Pittsburgh’s James Harrison says it best. The Steelers just go out there and do what they have to do. Harrison and the Steelers are moving on to the AFC Championship game after bashing Baltimore 31-24 at Heinz Field Saturday afternoon. It will be Pittsburgh’s fifth AFC Championship game in the past decade. Meanwhile, Ray Lewis and the Ravens can’t seem to overcome their playoff woes against their Pittsburgh foes. Despite a two touchdown lead at halftime, the Ravens’ Superbowl aspirations were shredded again by the men in gold and black. Lewis, the twelve time All-Star, has suffered three losses in the post-season to the Steelers. Pittsburgh is a win away from a return to their third Superbowl in six seasons.
The Ravens forced mistakes in the first half and made the Steelers pay for each one as the top-notch defense capitalized on Pittsburgh miscues. Baltimore jumped out to a 21-7 lead after scoring on two short touchdown drives. Turnovers, penalties and defense were the story of the game on both sides of the ball. The Ravens managed just 125 yards against Pitt’s vaunted defense. Baltimore committed three turnovers in the second half after an impressive thirty minutes of football. The Ravens pressured quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger all day. Big Ben was sacked six times yet went without an interception and threw for 226 yards in the win. Joe Flacco did not fare as well as his counterpart Big Ben. Flacco fumbled and was intercepted in the one-touchdown performance. Lawrence Timmons led the Pittsburgh defense with seven tackles and Harrison had three sacks. Lewis had six tackles for defensive-minded Baltimore, while Terrell Suggs matched Harrison in sacks.
Rashard Mendenhall got the Steelers rolling with a touchdown on Pittsburgh’s first possession of the game. The running back had two touchdowns despite rushing for just 46 yards. The one touchdown home lead evaporated quickly. Baltimore scored 21 unanswered points to close out the first half on top. Ray Rice ran 14 yards to cap off a Ravens’ drive with 1:20 left in the first quarter. The Ravens scored less than a minute later after Pittsburgh coughed up the ball on a Roethlisberger incompletion. Cory Redding scooped up the ball and ran it back for the Baltimore touchdown. In the second quarter, Mendenhall fumbled at the Steelers’ 16 yard line and on the next drive, Flacco found a wide open Todd Heap for a four yard touchdown grab. Tight end Heap led Baltimore with 43 receiving yards. The half ended with a missed field goal by Pittsburgh kicker, Shaun Suisham. The Ravens entered the locker room with the most points they scored against the Steelers since 2007.
Heath Miller hauled in a nine yard pass from Roethlisberger five minutes into the third quarter as the Steelers began their cutthroat comeback. The Steelers needed four plays to reach the end zone. Pittsburgh took over at the 23 yard line following a Rice fumble and Mendenhall scrambled for a 14 yard gain to set up Roethlisberger’s strike to Miller. The home team got the ball back after Flacco was picked off. Pittsburgh tied the score at 21-21 on Hines Ward’s eight yard touchdown reception. Safety Ryan Clark was credited with stripping the ball from Rice and intercepting an overthrowing Flacco for a 17 yard return the other way. Baltimore committed a third turnover in the third quarter on the next possession, much to the delight of the Heinz Field faithful. Matt Birk’s snap was too early for Flacco and Brett Keisel recovered for Pittsburgh. But the game was still knotted at 21 heading into the final stanza.
Baltimore and Pittsburgh traded fourth quarter field goals. Suisham hitt one from 35 yards and Billy Cunduff tied the game again with a 24 yard kick with 3:54 left on the clock. Pittsburgh executed a dramatic drive to finish off their comeback. The Steelers faced third-and-19 at their own 38 yard line when Roethlisberger uncorked a 58 yard pass to rookie Antonio Brown deep in Raven territory. It took Mendenhall three tries, but he managed to break through the Baltimore defense into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with 1:33 left to play. The final was not secured until T.J. Houshmandzadeh dropped a Flacco pass that would have given Baltimore a first down on Pittsburgh terrain. Roethlisberger completed 19-of-32 passes for two touchdowns as the Steelers stymied their division rivals yet again.
Parting Points: Aaron Rodgers is playing out of his mind this post-season, much to nobody’s surprise I suspect.
Showing posts with label Baltimore Ravens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baltimore Ravens. Show all posts
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Monday, November 30, 2009
Dixon’s Dreary Defense Defeated
“Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.”
Dennis Dixon tried to be the difference-maker he once was for the Oregon Ducks. The third-string quarterback filled in for injured Ben Roethlisberger in Sunday night’s Steelers game in Baltimore. Pittsburgh also played without star safety, Troy Polamalu in the game at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens needed an overtime 29 yard field goal by Billy Cundiff to outlast and defeat the Steelers 20-17.
Second round pick, Paul Kruger, changed the game for Baltimore by intercepting a Dixon pass in the extra session. Kruger’s first career pick with under seven minutes left set up the game-winning kick. The Ravens ended a three game losing streak in topping their AFC North rivals. The teams entertain matching records as they head into December football. Baltimore kept their playoffs hopes alive thanks to the overtime rally and a flurry of unseasoned stars stepping up.
The Ravens scored their first first-half touchdown since October 4th last night. Baltimore signal caller, Joe Flacco, completed 23 of 35 passes for 289 yards and one touchdown. Flacco drove the Ravens 73 yards in nine plays on their first possession by completing all five of his tosses. The promising passer smartly spread the ball around. He hit Mark Clayton twice and hooked up with Kelley Washington during the opening drive. Willis McGahee lead a successful Ravens ground game. He provided the 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a two yard run after Ray Rice broke a 19 yard run. McGahee, the former Miami and Fiesta Bowl running back, had 88 of the team’s 132 rushing yards.
The Steelers opened up their offense in the second quarter. Santonio Holmes put Pittsburgh on the board with a 33 yard touchdown pass from Dixon. Holmes finished with 74 yards on six receptions and scored for the first time since week one. Sunday’s touchdown reception also marked the six straight time Holmes has scored against the Ravens. Baltimore answered with seven of their own on their final possession of the first half. Flacco found wideout, Derrrick Mason, in the end zone following a 54 yard toss to Clayton. Mason beat Ike Taylor in the left side of the end zone to lift the Ravens to a 14-7 halftime advantage.
Steelers kicker, Jeff Reed, trimmed the Baltimore lead to 14-10 with a third quarter boot from 44 yards. Rashard Mendenhall turned a short Dixon pass into a 20 yard gain before Reed’s field goal. The Steelers back was five shot of a 100 yard rushing night. Mendenhall carried the ball 24 times for Pittsburgh, as the Steelers tried to drive the ball home on the ground. Quarterback accuracy wasn’t a problem for Dixon. It was the receiving that became a problem late. Rookie receiver, Mike Wallace, missed tying the game when he dropped a pass in the end zone. The Steelers settled for three. Dixon finished with 145 yards and went 12 for 26.
Flacco was stripped of the ball for Baltimore’s second turnover of the half and the number one defense in the AFC sacked him on three plays. It was the third sack that sent the Ravens back eight yards as Flacco fumbled. Lawrence Timmons knocked the ball out of Flacco’s hands and Brett Keisel recovered for the visitors. Following a pair of penalties by each team, Mendenhall scrambled up the middle for 24 yards. Dixon put the Steelers ahead for the first time with a bootleg touchdown run on the next play. The novice quarterback went untouched into the end zone for the fourth-longest run allowed by the stingy Ravens this season.
Baltimore converted a fourth-and-five from their own 46 yard line and settled for a tying field goal from Cundiff to send the game into overtime. Dixon’s pass intended for Holmes resulted in his lone interception. Kruger snagged Dixon’s pass and returned it for 26 yards the other way. Cundiff hammered home the winning three points to hand the defending Superbowl champs their fifth loss of 2009. The game was an important rebound one for Flacco and the Ravens. The intense rivalry game was a step in the right direction for Baltimore. Flacco hasn’t played well against the Steelers in his last three starts. The Pittsburgh defense hounded the passer with ferocity. The current Steelers defense has allowed a fourth quarter lead to slip away in four of their five losses. Dixon gave his team a chance to win, but the defense did not hold the lead. Willie Parker and Mendenhall helped Dixon heat up and the quarterback appeared authoritative through the air. The Steelers secondary was whipped by Flacco’s receivers. Dick LeBeau’s defense should have been able to capitalize on Dixon attacking the Ravens for 17 points. Ray Rice ran through the big defenders with ease. Rice beat tackle after tackle to set up the field goal in the final quarter and erase the only Pittsburgh lead of the game. The Steelers picked off Flacco five times in their previous two meetings. They were a more unified defense then. Last night, the same club looked troubled from the ends to the insides to the corners. They allowed the Ravens receivers to pull down passes for huge gains. In doing so, the Steelers gained didn’t gain anything of their own, except another loss.
Parting Points: Poem for the day- Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven”.
Did anyone not deem Charlie Weis was accountable for Notre Dame’s dismal 2009? He didn’t come close to a championship level in South Bend.
Happy Cyber Monday!
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.”
Dennis Dixon tried to be the difference-maker he once was for the Oregon Ducks. The third-string quarterback filled in for injured Ben Roethlisberger in Sunday night’s Steelers game in Baltimore. Pittsburgh also played without star safety, Troy Polamalu in the game at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens needed an overtime 29 yard field goal by Billy Cundiff to outlast and defeat the Steelers 20-17.
Second round pick, Paul Kruger, changed the game for Baltimore by intercepting a Dixon pass in the extra session. Kruger’s first career pick with under seven minutes left set up the game-winning kick. The Ravens ended a three game losing streak in topping their AFC North rivals. The teams entertain matching records as they head into December football. Baltimore kept their playoffs hopes alive thanks to the overtime rally and a flurry of unseasoned stars stepping up.
The Ravens scored their first first-half touchdown since October 4th last night. Baltimore signal caller, Joe Flacco, completed 23 of 35 passes for 289 yards and one touchdown. Flacco drove the Ravens 73 yards in nine plays on their first possession by completing all five of his tosses. The promising passer smartly spread the ball around. He hit Mark Clayton twice and hooked up with Kelley Washington during the opening drive. Willis McGahee lead a successful Ravens ground game. He provided the 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a two yard run after Ray Rice broke a 19 yard run. McGahee, the former Miami and Fiesta Bowl running back, had 88 of the team’s 132 rushing yards.
The Steelers opened up their offense in the second quarter. Santonio Holmes put Pittsburgh on the board with a 33 yard touchdown pass from Dixon. Holmes finished with 74 yards on six receptions and scored for the first time since week one. Sunday’s touchdown reception also marked the six straight time Holmes has scored against the Ravens. Baltimore answered with seven of their own on their final possession of the first half. Flacco found wideout, Derrrick Mason, in the end zone following a 54 yard toss to Clayton. Mason beat Ike Taylor in the left side of the end zone to lift the Ravens to a 14-7 halftime advantage.
Steelers kicker, Jeff Reed, trimmed the Baltimore lead to 14-10 with a third quarter boot from 44 yards. Rashard Mendenhall turned a short Dixon pass into a 20 yard gain before Reed’s field goal. The Steelers back was five shot of a 100 yard rushing night. Mendenhall carried the ball 24 times for Pittsburgh, as the Steelers tried to drive the ball home on the ground. Quarterback accuracy wasn’t a problem for Dixon. It was the receiving that became a problem late. Rookie receiver, Mike Wallace, missed tying the game when he dropped a pass in the end zone. The Steelers settled for three. Dixon finished with 145 yards and went 12 for 26.
Flacco was stripped of the ball for Baltimore’s second turnover of the half and the number one defense in the AFC sacked him on three plays. It was the third sack that sent the Ravens back eight yards as Flacco fumbled. Lawrence Timmons knocked the ball out of Flacco’s hands and Brett Keisel recovered for the visitors. Following a pair of penalties by each team, Mendenhall scrambled up the middle for 24 yards. Dixon put the Steelers ahead for the first time with a bootleg touchdown run on the next play. The novice quarterback went untouched into the end zone for the fourth-longest run allowed by the stingy Ravens this season.
Baltimore converted a fourth-and-five from their own 46 yard line and settled for a tying field goal from Cundiff to send the game into overtime. Dixon’s pass intended for Holmes resulted in his lone interception. Kruger snagged Dixon’s pass and returned it for 26 yards the other way. Cundiff hammered home the winning three points to hand the defending Superbowl champs their fifth loss of 2009. The game was an important rebound one for Flacco and the Ravens. The intense rivalry game was a step in the right direction for Baltimore. Flacco hasn’t played well against the Steelers in his last three starts. The Pittsburgh defense hounded the passer with ferocity. The current Steelers defense has allowed a fourth quarter lead to slip away in four of their five losses. Dixon gave his team a chance to win, but the defense did not hold the lead. Willie Parker and Mendenhall helped Dixon heat up and the quarterback appeared authoritative through the air. The Steelers secondary was whipped by Flacco’s receivers. Dick LeBeau’s defense should have been able to capitalize on Dixon attacking the Ravens for 17 points. Ray Rice ran through the big defenders with ease. Rice beat tackle after tackle to set up the field goal in the final quarter and erase the only Pittsburgh lead of the game. The Steelers picked off Flacco five times in their previous two meetings. They were a more unified defense then. Last night, the same club looked troubled from the ends to the insides to the corners. They allowed the Ravens receivers to pull down passes for huge gains. In doing so, the Steelers gained didn’t gain anything of their own, except another loss.
Parting Points: Poem for the day- Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven”.
Did anyone not deem Charlie Weis was accountable for Notre Dame’s dismal 2009? He didn’t come close to a championship level in South Bend.
Happy Cyber Monday!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Troy Takes Tenacious Team to Tampa with Timely Touchdown
Troy Polamalu outplayed Ed Reed. Yes, the Steelers’ star safety scrambled for a 40 yard interception return for a touchdown Sunday to carry Pittsburgh to the promised land. Reed was the highly touted safety in the game but the Raven was overshadowed by his nemesis on the other end. Hines and Holmes had their highlights, Ben proved pocket-perfect and Tomlin typified terrible towel tradition. But the real hero, Polamalu, is the reason Pittsburgh will be in their 7th Superbowl.
Peppy Pittsburgh tackled well and harassed the rookie quarterback from Baltimore. The Steelers won the Superbowl three years ago and some of the same players remain. They are no strangers to the big game but it will be a different feel for Roethlisberger. He did not have an outstanding Superbowl and now will have a chance to redeem himself with a mismatch against Arizona.
The 23-14 win was a battle of pure defense during championship Sunday. Joe Flacco had three costly interceptions for Baltimore. Ben had zero. Roethlisberger’s maturity and apparent experience in these situations was an important factor last week and will help determine the team’s outcome in two weeks. The chances are good he will step up again. He’s been through the elements of playoff football. Ben’s 65 yard pass to wideout, Santonio Holmes, allowed the Steelers a two-score lead in the second quarter. The defense was exceptional, holding the Ravens scoreless in two quarters. Willis McGahee, the Ravens running back, had two touchdowns but was knocked out of the game on a brutal Ryan Clarke hit late in the game. Clarke had 8 tackles for Pittsburgh. James Farrior had 6 tackles and Lamar Woodley had two sacks as 65,000 plus fans waved their terrible towels in snowy Heinz Field.
The scene is set and the game should be a nice finish to the season. Go Steelers!
Parting points: I was sad to see Leyton Hewitt already knocked out of the Australian Open. I know he’s coming off an injury, but it would have been nice to see him advance a little farther in his homeland.
Peppy Pittsburgh tackled well and harassed the rookie quarterback from Baltimore. The Steelers won the Superbowl three years ago and some of the same players remain. They are no strangers to the big game but it will be a different feel for Roethlisberger. He did not have an outstanding Superbowl and now will have a chance to redeem himself with a mismatch against Arizona.
The 23-14 win was a battle of pure defense during championship Sunday. Joe Flacco had three costly interceptions for Baltimore. Ben had zero. Roethlisberger’s maturity and apparent experience in these situations was an important factor last week and will help determine the team’s outcome in two weeks. The chances are good he will step up again. He’s been through the elements of playoff football. Ben’s 65 yard pass to wideout, Santonio Holmes, allowed the Steelers a two-score lead in the second quarter. The defense was exceptional, holding the Ravens scoreless in two quarters. Willis McGahee, the Ravens running back, had two touchdowns but was knocked out of the game on a brutal Ryan Clarke hit late in the game. Clarke had 8 tackles for Pittsburgh. James Farrior had 6 tackles and Lamar Woodley had two sacks as 65,000 plus fans waved their terrible towels in snowy Heinz Field.
The scene is set and the game should be a nice finish to the season. Go Steelers!
Parting points: I was sad to see Leyton Hewitt already knocked out of the Australian Open. I know he’s coming off an injury, but it would have been nice to see him advance a little farther in his homeland.
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