Manning seizes on late trunover to take Broncos further

The AFC North lost its last representative in the playoffs when the Steelers failed to win a gritty battle in Denver. As I had suggested in my preview, it was a turnover that flipped the momentum.  Fitzgerald Toussaint’s fumble five minutes into the final quarter provided the veteran Peyton Manning with an opportunity to make his mark on the game.

With the Steelers 13-12 ahead and driving forward, the turnover momentarily sucked the energy from the Steelers and lifted the spirits of the languid Broncos.

 

Manning took just three minutes to lead his team on a drive of 65 yards that was finished with a one-yard touchdown run from C.J. Anderson. The successful two-points after pass to Demaryius Thomas gave the Broncos a 20-13 lead.

With the leader who never knows when to quit, Ben Roethlisberger valiantly attempted to spur on his offense after the fateful setback.

In a frantic final three minutes with both defenses dictating the pace, the teams could only exchange field goals as Denver took a 23-16 victory that sees the number one AFC seed host a game next Sunday against the second seed New England Patriots.

POST GAME COMMENTS FROM THE COACHES

Gary Kubiak:

“I think the wind was a big factor in the football field. It really was. The ball was moving. We had, what, four or five drops in the first half that could have been big plays. It made a difference, but we just kept our poise, kept grinding. That’s what our team has been about all year.”

Mike Tomlin:

“I’ve got to start off by complimenting and congratulating the Denver Broncos on a winning performance. We fought hard, just not enough today. Came up a few plays short. Such is life. I just appreciate the efforts of our football team. There can only be one, obviously, and this year it’s not us.”

 

Banged up Steelers look to steal another win, Broncos hope Manning can be at his best

Article by Gordon Dedman

 

From the euphoria of winning a game they looked as though they had lost, Steeler fans have endured a week of injury concerns that finally saw Antonio Brown and DeAngelo Williams confirmed out and Ben Roethlisberger listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.

The Steelers chance of winning this playoff game revolves around Roethlisberger’s participation. He practiced for the first time Friday, after which Coach Tomlin observed, “I thought it was a productive day." If he plays and can throw the ball effectively in Denver, they will have a great chance to progress to the Conference Final.

 

If the Steelers are forced to turn to backup Landry Jones, the chances of the team advancing to the Championship game diminish. After his competent start when he replaced the injured Roethlisberger earlier in the regular season, Jones has found out just how difficult it is to be a quarterback in the NFL. He has thrown an interception once every 12 pass attempts and if he replicates that Sunday, the Steelers season will end.

With Brown out and doubts surrounding Roethlisberger, the Steelers ground game needs to be at its best. The dual threat of Fitzgerald Toussaint and Jordan Todman will spearhead the Steelers ground game while their other receivers will need to step up.

The Steelers defense can keep them in the game and provide the opportunity for whoever leads the offense, but they must contain Denver’s running game. The Steelers defense was ranked fifth against the run during the regular season while the Broncos ground game was ranked 17^th.

Running back Ronnie Hillman gained 117 in the Broncos last game when Peyton Manning came on midway through the third quarter to close out the 27-20 win. That was Manning’s first appearance since week 10 when he was benched suffering from a sore foot and rib injuries.

Despite doubts over his agility this season, Manning has the experience to lead his team to a win providing his offensive line protect him from the Steelers defense. The focus for Pittsburgh will be to disrupt his timing. Manning has thrown 17 interceptions with seven touchdowns this season before missing seven games.

The Broncos win the battle of stats. They finished the regular season number one in total defense, number one in sacks, number one in run defense, number one in pass defense and the team is the number one seed in the AFC.

Having a bye week to rest while their opponents were getting banged around ensures the Broncos will be fresh and ready to play with their own dynamic duo receiving corps of Demaryius Thomas and former Steeler Emmanuel Sanders.

The key for the Steelers is to stop the Broncos’ running game and force Denver into third and long, making Manning pass with the potential to pick him off.

As in every game, turnovers will have an impact as was displayed in that amazing final two minutes in Cincinnati last weekend. These teams are evenly balanced in forced fumbles, interceptions and sacks so once again it is likely to be a tense defensive struggle and while the Broncos are the probable winners, the Steelers can never be counted out.

 

 

 

Steelers advance as the Bengals hit the self destruct button

Article by Gordon Dedman

I am glad that I am writing a review of this game because I want to remember this battle for years to come. I expected a tough fight, but the torrential rain turned the game into a Hollywood drama with an ending that only a script writer could have conceived with the main star emerging as a hero.

The ingredients for a classic playoff game. Pittsburgh - a team with a football tradition to uphold in Cincinnati - a team with a playoff jinx to lay to rest. The twist in the tale saw a leader on one side turn villain while the hero returned to produce the impossible and save his team from defeat.

With the rain cascading down on the players, the initial skirmishes were tentative with both teams probing for the weak points of their opponents with scoring opportunities rare.

Missing DeAngelo Williams, the Steelers used Fitzgerald Toussaint and Jordan Todman early to put their running game into gear.

 

Playing in his first playoff game, Cincinnati’s AJ McCarron was hesitant, but the early difference between the quarterbacks was McCarron’s interception. His deep pass in the second quarter was underthrown in the wet and plucked out of the air by Anton Blake to set up a 39-yard field goal that broke the deadlock.

As the second quarter finished, the Steelers added another Chris Boswell field goal from 30 yards to increase their lead to 6-0.

In that first half, both teams could only convert one of their seven third downs, a reflection on the stagnant football being played as the defenses held the upper hand in the atrocious conditions.

When the Bengals put a creditable drive together at the beginning of the third period, it was brought to an abrupt end with McCarron’s forced fumble that set the Steelers up for a field goal of 34 yards.

Antonio Brown caught a 60-yard pass in Pittsburgh’s next series and his team capitalised on it when Ben Roethlisberger threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Martavis Bryant. The catch, which will make all the highlight reels, was a moment of magic as Bryant summersaulted to complete the reception and increase Pittsburgh’s lead to 15-0 after failing with the two points after attempt.

The frustration of playing in the inclement conditions combined with the Bengals losing yet another playoff game gradually turned adrenalin into aggression, particularly when Vontaze Burfict was on the field.

His crunching tackle of Roethlisberger as the third period came to an end sent the quarterback into the locker room with a shoulder injury and sparked the Bengals into life.

In a frantic final quarter, Cincinnati’s play picked up intensity. When Will Allen’s pass interference penalty placed the ball on the Steelers four-yard line, Jeremy Hill’s run of 2 yards put the Bengals first points on the board and the home crowd finally found their voice as the cauldron that was Paul Brown Stadium began to heat up.

With Landry Jones now at quarterback, Pittsburgh turned conservative and paid the price giving up ten points as McCarron found his form including a 25-yard touchdown pass to AJ Green giving his team a 16-15 lead.

With less than two minutes remaining, Steelers’ Markus Wheaton fumbled gifting Cincinnati supreme field position on Pittsburgh’s 26-yard and the game at their mercy. With the Bengals finally looking a playoff win in the eye, the Steelers were facing the end of their season.

As the Bengals were taking time off the clock with a 6-yard run from Hill, they began to self-destruct. Steeler’s linebacker Ryan Shazier stripped the ball and the turnover provided Pittsburgh with one final opportunity to snatch a win.

Enter the gladiator who had seen and done it all before. Roethlisberger reappeared to guide his team into long field goal range before two crass, unnecessary Bengals penalties, including a Burfict hit on Brown that produced a three game suspension, moved the attempt into a chip shot for Boswell. His 35-yard field goal gave the Steelers the 18-16 win.

The battered Steelers move to Denver next Sunday while the Bengals spend a few months pondering on what could have been and why their aggression turned to stupidity and cost them the game.

Wild Card game sees Division foes renew their rivalry

Article by Gordon Dedman

While each season the AFC North division play in the shadow of the AFC East and the New England Patriots, the North still produces solid, blue collar football. Sunday will showcase the division at its the best when the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to the Cincinnati Bengals in a winner takes all wildcard game.

I could produce every kind of stat that will suggest this team or that team will win, but you can throw the stats out of the window for this one. It will be a tense physical contest.

 

Before the regular season game in Cincinnati kicked off, these two teams confirmed what this rivalry now means when they created quite a spat as their pre-match warm up heated up. Apparently the NFL has warned both teams against repeating the fracas this weekend, especially before a national television audience.

The winner Saturday night will be the team that holds its nerve in the high pressure cauldron that will be Paul Brown Stadium. I’m amazed to see the bookies make the Steelers favourites, but is that because it appears to be men against boys with AJ McCarron as the Bengals quarterback?

In Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers have one of the league’s premier quarterbacks with the ability to turn a game in an instant. He can make unbelievable passes and has the capability to thread the ball through a defense to his receivers.  He can also throw interceptions.

Antonio Brown is Ben’s favourite receiver and has set an NFL record this season by catching 135 passes for the second year running, but the stats show that Antonio Brown has not scored a touchdown in the playoffs. It’s the one accomplishment missing from his résumé while this month he became the first wide receiver to be honoured as the AFC Offensive Player of the Month three times.

Turnovers will again be the key. McCarron hasn’t thrown an interception in 83 pass attempts since he threw two against the Steelers when making his debut for the injured Andy Dalton in Week 14. McCarron has made his mark as the first Bengals quarterback not to have thrown an interception in their first three starts.

McCarron has been taught not to give the ball away to his opponent and the tutelage is obviously working for the youngster while Ben Roethlisberger has thrown two interceptions in each of his last three games.

 

As Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats observed, “I feel like as long as we play our game, don’t turn the ball over, and create turnovers, we match up with any team.”

Cincinnati’s Pro Bowl safety Reggie Nelson offered, “It should be one hell of a game. The last game (December 13) was a terrible one for us, and this time we want to make it a good one. I think a lot of people are going to enjoy this.”

I think the neutrals might just be hoping he’s right. It’s going to be a tough demanding game and should advertise the quality of football in the division.

As I write there are a couple of unknowns, besides who is going to win. It looks unlikely that either DeAngelo Williams for the Steelers or Andy Dalton for the Bengals will play, but if they do it is possible they could make an impact. 

Steelers claim Wild Card spot with tough win; Bengals will host them next week

Article by Gordon Dedman

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns

This game wasn’t as straightforward for the Steelers as the score line reflects. Although Pittsburgh took a 14-9 lead at the half, they didn’t find the going easy against a team with only three victories on the season.

The Browns totally dominated the second and third quarters in time of possession, but failed to transfer that superiority into points. They could only kick two field goals while the Steelers manged to put together one drive of eighty yards in six plays that took just 58 seconds finishing with Antonio Brown’s 17-yard touchdown catch.

Two Cleveland fumbles in the final period helped the Steelers to add eleven points and take a 28-12 victory that earned them the sixth seed wildcard spot with the Jets losing in Buffalo. As expected, the poor season for the Browns saw them part ways with their head coach Mike Pettine and general manager Ray Farmer.

Since the seventies, Pittsburgh fans have never known the barren years that Browns fans have experienced. Cleveland fans would die for a 10-6 record while Steeler fans believe nothing less than a Super Bowl win completes a season.

The major concern for the Steelers was DeAngelo Williams going off with an ankle injury. Pittsburgh’s playoff progress was dashed last season with an injury to Le’Veon Bell, which is why they brought Williams in. If absent next weekend, it could affect their ability to overcome the division champions.

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

The Ravens were rewarded with only three field goals as they dictated the opening half of this game while Cincinnati struck late with Tyler Eifert’s thirteenth touchdown for the season.

In the final two quarters, the Bengals and AJ McCarron found their feet aided by two Ryan Mallett interceptions. The Bengals added touchdowns from AJ Green and Jeremy Hill plus a field goal to take the 24-16 win. With Denver’s defeat of San Diego, Cincinnati finished as the AFC’s third seed to host the Steelers.

"It's a great matchup and a great rivalry and we are excited," said McCarron looking forward to the wildcard game. "We are just excited about getting to play in the playoffs, especially a game at home, and to make the most of it."

Most Cincinnati fans will be hoping that Andy Dalton returns from injury, but it won’t be any bonus if his broken thumb hasn’t healed properly.

Steelers need to win and have outside help for playoff football

Article by Gordon Dedman

Happy New Year and I wish you all a prosperous and healthy 2016.

Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6) at Cleveland Browns (3-12)

After their loss in Baltimore last Sunday there has been a lot of social media traffic regarding Mike Tomlin’s Steelers poor performances against sub .500 teams. A defeat in Cleveland will not only provide the Tomlin haters with more ammunition, it will mean another barren year for the fans who expect so much after being spoilt with six Lombardi trophies.

 

The Steelers not only require a win to make the playoffs, but they also need help from the Bills to defeat the Jets. Coach Rex Ryan will ensure it will be a hot contest in Buffalo with the visit of the team that fired him last year.

The Browns will face yet another change at quarterback with Johnny Manziel remaining in the NFL’s concussion protocol. Austin Davis will make his second start of the season in Manziel's place. Cleveland re-signed Pat Delvin, but they have the option of using ex-quarterback, now wide receiver, Terrelle Pryor as back-up.

In his only start this season, the four-year veteran Davis was overwhelmed in a 3-37 rout by the Bengals in Week 13.

On offense for the Steelers, it should be all systems go although Ben Roethlisberger joined some teammates with flu symptoms mid-week. Steeler fans will be hoping their team doesn’t catch a cold in Cleveland and that the Bills can put some heat on the Jets.

If rumours are to be believed, this could be Coach Mike Pettine’s last game. In ten years, five different coaches have endured life in the hot seat with the Browns while in that same period the Steelers have only known Mike Tomlin as their head coach.

Baltimore Ravens (5-10) at Cincinnati Bengals (11-4)

With the Bengals confirmed as division champions, they now have the number two seed slot in the AFC to chase so it’s unlikely they will be fielding their second string team.

The Bengals have won four straight against the Ravens and hold a 12-7 advantage at home and should extend that record. Cincinnati won this season’s first meeting 28-24 at Baltimore in week 3 after battling back in the final four minutes to turn a three-point deficit into a four-point victory. Five of the last six meetings have been decided by seven or fewer points, so it should provide an exciting contest.

In eight of their ten defeats this season, the Ravens have had an opportunity to tie the game or take a lead in the final two minutes of play so they won’t just lie down and be rolled over – as they proved in last week’s triumph over the Steelers.

With their backup quarterbacks Ryan Mallett and AJ McCarron taking centre stage again both have the opportunity to take another step forward in their football careers.