Steelers doing whatever it takes to win
By Mike Ciarochi EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Steelers continued working on their playoff resume in Saturday’s 33-30 win over the New York Giants.
Pittsburgh, which improved to 13-1, already had clinched a playoff berth by winning the AFC North Division. The Steelers will secure one of the top two seeds in the AFC playoffs with their next win or a loss by San Diego and Indianapolis and will lock up the AFC’s top seed by remaining tied with New England.
But what the Steelers haven proven over the course of this regular season is that they can do whatever is necessary to win on a given day.
The Steelers can win close games, they can win running the ball or passing the ball or both. They can win with defense and their special teams have shown the ability to make a big play when needed.
Pittsburgh’s favorite winning style is to get an early lead and let running backs Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis pound away at opposing defenses, while the defense simply plays its game.
That didn’t work against the (5-9) Giants, who lost their seventh consecutive game after a 5-2 start. New York returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown and rode the emotion of that big play into a stellar effort against Pittsburgh. The Giants should be encouraged by the play of rookie quarterback Eli Manning.
Manning’s only big mistake came on his last pass of the day, which was intercepted by Willie Williams to allow the Steelers to run out the clock and preserve the win.
The fact that it was Williams who made the big play for Pittsburgh truly underscores the magical season the Steelers have put together so far. Name a game and you can come up with a different player who made a momentum-turning play. James Farrior did it with an interception return for a touchdown earlier in the season. Troy Polamalu did it to former USC teammate Carson Palmer in a win over the Bengals. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger led this comeback over the Giants by completing four consecutive passes before handing it over to Bettis. Roethlisberger also led a comeback over Dallas.
Along the way, the Steelers have developed and/or discovered an incredible amount of depth. Receiver Lee Mays has made some big plays filling in for Plaxico Burress. Chris Hoke has actually improved Pittsbugh’s run defense since replacing Casey Hampton at nose tackle. Williams, who has been subbing for Chad Scott for over a month, is simply the latest example.
“I guess it was just Willie’s turn,” Farrior said after the game. “We needed somebody to make a play and this week Willie was able to do it.”
Williams has been in the league long enough (12 seasons) to realize when something special is happening and to know why it is happening. He knows it doesn’t happen like this by accident.
“Every guy on this team practices like he’s going to start every game,” Williams said. “That’s the way it should be. We have enough examples in this locker room to prove to even the last guy on the roster that we may need him to step up and make a play for us.”
That, according to defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen, is the key to the whole thing.
It’s all about trust and belief.
“Here’s what it is,” von Oelhoffen said. “It’s very simple. We have 53 damn good football players. Not 50, not 45, but 53. What that means is that we have no weaknesses. It’s about chemistry and a will to win. On this team, those things are second to none.”
“Plus, we have Kimo,” defensive end Aaron Smith said from the next locker. “He helps us set the tone. This team is all about guys who just want to fight and win. Find a way to win. That’s how good teams do it.”
And this, as we discover from one week to the next, is a very good football team. It is a team that hasn’t lost a game in three months and, while it hasn’t won by blowout lately, it hasn’t lost.
Backtrack to last season, when the Steelers finished 6-10. Many of the games they won with big plays this season, they likely would have lost by opponent’s big plays last year.
Coach Bill Cowher has managed to keep an even keel throughout this season, even to the point of keeping each player focused only on the upcoming opponent, regardless of what greater significance each game may have.
Up next, for example, is a home game against hated division rival Baltimore. If that’s not incentive enough (it is), Baltimore is the only team to beat the Steelers this season. So, Cowher will have the players focused only on beating Baltimore.
The only question may be which player steps up to make a play to help the Steelers win. Who’s turn is it, anyway?
Sports editor Mike Ciarochi may be reached at mciarochi@heraldstandard.com