After watching the Steelers take the ball down and rating on their opening drive I used to be certain we had been going to win. The Steelers moved the ball into the purple zone like a well-oiled machine they usually truly scored a contact down and never a wimpy area objective. The one drawback after scoring the td was that we needed to kick the ball to the Jags and that meant our horrible kick protection unit could be tasked with stopping Jones-Drew!
The group kicked the ball away and simply as I had feared, Jones-Drew ran up the center like an indy car on a straightaway. Received to present props to Madison who confirmed some pace when he ran down Jones-Drew on the 1-yard line. How about kicking the ball excessive sufficient to present the protection unit sufficient time to get down area to be in place to make a deal with? The particular groups has been killing us all 12 months lengthy they usually killed us early within the playoff sport.
By the top of the first half the group was down 21-7 and the deficit was the results of 3 Ben Roethlisberger interceptions. In my view, all 3 interceptions had been unhealthy throws, together with the one thrown to the defensive lineman. It regarded as if Ben was attempting to do an excessive amount of and he made some unhealthy throws which had been simple picks.
On the finish of the half the Steeler’s had 3 interceptions and three punts. The positives had been we had an 80 yard scoring drive and our protection had held the Jags to solely 118 whole yards they usually had been containing Fred Taylor. Though we had been down by 14 factors I felt good about our probabilities within the 2nd half.
I felt the offense wanted to return out within the 2nd half and utterly abandon the working sport. Davenport was not efficient and he clearly will not be going to fill the shoes of Willie Parker. Davenport is a short-yardage brut however we won’t use him within the position of an each down again. The protection needed to hold taking part in the way in which they’d within the 1st half and if we stopped throwing int’s, we had an opportunity within the sport.
In the course of the 2nd half they confirmed a stat that mentioned Massive Ben was both #1 or #2 within the league in 4th quarter come again wins. I used to be simply fearful that Ben might need been rattled after throwing 3 terrible picks. I used to be additionally involved that our particular groups might surrender extra massive performs which might harm our probabilities.
The Jags get the ball within the third quarter and Harrison intercepts Garrard’s move on the Jag’s 45 yard-line. That was simply what the physician ordered, a Jag’s interception. The issue is that after the interception we drive to the ten yard line the place we’ve got to kick a area objective. I am uninterested in area targets! Once we are on the ten yard-line we want contact downs, not area targets. Now the rating is 21-10 when it might have been 21-14 if we had scored a td.
The Steeler’s kick the ball to the Jags who muff the catch on the 18 yard-line. Now we have the Jags deep in their very own territory so now all we’ve got to do is pressure them to punt and we’ll get good area place. On 2nd and seven we sack Garrard for a 5-yard loss however Ike Taylor will get flagged for a bone head face masks penalty! That penalty was a killer. The Jags then drive down and rating, making it 28-10.
With a bit of over 4-minutes remaining within the third quarter, the Steeler’s begin with the ball on their 31 yard-line. Massive Ben engineers a stable 10-play 69 yard drive that ends in a td move to Santonio Holmes. The rating is now 28-17 and I’m feeling higher. The Jags get the ball again however we maintain them they usually punt. Now had been taking part in stable soccer. The offense is scoring and the protection is shutting down the opponents offense.
Massive Ben engineers one other stable drive the place he throws a td to Heath Miller. The rating is now 28-23. Tomlin elects to go for a 2-point conversion which is transformed on a Hines Ward catch in the back of the top zone.
The two-point conversions is negated due to offensive holding. What a waste of a pleasant 2-point conversion move play due to a holding penalty. We attempt the 2-point conversion once more and we fail! I assumed we must always have kicked the sector objective after the holding penalty however I am not the coach.
The Jags get the ball again and on 2nd down Garrard is intercepted once more by Ike Taylor. I imagine Garrard solely threw 3 picks all 12 months and he had thrown 2 within the sport. Taylor confirmed some good strikes and pace as he returned the decide to the Jags 16 yard-line. Now we’re in business!
Massive Ben drives us all the way down to the 1 yard-line and Davenport come via with a td run. Holy Cow! Now we’re successful 29-28. All we’ve got to do is convert a 2-point conversion and we shall be up by 3. Ben throws incomplete to Washington and the rating stays 29-28. I felt actual good as a result of we had been up by 1 level and our protection was taking part in stable. This sport was our’s!
We kick the ball to the Jags with a bit of over 6-minutes left within the sport and our protection comes via by holding the Jags to 1 first down. The important thing play right here was on third and seven, Garrard is sacked by Woodley as he drops again to move. Good protection! The Jags are compelled to punt.
That is the place I’ve an issue with the play calling by the Steelers. We get the ball again with slightly below 4 minutes remaining within the sport and all we want is a pair 1st downs and we win. It is a playoff sport and if we lose our season is finished. We’re up by a meager 1 level! A area objective by the Jags wins the sport so we should be sure that they don’t get the ball again at any extra. Now we have been transferring the ball relatively nicely within the 2nd half so it needs to be no drawback to get a few first downs or drive down and rating once more slot.
On 1st down we run Davenport to the precise for five yards. On 2nd down we run Davenport to the left for -1 yards. I’m OK with working the ball on 1st and 2nd downs as a result of there may be much less of an opportunity for a turnover. It is third and 6 and I really feel our possibilities of changing are very good. Ben will get within the shotgun formation and when the ball snaps he runs to the left for 1 yard. Why on earth did we run Massive Ben from the shotgun in opposition to the Jags protection that stuffs the run? Hines Ward is sort of a assure to transform the ball for us on third and 6.
The Steelers punt the ball and it goes 40 yards the place it’s fielded and returned to midfield. Nice! 2 1/2 minutes left within the sport and the Jags have the ball at midfield. Our protection had been taking part in good so I assumed we had a superb probability of stopping the Jags. Garrard killed us on this drive when he ran for 32 yards on 4th and a pair of. A 32 yard quarterback scramble on 4th and a pair of is a punch within the face and I felt it sitting on my sofa.
A few Jones-Drew runs and it was time for a sport successful area objective with 40 seconds left in regulation. J.Scobee kicked a 25-yard area objective to make it 31-29. This sucks! We nonetheless have a slight probability as a result of we get the ball again with 29 seconds and something can occur. The Jags kick the ball to us and Navenport takes it to the 28 yard-line. A pair good passes and we’ve got an opportunity at our personal sport successful area objective.
Ben traces up within the shotgun and when he takes the snap he fumbles the ball when he’s sacked. The sport finish on a sack and fumble! Horrible! I had visions of two deep passes after which a Jeff Reed sport successful area objective try. I might have been OK if we had gotten Reed an try and kick the sport winner and he had missed.
