Did the Steelers Help the Ravens By Beating Them 23-20?

No one is talking about it, but what if the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Ravens by more than three points? In winning the game, the Steelers became tied with the Ravens and several other teams seeking a wild card spot at 8-6. Although they tied the Ravens, the Ravens had the tie-breaker over the Steelers.

Because the Ravens and Steelers split the two games they played against each by the same winning margin of three points, a tie-breaker would have to settle it. The only problem with that is the Steelers could have went for a score on their last drive instead of kneeling down three times and owned the tie-breaker.

They had almost two minutes left and were on their own 46 yard line. If they would have tried to get another 20 yards they could have tried a field goal and had a six point margin of victory. This would have given them the head to head tie-breaker, which is the first tie-breaker in the NFL, over the Ravens. But they were content to just win the game and helped the Ravens be in the driver's seat for the wild card. This was probably a coaching decision

I'm not sure what other tie-breakers some of the other teams involved in the wild card chase would have over the Steelers, but at least we would be ahead of Baltimore. Watch the Steelers vs Ravens video highlights and check it out for yourself.

Steelers Still Alive - Barely

By beating the Green Bay Packers 37-36 with a dramatic last second touchdown pass, the Pittsburgh Steelers are only a game behind in the hunt for a wild-card spot. The Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens lead the AFC wild-card race with 8-6 records. There are several other AFC teams with 7-7 records, including the Steelers with only two games remaining.

Pittsburgh's chances for making the playoffs will depend a lot on what the other teams do, even if the Steelers manage to win out. Their two remaining games are with Baltimore and Miami. Both teams are vying for a chance at post season play. The offense seems to be playing well, but defensively they haven't been the same since Troy Polamalu went down. If it looks like they could make the playoffs, he may be in the line-up.

Let's just hope they can win the last two before we get playoff fever. Ben Roethlisberger was unbelievable against the Packers, passing for a record 503 yards. Watch the Steelers vs. Packers video highlights.

Steelers Playoff Chances Slip Away.

The 6-5 Pittsburgh Steelers lose to the 3-8 Oakland Raiders 27-24 to slip farther out of contention for a wild card slot. With a porous defense and a determined Raiders team, the Steelers managed for the fourth week in a row to snatch defeat from victory. It's hard to guess where they will end up, but the Steelers in the playoffs is hard to imagine at this point. Check out the Pittsburgh Steelers vs Oakland Raiders video highlights.

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Can The Steelers Bounce Back?

Three straight losses and two in overtime and the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves fighting for a wild-card spot. Winning the division looks like a long-shot and making the playoffs as a wild card will take a lot more effort than they've shown lately. With Ben and Charlie hurt, the Steelers had to use Dennis Dixson at quarterback. He did well enough to keep the Steelers in the game, even with the interception in overtime in a 20-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The real disappointment was how the defense played. Without Troy Polamalu the Steelers defense looked tired and lackadaisical. The corners were playing so far off the receivers that Flacco had no problem getting them in field goal range for the final score. The tackling was awfull and they could have blitzed a lot more than they did. Every time they left Flacco have time, he burned them.

That's three games in a row that the Steelers should have won. Mike Tomlin says the Steelers are ready to surge after their recent slump. It looks like Ben will play against the Oakland Raiders. Let's hope that Dick LeBeau has the defense back to it's aggressive self with that killer instinct. Check out the Steelers vs Ravens video highlights.

It's Getting Ridiculous

The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting a little ridiculous when it come to special teams. For the eighth straight game the Steelers special teams have allowed a touchdown off of a kick return. This time it was on the opening kick off. Now that's a little ridiculous, especially since Mike Tomlin keeps saying they are working to correct the situation. Well, they managed to give the game away again in a 27-24 overtime loss to the lowly Kansas City Chiefs.

Turnovers played a big role too. Although Ben Roethlisberger threw for almost 400 yards, he allowed 2 interceptions before leaving in the 4th quarter with a head injury. Troy Polamalu also re-injured his knee and will probably be out for more than a month. The Steelers managed to snatch defeat from victory for the second week in a row.

The 6-4 Steelers are now 2 games behind Cincinnati 8-2 and 1 game ahead or the 5-5 Ravens who they play next. If they can't beat Baltimore, their chance for another Super Bowl could be gone. If you want to watch a ridiculous game watch the Steelers Chiefs video highlights.

Special Teams And Kicker Help Lose To Bengals

I know the "Team" wins and the "Team" loses, but a lot of the credit for the Steelers 18-12 loss to the Bengals could be attributed to bad special teams play and a cowardly kicker. Although both offenses were basically shut down, The Steelers really failed to take advantage of their "Red Zone" opportunities.

This game was so winnable for Pittsburgh and that's what made it such an agonizing game to watch. The Steelers first scoring drive ended in a Jeff Reed field goal after they had a first and ten inside the Bengals 15. If not scoring in the "Red Zone" was bad enough, what happened next was worse. When the Steelers kicked off, Bernard Scott took it from his own 4 yard line 96 yards for a touchdown.

What was so bad about the horrible kick coverage was that the kicker, Jeff Reed had the best shot to take him down before he reached the 50 yard line, but whiffed and became useless as a tackler. He made a feeble attempt in another game this year and allowed another touchdown. Luckily the Steelers defense was able to score to win that game. All he had to do was make contact or just get in his way to prevent him from scoring.

The Steelers and the Bengal had 4 field goals each. That's just 12 points for the offense for each team. The difference in the 18-12 score was the 6 points off the kick return. The Steelers really need to work on their kick coverage and maybe kick the kicker in the but and show him how to tackle. This is football not "hide-n-seek". Check out the Steelers vs Bengals video below and you'll see the kick return for yourself.

Steelers Offense Plays Half A Game And Wins

The 5-2 Pittsburgh Steelers went into Denver to face the 6-1 Broncos Monday needing a victory to stay tied for the AFC North with the 6-2 Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers offense played the first quarter more like the Cleveland Browns than the defending Super Bowl Champions. They will play the Bengals next and they have to beat them to nullify the tie breaker because of losing to them early this season.

The Broncos went on top first with a field goal on their opening possession. That would be their only offensive score of the game. The Steelers first score came in the second quarter when safety, Tyrone Carter took an interception in for a touchdown. He was starting because of health concerns for Ryan Clark. Carter had two interceptions on the night.

The Steelers defense gave up 221 yards passing, only allowed 27 yards rushing. They also intercepted Orton three times and sacked him twice. The Steelers looked pretty flat on offense the whole first half. With only 23 yards on the ground and 31 yards passing, the Steelers were lucky to be ahead 7-3 at half time. The Broncos had the ball for almost ten minutes more than they did.

It looked like they were going do much better when they came out for the second half. Ben lead them from their own 17 to the Broncos 33 on the opening drive. Then he was sacked and fumbled the ball and the Broncos ran it in for a touchdown. Now they were behind 10-3.

I guess that fumble and score made Roethlisberger mad. As soon as he got the ball back he began to dismantle the Broncos defense ending with a touchdown pass to Hines Ward. The Steelers went on top and never looked back. Ben threw three touch down passes in the second half and the Steelers won 28-10.

Rashard Mendenhall ran for 155 yards and Ben was 21 for 29 and 233 yards, but he was sacked thee times for 31 yards. Watch Steelers vs Broncos video.

Steelers Wait As Ravens Demolish Broncos

The Pittsburgh Steelers 5-2 who are tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for The AFC North lead have a week off before they meet the 6-1 Broncos in Denver on Monday night. The Broncos lost to the Baltmore Ravens 30-7 to spoil their undefeated record. Now only the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints remain undefeated.

The Ravens came alive on both sides of the ball after losing three in a row. Baltimore's defense was not going to let the highly touted Broncos "D" be better than them. They got back to the same intimidating style that can crush the opposition and create a short field for their offense. The Steelers will have to play with the same intensity if they expect to beat the Broncos. Check out the Ravens vs Broncos video.

Steelers Defense Scores More Than Offense To Defeat 6-0 Vikings 27-17

The Vikings came into Pittsburgh with a perfect 6-0 record. Their newly acquired quarterback, Brett Favre is having an MVP season. The Vikings all-pro running back, Adrian Peterson is leading the league in rushing yards. How can the Steelers possibly win? DEFENSE!

With Ben coming off a 400 yard passing game against the lowly Cleveland Browns, the Steelers looked to match the magic of Favre with their own air show. Ben is leading the league in passing which would seem to make the Steelers a different team than their history dictates. But, not so fast.

The Steelers have one of the top defenses in the NFL and so do the Minnesota Vikings. This game would have been a lot lower scoring if it weren't for the defenses and the Vikings special teams. No one could have predicted how these two teams offenses would let them down in the fourth quarter.

Each offense had only one touchdown and they both came in the second quarter. Adrian Peterson scored on a one yard TD plunge and Ben connected with Mike Wallace on a 40 yard touchdown strike. The only other offensive scoring would come from two field goals by the Steelers and one by the Vikings.

The Steelers offense scored 13 points and the defense would score 14 on a fourth quarter fumble recovery touchdown return by Woodley and a late game sealing interception by Fox that gave the Steelers a 27-17 victory over the previously unbeaten Vikings. Sandwiched in between those two defensive scores was an 88 yard kick return by Percy Harvin for the Vikings.

Although the Steelers defense allowed Brett Favre and the Vikings to gain 386 yards total offense, they shut down Peterson who only had 69 yards rushing. The Steelers have not allowed a 100 yard rusher this season. Brett Favre was 34-51 for 334 yards and no touchdowns for the first time this year. Ben Roethlisberger was 14-26 and 1 touchdown. See Steelers - Vikings week 7 Video Highlights.

Steelers Back On Top After 27-14 Win Over The Browns

Three games into the season the Steelers found themselves two games behind the Ravens with a 1-2 record. The Ravens were 3-0 and the Bengals were also eyeing the division lead. Now, three games later, things have changed and the Steelers have inserted themselves into the mix. A clear leader has yet to emerge.

After three straight wins over the Chargers, Lions and Browns, the Steelers are tied with the Bengals at the top of the AFC North. The Ravens who had sole possession of first place are now looking up at the Steelers and Bengals after losing three straight, including a loss to the Bengals.

The Steelers also lost a game to the Bengals which gives them the tie breaker, for now. The Steelers will play the Bengals again in November. They have two games remaining with the Ravens, so no one has a lock on the lead yet. As we've seen already, these three teams have either owned or shared the top spot in their division after six games.

The Steelers schedule just got harder than previously thought with the success of the Minnesota Vikings and the Denver Broncos. The Vikings are 6-0 and next on the schedule. After that they play the 6-0 Broncos in Denver followed by the Bengals. The Steelers will have to play like champions to get through those three games.

If they're still on top they must play the other team in their way twice. The Ravens were second to the Steelers in 2008 and have a better offense this year. Because the Steelers defeated them three times last year, they'll be looking for revenge when they meet in November and December. There's a lot of football to be played, but it's nice to finally be back in the driver's seat.

The Steelers air attack devastated the Browns defense in the 27-14 win. Ben threw for 417 yards which is only the second time a Steelers quarterback has thrown for over 400 yards in their history. Ward and Holmes both had over 100 yards receiving. Lawrence Timmons stepped up on defense , especially with the loss of Arron Smith for the season. He sacked Andersen twice forcing fumbles both times. Polamalu was back and seemed to have suffered an injury early in the game, but returned to help the defense. Three in a row, let's keep it going! View Steelers Browns week 6 Video Highlights.

Steelers 28 - Lions 20 - Lets' Look Inside The Numbers

They say "statistics don't lie" and if you only look at the 28-20 score in the Steelers victory over the Lions you wouldn't see how much they really do say. With the win the Steelers go to 3-2 and pull within one game of the division leading Bengals. The Lions, on the other hand , drop to 1-4 and trail the Vikings by four.

These teams seem to be on opposite tracks. One advancing in their division and the other going in the wrong direction. The Lions lost every game a year ago and only have one win this season. But, if we look inside the stats for this game, were they really that far apart?

Let's take a look at the statistics for the offenses and see what they tell us. Total net yards goes to Pittsburgh with 344 to the Lions 335. With only nine yards difference, the final score was bound to be close. The rushing yardage for both teams wasn't very impressive. The Lions out gained the Steelers 110 to 82. But, the Steelers scored a rushing touchdown and the Lions didn't.

If you just looked at the gross passing yards, you would have to give a slight edge to the Lions because they had 282 to the Pittsburgh Steelers 277. The fact is that after subtracting lost yards for sacks, the Steelers came out ahead 262 - 225. The real difference in the passing game was that Roethlisberger passed for 3 touchdowns and Culpepper had only 1.

The Detroit Lions led in time of possession 32:35 to 27:25, first downs 21 to 18 and third down efficiency 61% to 38%. But, The Steelers led where it counted. In the "Red Zone". Where they were 3 for 3 with 21 points and the Lions came away empty the only time they were in the "Red Zone".

Defensively, the Steelers had not allowed any team to gain 3oo yards this season until Detroit posted 335. There were two defensive categories that made a difference in the outcome of this game. First, the Steelers sacked Culpepper seven times resulting in 57 yards lost as opposed to the Lions sacking Ben 3 times for -15 yards. Second, both quarterbacks threw an interception, but Roethlisberger's resulted in a touchdown for Detroit.

As we examine this game farther, the inability of the Lions to penetrate the "Red Zone" ultimately caused them to lose the game. They had to settle for field goals three times, only had one offensive touchdown and their other touchdown came from a fumble return by the special teams.

In conclusion, the Steelers played good for three quarters, but this is a team they should have put away early. They have not played well in the fourth quarter and a late drive by Detroit made the game closer than it should have been. They have been outscored in the last quarter in every game this year. With Cleveland up next, let's hope this trend doesn't continue. View Steelers Lions week 5 Video Highlights.

The Steelers Can Run And Win!

The running game came alive in the Steelers 38-28 victory over the Chargers. Steelers running back, Rashard Mendenhall had been benched a week ago for not having his head in the playbook. Apparently, this week he must have put his whole body into it because his performance was key to the Steelers second win of the season.

When the Steelers lost to the Bengals last week, Willie Parker approached 100 yards rushing with a 93 yard effort. He also suffered an injury to his toe that sidelined him for the Chargers game. So, Mendenhall was given a chance to redeem himself and stay out of coach Tomlin's doghouse if he could show some improvement when San Diego came to town.

Well, he not only got the message, he sent one to the coaches, the Steelers fans and the league when he ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers. He was like a man on a mission. He showed moves that we hadn't seen since he was in college. He ran with power and confidence, slashing his way through the Chargers defense. Let's hope his performance was not a flash in the pan.

A lot of the credit for his success should go to the Steelers offensive line. They created holes with the kind of blocking Steelers fans had been used to seeing in the past. Along with Mendenhall's determination, they were almost unstoppable. With the help of the offensive line, Rashard was able to get 5.7 yards a carry.

Besides the offense supplied by Mendenhall, Roethlisberger passed for 333 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Running back, Mewelde Moore added to the total with a 6 yard TD pass to Heath Miller. The Steelers racked up 497 yards of offense to the Chargers 251.
For the first time this year they were able to score in the fourth quarter with 10 points.

The score was closer than it should've been because of poor special teams play by the Steelers and two late drives by Phillip Rivers and the Chargers offense. Aided by a stolen ball from Steelers punt returner, Stephan Logan that resulted in a touchdown and a muffed on-side kick, the Chargers scored 21 points in the fourth quarter.

Despite the absence of Troy Polamalu, the Steelers defense was able to limit the Chargers to just 251 yards total offense and recorded 3 sacks. They still missed him on blitzes and pass coverage, but managed to shut out the Chargers in the first half. The Steelers play Detroit and Cleveland before they play the red-hot Vikings and Broncos. We can only hope Polamalu returns before then.

What's Going On? The Steelers Lose To The Bengals And Go To 1-2

Does anyone have a clue why the Steelers can't hold a lead and beat teams they should beat? The Steelers were leading when they went into the fourth quarter by a score of 20-9, but Cincinnati scored 14 unanswered points and won the game. That loss, ended a 9 game winning streak the Steelers had against the Bengals when they played them on Cincinnati's home field. The Steelers dropped to a 1-2 record on the year while Cincinnati improved to 2-1, second in the division behind the Ravens who are 3-0.

The Steelers started out looking like the Steelers of old. The defense made the Bengals punt after three and out and only 1:23 into the game. Then Ben led the Steelers offense on a 79 yard, 11 play drive to the 1 that ate up 8:05. Of that 79 yards, Parker gained 26 on the ground. Ben threw for another 53 yards in the air. Great drive! The only thing was, we couldn't punch it in for a touchdown and had to settle for 3.

On Cincinnati's next possession, the Steelers "D" stepped up again and made them punt after another three and out and only holding onto the ball a little over a minute. Now, here's where they really got my hopes up as I thought the Steelers offense was finally coming together. Roethlisberger started mixing up the plays and the offensive line blocked like they knew what they were doing. They went down the field on 8 plays as Parker ran for 25 yards and caught a 27 yard touchdown pass from Ben to give the Steelers a ten point lead. "Here we go Steelers"!

On the next series of downs the Bengals got nowhere. The Steelers defense came out smokin' and punched the the Bengals in the mouth with a ten yard sack of Palmer. The result was another three and out and a punt. This is terrific! This is football! How could you ask for anything more? The offense is clicking and scoring points and the defense, well it's the Steelers!

Early in the second quarter, Ben didn't waste any time getting the Steelers back down the field with a chance to score. He hit Wallace for a 51-yard pass at the 10-yard line and it looked like we might get another touchdown. Somehow Cincinnati kept them out of the end zone and they had to settle foe a 24-yard Reed field goal. Now the Steelers were ahead 13-0. Not bad!

The Bengals tried to mount a drive and mixed in the running of Benson and the receiving of Ochocinco to gain 47 yards before being forced to punt. The Steelers got a break because the punt went only 29 yards. It looked like they had another nice drive going as Hines caught a pass that put him over 10,000 yards for his career. They managed to get into Bengals' territory and tried to convert on fourth down, but Holmes couldn't hold onto a Roethlisberger pass and Cincinnati took over on downs.

There was only 1:06 left in the half when the Bengals' quarterback went to work. He made three completions for 38 yards and then missed two in a row, one of them was tipped at the scrimmage line by the Steelers defense. With the clock down to :03, Graham kicked a 34 yarder to make it 13-3 and time ran out. Not a bad first half. It could've been better, but we were up by two scores and the defense looked great.

It was a rough start for the Steelers in the second half . With a 2nd and 15 Ben tried to pass to Santonio and was intercepted by Johnathan Joseph. He took it 30 yards for a TD. Now the Steelers lead was 13-9. It should have been 13-10, but because of a bad snap the extra point was no good. It was a small break for the Steelers, but the momentum was already shifting.

The Steelers missed a good opportunity to extend their lead after a 56 yard kick return by Logan to the Bengals' 40. Roethlisberger had a 3rd and 4 on the 34 yard line when he threw a perfect pass to Sweed in the end zone. Limas just dropped the ball. It should have been a touchdown. Reed tried another field goal, but this time the 52-yard attempt was no good. The Steelers defense shut down the Bengals again and Pittsburgh had the ball right back.

When they got the ball, Ben completed five passes, a 6 yarder to Moore, a 16 yarder to Wallace, a 21 yarder to Ward, an 18 yarder to Holmes and a pass to Parker who then ran 10 yards to the four. Parker got it down to the one and Roethlisberger took it in for the touchdown. Now they had a 20-9 lead. I'm starting to feel a little better about this game.

The Bengals missed a chance for three, when Graham couldn't make 52-yard field goal try. But, soon the Steelers gave the ball back to Palmer and he started to moved the team pretty good. Using his receivers and a 23 yard touchdown run by Benson, they were able to get closer to the Steelers lead. After missing a 2 point conversion, it was 20-15 and a 5 point lead. The momentum was shifting.

It wasn't long until the Bengals got their first sack on Roethlisberger and forced the Steelers to punt again. Cincinnati started on their own 29 with 5:14 left in the 4th quarter. They quickly passed and ran to the Pittsburgh 29. With 2 minutes remaining and the Bengals needing a touchdown, all the Steelers had to do was keep them out of the end zone. That was easier said than done. Overcoming 2 fourth down situations, Palmer hit Caldwell for a 4 yard touchdown with only 14 seconds left on the clock. They made the 2 point conversion and defeated the Steelers 23-20.

Steelers Lose To Bears. What Happened?

If you watched the pre-game shows, the Steelers were a unanimous pick to beat the Bears and start the season 2-0. So, what happened? Could it be the defense or the offense, the running game, the kicking game? Well, let's see where do we start?

The Steelers offense has struggled off and on in the "red zone" many times in the past. Usually they can't score touch downs when they're inside the opposing teams 20 yard line, but now they can't even score a field goal. Jeff Reed had two chances in the final 11:37 to seal a Steelers victory and missed both times. Chicago's Robbie Gould did what Reed couldn't do, he kicked the ball through the uprights for a 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining to give the Bears a 17-14 win over the defending Super Bowl champions.

Getting back to the offense; wide receiver, Santonio Holmes dropped two big catches on the sideline. He also drop a perfectly thrown pass by Roethlisberger in the end zone on a third down play. "You had to fight the elements. The rain did play a big part. You have to be professional about it." Holmes said. Both teams had to fight the rain which left the field soggy and the ball wet. There were many drops on both sides. Despite the rain, the Steelers ran for 105 yards on the ground against the Bears compared to only 36 against the Titans.

Roethlisberger really didn't do too bad though. He through for one TD and ran for another. If some of his passes hadn't been dropped, he would have had a great day and the Steelers probably would have won the game. But the Bear's Jay Cutler who threw four inteceptions a week ago, was not picked off once by the Steelers defense. He was able to stand in the face of the Steelers rush and keep the Bears in the game. Ben was 23 of 35 for 221 yards and one illadvised interception and Cutler was 27 of 38 for 236 yards. Very similar performances, but different outcomes.

Both teams were missing their best defensive players do to injury and it was apparent which one was missed the most. The Steelers Troy Polamalu is out for three to six weeks with a sprained knee and the Bears Brian Urlacher has a dislocated wrist. Although the Steelers defense kept the Bears under 300 yards of offense, there was a certain excitement gone from their midst. They pressured Cutler, but didn't wreak havoc like when Polamalu is flying around and making plays. I'm not sure he could have made a difference in this game, but there was different without him.

I had this game in the win column for the Steelers before the season started. Now as we look at their schedule and other NFC north opponents there's cause for concern. Because of mistakes made and the negative outcome of the game, the Steelers will have a lot to work on to get back to championship form. Hopefully they will bounce back against Cincinnati next week. And Let's hope Jeff Reed puts his best foot forward from here on out.

Steelers Almost Give Fans A Heart Attack!

You can throw out all the pre-season speculations and predictions, when the games mean something. The Steelers and the Titans opened the 2009 NFL season at Heinz Field with fire works and two tough teams. The Titans were 13-3 last year and the Steelers were 12-4. Steelers head coach , Mike Tomlin said before the game "The most violent team will win the game".

These teams had the number 1 and number 2 defenses in the league a year ago. The Steelers defense asserted itself early in the game keeping the Titans off the scoreboard until under a minute left in the first half. Steelers defensive end, Aaron Smith blocked a 31 yard Bironas field goal and he missed another 27 yard try. It was on this blocked kick that Steelers fans had to catch their collective breath first.

After Smith blocked the kick, Steelers strong safety, Troy Polamolu tried to pick the ball up and was injured in the pile-up. He injured his left knee in the second quarter and didn't return. There is speculation he may be out 3 to 6 weeks or more. Linebacker Lamarr Woodley was also sidelined with leg cramps in the game.

The Titans defense only allowed the Steelers offense only 1 yard of offense in the first quarter. They managed to sack Ben Roethlisberger 4 times on the night, mostly in the first half. The Titans stuffed the Steelers running game, marginalizing both Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall and forcing Ben to pass.

The Steelers offense didn't get going until Roethlisberger began repeatedly find Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward open. With about two minutes to go in the half, Roethlisberger mounted a 5 play, 79 yard drive that culminated with a 34 yard touchdown pass to Super Bowl XLIII MVP, Santonio Holmes. That gave the Steelers a 7-0 lead with 1:22 to go.

But not so fast! With the Steelers defense missing two key players, Titans quarterback, Kerry Collins needed only 3 plays to tie it up. After finding Kenny Britt alone for a 57 yard pass to the Steelers 14, Collins threw to an equally wide open Justin Gage in the end zone, leaving only 48 seconds on the clock. Once again the Steelers fans held their breath when Ben threw an 80 yard Hail Mary pass that was and returned 80 yards to end the half.

Tied at 7-7 , the game got sloppy as both offenses bogged down in the second half. The Titans didn't lead until Rob Bironas kicked a 45 yard field goal with 11:03 left in the game. With the score 10-7 , Big Ben would have to take the game on his shoulders. Roethlisberger was able to put together a late drive. He went 7 for 7 and 57 yards as Jeff Reed tied the game on a 37 yard field goal with 2.57 left in regulation.

When the Steelers got the ball back, Ben was able to hit rookie receiver Mike Wallace in the middle of the field to keep the drive going. Once more Steelers fans held their breath as Roethlisberger completed a 30 yard pass to Hines Ward at the 4 yard line which would have allowed them to kick the winning field goal. But Hines tried to get to the goal line and lost the ball and the game went into overtime.

The Steelers won the toss to start the overtime period. Roethlisberger was able to hit Ward for 11 yards, then Santonio for 11 and rookie Wallace for 22 yards. Being in field goal range and unwilling to risk a turnover, the Steelers kicked a field goal on first down to win it. Reed's 33-yard field goal with 4:32 gone in overtime gave the Super Bowl champion Steelers a 13-10 win over the Titans in the NFL season opener. Check out the Steelers schedule and get discount Steelers merchandise at www.steelers-fan.com

Reasons Why The Steelers Can Be Super Again

To repeat a Super Bowl championship is a tough assignment. Not many teams have been able to repeat as Super Bowl champs in back to back years. We acknowledge there are heaps of explanations why a team is not able to achieve it, but let me bring to mind specifically a few that relate to the Pittsburgh Steelers likelihood of accomplishing it. They are presented in reverse order of worth.

10. The Pittsburgh possess a winning tradition. Out of the 43 Super Bowls played, the Pittsburgh Steelers have won the most Super Bowls with six. That's one more than the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers who both have 5 Super Bowl championships a piece. Out of the 7 National Football League franchises that have won Super Bowls consecutively, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the sole team to accomplish it two times with victories in Super Bowls nine and ten and then after that in Super Bowls thirteen and fourteen. The other NFL teams to win back to back only on one occasion were the Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots. The Pittsburgh Steelers have also won two Super Bowls in the prior four seasons, Super Bowl XL and XLIII. The Pittsburgh Steelers only lost one Super Bowl out of the seven they participated in. Don't that sound like an team that understands how to win?

9. The Pittsburgh Steelers should possess just about the same team they had in 2008. The same team that won Super Bowl XLIII. They retain 20 of the 22 initial team coming back from the previous season. Bryant McFadden and Larry Foote are departed from the defense and the deprature of 3rd receiver Nate Washington gives the Steelers a loss of depth on the offense, but these losses won't have any bearing on the Steelers performance.

8. The return game may perhaps leap into gear this season. It was just about finished once Randel El left. Even though the Steelers won the Super Bowl, the Steelers were next to the bottom in the NFL in punt returns with 6 yards per return. This was far below the Buffalo Bill's league-leading 15.5 yard average and they were 4th from the bottom in kickoff returns with a 20.3 yard average. This season Mike Tomlin knows that the Steelers may well at long last have come upon a couple of kick returners that possess the ability to bust out for long yardage. One of the fleetest runners on the Steelers, wide receiver, Mike Wallace has been receiving a good number of the kickoff returns in the pre-season, but Stefan Logan can also return kickoffs. Logan, in migrating from the Canadian Football League to the National Football League, seems to have improved the team in one of their weakest areas (returning punts). It seems like Logan will begin the year as the Pittsburgh Steelers' kick returner.

7. The ground game of the Pittsburgh Steelers may well be gearing up for a revival this season. Rashard Mendenhall's banged up shoulder and Willie Parker's injured leg has derailed the team's running game lately. The two backs appear to be comparatively in good shape this season. Mewelde Moore has filled in nicely as a third down back, but the future may well rest in the hands of the rookie from UNLV, Frank "The Tank" Summers. A good many of the Steeler faithful are hoping Summers will be another Jerome "The Bus" Bettis. He's bulky and has nimble feet like " The Bus", but only time can tell if "The Tank" is able to run like "The Bus".

6. The Steelers offensive line has gotten a complete season of experience. Even though they allowed 46 quarterback sacks a year ago which was the 2nd most in the National Football League. At any rate, the Pittsburgh Steelers notwithstandiing won the Super Bowl. Since they have a complete season of playing collectively and are working to make progress at protecting the quarterback and opening up the running game that was ranked 23rd in the National Football League last season, we ought to witness decent results. "Were one of the youngest position groups on the team, but having that year under our belts speaks volumes," offensive lineman Max Starks told The Tribune Democrat. "The offensive line is a unique position. You need chemistry. You need experience. This offensive line is a very close-knit unit. We have set a lot of goals for ourselves. There are some things we have to clean up from last year, so we're just taking it one day at a time and hoping to get better and better."

5. The Steelers possess a cagey quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger who understands what it takes to win. Ben has won 2 Super Bowls since he's been a part of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the last 4 seasons. Ben Roethlisberger has proven to be a high achiever. Big Ben piloted his college team, Miami of Ohio to an unbeaten season, a #10 national ranking and a win against the University of Louisville in the 2003 GMAC Bowl prior to getting to the National Football League. Ben Roethlisberger carries his victorious prospective into the 2009 season raring to go to duplicate last season's exploits. Ben is a real competitor and he will compete for an additional championship this season.

4. The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach has acquired good amount of worthwhile experience in his 1st 2 complete seasons. Mike Tomlin is in his 3rd year and already has 2 Division titles, 1 Conference Championship and a Super Bowl Championship under his belt. Mike Tomlin's confidence level has got to be through the roof. Following two years and a 22-10 record, Mike Tomlin is the winningest coach when it comes to percentages (68.8%) in the team's history. Mike Tomlin ought to be able to channel that experience and self-assurance into an additional Super Bowl ring.

3. The Pittsburgh Steelers schedule might be a lot better this season than last. Most everyone acknowledged that the Pittsburgh Steelers played the most challenging schedule in the National Football League in 2008. With that tough schedule all they did was go 12-4 and win the Super Bowl. This season's Pittsburgh Steelers schedule appears to be a whole lot more controllable. See who is missing from the 2009 schedule, the New England Patriots, New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas cowboys. Those teams will be replaced by the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins. Who would you choose to play?

2. The Pittsburgh Steelers 12th man, the Pittsburgh Steeler fans. The Pittsburgh Steelers possess a fan base that is remarkable. They offer support to their team like no other group of fans. The Pittsburgh Steelers fans were ranked the best fans in the National Football League by ESPN in 2008. The Pittsburgh Steelers have sold out 299 home games in a row. That is all the home games since 1972, 37 years so far! They are exited, active and load fans who display Pittsburgh Steelers stuff and waving their "Terrible Towels". These Steelers fans travel with their team better than any other fans in the National Football League. These Steelers fans are used to winning and witnessing first-rate smash-mouth football. These are the sort of fans that have the ability to just about will the Pittsburgh Steelers to a championship!

And my #1 reason behind the rationale that the Pittsburgh Steelers may well repeat as Super Bowl champions is the Steelers defense. Last season the Pittsburgh Steelers had the number one defense in the National Football League and under the leadership of Dick Le Beau. I am optimistic the team will be absolutely as good if not better this season. Even though the Steelers lost two men on defense, the Steelers have not missed a beat specifically at the linebacker position where they plugged in Lawrence Timmon's. Many Pittsburgh Steelers fans might argue it is the defense which kept them in the largest part of the games the Steelers were able to win last season. I really don't anticipate that to be any different this year. This defense prides itself on being able to lock down the competition. This defense will do anything to achieve it. These defensive players absolutely put it on the line and as we all know "Defense wins championships".

I am sure are likely some more reasons that the Pittsburgh Steelers should have the best likelihood to go back to the Super Bowl and win it, but I believe we gave enough to begin with. You can bet contrary to the Pittsburgh Steelers repeating in 2009 if you want to, but my money is on " The Black and Gold"! Obtain quality Pittsburgh Steelers apparel at Steelers-Fan.Com

Top 10 Reasons To Buy Pittsburgh Steelers Merchandise Online

1. The choice of quality fan gear is much larger because of the amount of websites with Steelers merchandise for sale. The range of potential gifts is almost limitless. Most teams have their own merchandise stores.
2. Shopping online has become more secure. It safer and easier to purchase Pittsburgh Steelers items without fear of fraud or loss of funds.
3. Many Pittsburgh Steelers merchandise vendors offer low shipping rates and even free shipping on qualified orders.
4. Most online stores and merchandisers will not charge sales tax on merchandise bought outside the state where the items are shipped.
5. By buying Steelers gear online you don't have to put up with pushy sales clerks looking over your shoulder. Browes all the departments you want and compare the merchandise before you buy without being hurried.
6. You don't have to stand in and waste time checking out. That's the convenience of the internet.
7. Searching for a parking space in a crowded mall or store paking lot is a thing of the past.
8. When buying Pittsburgh Steelers merchandise online, you don't have to fight traffic and risk you or your family's safety.
9. With gasoline prices fluxuating lately, you can save the money you would have spent traveling from store to store to find that perfect Steelers gift and put it into your pocket instead of your gas tank.
10. And last but not least, you will have more time for other things. Like spending time with your family or watching the Pittsburgh Steelers as they make another run for the Super Bowl.

Pittsburgh Steelers 2009 Schedule?

On paper the Pittsburgh Steelers had the toughest schedule in the NFL in 2008. They went 12-4 and beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII. From what I can see, the 2009 Steelers schedule looks a whole lot easier. I think their strongest competition will come in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans. The Titans have a quarterback controversy to overcome, but they are probably the best team the Steelers will face. At least according to their 2008 record. The Chicago Bears have been improving and may be trouble for the Steelers if they overlook them. On week 7 we play the Minnesota Vikings who could be dangerous. They won their divsion in 2008 and beat the Arizona Cardinals 35-14. Brett Favre could be their quarterback if his surgery went well.

The Pittsbugh Steelers play 7 more non-divisional games against the San Diego Chargers, the Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oakland Raiders, the Green Bay Packers and the Miami Dolphins. Out of these teams their may be 1 loss, but I doubt it. The only competition from our own division will be with the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens were 11-5 and 2nd to the Steelers in the AFC North. We could end up splitting the 2 games we play with them, but we swept them last year. The other 2 teams in our division, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns have not improved enough to stop us from winning another AFC North division title. The Pittsburgh Steelers should go at least 13-3 in 2009. Look here for Pittsburgh Steelers merchandise.