Madden: Steelers must play better to win against Jets

[hawaiiansteel]

Madden: Steelers can't be Raven about win

By: Mark Madden Beaver County Times
Monday January 17, 2011


Nice game, Steelers. Gutsy.

But you’ll have to play much better than that to beat the New York Jets.

There’s no dismissing the Steelers’ resilience. No doubting — ever again — the clutch nature of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who pulled a nail out of the Steelers’ coffin on third-and-19 and hammered it into the Ravens’.

Any other town, they’d already be building a statue of Roethlisberger. That’s OK. I’ll do it myself.

But special teams were a disaster. Consider Baltimore’s fourth-quarter punt-return touchdown that got penalized back to the Steelers’ 29 but still set up the Ravens’ game-tying field goal. The Steelers committed three penalties on special teams. Shaun Suisham missed a 43-yard field goal.

One-for-two in a playoff game: Sounds about right for Suisham.

Chris Kemoeatu: Idiot, selfish or both? He dove violently into the pile after what turned out to be the Steelers’ game-winning touchdown, got flagged and pushed the kickoff back to the 15. Players get cut for less.

Speaking of stupid, the entire offensive platoon stood around and watched Baltimore’s Cory Redding pick up a live ball and stroll into the end zone. Play to the whistle. That’s Football 101.

Sloppiness. Two turnovers. Nine penalties for 93 yards. Missed tackles. Even Troy Polamalu was often a day late and a dollar shot.

No complaint about the result. A win is a win is a win, even more so in a playoff situation. Even more so against the Ravens, half of a rivalry coach Mike Tomlin accurately described as “Hagler-Hearns.”

Tomlin showed fortitude in the final quarter when he spurned a short go-ahead field-goal attempt to go for it on fourth-and-one. Roethlisberger sneaked past the sticks, but the Steelers still had to settle for three points four plays later. If the Steelers get stopped, Tomlin gets crucified.

Next Sunday goes beyond fortitude. Beyond slugging it out with an enemy. This is a shot at the Super Bowl. Don’t dare underestimate the Jets. They won a best-of-three against New England. Beat the Steelers at Heinz Field. The Jets are formidable. They have a “team of destiny” feel.

The villain in this past Saturday’s game? Believe it or not, it wasn’t a Raven. The officials seemed determined to ruin this game from the start, and certainly made it grind to a halt on more than one occasion by calling 15 penalties for 167 yards. It was a rough game. It wasn’t Afghanistan.

The hero? That’s easy.

Roethlisberger not only continues to further his reputation as a catalyst that wins big games, he is actually gaining ground on Tom Brady as football’s best quarterback. He doesn’t have the sheer numbers, and may never. But he continues to string together signature moments in the manner of his hero, John Elway. “Third-and-19” will resonate for quite some time.

In the end, it’s about how many Super Bowls you win. Roethlisberger could yet win more than Brady. Needs to beat Brady head-up in a playoff game, too. But that can’t happen this season.

Meantime, let’s enjoy the last moment of Steelers-Ravens III: T.J. Houshmandzadeh drops Baltimore’s final hope. JACKPOT!

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/sport ... t-win.html (http://www.timesonline.com/sports/sports_details/article/1373/2011/january/17/madden-steelers-cant-be-raven-about-win.html)

[birtikidis]

I can't stand Mark Madden. He's a tool. I didn't read the article bc it was written by him.
he was on the controversial calls thing on NFLN and after his comments on the immaculate reception he can kiss my a$$

[skyhawk]

I can't stand Mark Madden. He's a tool. I didn't read the article bc it was written by him.
he was on the controversial calls thing on NFLN and after his comments on the immaculate reception he can kiss my a$$

I hate him too. But he's right here.

I am worried for the same reason's he's outlined. Add to it a makeshift OL and this could be a disappointment like 2004 was.

[Irongut]

The offense was pathetic for at least half the game.

The special teams were up and down.

Defense was the only mainstay of the game.

I would agree that we need to play better to beat the Jets.

I have complete faith in the defense but the offense and special teams concern me.

[papillon]

The steelers have won ugly all year. I don't expect that to change this year. I don't know if that's a testament to how good the team is or they just can't put together a complete game.

Pappy

[williar]

I agree with him. I hate overconfidence. If we have the lapses like we did on Saturday, we will not win this game. I believe the jets will be tough to beat. Our team must come to play and limit the mistakes.

[Irongut]

The steelers have won ugly all year. I don't expect that to change this year. I don't know if that's a testament to how good the team is or they just can't put together a complete game.

Pappy
Our defense has put together a ton of complete games.

Our offense has put together a couple. Cleveland and Carolina stand out.

[Steeler Shades]

Our offense has put together a couple. Cleveland and Carolina stand out.
You'd expect a very good college team's offense to put together complete games against Cleveland and Carolina.

We are going to need the offense to avoid giving the ball to the Jets on their side of the field in addition to scoring 17+ points.

I don't think we can beat the Jets if both the offense and the STs give them points and good field position. 8)

[Steelers33]

I can't stand Mark Madden. He's a tool. I didn't read the article bc it was written by him.
he was on the controversial calls thing on NFLN and after his comments on the immaculate reception he can kiss my a$$

I hate him too. But he's right here.

I am worried for the same reason's he's outlined. Add to it a makeshift OL and this could be a disappointment like 2004 was.

Not like we had a worse o-line in 08 when we won the super bowl...

[Irongut]

Our offense has put together a couple. Cleveland and Carolina stand out.
You'd expect a very good college team's offense to put together complete games against Cleveland and Carolina.

We are going to need the offense to avoid giving the ball to the Jets on their side of the field in addition to scoring 17+ points.

I don't think we can beat the Jets if both the offense and the STs give them points and good field position. 8)

I'd agree. Our offense and special teams are the questions. Our defense, like always, will be there sunday.

[Crash]

Our offense has put together a couple. Cleveland and Carolina stand out.
You'd expect a very good college team's offense to put together complete games against Cleveland and Carolina.

We are going to need the offense to avoid giving the ball to the Jets on their side of the field in addition to scoring 17+ points.

I don't think we can beat the Jets if both the offense and the STs give them points and good field position. 8)

I'd agree. Our offense and special teams are the questions. Our defense, like always, will be there sunday.

They weren't there in the final 15 minutes during XLIII nor in the 4th quarter last season. So enough of the "always" crap.

[Irongut]

Our offense has put together a couple. Cleveland and Carolina stand out.
You'd expect a very good college team's offense to put together complete games against Cleveland and Carolina.

We are going to need the offense to avoid giving the ball to the Jets on their side of the field in addition to scoring 17+ points.

I don't think we can beat the Jets if both the offense and the STs give them points and good field position. 8)

I'd agree. Our offense and special teams are the questions. Our defense, like always, will be there sunday.

They weren't there in the final 15 minutes during XLIII nor in the 4th quarter last season. So enough of the "always" crap.
They've certainly been there a ton more than the offense.

You'll go to any means to give Ben excuses, won't you? I hope someday you can become a Steelers fan.

[Crash]

Our offense has put together a couple. Cleveland and Carolina stand out.
You'd expect a very good college team's offense to put together complete games against Cleveland and Carolina.

We are going to need the offense to avoid giving the ball to the Jets on their side of the field in addition to scoring 17+ points.

I don't think we can beat the Jets if both the offense and the STs give them points and good field position. 8)

I'd agree. Our offense and special teams are the questions. Our defense, like always, will be there sunday.

They weren't there in the final 15 minutes during XLIII nor in the 4th quarter last season. So enough of the "always" crap.
They've certainly been there a ton more than the offense.

You'll go to any means to give Ben excuses, won't you? I hope someday you can become a Steelers fan.

Talking about the defense. Don't say they are "always there", because they haven't been.

Focus on the words you type.

[Irongut]

Talking about the defense. Don't say they are "always there", because they haven't been.

Focus on the words you type.
I'll do that and the facts haven't changed since 2004. Defense is the strength of the team.

[Crash]

Talking about the defense. Don't say they are "always there", because they haven't been.

Focus on the words you type.
I'll do that and the facts haven't changed since 2004. Defense is the strength of the team.

Without Ben they win NOTHING.

I have 1983-2003 on my side.

Not sure what you have on yours.

God bless Dan Rooney for pulling rank on Cowher during the 2004 draft after Butch Davis made the biggest mistake of his football coaching career.

[Irongut]

Talking about the defense. Don't say they are "always there", because they haven't been.

Focus on the words you type.
I'll do that and the facts haven't changed since 2004. Defense is the strength of the team.

Without Ben they win NOTHING.

I have 1983-2003 on my side.

Not sure what you have on yours.

God bless Dan Rooney for pulling rank on Cowher during the 2004 draft after Butch Davis made the biggest mistake of his football coaching career.
Yeah, as I have stated many times, we needed a competent QB. Having Ben doesn't or another QB doesn't change the strength of the team, the defense.

[papillon]

The steelers have won ugly all year. I don't expect that to change this year. I don't know if that's a testament to how good the team is or they just can't put together a complete game.

Pappy
Our defense has put together a ton of complete games.

Our offense has put together a couple. Cleveland and Carolina stand out.

Well, then it isn't a complete game. A complete game means all three phases play well in one game. Like I said, the defense has bailed the offense out and vice versa. The STs had some great games early in the season and have been struggling lately.

If the offense, defense and STs can play good all on the same day they'll beat the Jets. If one takes half the game off or the entire game it will be like the last one where Ben has to work one of his miracles.

Pappy

[Oviedo]

I can't stand Mark Madden. He's a tool. I didn't read the article bc it was written by him.
he was on the controversial calls thing on NFLN and after his comments on the immaculate reception he can kiss my a$$

I hate him too. But he's right here.

I am worried for the same reason's he's outlined. Add to it a makeshift OL and this could be a disappointment like 2004 was.

I'm more worried about the defensive secondary than I am about the OL. If Bmac can't play then we have to rely on Anthony Madison to actually play DB which is a freakin joke. Activate Crezdon Butler. I can't imagine there is any way he is worse than Madison. Obviously they have zero faith in Keenan Lewis.

But it is clear that DB and OL are the weakest units on this team and need fixed in the upcoming draft. OL may get immediate fixes with Starks and Colon but there appears to be little hope for the secondary.

Oh and yes Madden is an idiot.

[hawaiiansteel]

a New York Daily News article: :Blah


Jets, Rex Ryan will upset Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh and advance to Super Bowl XLV

by GARY MYERS
Tuesday, January 18th 2011, 4:00 AM

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2011/01/18/gal_football_jets_4.jpg


Little Rex Ryan had just turned 5 when the Jets, with his father Buddy on the defensive staff, won the Super Bowl 42 years ago last week. It would be almost another 18 years before Mark Sanchez was born.

But together they will end this painful Super Bowl drought for one of the NFL's no-luck franchises when the Jets go into Pittsburgh on Sunday, win the AFC Championship Game and make it to Dallas for Super Bowl XLV.

"We're one game away from where we want to be," Darrelle Revis said Monday.

It won't be easy. The toughest part is over for the Jets. They beat the hated Patriots. The Jets will make their fans suffer, of course, for three hours Sunday night.

But then ... Jets 20, Steelers 17 in a slugfest.

"We've talked about it all year about going to the Super Bowl and winning it," Revis said. "This is just another steppingstone. We don't need to put the pressure on us. Just relax and be confident in what we believe in."

The Jets are two-thirds of the way through the most treacherous road any team has ever had to travel to get to the Super Bowl: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger. And they will finish the job against the Steelers with Sanchez becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to win five road playoff games - and he's only in his second season.

Can the Jets sense the Super Bowl?

"I feel it," Revis said. "I think we really need to focus in on this AFC Championship Game and don't let it slip like we let it slip last year when we had the lead on Indianapolis."

This is different than one year ago when the Jets shocked even themselves - despite Ryan's convoluted proclamation at the start of the playoffs that the Jets should be the favorites to win it all - by making it to Indy for the AFC title game. They led 17-6 in the second quarter before coming down with a season-ending case of the Same Old Jets, giving up the final 24 points of the game.

This season, as they have been telling us since walking off the field in Indianpolis, they are Super Bowl-bound. They had a season of bizarre distractions and vulgar proclamations - Antonio Cromartie telling the Daily News last week that Brady is "an ass----" was the highlight, so to speak. But they are about to cash - and not bounce - the check they have been writing with their trash-talking mouths.

Ryan came here to win Super Bowls. What would getting there mean to him?

"It would be huge," he said.

Why the Jets?

- First of all, the intangible: You can just sense it being around this team. It was the same way with the Giants going into Green Bay for the NFC title game three years ago after winning in Tampa and Dallas. The Jets are on one of those rolls that come around once every 42 years.

- Forget the theory that it's impossible to win in noisy Pittsburgh twice in one season, no less twice in one month. Evidence: On Dec. 16, 2007, in the 14th game of the season, the Jaguars beat the Steelers at Heinz Field, 29-22. As the No. 5 seed in the playoffs, the Jags went back to Pittsburgh 20 days later and beat the No. 4 seed Steelers 31-29 in the wild-card game. The Jets won, 22-17, in Pittsburgh on Dec. 19, surviving two Roethlisberger darts into the end zone from the 9-yard line in the final 10 seconds. That was also the 14th game. The Jets are going back 35 days later.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/footb ... z1BPYyHxVH (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2011/01/18/2011-01-18_jets_rex_ryan_will_upset_steelers_ben_roethlisb erger_in_pittsburgh_and_advance_t.html#ixzz1BPYyHx VH)