Safety No.1
Allow me to set the scene. The Steelers had the Giants pinned inside of their own end zone. James Harrison, who had had a quiet game up until then, bull-rushed Kareem McKenzie, pushing him back into Eli Manning. But, before Harrison could break free (and make the sack), Chris Snee blocked Harrison in the back, knocking him to the ground. I waited for the flag to fly across the field...and I waited...and I waited. Alas, the penalty went unnoticed. Had that flag been thrown, the Giants would have been penalized with a safety (Note: penalties occurring in the end zone result in safeties). Beyond the mere two points that would have come with the safety, Pittsburgh's momentum, which was already nearing frenzied levels, would probably have taken over the game. Alas...
Speaking of flags, the Steelers received the ball at mid field, and all three of their ensuing plays went for huge gains... only to be negated by penalties. During a long run by Mewelde Moore, Hines Ward was flagged for an illegal procedure penalty. Then, after a Limas Sweed reception (for first down), Chris Kemoeatu was called for a unnecessary roughness penalty. But, the pièce de résistance was a beautiful touchdown pass to Nate Washington... which was called back due to a hold by Willie Colon. Simply, instead of two first downs and a touchdown, the Steelers ended up losing thirty yards. In other words, any and all momentum that the Steelers had accrued, vanished with their ensuing punt.
Safety No. 2
Speaking of punting, after Pittsburgh's long-snapper tore his knee to shreds, the Steelers were forced to insert James Harrison as the long-snapper. [Note: Harrison should not feel bad about this error; he did the best he could. Regardless of what I say, the anger that Harrison showed after the game... well... simply, I would hate to be a Washington offensive player next week.] For whatever reason, the ball sailed over Mitch Berger's head, out of the end-zone, resulting in a safety... and more importantly, giving the Giants all of the momentum in the world.
Safety No. 3
Armed with momentum, confidence, and the knowledge that Pittsburgh's starting free-safety was out of the game, Eli Manning threw a thirty-yard strike to Amani Toomer... on third-and-fourteen. Two plays later, Eli hit Kevin Boss for the game-winning touchdown. Again, if Pittsburgh's regular safety had been in there, neither of these plays would have turned out as positively as they did for the Giants. If you want evidence if this fact, look at who made the tackle on Brandon Jacobs on the aforementioned fourth-and-goal.
Safety No. 4
Pittsburgh had its opportunities for a comeback of their own. That said, the New York Giants showed that they too have a few defenders earning a paycheck. The Giants unleashed their defensive ends: Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka. In turn, the Steelers responded by playing it safe... very, very safe. Instead of sending their most reliable receiver (who also just happens to be their "hot read" receiver) out into the field, they kept Heath Miller in to block. I understand the idea behind mass-protecting for Ben Roethlisberger's safety... but, again, Heath has the best hands on the team. In other words, having him fake a block and then slipping out for a short reception might have been a good idea. Similarly, throwing a short pass to Mewelde Moore is a better use of his skills (than blocking on every single play). Simply, an overemphasis on safety limited what Pittsburgh was able to do.
In summation, while it was disappointing to see the Steelers lose a game (especially one that they might have won), it was one of the better games that I have seen in a long, long time. Furthermore, from what I have seen of Mike Tomlin, I am sure that he will use this game as a teaching tool, to explain to his team on which mistakes they need to improve (e.g. penalties) in order to succeed. Similarly, he can show them what they did correctly (e.g. the goal-line stand) to stay successful. In turn, the next time that the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants play (again...hint, hint) the outcome could very likely be slightly different.
