The turning point for 2009
by Steelin on Jan 6, 2010 7:52 PM EST
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PrintWhere did things really go wrong for the Steelers this season? The 1-2 start was disappointing, but the team recovered and went on a 5-game winning streak, including impressive victories over the Chargers, Broncos, and Vikings. The second Bengals loss ended that streak, and with Troy Polamalu injured again, the team was down. But a favorable schedule gave the Steelers a clear path to a wild-card spot and, with a little help, the possibility of still winning the AFC North.
On a chilly day in Kansas City, however, it took only 16 seconds for things to go horribly wrong, as Jamaal Charles returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. Although the Steelers recovered and led 17-7 at the half, Ben Roethlisberger had to keep throwing and, in the third quarter, threw two interceptions that allowed the Chiefs to tie the score. The contest eventually went into overtime, where the Steelers lost not only the game but also Roethlisberger, who got a concussion while running for a first down. Without their starting QB, the Steelers lost to the Ravens the next week. Even after Big Ben returned, the team lost two more games for good measure to fall to 6-7 and out of the playoff picture.
In hindsight, the opening kickoff of the Chiefs game was the turning point of the whole season. If the Steelers can cover that kickoff, they lead 17-0 at the half and win the ball game in regulation. Without overtime, Ben does not get hurt. With a healthy Roethlisberger, the Steelers easily win in Baltimore (even without Ben, the Steelers tied the Ravens at the end of regulation time). With these two wins in hand, the Steelers finish at least 11-5, win the AFC North, and take the third seed in the playoffs.
Before the Chiefs game, the Steelers had already matched the worst NFL teams of the past decade in giving up three kickoff-return touchdowns in a single season, including one just the week before that contributed to the loss to Cincinnati. Yet Coach Tomlin had made no apparent changes to the kickoff coverage. Only after the Chiefs game did he begin to make personnel changes, bringing in Rocky Boiman and eventually returning Anthony Madison to the team. Perhaps if he had taken action a week sooner, the Steelers would now be planning for a home playoff game against the New York Jets instead of wondering which coaches to fire.
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Right game, but wrong moment
I think the play that symbolizes this season is the perfect pass that inconceivably clanged off the hands of a wide open Heath Miller in to the hands of a rookie Division III linebacker making his first start in the league.
Just bad luck
That was one of the few (only?) passes that Heath muffed all year. It’s going to happen every once in a while. That it careened off his hands and right to a defender is just bad luck. What was more disappointing was how the defense immediately caved in and let the Chiefs convert the short field into a touchdown instead of holding them to a field goal. But you are right that the Steelers had plenty of chances to win this game but kept giving it back to the Chiefs.
Heath had a case of the dropsies for a bit
this year. I was beginning to wonder what in the world was wrond with him.
The only managing Ben does is he manages to WIN games
by chewiesteeler on Jan 8, 2010 12:33 PM EST up reply actions
Several plays to pick from
You could choose a number of plays from that game as a turning point. I agree the kickoff return to open the game, while maddening, wasn’t the season changer. The Miller drop turned pick certainly is a solid choice, but I would add that after that turnover the offense recovered and drove down inside the 10 yard line again and looked to be in command to make a 2 possession game. The INT on 1st and goal that Studebaker returned nearly 100 yards was a killer and I might nominate that play as the season changer.
Also the very play Ben was injured on deserves some consideration because it cost the team the KC game and the Baltimore game. The team was driving for the winning score in OT and his injury was a stunner.
There were more three step drops by the QB to a curl route completion in front of Willie Gay than run backs for a TD. That would be the biggest reason for a down year for the defense.
I think it was the Cincy loss at home, but..
I think to some degree you are right Steelin…they took KC for granted and it came back to haunt them.
Back to the 18-12 Cincy loss though. At that point they were 6-2 and riding a 5-game winning streak. In their minds they had wiped out their slow 1-2 start and SB “hangover”. The problem was the winning streak masked some issues that should have been corrected. Those were the ST coverage units (giving up the TDs and long returns as you mention) and the secondary giving up to much yardage and leads late in the game.
Since these problems were never corrected, it would come back to bit them in the a** in a big way.
So, going into the Cincy game maybe their were a little too confident, and maybe a little worn out from the Monday night game in Den and the short week. They didn’t realize they were about to get outcoached and outplayed by Cincy.
Tomlin needed to treat that game as a playoff game, but he didn’t. The loss might have only made them 6-3, but that was effectively 2 games behind the Bungles.
Now, this is where I think they took a look at the schedule and said “Ok, KC is a win so we go into Balt 7-3 and we had their number last year so we like our chances, but even if we lose we’ve got Oak and Clev coming up so worst case we are 9-4 with 3 games to go….GB and Balt at home, and then at Mia, so even if we win 2 of 3 we’re at 11-5 which could give us the divison or surely a Wild Card.”
Maybe it was that kind of thinking that led to their decline and failure to correct the problems that had been there all season. Who knows? Maybe the best thing would have been if they had actually lost that SD game (as they almost blew the huge lead), went 1-3, made the necessary corrections and went on the roll that San Diego did. Then we’d be 13-3 or 12-4 with a bye, and looking like favorites to repeat.
Forgive my spelling errors and typos...
It’s late and the wife is yelling at me to turn off the light
its in the writing .........!!!
i remember reading a fan post from a ciny fan t the effect that at certain moments, team is destined to go in to decline (anyone else remember that post) said fan predicted such a moment for the steelers in the second loss to cincy……the moment i read that post i had a doomed feelin !!!
Game 2 and 3 really
There was no excuse for losing games 2 and 3. The careening off the cliff, though? That happened in the 2nd Cinci game. That’s when I knew we wouldn’t make the playoffs. The Chiefs, Raiders and Browns was just the nail in the coffin, but our troubles were before those games.
I love being the most-hated guy here. I love beating them while [their fans] are flicking me off. --Hines Ward
I think the Troy injury was the turning point.
I was watching that game with my friends and as soon as we all realized that Troy had hurt his knee I yelled, “Season Over”. My friends gave me a harsh look then.
That injury pretty much did it for us.
"We are only going to score 17 points?"
When Sweed drops the TD against the Bengals ...
The team had momentum and was playing like the Steelers team of old. Sweed had split a double-team and was wide open. Ben hit him in the hands and Sweed dropped it. The Steelers could have put the game away. Instead, the Bengals came back, exposed our D and exposed this team.
That is the turning point of the season.
Hate to say it
but poor Sweed dropped a few VERY badly-timed passes. I hate to put a whole season on a rookie/2nd year guy, but if he’d caight that things might have gone a looooot different this year.
Our season was victim to several of these close calls.
Oh well….probably win a SB next year at this rate!
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