Before we get started, I must address the issue of the officiating in the Steelers-Colts game. Seeing as the officials needed to make their presence known during the game, I feel the same need to discuss them. Without question, Troy Polamalu made the interception. The referee made a bad call. Now, the mature thing would be to move on. Alas, the Joey Porter in me will not allow me to simply forget about how horribly that game was officiated.
Do not get me wrong: Joey had every right to rip the officials...because he merely iterated what every single Steelers fan had been thinking: the officials nearly cost the Steelers the game. And, it was not just Polamalu's interception.
Marlin Jackson tackled Antwaan Randle El on a long pass attempt; yet, Jackson did not get flagged for pass interference; in turn, the Steelers were forced to punt. There was also the "non-call" when the Colts jumped off-sides. And, there was the questionable non-safety, when Peyton was tackled in the end-zone (while Manning's feet were indeed on the one yard line, the ball was clearly in the end-zone).
In a game this important, those two points from the safety would have been a nice security blanket for the Steelers. For example, at the end of the game when the Steelers were in field goal range, had the Steelers had those two points from the safety, they would have already have been up by five points (instead of up by just three points). Add a field goal to that total, and the lead becomes eight points. Instead, the Steelers, who were merely up by three, were forced to run the ball and try to score a touchdown.
Since we are on the topic of running the ball, that was indeed the correct play-call. With Indianapolis having all three of its time-outs, kicking a field goal and going up by six points would have left the window open for a last-second touchdown by Peyton to win the game. Conversely, a touchdown would have sealed the victory for the Steelers. Hence, Cowher smartly put the ball in the hands of his most dependable player: Jerome Bettis...and Bettis did something he had not done in over a year: he fumbled.
Just when Ernest Byner was ready to send flowers Bettis' way, Ben Roethlisberger made the type of play that only elite players make: Ben tackled Nick Harper (who was on his way to scoring a touchdown off the fumble). To put the tackle in perspective, if Ben was a defender, it would have been an amazing tackle...but, the fact that Ben is a quarterback highlights how miraculous that tackle truly was.
In short, what sets Ben apart from other quarterbacks is the fact that Ben finds a way to win. He may not (and probably never will) have the biggest statistics. All Ben does is win...which is the most impressive "statistic" of all.
Furthermore, the difference between Ben and most other quarterbacks is his penchant to show up in big games. Ben's nay-sayers will point out his poor performance in last year's play-offs, but I remind them: Ben was a rookie then. Conversely, Peyton Manning is a seasoned veteran...and he still plays poorly in the play-offs. To be clear, the reason Indianapolis lost was NOT because of Mike Vanderjagt's missed field goal...it was because the Colts punted on their first four possessions. The Steelers attacked Manning, and Peyton never looked comfortable. In fact, I would say that at times, Peyton looked very confused.
So as not to be misunderstood, it was not just an "off" game for Manning or that the Indianapolis offense was "rusty." We need to give credit where credit is due: the Steelers simply out-played the Colts...and Peyton responded by playing like his usual self during the play-offs: poorly.
So, the AFC Championship comes down to Ben Roethlisberger versus Jake Plumber. If Jake is "on," then he is a formidable opponent. But, when Jake is "off," there are few worse...and, the Steelers have a habit of making even the best quarterbacks look bad. Meanwhile, all Ben does is win...consistently. Ergo, this is a no-brainer: the Steelers will prevail over the Broncos...despite any hurdles created by the referees.
