Dec 18, 2017 By Jim Downey jdowney@heraldstandard.Com 5 min read

There was a sense sitting in the press box Sunday evening of “this isn’t good” when referee Tony Corrente’s review of tight end Jesse James’ 7-yard touchdown reception with 34 seconds remaining in the game dragged on.

I understand I take to this column with an inherited bias (towards the Steelers, of course), but I wondered (aloud) if (the first “if” of many to follow) the opposing team would’ve been the Ravens, Bengals, Lions or Bears (oh my!), would the touchdown have been taken off the board.

Apparently James’ rugby-esque move as his upper torso landed in the end zone did not comply with the rules as stated by the NFL of what a legitimate catch is, in the end zone or anywhere else inside those wide, white lines.

I think what grinds at me the most is the time period of the review. The lengthy process of that particular review lends credence to conspiracy theories, looking for a reason “why not” in lieu of “why.”

But, of course, one play here or there (with, as I learned in economics, “all other things being equal”) changes the destiny of what came to be.

If …

… The long tight end — Jesse James is 6-7 — would’ve had the presence of mind to pull the ball into his chest and dive the final five feet into the end zone with his torso instead of his hands. That definitely would’ve been a touchdown.

… Sean Davis contorts his body around on the first play of the Patriots’ game-winning drive and somehow intercepts Brady’s wayward pass.

… Juju Schuster-Smith finds a way to gain three more feet on a third-and-four with 2:23 remaining. (To the naysayers who might question the intelligence of such a call and/or the across the field pass in that situation, that’s the same pattern Juju turned into a 69-yard gain in the final minute of the game. Although, it also was the same pattern Darrius Heyward-Bey caught and didn’t make the big, white sideline before the supposed James’ touchdown catch.)

… Juju runs along the sideline a little further before his cutback. Or, his “Madden speed” was more like 95 instead of 89, 90.

… The Steelers defense had the same approach to taking care of Rob Gronkowski in the final eight minutes at it had in the first 52. The Woodland Hills graduate finished with nine receptions for 168 yards and one third of his output (3 for 69) came on the game-winning drive. I could see Mike Hilton coming on the edge blitz. He has all season. Tom Brady’s a pretty savvy quarterback. He noticed it, too.

… Alejandro Villanueva doesn’t get edgy on second-and-18 with around 10 minutes left in the game and gets a false start. The call came on the heels of a Villanueva holding call and James Conner’s knee injury. The playbook is probably pretty thin with second-and-23 calls.

… Eli Rogers’ stumble in the end zone on the last offensive play was ruled to be caused by a New England defender and not a blade of grass, heavy chalk build-up, Rogers’ own clumsiness or an unusual gravitational pull in that area of the end zone. 

… Mike Tomlin said “Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead” with the Steelers sitting at fourth-and-1 at their own 28-yard line. Hey, if New England’s going to score anyway, give them a short field and a quick clock. That’s really playing to win.

… Rogers remains upright and wraps his hands around the ball for a game-winning touchdown, in lieu of a game-tying field goal attempt. Or, at least, doesn’t allow the bad guys to catch the ball. That happens, genius call.

I also believe, despite the general consensus, the coaching staff had the Steelers in position to win the game. It just went awry for about 70 seconds at the end of the game.

I’m of the approach the Steelers (coaches, quarterback, etc.) were going to lose in overtime if the game went into overtime. They needed to win in regulation, ergo the pass play off the spike (though I think Ben could’ve sold the fake a little better).

Although I’d rather have both Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell in the lineup at the same time, I believe the Steelers can find a way to deal with the (hopefully short) loss of Brown than Bell. I’m not sure of the route configuration of the guys in the roster, but now is the time for Martavis Bryant to shine, as well as Darrius Heyward-Bey. They can fly and hopefully grasp the ball when it comes in their direction.

The focus — for the team and the fans — is on what is, not what didn’t happen. A Christmas Day victory in Houston and closing 2017 with a win against the visiting Browns secures the first-round bye. The extra week is beneficial to Brown’s recovery and frees me up to be able to attend my great-nephew’s seventh birthday party.

It’s been said the Steelers have no chance to win in New England. Well, folks, the Patriots are 5-2 in Heinz Field since 2004. They have problems at home.

And, I’m not so sure that was a AFC Championship preview Sunday afternoon. The Jacksonville Jaguars are pretty good (the Steelers lose a tie-breaker with them, too), and Kansas City is not so bad when it plays good.