I hate to be one of those banal people, whining about the referees...but, I have to be one of those banal people whining about the referees. Simply, Daniel Graham tossed the ball to the side, before he was downed...which should have been ruled a fumble. Vincent Jackson did the same thing last season (against the Raiders). And, a few years ago, Plaxico Burress spiked the ball after a catch (against Jacksonville). And, in both of those instances, the play was ruled a fumble. Yet, when Graham does the same thing, the play is ruled dead.
Some might say that Ryan Clark touched him down...but, Clark did not touch Graham until Graham's arm was in motion (tossing the ball). I know, I know: most of you (especially Seahawk fans) are probably saying "Get over it: that is the way the ball bounces." Furthermore, I understand that bad calls tend to even out. But, at the same time, with 31 seconds left, in a tied game, inside field goal range, on a play that decided whether Denver or Pittsburgh got the ball, there was no time for evening out.
Realistically though, the game was not really decided by that botched call; the Steelers lost the game, because they played a poorly. First of all, Ben Roethlisberger was hurried, harassed, and heckled every time he dropped back to pass. Still, Ben dodged, scampered, and stiff-armed his way out of numerous sacks. Alas, even when he was able to make a play, in order to attempt a pass, his receivers seemed to drop very catchable balls. (Ahem, I am looking your way, Mr. Ward.) True, Ben was not making perfect passes, but considering the amount of duress that he was facing, those throws were good enough.
Despite dropped balls and continuous pressure on Big Ben, there is the fact that the Steelers coaching staff outsmarted themselves. Denver was last in run defense, and the Steelers were second in rushing offense. Logic would have dictated that the Steelers would have given Willie Parker 40 or more attempts. Instead, the Steelers decided to "trick" the Broncos, by passing the ball. As the Cowboys of the 90s used to say: we will run the same plays...until someone can stop them. The Steelers should have heeded that advice...because, Denver can not stop any running back.
Speaking of not being able to stop anybody, the Steelers defense must have decided to take a week off. Because, Denver was able to score about as many offensive touchdowns (three) as the rest of Pittsburgh's opponents had combined to do all season (five).
In short, while Graham's fumble may have made a difference in the outcome, there were several other factors that actually had far more influence on the outcome of the game. Thankfully, these "other" factors are in Pittsburgh's control and are quite correctable.
