Send your postgame critiques, analysis, ranting and raving about the last game as well as your predictions, smak, & insults about our upcoming opponent. Whether your message is a simple, "Go Steelers!" or detailed, in-depth analysis, tell us what you think and we'll post it.
Who deserves the game ball for this week's win over the Chiefs?
Kordell Stewart
( 37%)
Chad Scott
( 34%)
Jerome Bettis
( 22%)
Bill Cowher
( 7%)
Scoring Summary
First Quarter None.
Second Quarter PIT - FG, Kris Brown 42 Yd.
PIT - FG, Kris Brown 55 Yd.
KC - Safety, blocked Josh Miller punt.
Third Quarter PIT - TD, Chad Scott, 61 Yd interception return (PAT good).
PIT - TD, Hines Ward, 5 Yd pass from Kordell Stewart (PAT good).
Fourth Quarter KC - TD, Priest Holmes, 26 Yd run (PAT good).
KC - TD, Priest Holmes, 1 Yd run (Trent Green pass to Tony Gonzalez for 2 Pt. Conversion).
Key Stats & Facts
• Kordell Stewart: 15 of 25 (60.0%), 141 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int, 2 sacks, 7 rushes, 47 yards. As we predicted in our pregame, Kordell was the difference in this game. Mularkey is using him very well as of late.
• Chad Scott: For the 2nd stright week put on a superb performance, including a 61-yard INT return for a TD, the key play of the game. Scott looks to be well on his way to the Pro Bowl.
• Steeler pass defense: Outstanding! Allowed Trent Green to complete only 48% of his passes for a paltry 127 yards, 1 Int & 4 sacks. Rookie LB Kendrell Bell was outstanding with 6 tackles & 2 sacks. DE Aaron Smith also had another sack.
• Steeler run defense: Surprisingly bad! Allowed Priest Holmes to pile up 150 yards on 20 carries for 2 TDs. Not very good for a unit that came into the game touted as one of the NFL's best.
• The late letdowns on defense must stop! It was our trademark last season... cough up late leads by allowing opponents to drive effortlessly down the field late in the game. It's a trend I've noticed over the last two weeks as well. As I said after the CInci game, Cowher must correct this if he wants to get this team to the next level.
• Jerome Bettis: 19 carries for 112 yards (5.9 avg), 0 TD. Bettis could've had oodles more if not for holding calls on Plex. The Bus is simply amazing.
• Steeler rushing offense: 203 yards (including Stewart with 47 and Zeroue with 42)! If we can continue to run like we have been for the last three games, the future looks very brught indeed.
• Hines Ward: 3 catches for 38 yards (12.7 avg), 1 TD. Not stellar numbers, but Hines still made some clucth cathces, including the Steelers' first TD pass of the year.
• Plaxico Burress: 4 catches for 39 yards (9.8 avg), 0 TD. Somewhat improved from the standpoint that has at least contributed to the cause for the last two weeks, but he's still dropping EASY passes and gets flagged for holding every other play.
• Once again, too many penalties: Pittsburgh was flagged 8 times for 67 yards. The Steelers are averaging 7 penalties a game this season, which is about twice what is acceptable. Bad officiating or not, Cowher needs to take a look at this problem.
I must say, Tim & Sandy, that was some damn fine prognostican' last week. I assume you factored in the Steelers defense laying down to let Priest Holmes make the game look close at the end.
Anyway, I'll simply reiterate my comments last week about Kordell being a tough SOB. Whether his passing performances are brilliant or not, he leaves EVERYTHING out there on the field at the end of the game. His end over end, land on his head flip to get the first down on the scramble Sunday was so fun to watch. When Cowher is now talking about reining Kordell's running in a bit because he doesn't shy off of any contact, you know the guy has cajones.
Now onto the rest of the game. The right side of the O-line needs to tighten up a bit. Marvel Smith was getting consistently burned early on on straight pass rushes. He played better as the game went on, but he can't afford to have those types of lapses against better teams. And again, somebody besides Hines Ward has to step up and be a consistent threat in the WR corps.
Aside from that, it all looked good. If I had to give a game ball out for Sunday's performance, it would be to the secondary. They were just blanketing everyone out there. Virtually nobody was ever open for the Chiefs. Obviously Chad Scott's interception was a game swinger, but in my mind, a play like that was just a matter of time, because the secondary was all over the field the entire game.
The front seven was obviously pretty good. They gave Trent Green a bit too much time on some occasions (hey, the Chiefs get paid, too), but they hit him hard a number of times. Kendrell Bell is a manimal. They're going to start passing laws against him pretty soon.
And finally, the running game. People said that Mularkey ripped some pages out of Gilbride's playbook to come up with his offensive strategy. That's only half true. He also seems to have put a few of Chan Gailey's old plays back in there. Running Kordell on some straight draws and roll-out runs was vintage 1997. It puts them consistently in 3rd and short situations, where a defense literally has to prepare for EVERYTHING: a QB keeper, a run between the tackles, a run to the outside, and a pass (especially the way Kordell was zippin' em on Sunday). It was some really creative playcalling that only works when the offense is firing on all cylinders, from line play, to the backs, to Kordell, etc. Obviously, the Bus is just a stalwart. A true warrior, and the running of Zereoue has made for a lethal 1-2 combo.
Next week v. Tampa I expect to see a knockdown dragout, ala the Ravens game in Baltimore next year. Expect the Steelers defense to terrorize the statueque Brad Johnson, the offense to get a TD on a called run by Kordell, and for the Steelers to win 13-3.
P.S. --- Two words in regards to the officiating: It sucked. It seemed like they saved their most bogus calls for the most critical plays of the game. But good teams overcome that crap, and the Steelers did Sunday, thanks in large part to Kris Brown (man, is that kid good). The refs were the Chiefs best home field advantage of the game, and even they weren't enough. The Steelers should take solace in that.
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