Steelers staged pulse-pounding comebacks all season
Those among the record 151.6 million who watched the Super Bowl received a CliffsNotes version of the entire Steelers season near the end of the game.
One final drive, 2:30 left, Steelers trailing, Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback.
It was their theme throughout 2008, and they wrapped the whole thing up in like manner when Roethlisberger led them 88 yards to their sixth Super Bowl victory.
"I wasn't surprised in the least bit about that," Mike Tomlin said in the moments after he became the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl. "If you look at our story this football season, that has been our story. We had to win the division in Baltimore under similar circumstances. Our guys don't blink."
The scramble to put a name on that drive and Santonio Holmes' 6-yard, toe-tapping touchdown reception has produced some decent suggestions, such as A Perfect 10 and Big Ben Strikes 10. No matter what they call it, they've done it many times.
It was the fifth winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime for Roethlisberger and his offense this past season, not counting a sixth that tied Dallas in a game the Steelers won. That offense may have ranked 22nd overall in the NFL in yards produced in 2008, but with the game on the line in the final quarter, no one could top it.
Roethlisberger and Holmes hooked up Dec. 14 in Baltimore with 43 seconds left under similar circumstances, the AFC North title and the No. 2 playoff seed on the line. That drive covered 92 yards.
It began with Baltimore Sept. 29 in Heinz Field, although in less dramatic fashion, a Jeff Reed field goal in overtime. It continued the following week in Jacksonville when the Steelers, trailing by one and losers twice to the Jaguars the previous season, drove 80 yards, and Roethlisberger hit Hines Ward with an 8-yard touchdown with 1:53 left. That drive produced one of Roethlisberger's most spectacular plays of the year when, with two Jaguars clinging to him, he completed an 18-yard pass to Ward on third down.
A fourth winning drive occurred Nov. 16 against San Diego, this one carrying 73 yards that ended with Reed's 32-yard field goal with 11 seconds left and an 11-10 victory in Heinz Field.
Another came when Roethlisberger drove them 67 yards and pitched a 6-yard scoring pass to Heath Miller with 2:04 to tie Dallas. The Steelers then won on Deshea Townsend's 25-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:53 left.
Those previous performances are why Tomlin said after the Super Bowl, "I have a great deal of belief in our football team that we were capable of doing it, so I wasn't shocked by the fact that we did."
It was a long climb since their previous Super Bowl victory three years earlier. There was all the Roethlisberger drama in 2006 and a deflating 8-8 record as defending champs and the suspicion that Bill Cowher would quit at the end, which he did. The Steelers hired Tomlin amidst controversy and some belief that Russ Grimm had been offered the job first. Joey Porter was cut, and Alan Faneca was ignored.
Tomlin's first season ended with a division title, but they collapsed at the end, losing four of five, including a home playoff game.
Then, the NFL issued them the toughest schedule in the league for 2008.
Besides comebacks, injuries were the early story of their Super Bowl season. One occurred in Foxborough, Mass, when almost-perfect Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was knocked out for the season and gave everyone else hope in the AFC. The others occurred to their own. Willie Parker was lost with a knee injury in the third game and would miss five games total. The running back they were so happy to draft in the first round, Rashard Mendenhall, made his first NFL start in the fourth game, which would be his last in 2008 because his shoulder was broken by Ray Lewis.
Roethlisberger's right shoulder was slightly separated early and re-injured, although he never missed a start. Defensive end Brett Keisel missed six games with injuries.
They lost their backup quarterback and punter for the season and two starting offensive linemen -- Marvel Smith and Kendall Simmons -- early on.
Not surprising, they had trouble running the ball -- their 23rd NFL ranking was the second lowest since they entered the AFC in 1970 -- and protecting their quarterback, who was sacked 46 times.
The receiver who would become the Super Bowl MVP was charged with marijuana possession three nights before they played the reigning Super Bowl champs. Santonio Holmes was benched by Tomlin for that game in Heinz Field against the New York Giants, who won, 21-14.
Parker complained publicly Dec. 12, before their showdown game for the division title in Baltimore, about the lack of commitment to the run.
"We're the Pittsburgh Steelers, everyone knows we're going to run the ball -- or they used to think we'd run the ball," he said to all who would listen. "We pass the ball a lot now. We go away from Steelers football, Steelers mentality."
Tomlin responded with a public comment of his own, "Every morning I come to work, I walk past five Lombardis, not five rushing titles."
The Steelers' salvation came on defense, which turned in one of the greatest seasons in franchise history. They ranked No. 1 in the NFL overall in yards, points allowed and on pass defense and No. 2 against the run.
Their pass rush came alive without having to blitz as much, thanks to linebackers James Harrison, who set their record with 16 sacks, and first-year starter LaMarr Woodley, who had 11.5. That helped a secondary that entered the season as a question mark.
It was a Golden Triangle defense in which offensive ships were swallowed and disappeared, most recently when Troy Polamalu sealed their Super Bowl trip with an interception for a touchdown against Baltimore in the AFC championship game.
Still, their great defense experienced two major lapses. One occurred during the showdown between top seeds in Nashville, when the Tennessee Titans scored two offensive touchdowns to come from 14-10 down in the second half and win.
The other took place last Sunday in the Super Bowl. Staked to a 20-7 fourth-quarter lead, the Steelers' defense could not hold it, allowing two touchdowns by Larry Fitzgerald, the last with 2:37 left to trail the Arizona Cardinals, 23-20.
That's when Ben Roethlisberger and his offense came through one final time, covering 88 yards with 84 yards of passes and 4 with a quarterback scramble.
That comeback, as with so many others, proved to be just as much Steelers football as anything else in their wild 2008 season. And it produced another in that most identifiable part of Steelers football, winning another Super Bowl.
Copyright (c)1997 - 2009 PG Publishing Co., Inc
Changes to NFL Overtime Coming?
"What we've seen in our statistics is that historically, about 30 percent of the games in overtime are decided with a team who wins the coin flip scoring on the first possession. That number has risen to about 47 percent. That's significant, and I think it's something our committee needs to look at."
That's the commissioner, Roger Goodell, speaking about NFL overtime.
I'm fine with the way overtime is decided, but I heard ESPN's Mike and Mike discuss an interesting twist this morning. The idea they mentioned would change the rule so that the first team to six points would win the game. The goal there would be to eliminate games from being decided on a 50 yard field goal.
It's not horrible. It would increase the chances of both teams getting the ball in a way better than the college rule.
I still think that your defense should just stop the opposition. If you can't prevent a big runback or keep the opponent pinned on their own twenty, why should you win the game anyway? You had three hours to win.
Other considerations are eliminating field goal tries on the first possession (silly, that's not football), or just placing the ball on the twenty yard line.
The NFL ain't broken, other than a Super Bowl match-up that has many folks underwhelmed, don't fix it.
Copyright (c) 2009 Bleacher Report, Inc
LeBeau is common denominator for Steelers' Super Bowl teams
Without LeBeau coordinating the defense, there is no trip to the Super Bowl for the Steelers. You don't have to be a football scout to be aware that the Steelers' offense is not the reason they're still playing. Mike Tomlin has made some excellent decisions since he became the Steelers' head coach two years ago but none better than keeping LeBeau on as defensive coordinator.
Bill Cowher made a lot of excellent decisions, too, but none better than rehiring LeBeau in January of 2004. The Steelers were a bad team in 2003. In January of 2004, LeBeau became defensive coordinator and they went 15-1 with a rookie quarterback the next season.
When you go 15-1 with a rookie quarterback, the defensive coordinator probably has more to do with it than the offensive coordinator.
Of course, they won a Super Bowl in 2005 and went to the playoffs again last season with a rookie head coach.
Cowher had some very good teams in the early '90s, and LeBeau made a major contribution as the secondary coach. But they went to the Super Bowl in 1995, his first season as defensive coordinator.
LeBeau has been the Steelers' Super Bowl common denominator. He has coordinated their defense seven times for two different head coaches and he's going to his third Super Bowl.
They'll be announcing the 2009 Football Hall of Fame inductees this weekend and it's ridiculous that LeBeau, one of the best defensive backs in NFL history and an NFL employee for 50 consecutive seasons, isn't one of them.
If there were a Nice Guy Hall of Fame, LeBeau would be the charter member.
Brian St. Pierre is the Arizona Cardinals' third-string quarterback. In his first media confrontation following his team's first Super Bowl practice, he was asked his impressions of Barack Obama's inauguration speech. Two things: Do you need any more proof that there's too much time between the conference championship games and did anybody ask the Eagles' third-string quarterback in January of 2005 what he thought of George W. Bush's inauguration speech?
The further we get from those four Super Bowl wins in the 1970s the more impressive they look. The 2008 Steelers had to beat a .500 team in the first round of the playoffs and a team that couldn't win its division in the second round. The Steelers had to get by a Raiders team full of Hall of Famers in 1975 and '76 and, except for the 9-7 Rams in 1979, they had to beat a teams full of Hall of Famers to win the Super Bowl.
ESPN.com ran a poll to pick the best Super Bowl coach ever and Chuck Noll won going away. He received 5,000 more first-place votes than the second-place finisher, Bill Walsh. Maybe Steelers fans stuffed the ballot box but Noll belongs at the top and it shouldn't be close.
Jay McGwire is having trouble selling his idea for a book. Apparently, publishers don't see a big market for a book that would reveal the shocking news that his brother, Mark, used steroids. It's nice for Jay, though, because it lets his friends, family and the rest of the world know what a wonderful guy he is. How much time would you like to spend with a guy who would rat out his brother to sell a book?
Remember back in 2004 when so many NHL players were saying they signed on for a bad labor agreement when they ended the lockout? They recently voted not to reopen the CBA, which means two more years of labor peace. Since the agreement was signed, the salary cap that they fought so hard to prevent has increased by 45 percent. The league is prospering and everybody is benefiting. What a concept.
I guess if you're a Pirates fan, then you're supposed to be thrilled that Adam LaRoche avoided arbitration and signed a one-year $7-million contract, but it's actually just another sign that the Pirates have no chance.
LaRoche is a good player but barely so. He's a lifetime .270 hitter who will hit 20 to 25 home runs. He wouldn't have to drop much to qualify as average and he's a notoriously slow starter. He had to be the worst middle-of-the-lineup hitter in baseball the first half of last season.
How many $7-million players can the Pirates have on their roster? And if it takes $7 million just to hold on to a slightly better than average player, what's the point? The Pirates would be better off letting LaRoche go and using the money to sign an international free agent or two.
Meanwhile, I'm counting the minutes until pitchers and catchers report to Bradenton, Fla., and get to work on that 16th consecutive losing season.
Copyright 2009, Observer Publishing Co
Cardinals making believers out of everyone
Well, the new team on the block is going to the Super Bowl. Everybody figured that Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb would end their roller-coaster season in Tampa. The idea made a lot of sense. But that's all it was, fans, a dream. The Cardinals are the team of the moment. They even convinced me once again. I turned my back on them, but they rewarded me on Sunday.
I don't know how many seasons I start off the pregame show talking up the Cardinals. I know my wacky belief in this franchise goes all the way back to Jake Plummer. And how many years has it been since he left town? Geez, he quit playing football a couple seasons ago.
But you must believe now that the Cardinals are a team of destiny. People were ripping them, writing and saying they didn't even belong in these playoffs the way they stunk up December after they clinched the NFC West.
OK, the West stunk, but the Cardinals and Coach Ken Whisenhunt don't stink. Just ask the fans in and around Phoenix. They were going nuts last night. I was there. Whoever heard of Arizona Cardinals fans going nuts? But that's what was happening in Arizona last night. The University of Phoenix Stadium was loud. I mean, as loud as I've ever heard championship crowds anywhere. I guess it was years of frustration finally being rewarded. Finally, the fans there have something to scream about.
The last time the Bidwill family won a championship the Cardinals were located in Chicago. That was 60 years ago. They've been playing in the desert for 21 seasons. They may even start to finally hang a few new banners from the empty stadium rafters.
The Cardinals have never played in a Super Bowl and how wild is it that Kurt Warner, who used to play in St. Louis, the city abandoned by the Cardinals, will be starting once again in the Super Bowl for the Cardinals?
And this month, Warner has been playing like the St. Louis version of Warner, too. He didn't throw an interception against Jim Johnson's defense, but he did unload four touchdown passes. The Cardinals also did what Warner asked. On a beautiful warm day, they kept the roof closed. It kept the place loud and we all know how much Warner loves playing in a controlled environment.
We also have a new star in the NFL too. Larry Fitzgerald may be the next Jerry Rice. He's played the best three games of his career back-to-back-to-back in the playoffs. The kid has been something special and he's been catching everything in sight. He now owns the postseason record for yards receiving.
Super Bowl XLIII will be a reunion game of sorts. We all know that Whisenhunt is the Arizona coach because Steelers owner Dan Rooney wasn't going to hire him when Bill Cowher retired. Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm, the old Steelers offensive line coach, were on Cowher's staff. But these two men have come west and have done pretty well for themselves.
You know I love my Steelers, but this Super Bowl could be kind of scary for Pittsburgh. It is one thing for them to shut down a rookie quarterback like Joe Flacco, but Arizona has a lot of offensive weapons. Plus, the offensive line is playing very well and they can actually run the ball better than what they did during the regular season. The Cardinals are a confident team. They didn't sit on the ball on Sunday; they attacked Philadelphia's blitz scheme. They did the unexpected.
But it's pretty obvious to me that Mr. Rooney made the right hire, too, for his football team. Mike Tomlin has kept that defense cooking all season. It's been the No. 1 defense all year long and they did a magnificent job against the Ravens. Troy Polamula's interception return for a touchdown was a thing of beauty. He runs through a crowd like Gale Sayers used to do.
Although the Steelers have won five Super Bowls, their next Super Bowl shows how much the NFL is changing. This Super Bowl will have two second-year head coaches going against one another. Whisenhunt had to put these Cardinals in a different frame of mind, and convince them they weren't a bunch of losers anymore. Tomlin had to keep his core group focused and ready. Basically, they both did their job, although neither one received a lot of consideration for Coach of the Year. Think there might be a different vote today?
Pittsburgh is steeped in tradition and Steeler Nation will show up in Tampa in force. You can count on that.
This has been a wild season in the NFL, and this Super Bowl is one that no one could have predicted back in training camp.
A year ago, I was also in Phoenix, watching one of football's biggest upsets when the Giants beat the unbeaten New England Patriots. That was a remarkable game as was what the Cardinals did in the fourth quarter to come back and win after allowing 19 straight points to McNabb. Arizona's victory was a remarkable statement for a franchise that has been down for so many years.
Hey, I wanted to believe in the Cardinals through the playoffs. When they shut down Atlanta's Michael Turner in the first round, I was thinking they might be able to do that to Carolina's two-headed monster at running back, but how could I pick them when the Panthers were unbeaten at home? Well, they whipped the Panthers.
Now, after beating the Eagles, there should be a lot of Arizona believers out there. They are no flukes. The Cardinals are a red-hot team. Super Bowl XLIII will be the best offense against the best defense. You can't write a better finishing matchup.
(c)2009 Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC
Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf has shown he's willing to spe
Owner Zygi Wilf invested $60 million in guaranteed player contracts to make the Vikings a playoff team this season, and coach Brad Childress has no reason to believe Wilf won't continue to spend if he decides it's prudent.
"You know what, he's never denied anything, so I'm sure it will stay the same," Childress said.
It's looking more likely than ever that the quarterback the Vikings will target is the Patriots' Matt Cassel, who could cost $30 million in guaranteed money as well as first- and second-round draft picks. The Vikings' first-round pick is expected to be between Nos. 21 and 23 overall this spring.
Cassel, 26, has played four seasons in the NFL, has learned from no-nonsense coaches Bill Belichick in New England and Pete Carroll at Southern California, and is of strong character, as Carroll will tell them when the Vikings do their background checks.
The Detroit Lions intercepted four passes this season while going 0-16. Three were thrown by the Vikings' Gus Frerotte.
By the way, Houston Texans quarterback Sage Rosenfels, whom the Vikings were interested in a year ago, threw 174 passes this season and was intercepted 10 times.
A little birdie says Oklahoma quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel, 30, a former Heisman Trophy runner-up who coached Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford, is the leading candidate for the Gophers' offensive coordinator job. Other candidates are Texas running backs coach Major Applewhite and Houston offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen.
Former Illinois football coach Mike White, who assisted in last weekend's Under Armour All-American prep football game in Orlando, Fla., said he was impressed by the passing arm of Bloomington Jefferson quarterback Moses Alipate, who is headed for Minnesota.
Gophers men's basketball coach Tubby Smith, after watching incoming freshmen Royce White of Hopkins and Rodney Williams of Cooper play in the Timberwolves Shootout at Target Center, said he likes their unselfishness.
"I like the way they pass the ball and that they're team-oriented players; that's why we recruited them," Smith said. "We play a style that's up-tempo, so I think they can play next season.
"But there's a lot of things that come into play. Hopefully, they'll stay healthy and do the things they have to do, academically and everything else. They have to stay focused, just like everyone on our team."
Although a capacity crowd is expected for Smith's breakfast appearance at the Dunkers civic group meeting Monday at the Minneapolis Club, new Dunkers President Dave Metzen, who landed the speaker, isn't taking credit. "The turnout obviously will be because of Tubby, not me," Metzen said.
Except for relief pitcher Dennys Reyes, who is not expected to return, the Twins figure they have essentially the same club that lost a one-game division playoff to the Chicago White Sox last season, but will be better because of another year's experience.
Cole Aldrich, a 6-foot-11 Bloomington Jefferson graduate who's a sophomore starter for defending NCAA basketball champion Kansas, plays against 6-10 Eastview graduate Darren Kent, a senior starter for Kansas State, in their Big 12 Conference opener Tuesday at Kansas. Both players' fathers worked for Harris Mechanical in St. Paul.
Aldrich's father, Walter, is getting unsolicited telephone calls from agents seeking to represent his son for June's NBA draft. Chances are, though, Cole will wait until after his junior season to seriously consider the NBA. Aldrich, a communications major, received three A's, a B and a C last semester in the classroom.
Plans are for outfielder Joe Gaetti, 27, son of former Twins third baseman Gary Gaetti, to begin the season for the Twins' Class AAA club at Rochester, N.Y. Jake Mauer, older brother of Twins catcher Joe, returns to manage the Twins' rookie league Gulf Coast League team for a second season.
Former Gophers football captain Steve Midboe is convalescing at Wissota Health Care Center in Chippewa Falls, Wis., after breaking his pelvis and busting up a shoulder in a car accident.
Legendary St. John's coach John Gagliardi will be in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday to receive the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award presented by the American Football Coaches Association. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani will receive the Tuss McLaughry Award for his service to America.
Elaine Curl, who will oversee transportation for the PGA Championship at Hazeltine National next August, also will oversee transportation for Barack Obama's presidential inaugural next week in Washington.
Twins hitting coach Joe Vavra and Twins batting practice pitcher Erik Lovdahl hold a clinic from 3-6 p.m. today at the Wisconsin-River Falls fieldhouse. For info: Lpabaseball.com.
DON'T PRINT THAT
Add the Green Bay Packers to the Arizona Cardinals and a handful of other teams that will pursue Vikings six-time Pro Bowl center Matt Birk when NFL free agency opens Feb. 27.
The Wonderlic Personnel test scores, which measure aptitude for learning, for the first five quarterbacks picked in the 2006 NFL draft were Matt Leinart, 35; Jay Cutler, 26; Kellen Clemens, 26; Tarvaris Jackson, 19; and Vince Young, 16. Only Cutler among the group has performed better than Jackson the first three seasons. The Wonderlic test is a 12-minute, 50-question test used to assess the aptitude of prospective employees in a wide range of occupations. The score reflects the number of correct answers given in the allotted time. A score of 20 is intended to indicate average intelligence.
If Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier leaves for an NFL head coaching job, it wouldn't be surprising if Philadelphia Eagles secondary coach Sean McDermott were considered as his successor.
The Twins like free-agent third baseman Joe Crede, but not his history of back injuries.
The Twins' projected starting rotation of Scott Baker, Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins, Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn will be paid cumulative salaries totaling less than $2.5 million next season. But with Baker, Liriano and probably Perkins becoming salary arbitration eligible next year, that trio's total salaries could rise to $10 million.
The NFL is expected to choose the Vikings or St. Louis Rams to play the Lions next Thanksgiving Day in Detroit. The Vikings are expected to be the opponent because of running back Adrian Peterson's national TV appeal.
OVERHEARD
Vikings coach Brad Childress, on the prospect of advancing past the first round of the playoffs next season: "I learned a lesson about saying you want to get to the Super Bowl. You don't want to get to the Super Bowl; you want to go to the Super Bowl and win it."
twincities.com
Baltimore families help Flacco, Ravens to playoff victory
Today is a BIG day for the Baltimore Ravens. Under the leadership of rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, the Ravens battled to earn a wildcard slot in the NFL Super Bowl playoffs. At 1 PM the Ravens will kick off against the Miami Dolphins. Now it is up to Baltimore families to root them to victory!
How can we best show our Purple Pride? How can we best rally to support the Ravens? Just ask Poe, the Raven's mascot. Poe (and his two brothers, Edgar and Allan) has been officially cheering for the Ravens since hatching back in 1998. Voted the NFLs "Most Fierce Mascot" by CBSSportsline.com.
Poe enthusiastically leads the charge as the Ravens spill onto the field for every home game. Poe even has his own Player Page which can be checked out
The Ravens need to hear from Baltimore today and throughout their quest for the 2009 Super Bowl championship. Fan mail might make the difference, so you are asked to e-mail Poe.
Show your Baltimore Raven's pride by visiting Poe's Game Zone - an online Raven's Arcade. Here you can demonstrate your skills on a virtual football field. See how many field goals you can make with kicker Matt Stover. Your talent is also needed by Willis McGahee to avoid a tackle. You can play here.
Check out all the Raven's Game Zone fun where you can solve a Raven's game day puzzle or make your own Raven's player cards! For younger football enthusiasts, Poe's coloring pages or word finds can be downloaded.
Finally, parents are invited to register their child for the Raven's Rookie Kids Club. The basic membership is freebut there is a charge for the Ultimate Rookie Membership.
Have a terrific time as you root the Ravens on to VICTORY!!!!!!!!
GO RAVENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(c)2008 Copyright Examiner.com
Detroit Lions Lose to Green Bay, Become NFL's First 0-16 Team
Dec. 28 (Bloomberg) -- The Detroit Lions lost to the Green Bay Packers 31-21 today to become the first team in National Football League history to finish a season with a 0-16 record.
The last full-schedule winless NFL season was turned in by the 0-14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1976, their first year in the league. In 1982, the Baltimore Colts went 0-8-1 during a strike- shortened campaign.
Since the end of World War II, the only other winless NFL team has been the 1960 Dallas Cowboys, who were 0-11-1 in their first year. The Lions' franchise entered the league as the Portsmouth Spartans in 1930 before moving to Detroit in 1934.
The Lions pulled within 24-21 on Kevin Smith's fourth- quarter touchdown run at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, today before the Packers scored on a 71-yard pass play from Aaron Rodgers to Donald Driver.
(c)2008 BLOOMBERG L.P.
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