Every NFL season is a journey. Not sure if that’s a famous quote, but it should be.
Back in July when we started this blog, the Super Bowl wasn’t even a thought. The Steelers had the hardest schedule in NFL history. The offensive line was porous. The defense was aging.
Fast forward seven months and look at where we are.
What an effort by every man on the roster. What an effort from the coaching staff.
After the jump, we get into the details of the Baltimore win, job a few Ravens forums, and celebrate one of the best Steeler wins in a few decades.
FIRST QUARTER
Ravens kick off. At the time, them defering to the second half looked like a big deal.
Before you get settled in, Ben hits Hines on an early 3rd and long, and he’s off to the races. That 45 yard catch and run was as big as any. It showed the Ravens who was boss right away.
What a t-shirt. What a foot.
Steelers 3-0
The rest of the quarter was all about Joe Flacco, who will now be only known as Joke Flucco on this blog.
Ravens fans loved saying how his QB rating is better than Ben’s and that they finally got a great QB.
Their franchise QB goes three and out and then hits a wide open Deshea Townsend for a Steeler interception the next drive.
Two of the biggest interceptions of the season
Steelers 6-0
Steelers have a chance a few drives later to really put the Ravens in a hole, but Ray Lewis knifes the ball out of Parker’s hands. Great play by a great player.
SECOND QUARTER
On a seemingly routine 3rd and 9, Ben holds on to the ball to long and throws it up towards Santonio. Holmes goes nuts and cuts back and forth for 65 yards, leaping past Ed Reed for a TD. Unbelievable run after the catch…there hasn’t been a playmaker like Holmes wearing Steeler colors in years. He’s had some kind of playoff run.
“Refs wanna cheat? Cheat that! Cheat that!”
Steelers 13-0
It was blowout city at this point. Everybody was kicking back and making travel arrangements to Tampa and analyzing matchups agains the Cardinals.
But hold the phone…some white defensive back returns the punt a million yards and the Ravens are in business.
Harbaugh sticks to his offensive game plan of “Throw The Ball Up For Grabs and Hope For A Penalty” and strikes gold with some stooge call in the endzone.
This was the Ravens best offensive play.
Steelers 13-7
At this point, you start hyperventilating. The Steelers were handing it to Baltimore, but now only a possession away from being behind.
For some unknown reason, Harbaugh decides Flacco can drive 50 yards down the field with under two minutes to go, and the Steelers get a chance for a field goal or a shot at the endzone.
Limas Sweed breaks open on the sideline and catches the touchdown that would stab the Ravens in the hearts.
But he drops it.
Rough times…Stone Hands Sweed strikes again.
We still say to lay off the guy a bit….it was a TERRIBLE play, but he’s the team’s number 3 reciever with Ward out and booing him isn’t going to help his shaky confidence.
No timeouts left = no time to set up for a field goal.
HALFTIME
Nervous. Katie Couric. 2004. Tom Brady. Super Bowl.Vomit. Curse. Limas. Bridge jump.
Longest 15 minutes ever.
THIRD QUARTER
The Stees have owned the 3rd quarter all year.
Things got real right off the start…the opening drive was huge for both teams.
Flacco completes a pass for a first down and triples his passing yardage.
But just as they started getting rolling, the defense stands strong and forces a punt.
Nothing doing for either team until the Steelers get the ball back a few drives later. Terrell Suggs is wreaking havoc, but Ben hits Carey Davis and Heath Miller on long pass plays and Skippy kicks a huge field goal.
Steelers 16-7
Travel agents were on speed dial at this point. A two possession lead against Joke Flucco. What could go wrong?
Sadly, this was pretty much the last time we heard from the Steelers offense the rest of the contest.
FOURTH QUARTER
Things were still looking good until Mitch Berger shanks a punt with 12:38 to go. If the bounces were going Pittsburgh’s way, that hits somebody from Baltimore. But instead it rolls to a stop 25 yards later.
The Ravens use their best play and throw it up in the endzone and Ike Taylor never sees it. Flag city.
If the NFL was a contest to see who could draw the most flags in the endzone, the Ravens would go undefeated every year.
Steelers 16-14
After another three and out, it was obvious that the offense had packed it in. Baltimore’s defense was playing at another level. The Steelers kept snapping the ball with 1 second on the play clock and everybody knew it. Suggs was over the line of scrimmage before Max Starks even moved.
Frank Walker takes one of the worst penalties you will ever see on the ensuing punt and pins Baltimore back at the 15.
All year long, the defense had made the plays and became the heart and soul of the 2008 Steelers. It’s all right if you were nervous at this point, but a lot of people had a feeling that somebody would make a play. This is the position that Pittsburgh’s defense wanted to be in. They want the weight of the season squarely on their shoulders.
Flacco hits Todd Heap on a big reception and suddenly it’s 2004 and Brady is throwing to Troy Brown.
But then Woodley gets a big time sack on 2nd down, setting up a 3rd and 13.
Flacco stares down a WR and heaves it down field….all of a sudden a flash of black jumps in front of the ball. You don’t even have to see the number to know who it is.
Bob Sanders tweaked a hammy just watching that play.
Steelers 23-14
What can you say about a play like that? It’ll go down as one of the greatest in Steeler history. Troy was on another level tonight, even by his standards.
If you watch the replays of that play, everybody on the defense knew where that ball was going. Even if Troy doesn’t get there, Willie Gay had jumped the route and would have at least knocked it down.
We said all week long that Flacco would come back to bite the Ravens.
The game was basically all but over at that point, but the Ravens still had to come back out and play.
McGahee catches a dump off that Flacco had been throwing all night and Ryan Clark absolutely murders him. Before you even see a replay, you get 3 text messages from Ravens fans saying it was a dirty hit. Jagoffs.
Seriously, thoughts and prayers to Willis. The guy has been on the wrong end of some gruesome injuries and as much as we detest Baltimore, nobody should have to go through stuff like that. Glad to see the fans at Heinz felt the same way.
The rest of the game was a somber party and Tyrone Carter bringing some pain. Fun to watch.
FINAL: Steelers 23-14
Notes:
+ Wow.
+ Long year, but worth the ride.
+ Big Ben = clutch. This postseason proves he’s up there with Manning & Brady right now.
+ Willie had no room to run, but the Ravens will do that to you.
+ Get well Hines.
+ The Steelers played a B- game by most accounts…should have easily won by 14.
+ Go easy on Limas. Please. We need him to play a role.
+ Holmes has been nuts.
+ Woodley = clutch. He’s got at least two sacks in every playoff game he’s ever played in.
+ Did Ed Reed even play? No, seriously. We’re not even sure.
+ To get back to the Super Bowl just three years after losing guys like Cowher, Bettis, Porter, and Faneca shows how great of an organization this football team is.
+ Mike Tomlin. Can’t say enough good things about the guy…there were haters when he was hired, but none now.
+ Arians has done a decent job. He stuck with the run and helped set up the pass.
+ Let’s finish this thing.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
