Tails, by James Farrior. It's heads. Arizona defers. Hey, like Bill Cowher sorta said, nobody ever remembers who loses the coin toss at the Super Bowl. (Final) Game on.

Blogasboard

Chuck Finder — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:39:00 GMT

Ya know, like smorgasboard. Oh, yeah, that style of buffet is so last century, huh?

Ben Roethlisberger: On the lacking Steelers' red-zone offense: "[It] has to improve. We moved the ball last time, we converted on third down, we had some success in the no-huddle. They key is getting down there and scoring six points rather than three. We just got to find ways to get in the end zone. We left some things out there the last time we played them. Some of that credit goes to them, some of the blame is on us. There's no magic solution, I can't tell you we have to do 'this.' Just take care of the ball and find ways to get in the end zone." . . . On the Chargers scarily placing the clamps on MVP Peyton Manning: "Absolutely, because it's Peyton, because he's so good at what he does. They just looked like a different football team out there. We'rre hoping that the home field will be to our advantage as it was to theirs when they played the Colts. We know our fans will be loud when they have the ball and queit when we have the ball." . . . More on that Chargers defense: "They like to blitz a lot. They're just moving guys around and taking chances and gambling. They've been playing playoff football for the last month or two, and that's kind of what you have to do in the situation especially they were in." . . . On Chargers punter Mike Scifres, who compiled playoff records of 51.7-yard average and all six punts inside the 20: "I mean, he won that game for them. I don't care what you say. He was the MVP of that game. That's enormous. The field-position game is huge, especially in the playoffs. Hope he has a bad day."

Hines Ward: On playing what was considered at season's start the most difficult schedule in almost an NFL half-century: "The schedule that we had this year will help us in the playoff games. The first game we had with them, it was like a playoff atmosphere. We just made more plays than them. . . . We're just as desperate as they are."

LaMarr Woodley, who maintains he has played up to snuff and hasn't "hit a wall" with zero sacks in the past four games and just two in the last half of the regular season: On being close to the prize and having so many Super Bowl XL veterans around: "Now you're two games from where your ultimate goal is. You're two games from that. If you don't tear it up, the next time [to suit up] is training camp. You hear that from talking to guys on this team. Some guys never made it this far. To have this opportunity is definitely special. Who knows when you're going get that chance again? James Farrior in the locker room talking about, 'This is the feeling we had winning that Super Bowl ring' -- man, I wish I could say that. Being around a bunch of guys who've won a Super Bowl, being not far removed from a Super Bowl, being on a team that has a chance to win the Super Bowl. . . , I feel like we're a team that can do it. As long as we play the way we [usually] play."

James Farrior: On that little problem, 5-foot-6 Darren Sproles, likely to get the ball regularly what with all-globe LaDainian Tomlinson apparently sidelined by a torn groin tendon: "L.T., he might play and he might not, but they have a great backup in Darren Sproles. He proved that last week [with the winning touchdown in overtime and 328 all-purpose yards]. I think the main thing is finding him because he's so small and short that you can't really find him when he is behind those big, tall linemen. I think the key for us is to stay in our gaps and play gap-sound defense and locate him. [The screen pass] is probably the best play that they have out of all of their weapons. The problem is reading it. They have a lot of different disguises with the screen; they have become creative with getting people the ball, so we definitely have to read them."

One last thing, about at least one certain player absent from that Steelers defense portrait in Friday's PG special section: Yes, Troy Polamalu missed the picture. No official word from team officials why. Didn't get the memo, maybe? But he was fine and in the showers when the group photograph was taken in the racquetball/handball court adjacent to the South Side indoor facility after Thursday's practice.

Of Pro Bowlers, T-shirts and strata various

Chuck Finder — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:09:00 GMT

(That strata line was originated by Gerry Dulac. Give credit where it's due....)

* Let's see, Ed Bouchette reports on Breaking News that two Steelers are voted as starters for the Feb, 6 Pro Bowl -- until the infirm and unwilling from other teams bow out, and they are normally legion -- yet their NFL peers, coaches and fans combined to select four New York Jets (including ex-Steelers guard Alan Faneca and returner Leon Washington) and three Baltimore Ravens as starters? Heck, three more Jets made the second team, including new-geezer-on-the-AFC-block Brett Favre along with Denver's Jay Cutler ahead of Ben "Wait for It. . . Wait for It" Roethlisberger? Shouldn't this kind of confounding vote go to the electoral college or Supreme Court next?

Anhhhh, no worries: More Steelers will have to get added by Honolulu time.

Won't they?

* Get your (first of gazillions) Steelers T-shirts here, as L.A. Johnson reported in today's PG: the presidential "Yes We Can' slogan, framed underneath Mike Tomlin's Warholian smiling visage. It surely will prompt the (first of bazillions) Steelers postseason songs, playing off that will.i.am ditty/Obama theme. Why, just today, Stan 'n Guy on ESPN Radio 1250 were soliciting nicknames for the daunting defense, among them: LeBeau's Constrictors, The Terrible Twelve and . . . LeBeau-lin Wall?

The Ravens, by the way, had a take-that-Steelers song already on YouTube. Let the unwitting lyrics writing commence.

Steelers-Ravens Live (in-game edition)

Chuck Finder — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 21:21:00 GMT

4:15: Deferring on the road? Hmmmm. Interesting choice.

4:17: Sorry, CBS' Jim Nantz, but a one-point defeat of Tennessee on the road in Houston isn't The Upset of the Year. But, for Steelers fans, it either means the Titans feel vulnerable just in time for the playoffs. . . or they'll be some kinda hacked off at home for the Steelers next week.(Cincinnati winning a second time, isn't that an upset?)

4:24: Delay-of-game and false-start penalties on the Steelers' first possession? Not a great way to take the crowd out of it. "Crowd noise stopped the Steelers on that drive," Nantz's partner Phil Simms intoned. Well, a swaggering Ravens defense -- they're more and more like the ol' U. (Miami) every year, aren't they? -- had a little something to do with stopping them. By the way, it looks like Ben Roethlisberger might have room to scramble today, eh? (And, as quarterbacks go, isn't he a more dangerous runner than Joe Flacco?)

4:30: James Farrior just went off, following a collision with teammate Ryan Clark trying to tackle an option-running (?) Flacco. Will be interesting to see if the Steelers can thrive, let alone survive, without him. Thus far, though, with Troy Polamalu run-blitzing rather regularly, they're stuffing the Baltimore rush.

4:37: Actually, the Steelers appear to be running the ball rather well -- against this Ravens defense -- so far. As for the rumors about open punter tryouts tomorrow on the South Side. . . is Bobby Walden still alive? It reminds me of the old Gordie Howe line: How many goals would he score in today's game of hockey? "About 20," he said of his purported season output. "But I am 70." So is Walden.

4:39: Tennessee Titans update: Run-stuffing defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth left that Houston loss with a knee injury. That could significantly alter the course of that once-streaking team (though mostly streaking against lesser competition).

4:51: By my calculation -- and my abacus is rusty -- Mitch Berger is averaging 18 yards net per punt to this point (though that last one was a coverage problem, the returner deftly waiting until the defenders came downfield before surprisingly picking up the ball and running). But, hey, at least Berger can tackle.

4:59: Money Matt Stover... isn't he an AARP member yet? He kicked in that Giants-Colts Greatest Game, right? It's 3-0, Bawlmer, thanks to the punt return and the pass route where tight end Todd Heap schooled LaMarr Woodley on that long pass to set up the 28-yard kick to end a 7-play, 33-yard drive. Otherwise, Dick LeBeau and that Steelers' defense right now appear to have that conservative Ravens offense well scouted. You commenters appear to be onto something: This may well be a special-teams, field-goalfest kinda game.

5:15: Trying to answer AFPilot's comment about third-down conversions, the best I can find to show short-yardage rates is fourth down: There, the Steelers are 3 for 12 while opponents, against the NFL's top-rated defense, are a fairly decent 7 for 17. Roethislberger let the last two passes go pretty quickly, with at most five rushers. So the offensive line isn't being outnumbered there. After the generous spot and review on Gary Russell's third-and-one run and passes of 21 and 17 yards to Hines Ward and Nate Washington, the Steelers knotted this baby at 3-all on Jeff Reed's 31-yarder. Fourteen plays, 68 yards -- that's the kind of drive that could crawl inside those previously confidence-swollen Ravens defensive heads.

5:23: If officials are going to continue delineating who's "confused," every player and coach is in trouble. The 60,000-plus in the stands? Most of that is libation-caused confusion.

5:37: A 15-play, 69-yard drive that actually had Flacco completing passes -- five of eight for 34 yards after missing five of his first six attempts -- stalled on a poorly executed fake-and-post pass. Enter Stover again, this one from 26 yards. That makes it Bawlmer 6, Steelers 3 at intermission. By the way, that drive was almost 150 percent more yardage than the Ravens' 48 on their opening four drives. Some of it might have been the visitors being in a prevent defense. Some of it might have been the more multiple-move routes by Ravens wideouts, more lateral movement in backfield by Flacco and deeper drops by Steelers defensive backs.

5:54: Didja catch that first-half stat? The Ravens have compiled more yards on four returns (128) than total offense on 31 snaps (122). And, you ask me, Ben is getting enough time to throw against this Ravens defense; either the receivers aren't open or he isn't locating the best available one. Heath Miller just looked as if he flashed in the clear on the third-down throw-away right before Roethlisberger pivoted and reversed field. One play -- offensive or defensive -- may well settle this. And it still seems to me that the Steelers have running room, either between tackles or Roethlisberger scrambling.

6:03: Aaron Smith's sack allows us to shamelessly promote a wonderful column by Ron Cook about the Smith's family travails with their son, Elijah. On a lighter note, even if James Harrison doesn't get a half-sack's credit today or this week for that play, he's still a nightmare for both NFL quarterbacks and the Ravens -- who blithely released him years ago. I still remember talking to him after he had a big game against the Ravens in 2004: As his overnight bag, he brought out the bag the Ravens gave him to take to NFL Europe before he got hurt, got summoned back to the States and got cut for an old teammate, tight end Daniel Wilcox. One of his quotes then: "I was mad that they made me play in Europe and then had the audacity to tell me not to practice the first week [back]."

6:16: Man, Ed Reed is always around the football. And Santonio Holmes looked hurt after that fumble, which was a good call but an even better play to strip Holmes after that quick in-route. This could be the big play that changes the game, and it's on a Steelers' offensive turnover.

6:19: Minimal damage -- the Steelers' red-zone defense holds yet again, and Stover does a rerun of his Twentysomething-yard field-goal show. Nine-three, Ravens.

6:27: Holmes is back, forced to catch the tough pass for the Steelers' inaugural first down of the half -- 11 minutes into the third. Willie Parker was right: They need to run more, huh? Certainly would alleviate the pressure on Roethlisberger, and 67 yards on 21 rushes is considered productive against these Ravens. Hey, three of those average runs and it's fourth-and-inches, by my abacus.

6:32: Ugly fumble by Holmes on the punt return, but Keyaron Fox madesa huuuge play on that recovery and rumble. Not that I've watched every special-teams snap this season -- and he was hurt and absent for three games -- but he seems to be playing at Harrison-Yancey Thigpen levels on these units lately. Hines Ward took out Bart Scott on Roethlisberger's scramble, and Mewelde Moore got away from him on that short run he popped outside from inside. . . so, uh, maybe these running plays are indeed taking a toll on this vaunted Ravens defense? Still and all, the Steelers hafta get a touchdown on this possession, because a second straight fourth-quarter comeback seems to be asking wayyyy too much.

6:39: Holmes is exonerated. That attempt at a third-and-short pass by Roethlisberger goes beyond description. Homely? Medusah-like? Double yoy. Worst of all, Miller was open for the first down. Sometimes, a playmaker doth try too hard. And, uh, those comments about the Steelers' lacking third-and-short offense are spot on. A rollout pass with perhaps a run option wasn't an ill-advised choice, but. . . archaeologists are still trying to decipher that play. Good thing for the offense that the Steelers' defense bailed out its assets yet again. (See Deshea Townsend try and fail to make that interception? That's what I'm talking about with bad karma, trying to duplicate fourth-quarter magic too much.)

6:50: If I'm Ward, I want Plex as my personal bodyguard out of M&T Bank Stadium and Bawlmer. People must hate him more there than the Yankees.

6:52: Had Roethlisberger pump-faked in that direction, or at least failed to make the pre-snap decision to throw it toward Holmes no matter what, he might have seen Moore wide open on the skinny-post route into the end zone on that third-down incompletion. I played it back on DVR just to make sure -- Moore stopped in disbelief. Reed made it 9-6 after the 9-play, 54-yard drive. But will the Steelers get better field position in the final nine and a half minutes?

7:00: Ike Taylor had a legitimate gripe on that third-down conversion pass to Derrick Mason -- it looked like Mark Clayton got Taylor on a pick play, an illegal block. Doesn't look like this will end well for the Steelers.

7:03: Nice Ravens drive, using up five-plus minutes. Sack and strip by Lawrence Timmons, nice Holmes impersonation by Travis Kirschke. Still, a field goal can send this oh-ffensive beaute to OT. But the player of the game truly may be Ravens punter Sam Koch, with four of six punts inside the Steelers' 20 -- and way inside, at the 7, 4, 1 and 8. He entered today less pinpoint than that, with 27 punts dropped inside the 20 of 68 kicks overall.

7:11: Ninety-six seconds from the 1 to beyond midfield. Two minutes left. So what's the Steelers' rush? Why not. . . run the ball and some clock? A better question: You want to leave the outcome of this game to Stover's accufoot?

7:14: And Simms is right: What's with the panic, spiking the ball on first down? Once again, using my Big Eight math, Washington and Ward have 13 for 183 yards. Roethlisberger has thrown incomplete to them maybe five times total. So that means the rest of the receivers unofficially were a combined 8 of 20 for 59 yards before Holmes' 4-yard catch under monumental review. Nice catch: two feet down, possession, but did the ball cross the plane? I'm no official, nor did I sleep last night in a.....

7:18: Primetime fool wins the Comment du jour: "Will someone please tell the offense to come to work before 7 PM. That kind of tardiness is inexcusable." Take a victory lap, PF.

7:19: "We have a touchdown," Walt Coleman said. Lotsa Steelers fans making celebratory noise in Bawlmer. Steelers up for the first time, 13-9, after the only touchdown of the game and a 92-yard, intestinal-check drive.Still, is it too early? Polamalu seconds left (43)? And a penalty on the kicker, Reed, giving the Ravens great field position at midfield? Heck, they could go for the field goal and then try an onsides kick in this amount of time.

7:25: Wow, another fourth-quarter comeback. Another critical victory on the road, giving them five consecutive away from home, dating to that Philly debacle. Another critical victory in a murderous row: New England, Dallas and now Baltimore in succession. They secured the AFC North and, with another road triumph at Tennessee and then a spanking of Cleveland in the regular-season finale, home-field advantage could be all theirs through the playoffs. To this point, it's a radically different finish from last year's Steelers, too. The thing is, this time might be better suited for road-field advantage, much like the 2006 Super Bowl winners -- but that team had a reliable running game. Like Fast Willie said, such a missing ingredient could prove valuable come the muck of January.

7:37: My bad. All this, and the only artwork I've posted is Heidi Klum and Medusa -- two disparate babes. As makeup, I've posted the first Charm City song that comes to mind. Sing along with the Boss. "Got a wife and kids in Bawlmer, Jack [Harbaugh?, the former Pitt assistant who's daddy to Stanford Jim and Ravens John?]. . . "

Live Football Giants-Steelers blog

Chuck Finder — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 19:04:00 GMT

To anyone bold enough to think a 14-2, even 12-4 season was in the offing: You gotta another think coming, eh?

The Steelers' injury situation in the aftermath of this loss read: one gone for the season, one leg up in the air and one shoulder unknown.

Long snapper Greg Warren tore an ACL and is lost for the remainder of 2008. "Nobody has two long snappers on their team; what you have is emergency snappers," Coach Mike Tomlin said, explaining the usage of linebacker James Harrison who, for the record, is backed by fellow linebacker James Farrior. So the Steelers will hit the market tonight, or Monday at the latest. (Tomlin said the lack of a tested long snapper isn't the complete reason why Tomlin opted to disdain a 51-yard field goal attempt on the second play of the fourth quarter; part of it was the length, or what he termed "the outer limits of field-goal range. [But] wen you have a backup snapper in there, you knew that tey were going to come after it."

Punter Mitch Berger has a balky hamstring -- get it, his punting leg is "up in the air"? -- and safety Ryan Clark discloated his right shoulder, but said afterward that he felt fine and hoped to play on Election Day Eve against Washington.

7:35 p.m.: Ben Roethlisberger, throwing deep for a Limas Sweed he kept busy on this day with Santonio Holmes suspended and Dallas Baker ailing, was intercepted on a last-ditch, fourth-down attempt. Eli Manning, the latest Manning to win a Super Bowl, went into kneel-down, victory formation. The final: Football Giants 21, Steelers 14.

And the rough second-half patch of the Steelers' schedule continues, with a pre-Election Day game next Monday night at the Washington Redskins, with Eli's big brudder Peyton and the Colts to follow, with San Diego then on deck.

7:25 p.m.: Not only a one-touchdown deficit but an unstable situation at long snapper caused the Steelers to go for it on fourth-and-four with two and a half minutes left. . . and fail.

See how much an injury can alter things? If Greg Warren doesn't get hurt -- and his knee looked bad enough to be a season-ending injury -- the Steelers conceivably are nursing a 14-12 lead in these final minutes.

7:19 p.m.: After the free kick following the safety, the Football Giants moved 53 yards downfield briskly, including. . . Plex Watch! Update No. 4: More catches! . . .a nine-yard sideline reception by Plaxico Burress. The defending world champions regain the lead with an Eli Manning-to-Kevin Boss, 2-yard touchdown pass with just 3:07 left, 21-14. It's their only touchdown of the day, and it just might be enough for victory.

7:11 p.m.: Linebacker James Harrison, after too brief a sideline tryout, tossed his first NFL long snap over the head of 6-foot-4 punter Mitch Berger and bouncing out of the end zone for a safety. And that's how you yield four field goals and a two-pointer to allow the opposition to rally to a 14-14 tie. The hard way.

7:04 p.m.: On a fourth-and-seven snap right after he tried to improperly call a timeout when his team already had taken one, Eli "Chris Webber" Manning threw a lovely 30-yard pass to Amani Toomer, who did go to the same Michigan as Webber the phantom timeout-caller from NCAA basketball infamy. No worries. The Steelers' defense turned aside the Football Giants on three plays starting at the Pittsburgh 4-yard line, and for a fourth time inside the Red Zone the visitors -- this time after a 12-play, 62-yard, 5:42 drive -- had to settle at 8:18 of the fourth quarter for a short-range field goal, this at 24 yards, from Old Man Three Rivers John Carney.

6:36 p.m.: Here's a metaphysical question you don't hear often: So who's the backup long-snapper? Greg Warren went down on a punt late in the third quarter with a knee injury, and it appeared to worsen exponentially when he tried to walk off the field -- instead crumpling in a heap. The answer: Second-year man Darnell Stapleton, starting at right guard for the injured Kendall Simmons, promptly began practicing snaps on the sidelines to holder-punter Mitch Berger and Jeff Reed. Then again, with the offense on the field, linebacker James Harrison seemed to be auditioning for the punting long-snap duties by grabbing a ball and tossing back a couple of decent snaps.

6:12 p.m.: Kids, don't do this at home. Didja see James Butler's, uh, "coverage" of Nate Washington on the 65-yard touchdown pass at the 10-minute mark of the third quarter? Sure, Butler gummed it up enough to allow Washington to remain wiiiide open and catch Ben Roethlisberger's pass around the Noo Yawk 15. But then Butler inexplicably spun to his right, away from the left sideline where Washington had commenced running downfield, and appeared to be escorting Washington into the end zone rather than trying to tackle him short of it. Steelers 14, defending world champions 9.

Maybe Nate just scared him like some hulking, 1960s sci-fi creature. "Whoa-oh, there goes the North Sho'. Go, go, Godzilla . . ."

Or, for your musical entertainment...

6:09 p.m.: Salute, today's crowd set a regular-season record for Heinz Field, at 64,991. The last time the mustard bowl had more patrons inside, it was the 2005 AFC Championship game against the dread New England Patriots.

If you had 64,991 in the pool, please raise your hand.

5:49 p.m.: Noo Yawk safety Kenny Phillips might find a little less in his paycheck for his penalty and crunching blow of a ruled "defenseless" Mewelde Moore on a second-quarter incomplete pass in front of the visitors' bench. Given the NFL's proclivity for garnishing wages of its celebrated employees (see Plex Watch! Update No. 1, 3:56 p.m.), perhaps we'll soon see a NFLPlayersAssociation Debt Clock high above a Manhattan street. . . .

5:47 p.m.: Halftime at Heinz Field. The Steelers' last-ditch drive ends in an empty-set sack of Ben Roethlisberger. . . so maybe the Football Giants don't miss Old Gap-Tooth after all (see Using different formations, 4:26 p.m.). Giants 9, Steelers 7.

5:24 p.m.: Definition of one reeeeeeally bad play: Two penalties, one interception, one shaken-up receiver, one 15-yard additional boost, an immeasurable momentum turn.

It all started with Limas Sweed aligning offside, something correctly spotted by both the PG's Gerry Dulac in the press box and, slightly more important, line judge Gary Arthur on the field. Then, on Ben Roethlisberger's third-and-two throw down the middle to Nate Washington, safety James Butler clobbered Nate Washington from behind. The ball squirted out and into the hands of linebacker Bryan Kehl, who was only starting because of starter Gerris Wilkinson's injury (see Inactives, 3:04 p.m.). On Kehl's return, Gary Russell was flagged for a horse-collar tackle infraction, setting up the visitors at the Steelers' 22, and a woozy Washington was escorted off the field by team medical personnel. Plex Watch: Update No. 3: He makes a catch! It was only two yards on third-and-four, though, so Grampa John Carney came in and kicked yet another field goal -- this from 25 yards -- for a 9-7 Noo Yawk lead, its first of the game, with 3:31 remaining in the second quarter.

5:09 p.m.: Plex Watch! Update No. 2: He's in!

Maybe it was because his replacement starter, Dominek "Hasek" Hixon just made a splendid punt return, but at 11:27 of the second quarter and on the Football Giants' fourth possession, Plaxico Burress was allowed to join the offense on the field. Due to Hixon's return after the Steelers' Mitch Berger punted from his end zone, Noo Yawk was able to get another pop-up field goal of 35 yards (or one yard for each year since, what, fourth grade?) for yes-he's-still-kickin' John Carney. Stillers still lead, 7-6.

4:57 p.m.: Noo Yawk's Brandon Jacobs was credited with a 1-yard touchdown plunge on third down, at 13:26 of the second quarter. But, after seeing a replay on the big board and hearing the Heinz Field crowd roar, not to mention listening to his assistants with replay access in the press-box booth, Mike Tomlin challenged the ruling. Challenge upheld. Jacobs' elbow hit the turf, downing him at the half-yard line, thanks to a tackle by James Farrior and Troy Polamalu. On fourth down, Jacobs was repelled again, running behind his right guard and tackle, running into Gary Clark, James Farrior, Brett Keisel, Aaron Smith and a host of retro mustard-on-black jersies. Giants coach Tom Coughlin, not to be outdone by counterpart Tomlin, challenged the ruling. And, upon further review, the play stood as called, and Coughlin and the Giants were charged with the timeout.

We would like to challenge the challenge. . . , but referee Bill Carollo never saw the previously owned napkin we threw.

4:51 p.m.: End of first quarter: Steelers 7, Giants 3, but the Giants are driving nicely, at the Steelers' 15.

BTW: Ben Roethlisberger reached 12,872 passing yards thus far in his career, for third place behind Terry Bradshaw and Kordell Stewart, whom Big Ben is likely to pass by quarter's, if not game's, end.

4:37 p.m.: The Football Giants marched 57 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes, 36 seconds, all for a 26-yard field goal (or one yard for every year he has been outta high school) from the antiquated John Carney, whose leg we swear creaked when he made the less than pretty kick.

Carney, not to be confused for the candidate for governor in Delaware by the same name, is old enough (44) to be the daddy of no fewer than 28 guys on the Steelers' roster. He is old enough to have kicked for Tampa Bay when Ray Perkins coached there and orange Bruce the Buccaneer graced their helmets. He is old enough to be the last Lou Holtz-coached player at Notre Dame still playing in the NFL -- and you didn't know Dr. Lou had a gig before South Carolina and ESPN?

Carney's Golden Domer helmet?

And he supposedly is old enough to be the last player still active from the 1987 Replacements. No active NFL player is older. Heck, Art Carney might be younger, and "The Honeymooners" co-star died five years ago.

4:26 p.m.: Using different formations on each play -- holy two-tights to start the game and a Limas Sweed sighting two snaps later -- the Steelers rushed downfield in four plays for the opening score, 7-0.Max Starks, replacing the ailing Marvel Smith, fared nicely against Mathias Kiwanuka, who is no Michael Strahan.

And, in honor of the sackmeister who retired after the Super Bowl and stayed that way following Osi Umenyiora's season-ending knee injury in August:

Smi le!

4:17 p.m.: Aaon Smith, missing all week due to an undisclosed family matter, started today as reported in Breaking News earlier by America's No. 1 Pro Football Writer Ed Bouchette. And, as noted below, Plex stood on the sidelines in a visor and watched the Giants offense open te game without him.

3:56 p.m.: Plex Watch! Update No. 1!

Seems the big fella -- the fellow slapped last week with (beat that, Hines Ward) $45,000 in NFL fines for comments to a head linesman and post-game comments about officiating -- is wearing out his welcome in Greater Gotham. Check out General Manager Jerry Reese's response, or lack thereof, in the New York Daily News' live blog.

And how about this fan response on the NJ.com Giants blog: Jerzeerj56 wrote, "Wow. The soap opera continues with Plaxico Burress. What are the chances this guy is wearing a Giants uniform this time next sesaon. . . . Get rid of this clown and move on with the young receivers." And, to think, just eight months ago, Plex caught the Super Bowl-winning pass.

A referee inactive: Head linesman John Schleyer called in sick. So, in a reconfigured six-man crew, back judge Bob Wagner assumes the bulk of the head linesman's responsibilities.

3:31 p.m.: Seen Column item -- The General is in da hizzy. Robert Montgomery Knight, also known as Bob Knight, is in the press box to watch today's Giants-Steelers fray. Knight, you may recall from Gerry Dulac's fine report from Super Bowl XL (a story that, alas, we cannot find in our own Post-Gazette archives), is old buds with defensive coordinator and fellow long-ago Ohio schoolboy star Dick Lebeau.

3:20 p.m.: Plex Watch! If this were local television, we'd have some nifty graphic to flash on the screen. Otherwise, the best this blog's budget can afford to do is report the news: Ex-Steelers spiking sensation and fan target Plaxico Burress will not start today.

Domenik "Hasek" Hixon has been announced as the starting receiver for Burress, being penalized by Coach Tom Coughlin for missing a neck-injury treatment Saturday morning before the Football Giants left Noo Yawk/Joisey. Supposedly, Burress will only miss the first series or so.

By the way, Plex in pregame warmups exchanged pleasantries with some old Steelers pals. He crossed the 50 on a catch from Eli Manning and met with Hines Ward, working up and down the field on short passes from Ben Roethlisberger -- who also playfully took a threatening step toward Burress. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians later came over to chat up Plex, probably to remind him to have a nice Mother's Day. . . like the one that Plex once stated as the reason he was missing at a mini-Camp Cahr.

3:04 p.m.: Inactive for today are:

The Steelers -- receiver Santonio Holmes (police blotter), suspended by Coach Mike Tomlin after his marijuana-cigar charge/summons; surgically repaired cornerback Bryant McFadden (arm), halfback Willie Parker (knee); linebacker Keyaron Fox; offensive lineman Tony Hills; starting left offensive tackle Marvel Smith (back); defensive end Orpheus Roye; and rookie Dennis Dixon is the third quarterback.

The world champeens -- place-kicker Lawrence Tynes (giving way to 114-year-old John Carney); cornerback R.W. McQuarters; running back Danny Ware; cornerback Sam Madison; linebacker Gerris Wilkinson (knee); offensive lineman Adam Koets; receiver Sinorce Moss; defensive end Jerome McDougle.

And, of course, you are inactive, if you're sitting on your duff -- or sipping on your Duff's -- reading this.

So what this all means: Max Starks will start for Smith, Mewelde Moore for Parker and Nate Washington for Holmes. Bryan Kehl will start for Wilkinson. And, on Saturday, linebacker Patrick Bailey was promoted to the active roster and special-teamer/linebacker Donovan Woods was released to make room.