Steelers able to overcome disaster
PITTSBURGH – The first half of the Steelers’ season-opening 13-10 overtime win over Tennessee seemed to go according to script. The defense was great, the two-minute offense was in midseason form and the running game needed some work. Just like last season.
Then disaster struck, or so it seemed.
Strong safety Troy Polamalu went down and out with a left knee injury. The extent of the injury was not known at press time, but rest assured the Steelers are a different team without No. 43 in the game.
Polamalu had six tackles, an interception, a tackle for loss and two defended passes in the first half, which is quite typical for him.
It’s important to note that Polamalu was not on the field when Kerry Collins passed to Justin Gage on consecutive plays that put the Titans in the end zone to tie the score, 7-7. He had been injured trying to recover a blocked punt a possession earlier when Alge Crumpler, all 262 pounds of him, landed on Polamalu’s knee.
It didn’t just seem as though Polamalu was everywhere on the field; he was everywhere on the field, especially where the ball was.
Sure it was a big loss to the Steelers. Polamalu is an irreplaceable part, no disrespect to Tyrone Carter.
What do you do in times like these? You salvage today and see what tomorrow brings.
As they have done so many times in the past, the Steelers defense, Polamalu’s buddies and comrades, filled in superbly as a unit. It was 11 playing as one, for one.
Reigning league defensive MVP James Harrison started the second half by stopping a Tennessee drive by forcing a fumble from tight end Bo Scaife that Keyaron Fox recovered for the Steelers.
The defense tightened even more after Cortland Finnegan recovered his own fumbled punt and the Titans punted from the back of their end zone. The defense eventually gave up ground on a couple of possessions and Rob Bironas hit a 45-yard field goal to give Tennessee a 10-7 lead with 11:03 remaining in the game.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed all seven of his passes and the Steelers moved into range for Jeff Reed’s game-tying 32-yard field goal with 2:57 remaining.
Still plenty of time for a Tennessee game-winning drive, but the defense got a stop and the Steelers got it back with 1:50 remaining.
Shades of Super Bowl XLIII? You bet, especially when Roethlisberger passed to Santonio Holmes for 12 yards on the first play. Successive completions to Hines Ward and Mewelde Moore had the Steelers at Tennessee’s 34-yard line with 1:03 remaining.
But a 30-yard pass play to Ward ended with a fumble that the Titans recovered, forcing overtime.
After pass plays to Ward, Heath Miller and Holmes, Roethlisberger went to rookie Mike Wallace for 22 yards to the Titans’ 15-yard line, perfect for a Reed game-winner from 33-yards out.
Reed nailed it, of course, and the Steelers survived, 13-10. Stay tuned for what tomorrow brings.
Sports editor Mike Ciarochi may be reached at mciarochi@heraldstandard.com.