In Pittsburgh, rookies are introduced to the "Steeler way" of doing things: play hard, play physical, play fair. And, there is no lack for capable teachers on Pittsburgh's roster: the Steelers are brimming with leadership. This past Sunday, several of those leaders stood out and reminded me that the difference between winning and losing is more than just physical skill.
For example, let me take you back a few years, to when Hines Ward entered the league as yet another "slash" (quarterback/wide receiver/running back). Having no true position, he dropped in the draft to the Steelers at the end of the third round. Yet, something inside of Ward transformed him from a "gadget" player into the all-time touchdown leader for the Steelers: Hines Ward's two touchdowns on Sunday, raised his career total to sixty-four...surpassing Hall of Famer John Stallworth.
But, Ward's value does not stop at merely touchdowns; Ward sets and example for the younger players. If you want evidence, look no further than the way that Santonio Holmes blocks. Holmes came out of college with speed and hands; he was a solid wide receiver. After two years of Ward's tutelage, Holmes looks as though he might soon become an All-Pro.
Speaking of All-Pros, Alan Faneca will become a free-agent after this season. Yet, unlike so many of his colleagues around the league, Faneca is not only playing out his contract (i.e. not sitting out), he is playing with vigor and intensity. Simply, instead of complaining, Faneca goes out and does his job...well. And, the rest of the O-line (who are young and impressionable) have followed his lead.
If we are going to talk about leaders, we must not forget the biggest one: Ben Roethlisberger (pun not intended). After Willie Parker fumbled four times (YES, four times), Ben could be seen on the side-lines, wiping mud from Parker's face-mask. Reassurance from your peers goes a long way in this league. While Parker only ran the ball a handful of times after that, there was no hesitation or timidness in him on those runs: Ben had restored his confidence.
Speaking of confidence, Ben struggled mightily in the first quarter. I have seen veteran quarterbacks become frazzled and lose self-assurance over less. Yet, Ben got better as the game went on. Passes that were high and wobbly in the first half, became perfectly-placed spirals in the second half.
And, Ben was a metaphor for the rest of the Steelers.
At the start of the game, the Bengals drove down, took nine minutes off of the clock, and scored a touchdown. Conversely, the Steelers went three-and-out on their opening possession. Yet, the Steelers looked to each other (for reassurance), and in turn, they got better as the game wore on. At the same time, the Bengals became increasingly more stagnant and dysfunctional: receivers were running poor routes; Palmer started yelling at his receivers; and, the receivers became even more lackadaisical. In short, while Pittsburgh had a great game-plan for taking Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh out of the game, it was actually Cincinnati's lack of cohesion that eventually did them in.
(Note: Pittsburgh utilized a rotation when covering Johnson & Houshmandzadeh: Bryant McFadden, Deshea Townsend, and Ike Taylor took turns covering each receiver. I expect this same type of (effective) coverage to be used next week against Randy Moss and Wes Welker.)
In summation, a lot can be derived by how a team reacts to adversity...and the Steelers reacted by adapting and leaning on each other for support. Thus, next week, when the Steelers travel to New England, I have a good feeling in my gut. Not only do I think that the Steelers have the talent to beat the Patriots, I now know that if Big Ben & company (somehow) get behind, they will not tailspin; Pittsburgh will adapt. In other words, whether they are trailing, leading, or are tied, the Steelers will look to their leaders...and put themselves in position to win the game
