We had exactly three offensive possesions in the second half of our game against the Denver Broncos. We scored 3 TDs. We ran 28 offensive plays. 14 runs. 14 passes.
Two of our runs were QB sneaks on designed pass plays.
Still, that's solid balance, especially from a team that was down 14 points at half, and down 14 at the start of the 4th quarter as well. Let's take a look at the play-by-play from the second half:
Pittsburgh Steelers at 12:21
1-10-DEN 41 (12:21) 39-W.Parker left tackle to DEN 40 for 1 yard (22-D.Foxworth).
2-9-DEN 40 (11:38) 39-W.Parker left tackle to DEN 39 for 1 yard (55-D.Williams).
3-8-DEN 39 (10:57) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger scrambles up the middle to DEN 28 for 11 yards (28-J.Shoate).
1-10-DEN 28 (10:19) 39-W.Parker up the middle pushed ob at DEN 13 for 15 yards (47-J.Lynch).
1-10-DEN 13 (9:47) 39-W.Parker up the middle to DEN 9 for 4 yards (25-N.Ferguson).
2-6-DEN 9 (9:01) 39-W.Parker up the middle to DEN 13 for -4 yards (25-N.Ferguson).
3-10-DEN 13 (8:17) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short left to 10-S.Holmes for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
3-J.Reed extra point is GOOD, Center-60-G.Warren, Holder-9-D.Sepulveda.
PIT 14 DEN 21 Plays: 7 Possession: 4:11
4th Quarter expand [+] collapse [-]
Pittsburgh Steelers at 15:00
10-T.Sauerbrun kicks 67 yards from DEN 30 to PIT 3. 30-A.Rossum to PIT 6 for 3 yards (38-S.Cargile).
1-10-PIT 6 (14:57) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short right to 86-H.Ward to PIT 9 for 3 yards (52-I.Gold).
2-7-PIT 9 (14:16) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short left to 10-S.Holmes to PIT 19 for 10 yards (47-J.Lynch). PENALTY on DEN-47-J.Lynch, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced at PIT 19.
1-10-PIT 34 (13:57) 39-W.Parker left tackle to PIT 31 for -3 yards (60-J.Engelberger; 58-N.Webster).
2-13-PIT 31 (13:14) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short left to 39-W.Parker to DEN 47 for 22 yards (32-D.Bly).
1-10-DEN 47 (12:24) 39-W.Parker right tackle to DEN 23 for 24 yards (22-D.Foxworth).
1-10-DEN 23 (11:56) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass incomplete short left to 86-H.Ward.
Timeout #1 by PIT at 11:53.
2-10-DEN 23 (11:53) 7-B.Roethlisberger scrambles up the middle to DEN 15 for 8 yards (92-E.Dumervil).
3-2-DEN 15 (11:10) 39-W.Parker left tackle to DEN 14 for 1 yard (55-D.Williams, 22-D.Foxworth).
4-1-DEN 14 (10:40) 7-B.Roethlisberger up the middle to DEN 13 for 1 yard (52-I.Gold).
1-10-DEN 13 (10:16) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short middle to 89-M.Spaeth for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
3-J.Reed extra point is GOOD, Center-60-G.Warren, Holder-9-D.Sepulveda.
PIT 21 DEN 28 Plays: 10 Possession: 4:50
Pittsburgh Steelers at 07:47
1-10-PIT 22 (7:47) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short left to 10-S.Holmes pushed ob at PIT 31 for 9 yards (58-N.Webster).
2-1-PIT 31 (7:19) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short right to 10-S.Holmes to PIT 33 for 2 yards (32-D.Bly).
1-10-PIT 33 (6:36) 39-W.Parker up the middle to PIT 34 for 1 yard (52-I.Gold, 55-D.Williams).
2-9-PIT 34 (5:56) 39-W.Parker up the middle to PIT 35 for 1 yard (52-I.Gold).
3-8-PIT 35 (5:13) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short middle to 86-H.Ward to DEN 49 for 16 yards (55-D.Williams).
1-10-DEN 49 (4:29) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short left to 39-W.Parker to DEN 37 for 12 yards (22-D.Foxworth).
1-10-DEN 37 (3:39) 7-B.Roethlisberger sacked at DEN 45 for -8 yards (60-J.Engelberger). Penalty on PIT-73-K.Simmons, Offensive Holding, declined.
2-18-DEN 45 (3:30) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short middle to 86-H.Ward to DEN 37 for 8 yards (22-D.Foxworth).
3-10-DEN 37 (2:46) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short right to 80-C.Wilson to DEN 25 for 12 yards (25-N.Ferguson; 22-D.Foxworth).
1-10-DEN 25 (2:07) 39-W.Parker left tackle to DEN 21 for 4 yards (58-N.Webster).
Two-Minute Warning
2-6-DEN 21 (2:00) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short right to 38-C.Davis to DEN 12 for 9 yards (22-D.Foxworth).
1-10-DEN 12 (1:16) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short right to 83-H.Miller for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
***************
For all the grumbling about our play-calling in the first half, it was a fine, fine evening for the O in the second half. Great play calling. Sure handedness by the WRs, TEs and RBs. And no costly turnovers from Big Ben. We had back-to-back 94 yard and 78 yard TD drives, with no HUGE plays mixed in there to skew the results of our offensive efficiency. It's not the offense I'm worried about, especially this week heading to Cincinnati. We'll get ours against the Bengals. It's the defense that worries me.