Say What You Will- Steelers Better Team in Victory Over Indy

If you had asked me Sunday morning who we would be seeing in the AFC Championship Game, I would have told you that it would be the Denver Broncos at the Indianapolis Colts.

To back myself up, I would have pointed out the dominating performance the Colts put forth against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12, a 26-7 victory at home.  It was a game in which Peyton Manning threw for 245 yards and Edgerrin James ran for 124.  The Colts scored on their first offensive play of the game, giving them the momentum they would have for the entire game.  The Steelers were shut down in that game.  Period.  So, the Colts would logically run away with the game in Indianapolis on Sunday.  Right?  Oh, how wrong I was.The Pittsburgh Steelers took a page out of the San Diego Chargers defensive playbook in this one.  How do you stop Peyton Manning and the high octane offense?  You pressure him.  You pressure him on every play.  That was something the Steelers did on Sunday.

Manning had hands in his face on more than half of his passes.  He was sacked 5 times, and when he was under pressure, his passes were grossly off target.  This is exactly what the Chargers did to Manning in Week 14, a game which they won, thus ending the Colts undefeated run.  The Chargers were on Manning all day, and the result was a flustered Manning and a Colts loss.  That is what the Steelers did to Manning on Sunday.

Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was on fire in the first quarter of this game, exposing every possible hole in the Colts secondary.  The result was 2 Big Ben touchdown passes: one to Antwaan Randel-El and one to tight end Heath Miller.  It was 14-0 Steelers at the end of the first quarter, which clearly reflected the way that both the Steelers and the Colts played.

The Steelers also had a great plan on offense: give the ball to the Bus, Jerome Bettis.  When Pittsburgh had the lead in the second half, they (for the most part) sat on it, running the ball 20 times in 25 plays at one point.  The Steelers were indeed in the driver’s seat, for they couldn’t stop Bettis when they knew the run was coming.  Bettis did what he did best – he plowed through the Colts defensive line and he was able to not only move the Steelers down the field, but help make the clock wind down.

The Steelers had a good defensive plan.  They had a good offensive plan.  However, it was their ability to OVERCOME ADVERSITY that proved that this was their game to win.  Fast forward to the fourth quarter when Troy Polamalu’s “interception” gave the Steelers the ball in Indianapolis territory.  Well, not exactly.  Despite numerous TV replays showing that Polamalu intercepted Manning’s pass and THEN fumbled, head referee Pete Morelli ruled that Polamalu did not have possession.  The end result would be a touchdown run by Edgerrin James and a two point conversion pass to Reggie Wayne.  21-18 Steelers.

The Steelers would flex their defensive muscles again after the Colts got the ball back following a punt.  Peyton Manning would be sacked on two consecutive plays, the second play being on fourth down.  The Steelers would have the ball at the 2 yard line.

On the ensuing play, Bettis would fumble when Gary Brackett’s helmet would strike the ball in Bettis’s hands.  Nick Harper would recover only to be tackled down at the 40 yard line by, get this, Ben Roethlisberger.  That’s right…the quarterback saved the day.

The Steelers defense would be able to hold back the potent Colts offense, forcing a long field goal attempt.  Yes, they allowed the Colts to get into range, but give the Steelers defense credit for not allowing Peyton Manning to throw complete pass after complete pass.

Mike Vanderjagt would be VERY wide right on his field goal attempt, giving the Steelers a well-earned victory.  Steelers 21, Colts 18.

Now, say what you will, but the Steelers deserved to win this game hands down.  Their defensive plan to rush Peyton Manning worked.  Their offensive plan of giving Bettis the ball when they had the lead was flawless (less one fumble) – the Colts couldn’t stop him.  The ability to overcome all of the adversities in the second half showed me that it is indeed the Pittsburgh Steelers who deserve to meet the Denver Broncos next week in Denver.

As for Peyton Manning, he got outplayed by a defense who stuck to its gameplan.  The Steelers executed perfectly, and they left no doubt in my mind that they are a very fierce #6 seed.  Indeed, they are a force to be reckoned with next week in Denver.