lamberts-lost-tooth
12-09-2008, 08:28 AM
On the Steelers beat: Big Ben's best stat
By Mike Bires
Times Sports Staff
Published: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 12:13 AM EST
The record shows that Ben Roethliserger has now led the Steelers to 16 fourth-quarter comeback wins. But the latest needs an asterisk.
Roethlisberger “only” drew the Steelers to a 13-13 tie with 2:04 to play Sunday. It was Deshea Townsend who really completed the rally by returning an interception for the game-winning TD.
Still, all things considered, Roethlisberger’s performance in the 20-13 win over Dallas was impressive. Unlike Cowboys QB Tony Romo, Roethlisberger didn’t choke.
Both of them faced fierce defensive pressure. Both had to throw under nasty weather conditions.
But unlike Romo, who served up three interceptions, Roethlisberger didn’t throw any passes that wound up in the hands of a Cowboy.
During that fourth-quarter drive that started with the Steelers trailing 13-6, Roethlisberger completed 5-of-7 passes for 57 yards, including a 6-yard TD toss to Heath Miller. And one of those incompletions was a drop by Hines Ward.
* The Steelers’ classic win Sunday was the 49th with Roethlisberger as the starting QB. He now has more wins in his first five seasons that any other quarterback in NFL history.
That is Big Ben’s most remarkable stat.
* Speaking of Ward, he extended his team-record streak of catching a pass in 159 games. But he barely kept that streak going. He caught just one pass for 2 yards.
After the game when the media interviewed Steelers in their jubilant locker room, Ward was nowhere to be found. He showered and dressed quickly without speaking to reporters.
That was highly unusual. Ward is one of the few the media flocks to after every game.
Was he upset he didn’t get more passes thrown his way?
Was he upset about his fourth-quarter drop?
Or didn’t he want to answer questions about the upcoming game in Baltimore?
Remember, linebacker Terrell Suggs said earlier this year that the Ravens had a bounty on Ward.
* Steelers fans booed Mitch Berger a few times after short punts of 31, 30 and 28 yards in the first half. But with the frigid temperatures and brisk winds, punting was an adventure.
Dallas’ Sam Paulescu, who had been averaging 42.2 yards per punt, had his struggles, too.
One of his punts traveled 23 yards.
* There is a chance that Townsend’s TD was a first in Steelers’ history.
The team’s communications department is searching for the last time the Steelers won on a defensive touchdown in the last two minutes of a game or in overtime. They have yet to find one.
This much is for sure: Not once during the 43-year Super Bowl era has that happened.
In fact, the last time the defense scored the game-winning TD in the fourth quarter was on Dec. 13, 1953 when Jack Butler returned an interception 5 yards for the go-ahead score in a 14-13 win over the Washington Redskins.
* Let the hype begin. It’s Pittsburgh (10-3) at Baltimore (9-4) in one of the NFL’s nastiest rivals.
If the Steelers win, they clinch the AFC North. But if they lose, the chase for the division title might not be determined until the final week of the regular season.
The Steelers have lost five straight to the Ravens in Baltimore. Still, this promises to be a war pitting two of the league’s stingiest defenses.
* Here’s how close the Steelers are to clinching a playoff berth: Even if they lose to the Ravens, they can still clinch a wild-card spot pending the outcome of games involving New England, Miami and New York Jets.
http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2008/12/09/sports/steelers/doc493dfd1434a92631687953.txt
By Mike Bires
Times Sports Staff
Published: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 12:13 AM EST
The record shows that Ben Roethliserger has now led the Steelers to 16 fourth-quarter comeback wins. But the latest needs an asterisk.
Roethlisberger “only” drew the Steelers to a 13-13 tie with 2:04 to play Sunday. It was Deshea Townsend who really completed the rally by returning an interception for the game-winning TD.
Still, all things considered, Roethlisberger’s performance in the 20-13 win over Dallas was impressive. Unlike Cowboys QB Tony Romo, Roethlisberger didn’t choke.
Both of them faced fierce defensive pressure. Both had to throw under nasty weather conditions.
But unlike Romo, who served up three interceptions, Roethlisberger didn’t throw any passes that wound up in the hands of a Cowboy.
During that fourth-quarter drive that started with the Steelers trailing 13-6, Roethlisberger completed 5-of-7 passes for 57 yards, including a 6-yard TD toss to Heath Miller. And one of those incompletions was a drop by Hines Ward.
* The Steelers’ classic win Sunday was the 49th with Roethlisberger as the starting QB. He now has more wins in his first five seasons that any other quarterback in NFL history.
That is Big Ben’s most remarkable stat.
* Speaking of Ward, he extended his team-record streak of catching a pass in 159 games. But he barely kept that streak going. He caught just one pass for 2 yards.
After the game when the media interviewed Steelers in their jubilant locker room, Ward was nowhere to be found. He showered and dressed quickly without speaking to reporters.
That was highly unusual. Ward is one of the few the media flocks to after every game.
Was he upset he didn’t get more passes thrown his way?
Was he upset about his fourth-quarter drop?
Or didn’t he want to answer questions about the upcoming game in Baltimore?
Remember, linebacker Terrell Suggs said earlier this year that the Ravens had a bounty on Ward.
* Steelers fans booed Mitch Berger a few times after short punts of 31, 30 and 28 yards in the first half. But with the frigid temperatures and brisk winds, punting was an adventure.
Dallas’ Sam Paulescu, who had been averaging 42.2 yards per punt, had his struggles, too.
One of his punts traveled 23 yards.
* There is a chance that Townsend’s TD was a first in Steelers’ history.
The team’s communications department is searching for the last time the Steelers won on a defensive touchdown in the last two minutes of a game or in overtime. They have yet to find one.
This much is for sure: Not once during the 43-year Super Bowl era has that happened.
In fact, the last time the defense scored the game-winning TD in the fourth quarter was on Dec. 13, 1953 when Jack Butler returned an interception 5 yards for the go-ahead score in a 14-13 win over the Washington Redskins.
* Let the hype begin. It’s Pittsburgh (10-3) at Baltimore (9-4) in one of the NFL’s nastiest rivals.
If the Steelers win, they clinch the AFC North. But if they lose, the chase for the division title might not be determined until the final week of the regular season.
The Steelers have lost five straight to the Ravens in Baltimore. Still, this promises to be a war pitting two of the league’s stingiest defenses.
* Here’s how close the Steelers are to clinching a playoff berth: Even if they lose to the Ravens, they can still clinch a wild-card spot pending the outcome of games involving New England, Miami and New York Jets.
http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2008/12/09/sports/steelers/doc493dfd1434a92631687953.txt