Blog 'n' Gold : santonio holmes

Bengals-Steelers, live (Polamalu out)

Chuck Finder — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:53:00 GMT

(Last time they met, Cincinnati fans emailed that we were all offended by the "Bungles" references. Hey, lighten up, people, it's a Pittsburgh thing. It's a Cope thing. At least I didn't call them the Wicky-Wackys. . . )

12:59 p.m.: Tamara Tunie of "Law & Order SVU", also of McKeesport and Carnegie Mellon, sang the national anthem with a military flyover above. You can thank me later for dressing up the blog.

FIRST QUARTER

1:06 p.m.: Yeah, it's hard to focus on the game. . . Steelers cornerback William Gay, suffering from Ike Taylor Syndrome, has dropped two potential interceptions in the opening seven plays from scrimmage. A good sign or a bad sign?. . . 1:13 p.m.: Sounds like the old Bengal luck -- feel free to insert Mahrn's favorite nickname there: A 51-yard field goal wattempt by Cincy's Shayne Graham, and it's high enough, it's long enough, it's. . . going KERPLUNK off the right upright. No good. Steelers ball in dandy field position at their own 41. . .1:18 p.m.: For a second there, I felt like I was watching Rich Rodriguez's offense: wide-receiver screen right, wide-receiver screen left, etc. But you have to like Bruce Arians tossing out a new-look formation, which just so happened to be the old T- and pro-formation, side-by-side backfield a la Rocky and Franco. And Mewelde Moore, behind great seal blocking from the left side, ran 12 yards on a third-and-1. . . 1:21 p.m.: This Roethlisberger dude ought to run more often. So long as he doesn't continue to dive head-first. A batted pass and some Red Zone passing trouble leave Jeff Reed to clean up this nice opening drive with a 28-yard field goal. 11 plays, 49 yards, 6:06 -- and this offense can do a great job of eating up clock, staying in-bounds, milking the play-clock. Steelers, 3-0. . . 1:24 p.m.: Maybe they just should squib, pooch or onsides anymore -- for the third time in four games, the Steelers gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown. This time, rookie Bernard Scott, on only his third NFL return, whisked Reed's kick into the left corner some 96 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Missed tackles, botched lane assignments, some nice Cincinnati blocking, and next thing you know it was Scott vs. Reed, who at least turned him back into the field. According to our Ed Bouchette, that makes seven consecutive games in which the Steelers have given up a return for a touchdown: by fumble, interception, punt or kick. . .

1:33 p.m.: All-everything safety Troy Polamalu left the field and the game with what was described as a left knee injury -- the same one in which a sprained MCL prevented him from playing Games 2-5 and the final three quarters of the opener. In all, he has played less than 14 quarters all season, and he appeared as if he was just returning to his otherworldly form. Tyrone Carter, the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after two interceptions Monday in Denver while replacing safety Ryan Clark, is again filling in for Polamalu. . . 1:40 p.m.: For the record, the review on Santonio Holmes' third-down catch was correct; the bad spot was patently detectable by our naked eyes way up here in the press box. . . 1:42 p.m.: The Bengals are content to pick, pick, pick. Cedric Benson's runs here or there. Short Carson Palmer passes, to avoid the Steelers' rush. Of course, the Steelers are content to allow short plays and figure they'll make a play at some point. Still and all, Bengals, 6-3. End of first quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

1:52 p.m.: Mike Tomlin noted this past week how well Holmes is doing the non-statistical things, such as blocking. Well, on that first-down pass to Hines Ward, Rashard Mendenhall threw a crushing cut block on Bengals linebacker Rey Maualaluga. But the offense isn't quite in sync. Perhaps it's time for the no-huddle. . . 1:59 p.m.: The Bengals were 3-for-5 on third down before that last, high Palmer pass for Chad Ochocinco, who is some kinda hacked. But he doesn't have much room to jaw, as he did while coming off the field after the third down incompletion. He should've caught the first-down deep pass from Palmer. That drop is all one No. 85. Or maybe he can blame it on Tweeter Tunnel Syndrome. . . 2:00 p.m.: Nice return by Little Logan, who was due. He is exciting, whether his scooting works or doesn't. . . 2:05 p.m.: Injury update -- The Bengals' Benson is listed as probable to return despite a hip injury. Steelers cornerback and special-teamer Keenan Lewis is questionable due to a left rib injury on that Bengals' punt return. . . 2:10 p.m.: Another nice drive, another aborted attempt inside the Red Zone. Forcing the second-down pass into the corner looked ill-advised, at least -- Ward was open at the left pylon, with the defensive back behind him. At worst, a throw to Ward would've given the Steelers third-and goal at the 1. Reed's 33-yard field goal ties it up, 6-6. . . 2:12 p.m.: I repeat, can't they squib, pooch or even onsides a kickoff? . . . 2:22 p.m.: Credit backup Bengals safety Chinedum Ndukwe with that 46-yard gain via a pass interference penalty. I'm not so sure Mike Wallace catches that ball, slightly beyond his reach, if Ndukwe doesn't grab his arms. And fellow safety Chris Crocker had Wallace covered. That shows some impact from Roy Williams being injured and placed on IR, forcing Ndukwe into a starting role. . . 2:25 p.m.: Jumpy Geathers is what you'd call a Steelers killer. They respect the heck outta him. Don't konw if Mike Wallace was supposed to chip Geathers and keep him from rushing free, but that pushed the Steelers offense back -- their third Red Zone failure to score a touchdown. Holmes' right-corner pass was tipped and caused the ball to go through his hands in a Super Bowl-reminiscent play. Nine plays, 61 yards, 2:40. And it results in a hat trick of field goals for Reed in the first half, this one from 35 yards. Steelers, 9-6. Halftime.

I'm a believer. Ray Lewis. Donovan McNabb. Shaun Alexander, Michael Vick. Vince Young. Brett Favre. Polamalu makes seven straight years where a coverboy got hurt (remember, they kept Favre's injury a secret last season) and the sixth time in seven where a cover-subject missed significant time, if not most or the rest of the season.

THIRD QUARTER

2:50 p.m.: Maybe that'll teach 'em to run on third-and-short. Roethlisberger's pass was badly behind Ward, but Morgan Trent batted it, and lineman Frostee Rucker snagged it. Presto. Bengals get the game-tying field goal, 9-9. . . 2:52 p.m.: By the way, it's the second-biggest crowd ever at Heinz Field. The 65,392 has been topped in the regular season only once before -- the last game here, Oct. 25 against Minnesota. . . 3:02 p.m.: It's a field-goal-fest. Or, put another way, it's an oh-ffensive display -- nary a touchdown by an offensive unit. The fifth field goal of the day, and fourth since that kickoff-return TD, makes it Bengals, 12-9. . .3:04 p.m.: Wallace back for the kickoff. That's his first in the NFL, officially. and he'll get more after that 26-yarder. . . 3:06 p.m.: It's Willie Parker, kids! But on his first appearance in the game, the pass was a bit high, and Parker stopped abruptly on the flare route. The next play they got it right -- you hand the ball to Parker, or use him as a decoy. Pass-catching isn't exactly his forte. . . 3:09 p.m.: Smells like panic time. They're playing "Renegade." . . . 3:13 p.m.: Game possession for the Steelers here, first down at the 50. Desperately need a TD, though a FG wouldn't hurt. . . 3:15 p.m.: A pass from an under-center formation? There's a wrinkle. Roethlisberger isn't as sharp as normal though, which can happen not just on occasion, but after a Monday night emotional and sharp game. Bengals only rushing three, and he's finding receivers -- but they're closely covered. Wallace grabbed the under-center, second-down throw before being clouted, and Miller caught the next one while double covered. End of quarter. Stick up those four fingers, it's the . . .

FOURTH QUARTER

3:23 p.m.: Gutsy call to go for it on fourth down. Press box consensus: Chuck Noll would've taken the points there, tied it at a dozen-dozen. But the Steelers convert the fourth down on a Roethlisberger sneak behind a strong push from the offensive line. . . 3:26 p.m.: Is it just me, or do the Bengals do a better job than anybody batting down passes at the line against the 6-foot-5 Roethlisberger. (Though you may ask yourself: Why didn't Roethlisberger pump there, step in and around a jumping Jonanthan Fanene, and find a receiver? Well, for one thing, the windows are smaller and the routes excruciatingly quicker in the Red Zone.) Oh, yeah, the fourth failure inside the Bengals' 15-yard line -- oh-for-4 is never good -- led to yet another Reed field goal, so it's tied at 12-12 after all. Ruh-roh, that means another Steelers kickoff. . . 3:30 p.m.: Deshea Townsend in for Carter at safety. . . 3:31 p.m.: Now Ryan Clark has that Ike Tyler Syndrome -- right through his hands, though it helped matters that Ochocinco ran the wrong route, out instead of in. . . . 3:32 p.m.: This has the look of a difference-making drive by Cincinnati, possibly even the game-winning drive. If they score a touchdown, that's something the Steelers have shown an inability to do thus far. Nice rhythm and pace to this drive, nice blocking by the Bengals line, nice job by Palmer picking out open receivers. . .3:39 p.m.: New slogan: The AFC North -- It's Trey-tastic! More field goals, which represents a moral victory for the Steeles. But the Bengals regain the lead, 15-12.

3:43 p.m.: Again, Roethlisberger is off. That third-down pass for Miller was way high. Tough angle, tough window. And now the Steelers are a woeful 3 for 14 on third-down conversions -- an even-worse 0-for-6 this half. If the Steelers' offense doesn't get its act together, or the defense conjure a score -- and Palmer doesn't make many bad decisions or mistakes that result in those -- this has a Bengals victory written all over it and a strong leg up in the race for the AFC North crown. . . 3:52 p.m.: So maybe Bill Cowher is a bigger genius than anyone gave him credit. Cincinnati is chewing up valuable time and within field-goal range, so they very well -- as Mr. Bill predicted -- could be on their way to the division title. After all, they have Oakland, Cleveland and Detroit all in a soft row, then Kansas City and the Jets to close. So a 12-4 season is well within reach, with a victory here. Third-and-eight at the Steelers 28, the Steelers use their next-to-last timeout, and. . . and. . . the Bengals, 4 for 12 previously on third down, get Lawrence Timmons to jump offsides. Hmmm. Third-and-three, and Palmer audibles into a run that Nick Eason stuffs it for a two-yard loss. Two minute warning. Graham, who before the play walked onto the field and took a couple of practice swings with his leg, gets to go for his fourth field goal of the day. . . 3:59 p.m.: Graham goes 4 for 5 for the day, his 43-yarder making it, 18-12 Bengals. Eleven plays, 52 yards, 4:20 on the Bengals drive. So it's either touchdown, or maybe hope for the wild card. . . 4:03 p.m.: Overthrowing Ward, with fill-in linebacker Brandon Johnson pulling his jersey back, and underthrowing Wallace on a 40-yard bomb, and throwing into an area where two Steelers receivers were crossing middle deep, and pressure by the Bengals causing him to throw away on fourth down. Remember those later, if the defending champions have to go on the road in the playoffs. It's over. Bengals, 18-12.

Vikings-Steelers, live

Chuck Finder — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:50:00 GMT

Minnesota -- how could a team with horns on its helmet call "tails?" -- won the toss and elected to receive. The temp is up to 55, and the sun makes it feel warmer. Game on.

FIRST QUARTER

1:03 p.m.: The Vikings gave the defense three very different looks, including a little no-huddle. And you saw James Harrison and Troy Polamalu make big plays. That's the kind of start they sought. Ed Bouchette asked an interesting point as soon as Minnesota declined first-and-five and took an 8-yard gain on the opening play for second-and-two: Why not take the penalty and gain a down? 1:16 p.m.: The Legend that is Brett Favre is 1 for 2 with a sack. Steelers defense looking sturdy so far, but soon the Vikings will feed them -- and, specifically, Aaron Smith replacement Travis Kirschke -- a steady diet of Adrian Peterson runs.1:22 p.m.: Harrison -- after LaMarr Woodley had the pressure -- and Polamalu, who appears to be wearing the knee brace this time (can you folks watching TV tell better?), are atop their games so far like they haven't been yet this season. Credit Gerry Dulac with the nickname for the Minnesota punter: Chris Kluwe-less. His punt to his own 39-yard line may have received a generous spot. (To answer ChiTown: Yes, even Mike Tomlin thought the right tackle lifted up prematurely on that snap, and let the side judge know about it.) 1:32 p.m.: It's the Mike Wallace Show. Nice, and critical, catch for 10 yards on third down. Then, after the Minnesota challenge that failed, a lovely flanker reverse -- with a dandy block by Santonio Holmes downfield. Willie Parker is in for this series, but still the question remains: Why aren't the Steelers challenging left cornerback Karl Paymah, Antoine Winfield's replacement whom Baltimore and Joe Flacco alighted for most of his 385 yards last week, includding 244 yards in the second half. 1:37 p.m.: A Heath Miller pass-interference penalty on the opposite end of the field wiped away Holmes' TD catch and run, and a sack left it to the foot of you know how. An eight-play, 18-yard drive ended when Jeff Reed punched through a 39-yard field goal. Steelers, 3-0. 1:39 p.m.: The Steelers coverage has been exemplary, but Percy Harvin has enough jets that he just might get past the first wave one of these times.

SECOND QUARTER

1:48 p.m.: Well, the Vikes ran Peterson and a quick, off-tackle play, and that one time it worked well (though why he slowed and shifted, I'll never know). The Battling LeBeaus seem to have them pretty well sniffed out otherwise, though. 1:51 p.m.: The play-calling on that Steelers series wasn't so bad. They do need to run, and they're holding back on those counter plays, apparently. And Roethlisberger, who isn't as sharp as he has been thus far this season, threw one into Vikings hands to Miller and the other high and slightly behind Hines Ward, who dropped the ball when clouted from behind. One thing to look for, though. Bruce Arians may try to play this one closer to the vest because it is shaping up to be a defensive, low-scoring game. (To me, with Favre and Peterson on the field, though, that can change in an eye-blink.) 1:54 p.m.: That's why he's a Legend. Favre, with Willie Gay flying at him in a delayed corner blitz, Favre found and hit a wide open Harvin to end a 1-for-5 third-down run and convert a first down with a 28-yard completion. The old guy still has it. 1:58 p.m.: Getting the idea that Favre is going after Gay? That and the right middle. Not a thing in the areas of Ryan Clark and Ike Taylor. 2 p.m.: Brad Childress just sprinted down to the 15-yard line to call that timeout, he wanted one so badly. Wait, isn't there a rule about straying out of the coaching box? 2:03 p.m.: The quicksilver Peterson skitters into the end zone on third down for the first touchdown of the game. So ended a confidence-instilling, 13-play, 76-yard, 5:22 drive. Vikings, 7-3. 2:10 p.m.: Sixty-five yards of Steelers offense so far -- no, that isn't going to cut it. You folks are correct, the defense -- against that massive Minnesota line -- will wear down at this rate come the second half. Maybe the no-huddle, or at least a varied play-calling that doesn't leave the Steelers' offense subject to seven-man blitzes. 2:21 p.m.: That third-down conversion, after the Steelers' 1-for-5 start, was all Mewelde Moore. And he bears watching: He declined all week to talk about his former team, so methinks he feels he has a little extra oomph for this one. 2:23 p.m.: Sure, a 22-yard pass for a first down to Wallace -- his Show continues -- but by now you can tell Roethlisberger, who made his career with plays afoot, didn't throw a sharp ball there. . . . But he threw a nifty one, with time, to Wallace for the go-ahead touchdown that dropped over two defenders and into the post-pattern arms of Wallace, snarled up the Vikings safeties and allowed the rookie to perform a somersault into the end zone with 24 seconds left in the half. Steelers, 10-3. But they did just leave The Legend 24 seconds to work. 2:26 p.m.: Excuse me while I update my resume to remove that "potential Offensive Coordinator" career move. Childress has Favre take a knee. Halftime, Steelers 10-7.

THIRD QUARTER

2:43 p.m.: What is this, 1992 all over again? Or 1992-2006? The Steelers are running, and effectively. Not a bad block by Roethlisberger on the reverse that the Vikings knew was coming -- and still that Paymah was called for a facemask. Man, there's a guy you attack all day. . . Nifty run by Roethlisberger, seeing the left side of the field wide open, but Benny Sapp dived through the air to elicit an unsportsmanlike penalty. He was even guilty of a charging penalty that an NHL ref called from Mellon Arena. 2:47 p.m.: That second-down play prompts questioning after the game -- did Wallace or Hines Ward run a wrong route in the right corner to cause Roethlisberger to refrain from throwing? did the QB worry about his fourth batted pass of the day? or was it a pass-run option, and Roethlisberger chose to tuck and run? One other thing: They ran the ball so well, outside of one crunching tackle, why go away from it compeltely in the Red Zone? . . . It's a record day in one capacity: The 65,597 attendance marks a Heinz Field record, surpassing by 247 the AFC championship game attendance last January and by 487 the Tennessee season opener last month. . , Reed's 27-yard field goal extends the lead a tad, but not enough to feel comfortable around The Legend and Peterson. Steelers, 13-7. 2:59 p.m.: That fourth-down play was vintage Favre. He pump-faked to freeze Polamalu for one step, and that allowed Sidney Rice to flash open behind the defense. 3:01 p.m.: Riddle me this: You got the best running back since maybe Barry Sanders, in Peterson, and you throw two of the three downs from the 1-yard line? The Steelers don't care. They made a stand and came away with the lead still. A moral victory, indeed. Don't fail to notice the Vikings put together another 13-play drive and they're 6 of 13 on third downs, meaning they've converted five of their past seven before failing on this last goalline play. The Minnesota field goal makes it Steelers, 13-10, with -- hmm, a harbinger? -- 4:44 left in the quarter.3:09 p.m.: Somebody in the press box is worried. They just cued up "Renegade," which Ryan Clark earlier this week noted is a sure signal that it's time to focus and bear down. (And, for the record, there are 17 minutes, 59 seconds of regulation left. Premature Styx, perhaps?) 3:14 p.m.: Harvin was already dropped that perfectly lovely, third-down throw by Favre, but Clark sure got into Harvin's bad shoulder and his head -- the rookie may not catch many more over the middle today, if at all. Steelers offense needs a prolonged drive and, it would help their cause, a score. 3:17 p.m.: The Steelers have piled up runs of 17, 16 and 14 -- and immediately after that last Mendenhall gallop around right end, behind stellar blocking, with a badly-thrown, badly-called halfback-release pass?

FOURTH QUARTER

3:21 p.m.: Right after an electric play by Holmes, who eluded six would-be tacklers -- or, from the Minnesota vantage point, six blown potential tackles -- Mendenhall followed with an ill-advised leap. He lost the ball in mid-air, and the Vikings recovered at their own three. This could present a HUGE point turnaround, and possibly even the game, in one play. We shall see. But, of course, Mendenhall and fumbling aren't exactly strangers. (Search his name along with "bounty" and "tucked." ) 3:27 p.m.: Lawrence Timmons twice stopped, and crumpled once, trying to get off the field with a bad, right ankle. And that's one position where the Steelers aren't exactly blessed with depth (where have you gone, Larry Foote?) You certainly do get the feeling The Legend is going to lead them on a 97-yard drive here. Good thing Harrison came to play at a Defensive Player of the Year level, and a holding penalty just negated that long Favre completion to Rice -- more than a 50-yard swing. 3:36 p.m.: That was a smart challenge, the proper review and a heck of a throw and catch, a 25-yard gain for a third down -- after penalties on three of four Minnesota snaps. It's their game for the taking now. 3:39 p.m.: Kirschke limped off, something with his left ankle, shin or foot, and that stands as another bad sign for the Steelers defense. Nick Eason, a third-teamer cut twice already this season, is playing left defensive end in the Red Zone agiansttwo of the game's best all-time offensive players? 3:41 p.m.: Get this, if the Packers do score a touchdown, they'll have gained almost 130 yards this drive, overcoming four penalties. Look at that, I just typed Packers. 3:43 p.m.: Universal reaction: Are you kiddin' me? Brett Keisel got credit for the sack and strip, LaMarr Woodley got no style points -- it was no Harrison Super Bowl Polamalu play -- but his fumble return of 77 yards with a cordon of defensive blockers makes it Steelers, 20-10. Harrison, by the way, lay on his back around midfield in glee afterward. The first non-defensive player to congratulate Woodley? Mendenhall. Who probably should buy him dinner. Some new clothes. . . Kirschke has a calf and Timmons has an ankle, as Coach Cahr used to say. They're done for the day. By the way, Bart Simpson has a cow.

3:47 p.m.: That buzz didn't last long.

Harvin's 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown -- the second against the Steelers in two weeks, remember -- brought the positive vibes down. And it also brought down back judge Richard Reels, who got accidentally clouted by backup Minnesota tight end Jeff Dugan. Interestingly, one of the Vikings front-line blockers, sorry I didn't catch a number, signaled for Harvin to move up just before Reed ran up to the ball. So he read something on the coverage-unit call or alignment. . . Also note that Reed didn't slow down Harvin with that mild midfield push, and he normally gives the rest of his coverage unit a fighting chance.

3:52 p.m.: For the second game in a row, carrying the fourth-quarter ball in the ground game is. . . neither Mendenhall nor Parker, who has been noticeably absent since the earlygoing. It was Moore.3:57 p.m.: Credit Justin Hartwig's knee for knocking that horrendously loose footbal out of bounds.That saved the Steelers roughly 30 yards in a game with a field-goal difference. Still and all, you give Brett Favre the ball and 3:21? He can score six touchdowns in that time. 4:01 p.m.: "Renegade" twice? Is that kosher? Look at it this way: Not just third and 4, but in the final two minutes, a less-than-2008 defense with Keyaron Fox and Eason playing must make a stand. 4:04 p.m.: Time to update that resume again, to add "potential Nostradamus." Fox went 82 yards with a pass that went from Favre to Chester Taylor -- a former Baltimore Raven, remember -- to Fox's belly, and he bolted down the left sideline without needing a single block downfield from personal escort Clark. Steelers, 27-17. 4:12 p.m.: It's ovah. Score this one: Patchwork Pittsburgh defense 14, Steelers offense 13 (for a home total of 27), Vikings 17.

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.

Bottoming Out

Dan Gigler — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:44:00 GMT

Spent a much longer portion of Sunday than I'd care to admit watching ... sigh ... the NFL Scouting Combine. Actually watching it. On my deathbed, I'm sure I'll wish I had back those 49 minutes of absolutely wasted time, but such as it is, this experience confirms my belief that absolutely anything can be made interesting when viewed in HD (see also: NASCAR, golf, NBA basketball), even the NFL Scouting Combine, which for a football junkie is the equivilent of shooting black tar heroin into your neck.

If you're watching the combine, you've pretty much hit rock bottom at this point, and you'd be selling yourself to score tickets to an Arena Football game to hold you over until the draft, except that, oh right -- there is no Arena Football this year.

So I think its safe to say that this couldn't possibly come out at a better time.

The Steelers and NFL Films will premiere the Official NFL Championship DVD tonight at 7 p.m. at the AMC Loews Waterfront Cinemas. Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, LaMarr Woodley, Willie Parker and James Harrison will be among those gathered for a VIP screening. Later in the night, at 11:59 p.m. doors will open at the Best Buy in Bethel Park where fans can purchase the DVD ($24.98) and Holmes will be on hand to sign autographs.

Frankly this can't come soon enough. Only 61 days 'til the draft ...

Zapruder time: Arizona still doubts Ring-Tone's twinkle toes

Chuck Finder — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:39:00 GMT

What few football fans remain in the desert still seem to have their doubts about Santonio Holmes' touchdown catch to win Supe Polamalu a week and a half ago.

The Republic's Bob Young notes that the newspaper's Rob Schumacher caught in photographs up close and personal Tone's crossed feet in the end zone. One problem: Are these pics frame by frame, split-second by split-second? Don't appear to be, but click here and judge for yourself.

Still a lovely pirouette, no?

However, the newspaper's photo array doesn't get to the conflicting evidence until Nos. 10 and 12, below.

From USA Today (And notice Aaron Francisco's left hand is different from the Schumacher photos -- it's just reaching Holmes' "0".)

The Orlando Sentinel provides more of a ground-level looksee.

And ground level is the same place where the P-G's Matt Freed got this lovely shot. (Everybody wave "Hi" to Terminal Stare Timmy Benz in the background!)

Frenchy Fuqua's immaculate advice: Deception. Obfuscate, titillate, hedge for years, Tone. Keep 'em wondering. Keep 'em. . . on your toes.

(Sure, the Seahawks followers are wich ya, Cardinals types: It's all part of a grand NFL conspiracy to give these Super Bowls to the Steelers. Riiiiiiiight.)

Updated: Quick side note -- Santonio's gloves sold for $70,200

James Harrison, still out of gas ...

Dan Gigler — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:55:00 GMT

Funny clip from SNL's Weekend Update:

Check out Harrison's epic run in pictures.

OTHER GOOD STUFF

The Cope Family named ABC News' Persons of the Week
Stuart Scott has Sunday Converstion with Terrible Towel
Super Bowl XLIII highlights by The Onion
Santonio: strong side/weak side by The Onion
Pupamalu dominates Puppy Bowl (Onion)
Lawrence Timmons blogs about Super Bowl XLIII and the aftermath
If Steelers Today were Kevin Colbert
Obligatory Pro Bowl update. Did anyone watch this? BNG watched the Super Bowl again from start to finish instead. God bless DVR!
LeBeau vs. Whiz: who won? A great analysis by Steel Curtain Rising
With the 32nd pick in the draft, the Steelers select ...
Sick of the Whiz?
J. Peezy happy for his old team
Tomlin = Noll?
Who will the Steelers open with in 2009?
Santonio's catch on Tecmo Bowl.
Bidding on Santonio's gloves now over $15,000 ...
Hines gives teammates the Crown
Pats fans think the game was fixed (see item 4)
Santonio & Mickey
Offseason decisions ...
More great Super Bowl XLIII pix ...
And finally, we cap off this link heavy edition of Blog 'N' Gold with the final installment of YinzLuvDaStillerz. Big time players come up big in big time games and big time bloggers do the same. Jim Shearer's weekly updates were consistantly funny & entertaining (even when the NFL put the kibosh on him), but the final 3 minutes of this video, recording his Super Bowl weekend in Pittsburgh was truly outstanding. Enjoy:

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.

Live AFC championship game blog: Ravens vs. Steelers

JerryMicco — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 03:05:00 GMT

5:11 p.m.: Still nearly 90 minutes to game time, but you can sense the excitment in the air walking in. It's positively balmy here around 30 degrees and there is no snow. The fans are all around tailgating and only a few thousand are actually in their seats. Looks like a typical Steelers home game, but we all know that's not the case. It is the Ravens and it is the chance to go to the Super Bowl with a victory.

5:15 p.m.: Here are the inactives for today's game. Ravens: WR Terrance Copper, CB Samari Rolle, RB Jalen Parmele, LB Antwan Barnes, LB Robert McCune, OT Oniel Cousins, G/T David Hale, QB Todd Bauman (3rd QB). Steelers: S Anthony Smith, CB Fernando Bryant, LB Bruce Davis, OL Tony Hills, OT Jason Capizzi, DT Scott Paxson, DE Orpheus Roye, QB Dennis Dixon (3rd QB). Frank Walker will start for the Ravens at CB for the injured Rolle.

5:20 p.m.: From Colin Dunlap, part of our team at today's AFC title game:

Something that seemed a little odd if only for two things:

1. How close to kickoff it happened.
2. The Post-Gazette’s Ed Bouchette, one of the most veteran of all NFL reporters, even commented on the oddity of it.

As players from both teams milled around on the sideline, eager to get onto the field and stretch their legs a little, the tarp seemed to stay on the field for a very, very long time, even as no precipitation was falling. The grounds crew didn’t begin its removal of the tarp until 4:45 p.m., a process that took almost 30 minutes, ending at 5:13 p.m.

6:05 p.m.: Both teams are out on the field now. And there haven't been any Joey Porter type of pregame incidents. That's surprising given the history of these two teams. The stadium is probably half full as the tailgaters steadily stream inside Heinz Field. Most people, in the press box and in the stadium, are mesmerized by the Cards-Eagles playoff game. A game that had all the earmarks of a blowout is now tight as a drum. Field looks to be in great shape, there is a little left-to-right wind as you look at the open end of the stadium. Kickoff in about 30 minutes. Get ready!

6:15 p.m.: This is like a parallel universe: Arizona is the NFC champions and headed to the Super Bowl. Who's next, the Lions? I'm sure if the Steelers can hold up their end of the bargain tonight, the multiple storylines of a Pittsburgh-Arizona Super Bowl will make our jobs even busier than ever. But we'd not have it any other way. I guess we all tend to forget the Cardinals have a two-time MVP, and Super Bowl MVP, at quarterback and great young receivers, led by former Pitt star Larry Fitzgerald. And the defense has gotten progressively better as the season has gone on. I don't think that's their strength, the offense is, but they've got some very nice players. Give it up for former Steelers OC Ken Whisenhunt, who has brought a once-sorry franchise one game away from the ultimate prize.

6:31 p.m.: Great National Anthem by Martina McBride. The most impressive thing was seeing 50 members of our armed forces holding up 50 state flags. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines holding them. Wonderful site and makes you realize while the world in Pittsburgh, and for many of us, revolves around this game, we know that for the fighting men and women of the armed forces, there are bigger, more important things in their lives. Keeps a lot in perspective.

The place is pretty much bedlam right now. Terrible Towels whipping as the Steeelers enter the field. Just as many boos for the Blackbirds, who just came onto the field. Steelers are introducing the defense. Is it possible that Casey Hampton has actually put on more weight during the season? It's like the Jack Lambert syndrome in reverse. And the biggest cheer is always reserved for Troy Polamalu. Time to get this thing going.

6:41 p.m.: Darren Stone, say hello to Carey Davis. Wow, what a shot.

6:42 p.m.: Well, at least Willie Colon got his false-start-a-game out of the way early. And Ben had all day on that pass. Too bad Nate Washington couldn't hold on. Third-and-long is no fun vs. the Ravens.

6:45 p.m.: If the line gives Ben that type of time all day, he'll absolutely kill the Ravens. Best he's looked all year, putting that ball in a tight spot.

6:46 p.m.: Nice start, get the ball and get some points. A TD would have been better, but in this game you take what you can get. Move the ball and score. Then let your defense take care of the rest. The cold didn't affect the Steelers offense, let's see if Joe Flacco & Co. can move it against the best defense in the NFL. With 11:22 left in the first quarter, Steelers 3, Ravens 0.

6:48 p.m.: Darren Stone, the guy who was flattened by Carey Davis on the kick return, has a concussion. His return is doubtful.

6:55 p.m.: I'm very surprised by three passes from the Ravens to open the game. I know neither team will rely on the run to win this game, but of the two teams, the Ravens rushing attack is probably better at this point. Shows how much confidence they have in Flacco, but it also was a three-and-out. Were you a bit nervous when you saw Ike Taylor extend that arm on that long pass to Mark Clayton? Some buzz in the press box on that one. Let's see if Ben and the boys can put together another drive.

7 p.m.: They just put up a short video of Pens players from their locker room waving terrible towels and a couple in helmets. Got a nice cheer. Marc-Andre Fleury, today's first star in a 3-0 win over the Rangers, was one of the 4 pictured players in one video. Sid Crosby did a separate video. On the game front, the Baltimore receivers aren't helping Flacco any. Bad game to have the dropsies.

7:02 p,m.: Eagle eye Gene Collier called that pick by Deshea Townsend. He was lined up to blitz and dropped off, confusing Flacco and leading to the pick. Willie Parker has no hands. That's why you don't see dump offs and screens for him. Be nice to get more than 3 here, but I guess it's not time to get greedy.

7:06 p.m.: You'd really like to have Hines Ward in this game. He's on the sideline now walking it off, but he's limping pretty good. He'll probably be back, but that was a wicked ankle roll. Santonio Holmes coming up big again. You have to like the fact that with Ward out, you have a guy like Holmes. Oh, oh, wait a second. Baltimore challenging. Looks close to me.

7:11 p.m.: Good call by John Harbaugh on that one. Once I saw a replay, it was obvious Holmes didn't hold on and it hit the ground. Ward has gone to the locker room to get his ankle checked. Ben took a pretty good whack when he let the ball go on that fourth-down play. But if anyone has been money for the Steelers this season, give a nod to Jeff Reed. You take the points you can get in this one. With 6:11 left in the first quarter, Steelers 6, Ravens 0.

7:18 p.m.: Hines Ward has a right knee injury. His return is questionable.

7:22 p.m.: One of you asked about type size, I bumped up the size a bit. Let me know if this is better. I'm surprised to hear that Ward's knee is injured. His ankle was caught underneath him on that catch. But it's hard to keep a good man down. Ward is back in the game.

7:25 p.m.: What is it you don't want to do when you play the Ravens? Give them short fields. And do not have turnovers. Ray Lewis forces another fumble and now the defense has to really step up. The Ravens were pretty lethargic, especially on offense, and now you give them a spark.

7:27 p.m.: Alarms should go off everywhere because Byron Leftwich is warming up in earnest. Ben took that big hit a couple series ago when he threw that pass out of the end zone. He was drilled from behind on that play and looked to reach down to his ribs. You really want a healthy Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward in this game. That was a giant defensive stand and it looks like Ben's back in the game. We'll see if he's dinged up.

7:32 p.m.: End of the first quarter, Steelers 6, Ravens 0. A pretty dominant performance by the Steelers, who did not allow a first down and possessed the ball for more than 10 minutes. Need to keep an eye on Roethlisberger and Ward to see if the cold weather makes those injuries worse.

7:36 p.m.: It is so much fun to watch Santonio Holmes play football. And how about Heath Miller's blocking on that play? Nate Washington even got in a shot on Ed Reed near the goal line. Holmes is becoming one of the league's most exciting open field players. And the Steelers, even with Ben visibly nicked up, are getting some protection for him. And Ben's doing a nice job of getting away from rushers, too, and buying time. If the Ravens aren't careful, this could get out of hand. Which is a good thing for the packed house here and the Steeler Nation. With 13:58 left in the second quarter, Steelers 13, Ravens 0.

7:41 p.m.: One hour into the game, and more than 17 minutes on the clock, Ravens get a first down. The defense is more than holding up their end today.

7:46 p.m.: Not often you see James Farrior take a straight arm like the one you saw Ray Rice deliver. That was a huge play for the Ravens. If nothing else, it gets them out of the hole.

7:51 p.m.: How many injury bullets can you dodge? Looks like Harrison got his bell rung on that play. Nice defensive stand and a big-time sack by Aaron Smith, who has played as well as anyone on the defense this year. Well if they can stay healthy, the Steelers would love to run some clock right now with this drive. It's a rather slow-moving game with 7:06 left in the second quarter. If you're a Steelers fan, you can have little complaint so far in this one. You want to keep moving the ball and protecting it against the Ravens defense. The more you keep them out there now, the more you may be able to move it better in the fourth quarter.

8:04 p.m.: Ward's return to the game is doubtful with that knee injury. You're going to see some Limas Sweed and Nate Washington the rest of the way. Young players get dumb penalties sometimes. That one by Chris Kemoeatu, even if the Ravens player had a hand in his face, was not smart. Time to punt.

Near disaster there on the punt return by Leonhard. Another short field. You can only call on the defense so many times.

8:09 p.m.: Very, very close call on Bryant McFadden, but that's going to happen sometimes. Great block by Willis McGahee on Lawrence Timmons to keep Joe Flacco from getting killed. If they can hold the Ravens to 3, that's a great victory.

8:11 p.m.: That was way too easy and now the Ravens are back in this one in a big way. The fans are giving it to the officials with the favorite barnyard chant. But reality is, the special teams had a breakdown and it made for another short field for the Ravens offense. That's their best chance of scoring in this game, and the Steelers have done that twice this game. Fortunately for them, it has only cost them 7 points. With 2:40 left in the second quarter, Steelers 13, Ravens 7.

8:19 p.m.: There is very much a feel of momentum change now in this game. The Steelers offense has gone very basic and did a poor job of trying to run off some clock that last possession. Losing Ward is a pretty big blow, but you have to react and get other people the ball so you can continue to pressure the Ravens defense. This is a key drive for the Steelers defense.

8:21 p.m.: Let's see if the nice defensive stand and another fine punt return by Holmes can translate into points. That should have translated into seven points, but Limas Sweed just dropped at wide open TD. You feel bad that he's injured, but is there a more sore spot on his body than his hands? What a tough turn of events for the Steelers. Just a brutal drop. And Sweed, who has been a bust in his rookie season, is now hearing it from some fans here. Let's hope that play doesn't come back to haunt them. Wow, a tough loss. Ugh.

8:26 p.m.: There's the makeup call for the McFadden interference. No way that was a roughing the kicker. That nice play to Heath Miller shows just how the fortunes for a player can change in a few minutes. Limas Sweed absolutely drills Corey Ivy on that play. One press box comment on Sweed after the block: "Maybe they can make him a guard."

8:31 p.m.: Poor, poor clock management on that last series. You get the points when you can in this game. We'll all look back on that series -- Sweed's drop and then the clock running out deep in Ravens territory -- and maybe it's the key to the game. I guess we'll see. The Ravens get it first in the second half in this very slow-moving game. End of the first half, Steelers 13, Ravens 7.

8:45 p.m.: First half stats: Steelers outgained the Ravens 208-74 on offense. Hines Ward, doubtful the rest of the way, led the Steelers with 3 catches for 55 yards. Holmes had 2 for 70. Willis McGahee had 42 yards rushing on 14 attempts. Roethlisberger threw for 188 yards and a passer rating of 86.8. Flacco threw for 39 yards and a passer rating of 9.8. This is going to be dicey to the end. Too many big mistakes down the stretch for the Steelers. They are going to need an early big play.

Attendance is 65,350, a new Heinz Field record. The old mark is 65,242 in the AFC title game in 2005 vs. New England.

8:53 p.m.: That was a good stand by the defense, but now the offense has to get some points. Even if it's three points, it'll put Baltimore two scores down and in the long run, you want their offense having to scramble to score. Maybe it's me, or maybe you dear fellow commenters to this blog sense it, too, but do you see the offense getting too conservative when maybe they should be flinging the ball around for some offense.

8:57 p.m.: There is no one open on that play, but Ben took the sack anyway. Could have thrown it away and saved the 7 yards. This is not good. The offense has to get back on track again.

9:02 p.m.: OK, who's going to make the big play and either get the Ravens back into it or pull the Steelers far enough ahead to be somewhat comfortable? There's just over 9 minutes left in the third and the sense I'm getting is the Steelers are relying on defense to win this one, but someone on offense -- or special teams -- has to make a play. Maybe Nate Washington? We'll see. Another important series if the Steelers can possess the ball and get some points.

9:06 p.m.: Carey Davis? You get Carey Davis to make a big play, which in itself is nearly a miracle, then you give 14 yards back on a sack.

9:08 p.m.: You forget they have a terrific tight end on this team in Heath Miller. Huge play if for no other reason it gets you good field position. And the run by Parker was his best today -- for 6 yards, but now you might be able to do a couple things if you can keep this drive going. They need points right here, right now.

9:13 p.m.: Reed is just money, big money. That was a huge series and the Steelers did what they had to do, getting the Reed FG. More importantly, they ate up 5:29 of the clock in doing so. It's two scores for the Ravens now, which is no easy task against the defense. The special teams can do their part by keeping this return short. With 3:38 left in the third quarter, Steelers 16, Ravens 7.

9:19 p.m.: Good answer by the defense, in particular big plays by LaMarr Woodley and Troy Polamalu. Again, even if they get no points, the offense needs to get out of the hole and possess the ball. And most importantly, not turn it over.

9:21 p.m.: Well Steelers Nation, you are three-quarters of the way to Tampa for a meeting with the surprising Arizona Cardinals and their coach, Ken Whisenhunt. After three quarters, Steelers 16, Ravens 7.

9:24 p.m.: Nice catch by Sweed. If he drops that one, which was right on the numbers, Tomlin probably plays tight ends as wide receivers. Announcement here: Mewelde Moore has an ankle injury and his return is questionable. So you get a third-and-1 and you go empty set and try a pass? Wow, you got to be able to get that yard. It was a chance to run another couple minutes off the clock. And then you get Berger to essentially miss a punt. That was a brutal couple of plays there. Once again, the defense is going to have to come up with a big stop. For the record, a 21-yard punt.

9:30 p.m.: I mean, you had to call holding on that play. It was blatant.

9:33 p.m.: No close call there, that was pass interference on Ike Taylor. And I'm trying to figure out why William Gay is in for Bryant McFadden. I've not heard that McFadden is injured, but he must be to be out of the game. And there's a score by Baltimore's best offensive player today, Willis McGahee. That was too easy after the good field position. The momentum is shifting as we speak and the Heinz Field crowd goes very quiet. The Steelers offense absolutely needs a drive and some points on this possession. With 9:29 left in the fourth quarter, Steelers 16, Ravens 14.

9:42 p.m.: Lousy series after good field position. The offense has tanked when it was needed and now this game is firmly in the hands of the defense. That was a break on the personal foul call on Daren Stone, who was drilled on the game's first play. Not how he wanted to return, I'm sure. Steelers get a huge break in field position. There's less than seven minutes left.

9:46 p.m.: You can see Flacco's big arm now. He's starting to get the ball downfield to his receivers and he's getting time to do it. I'm sure the Ravens would love to get the clock on their side and get close for at least a FG attempt. The defense is absolutely going to have to force a stop on this side of the 50. The advantages the Steelers have is with that time out, the Ravens are down to one. And Baltimore has no challenges left. Still, I'm not liking the karma here. Just a feeling, nothing more.

9:52 p.m.: OK, I like the karma much better now. A great play by a great player. And it was defense, dear readers, that prevailed in this one. We are next to the Rooney's box and even they are going pretty crazy. What an electrifying play by Troy Polamalu. How's the weather in Tampa, I think the Steelers just got a huge step closer. With 4:24 left in the fourth quarter, Steelers 23, Ravens 14.

9:58 p.m.: One of the reasons we love football are the big hits. But when you see both players down like this, that's a horrible feeling. This is not good for Willis McGahee. He took a helmet shot from Clark, he ducked his head a bit into it, but nonetheless, he's badly injured. This probably sews it up for the Steelers, but you are reminded on a play like that why the NFL enjoys so much popularity and why it is often favorably compared to the gladiator battles of ancient Rome. No one likes to see this, even though like a train wreck, we can't take our eyes off of it. Let's hope McGahee is OK and recovers from this with no problems. Ryan Clark is on the bench and appears to be OK.

10:11 p.m.: The McGahee hit and subsequent seriousness of it has quieted the crowd here. It should be much more festive, but I think when folks see that, it makes you think. The latest update on McGahee is that he has movement in his arms and legs, but has significant neck pain. The movement is good news. Let's hope he's OK.

10:14 p.m.: It's official: "Pittsburgh's goin' to the Super Bowl." All hail the great defense of this team all season long. And they'll need a big effort vs. Arizona to win their sixth Super Bowl ring. In all, it'll be the Steelers seventh Super Bowl. Here we go.... We'll be back for a late recap.

10:17 p.m.: Normally we head for the locker room right away, but the players are all on the field for the presentation of the Lamar Hunt Trophy. And the crowd, the vast majority has stayed, just serenaded the team with the "Here we go..." song. And they even plugged the P-G on the big board here. We had some front pages made up for sale at the stadium saying "Here we go (again)!" as the headline. Newspapers do this quite often for some stadium sales. We'll have a ton of stuff in print and on the Web about this game, and there's much more to come.

Chargers-Steelers live (in-game edition)

Chuck Finder — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:49:00 GMT

7:58 p.m.: The end. Steelers 35, Chargers 24. Same night next week, same venue, same old Ravens, 6:30 p.m.

7:52 p.m.: Ruh-roh, 62-yard pass from Rivers to Darren Sproles. . . but (can't resist) he comes up short. Chargers, 24-35. Four unanswered touchdowns by the Steelers were too much. So much for the maligned offense this night, eh? Sproles, for the record, has 11 rushes for 15 yards. Russell snagged the onsides kick to secure it.

7:48 p.m.: Only twice before this season have the Steelers conjured as many points as this, at Cincinnati and in that Texans opener. And they hadn't mustered more in their previous eight postseason games, that 36-33 Cleveland conquest (referenced earlier over the punt return) in 2002. In 48 playoff games in Steelers history, only four times have they scored more. One more historical footnote: Parker's 146 yards are the third-most in Steelers playoff annals, and the most since Franco Harris' 153 against Baltimore in 1975.

7:41 p.m.: The party's over. Warm up Styx and the Bolts bus. Remember, though: You aren't talking about the old axiom of beating a team three times in a season, you're talking 'bout attempting a hat trick over Ray Lewis and the menacing, confidence-swelled Ravens. And didja catch Ray-Ray on NFL Network with his fellow U. of Miami man Warren Sapp on Saturday? He says the Raves' D prefers the road, because the quiet home crowd allows the fellas to hear each other's pre-snap calls, adjustments and advice.

7:34 p.m.: On his 24th carry, he went wide right, shedding a would-be tackler, for 27 yards to give him 122 yards on the game. But, uh, shouldn't he stay in bounds? [By the way, this marks Parker's first 100-yard playoff game, now at 146 after that 16-yard, open-hole touchdown run (nice evening for the o-line, with just one sack to boot). Despite that 75-yard touchdown run in Supe XL, Parker compiled but 93 total on the game.] Seventy-three yard drive, ate up half of what was left of the fourth quarter. Steelers, 35-17 Factoid: Parker hasn't had a two-touchdown day like this since the first half of the first game, against the Houston Texans.

7:28 p.m.: When you want to milk clock, you throw deep -- element of surprise, OK, so that's slightly comprehensible -- but then call time out?

7:23 p.m.: 10-play, 73-yard Chargers march and a touchdown -- not what the Steelers wanted or needed at this point. So it's a two-score game now. The offense, ahem, needs to piece together a time-consuming drive and conjure points, though either would suffice.

7:09 p.m.: You know you're having a horrible day when, in 15 minutes' time, you head a punt to the other team AND have a bad pass-interference penalty on ya (yes, there is such a thing as a good one). Eric Weddle stuck again for the Bolts'. But, wait, they didn't give it to Davis? Gary Russell with the wide-left TD run with 12:52 remaining. A long way to go in this one, folks, as columnist Gene Collier just pointed out. So long as the defense doesn't lapse into a prevent and fail to rush Rivers, it should have breathing room. Steelers, 28-10.

7:05 p.m.: Chargers after that failure fall to 2-for-8 on third downs. That's crucial. If Steelers get a field goal on this possession, there's reason to feel relatively safe. Mostly due to that defense.

7:00 p.m.: Yet another goalline stand by the Bolts. Funny, but the right side of the offense -- and the Bolts' defensive left side -- looked like it had the upper hand in numbers, so a sweep or a Spaeth short out pattern or maybe even a Roethlisberger roll out seemed to be the way to go pre-snap. And giving it to Cary Davis? It's nice to reward the fullback, but your quarterback or Parker are your stars for a reason. Up to the defense. Another James Harrison end-zone strip?

6:59 p.m.: Third quarter time of possession: Steelers 14:43, Chargers :17. Seventeen seconds? Cripes, Britney Spears has been married longer than that. Twice.

6:56 p.m.: Hitting Hines Ward outta bounds? It's the Karma of Tim McKyer coming back to undo the Bolts. End of third quarter.

6:52 p.m.: What I meant to say was: If you punt the ball off Eric Weddle's widdle head, and William Gay recovers on the edge of the red zone. . . .

6:46 p.m.: Foote's hand was ruled to be underneath the ball -- and replays seemed tough to judge. . . . Trick call on a vital third-down-and-short? Better question: You want your $102 million franchise player with a concussed brain blocking one of the largest, toughest nose guards in the NFL, Jamal Williams? Geez, Roethlisberger threw a block like a good o-lineman. Even if the Steelers wind up punting, killing the clock and killing the Chargers' retribution chance at scoring would be monumental.

6:40 p.m.: Well, that's another way to regain momentum. . . Rivers' pass was tipped by a leaping Brett Keisel; o-lineman are supposed to keep their blockees down on earth, and Marcus McNeill failed to do it, but clouted him immediately afterward for bad measure). Then Larry Foote appeared to wrest that interception from James Harrison's hands. Hey, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year has enjoyed enough pub lately, anyway. Coach Norv Turner challenged the ruling, and why not because the game hinges on this juncture right here.

6:39 p.m.: Well, that's one way to lose your hard-fought edge -- a 63-yard kickoff return by Darren Sproles.

6:33 p.m.: Heath Miller! True, it's excruciatingly early. But Roethlisberger has gone 12 of 18 for 135 yards to this point and, besides the overthrows to Miller once and Holmes (juuuuust) twice, you would draw the conclusion here that he is sharper than he was last year against Jacksonville and even in Super Bowl XL. While I was typing....Miller again! Make Roethlisberger 13 for 19 for 143 and one touchdown after that 8-yard pass to that perpetually open tight end. Huge drive and touchdown. Steelers, 21-10. Wow, 13 plays, 77 yards, 7:56. Give credit where it's due: Arians, Roethlisberger, the line, the trainers, the commissioner (shout out to the Washington & Jefferson College grad), anybody with the offense on that drive.

6:28 p.m.: All right, get out your pool slips.....63,899 was just announced as today's attendance.Now that Parker has one good run among his first five carries, notice that the Chargers are rotating defensive linemen even on the same series. They may have made adjustments to play the gaps better. We'll see. Big possession here for the Steelers, particularly considering they deferred just to get this opportunity to pile on points to end the first and start the second. . . . Oooooh, milimeters, or less, from a game-breaking completion to Holmes. Actually, upon further review, it hit his fingertips, itwasthatclose.

6:14 p.m.: For you pro-Parker folks, he has 52 yards on 10 rushes. Cozy little average, eh?

6:11 p.m.: Halftime. [As we wrote at 4:56, let's stick with straight cocoa, coffee or tea, sollight?]

6:07 p.m.: Lovely deep pass by Roethlisberger -- once, twice, third time's a lucky lady. Nice placed over linebacker Stephen Cooper, and what was he doing covering Ward so deep? Oh, because Antonio Cromartie wasn't there in time. Sixty-six yards in 76 seconds, Parker polished it off with a touchdown sweep left on a nice block from. . . a fullback?. . . Cary Davis. Steelers, 14-10.

6:05 p.m.: Oh, what the hell do I know.

6:04 p.m.: Check, check! He will boot himself 56 yards through the uprights for missing Holmes on that easy post pattern for a touchdown.

6:03 p.m.: Roethlisberger will kick himself over missing that wide-open Miller in the right flat. That play would've put them in instant field-goal range, or helped for a touchdown chance.

5:57 p.m.: Nate Kaeding, showing no ill effects of a groin injury that caused him to miss practice time late this week, converted a 42-yard field goal on the far side of the two-minute warning. Bolts, 10-7.

5:49 p.m.: Can't wait to hear the post-game explanation on that fake punt. Those two Chargers, Antwan Applewhite and Jacob Hester, were completely unblocked as the snapper Jared Retkofsky and the left side of the line went left, and the right guard and that side moved right. Ryan Clark had no chance. The gambling call isn't so bad, but the execution -- or failing to check off it -- are open to debate. That's giving the Bolts a field goal, minimum.

5:34 p.m.: During the last two timeouts, the grounds crew came out with snowblowers and cleared the lines every five yards. Looks like Willie Parker and the offensive line are using those as guidelines. The o-line is pushing back blue-whale Jamal Williams and the Bolts' defensive front, allowing Parker and the occasional Mewelde Moore open lanes to rip off decent gains. That could have a wear-and-tear effect on this defense later.

5:10 p.m.: (Sorry, folks, either the wi-fi connection in the press box or the PG blog software is slooooowwww right now.) Holmes quickly makes amends for that holding call with a dandy punt return for a touchdown. Bolts punter Mike Scifres, the MVP of the wild-card victory over Indianapolis, kicked it 53 yards from the snowy shadow of the open-end end zone, but Holmes made a mad dash a team-record 67 yards for the knotting score. He eluded a lunging Brandon Siler, cut through an open middle and ambled down the left sideline -- pausing only to hurdle Legedu "I'll Buy a Vowel, Pat Sajak" Naanee. Tie, 7-7. For the record, it was the Steelers' first postseason, punt-return touchdown since Antwaan Randle-El's previous-record, 66-yarder against the Browns in that Jan. 5, 2003, come-from-behind, 36-33 victory. Get this: The last time the Chargers gave up a punt-return for a playoff score, Lyndon Banes Johnson was in the White House -- the 1965 AFL Championship game, to Butch Byrd of the Buffalo Bills.

4:56 p.m.: Put the bottles and cups down, people. Heath Miller on second down strained to erase the Santonio Holmes holding penalty and get back to the first stick, but at least one-third of the . . . uh, insulated. . . crowd began cheering because they thought it was a first down beyond the second stick. Then Ben Roethlisberger performed a quick-kick punt on fourth down -- left-footed. Let's see, if you're nimble with both hands, you're ambidextrous. What is it with both feet? Oh, yeah, you're a soccer player. . . . By the way, a bubble screen and a quick kick on the opening series? What are we watching, is Mike Tomlin's first boss Bill Stewart of the West Virginia Mountaineers calling plays?

4:49 p.m.: The Stay Classy Chargers scored in two minutes, one second. And it shouldn't have taken them that long. Antonio Gates was wide open on the first play -- how do you miss that guy in coverage? Darren Sproles appeared to be a couple of fingers away from breaking a screen pass for a long distance. And Vincent Jackson motored downfield on a post pattern, with Ike Taylor behind him and unable to stop Philip Rivers' perfect, 41-yard touchdown pass. Four plays, 75 yards, mute Heinz Field crowd. Hey, it was so quiet, you could hear the snow fall. Bolts, 7-0.

4:45 p.m.: With Jerome Bettis present as an honorary co-captain, the Steelers won the toss -- tails, for the record -- and opted to defer. Biiiig mistake.

(Insert theme from "Cops" here) Charger charged

Chuck Finder — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:53:00 GMT

UPDATED, 1/7 4:11 p.m.: Let's see, Santonio Holmes got pulled over and received a blunt punishment from Coach Mike Tomlin: inactive for the next game, in late October against the New York Giants. But, nah, embattled Coach Norv Turner said Wednesday in a conference call with Pittsburgh reporters that he won't penalize Dolt. . . er, Bolts receiver Vincent Jackson for this Sunday's AFC Divisional playoff against the Steelers after getting: (a.) pulled over by Ponch and Jon and the California Highway Patrol at 2:30 Tuesday morning [repeat after me: nothing good happens after midnight] and (b.) this suspected DUI occurring while he was still on probation from a prior such charge. BTW: His 59 catches in the regular season were one short of Antonio Gates' team lead, but Jackson's 1,098 yards and 18-yards-per average were far and away the Bolts' best. Funny, though, he went catch-less in the wild-card overtime victory over Indianapolis.

Tomlin on Tuesday, before the story of Jackson's action surfaced, spoke thusly about this receiver: "[Quarterback Philip Rivers'] big-play guy is Vincent Jackson. The number of big plays he’s delivered for this football team since the first time we played them is really staggering. He’s a catalyst for a lot of things that goes on with those guys, big plays in big moments in big games . . . Vincent Jackson is a vertical threat who happens to be very big and strong."