Oakland Coach Bill Callahan promised not to copy the air raid the Patriots dropped on the Steelers last week. Instead, the Raiders took the passing game to a new dimension in Heinz Field last night.
The word is out: The road through Pittsburgh goes through the skies.
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Kordell Stewart fumbles a snap inside the Raiders' 5-yard line in the second quarter last night. The Steelers lost four fumbles. (Matt Freed, Post-Gazette photos) |
Rich Gannon threw 64 passes last night and for the second consecutive week all those balls in the air befuddled the once-proud Steelers defense.
Despite a one-man starring show by linebacker Joey Porter (two interceptions, three sacks), the Steelers' defense -- ranked No. 1 in the NFL last season -- could not contain Gannon and his skywalkers.
Oakland beat the Steelers, 30-17, to run its record to 2-0. The befuddled Steelers, the preseason favorites from the AFC to reach the Super Bowl, slipped to 0-2 entering their bye week.
"Right now we're not a good football team," Coach Bill Cowher said. "We didn't expect them to come out throwing the way they did. ... I thought they would try to run the football."
The Raiders ran just 17 times for 95 yards. Gannon completed 43 of his passes -- two shy of the NFL record -- for 403 yards, following a plan Callahan said they mapped out against the Steelers "in the off-season." New England's success against the Steelers through the air, he said, only reinforced that they were right in their offensive game plan.
The Raiders scored on Charlie Garner's 36-yard run, Jerry Porter's 21-yard catch from Gannon, a 96-yard kickoff return by Terry Kirby and three Sebastian Janikowski field goals of 41, 45 and 27 yards.
Hines Ward caught two touchdown passes from Kordell Stewart of 34 and 5 yards and Todd Peterson kicked a 46-yard field goal for the Steelers.
"We created situations that teams are going to incorporate," Cowher said. "Until we show we can stop it, we're going to see it."
Callahan said his offense would not drop back to throw 25 consecutive passes the way New England did last week. They did not. Instead, Gannon opened the game with 10 consecutive passes. He threw 17 on the first 18 and dropped back to throw 20 consecutive times through the second quarter.
By halftime, Gannon threw 41 passes, two short of what Tom Brady tossed in the entire game last week for New England.
Kirby also threw a halfback pass to give Oakland 65 passes as a team. That broke the franchise record of 59. It was three short of an opponent's record against the Steelers.
The Steelers lost four fumbles, three recovered by former Steelers safety Rod Woodson to tie an NFL record. One came when Kordell Stewart fumbled a snap on first down at Oakland's three. The last came with four minutes left when wide receiver Plaxico Burress caught a pass at the Raiders' 29 and fumbled without being stripped of the ball.
"First and goal," Cowher said. "We fumble the ball. It's the same place we were a week ago and came away with no points."
Stewart completed 18 of 34 passes for 201 yards two touchdowns and an interception on the game's final play. Ward led the Steelers with seven receptions for 92 yards. Jerome Bettis ran 10 times for 41 yards as the Steelers managed just 72 yards rushing on 18 tries.
"We have two prime time games,"Joey Porter said, "and to go out there and perform the way we did, it hurts."
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Terry Kirby avoids kicker Todd Peterson as he returns a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, restoring the Raiders' 10-point lead. | |
The Raiders moved to the Steelers' 6 on the opening drive behind Gannon's arm, but had to settle for Janikowski's 41-yard-field goal for a 3-0 lead.
The Steelers' offense responded with a scoring drive that included a Ward catch right out of Lynn Swann's highlight video.
On third-and-2 at the Steelers' 38, Stewart threw to Ward on the right. Cornerback Charles Woodson got a hand on the ball, tipping it slightly. Ward turned, his back to the sideline. The ball went behind him and he reached around with his right arm, pulled it in and fell on his backside. Officials ruled it a good catch. Callahan challenged the ruling, but the call was upheld.
Stewart hit Antwaan Randle El on a slant on third-and-3 and Randle El took it 17 yards to the 34.
Ward then blew past cornerback Tory James to find himself 5 yards in the open, Stewart hit him at the 15 and he easily ran in for a 34-yard touchdown reception to give the Steelers a 7-3 lead.
The Oakland offense took that and raised them one, charging right back down field on its next possession to cover 71 yards on seven plays. All were passes except for the last one, a 36-yard run by Garner. He blew through the Steelers' blitzing defense off the left side and went untouched.
That put the Raiders back on top, 10-7 in the first quarter.
They threatened to add to their lead on their next possession as again they moved downfield easily behind Gannon's passes. He threw on every play of the series, but his eighth pass got him into trouble.
Kirby ran a post and Gannon threw the ball toward him, but Joey Porter cut in front, intercepted it at the 3 and returned it 30 yards.
Later, a 20-yard pass interference penalty by Charles Woodson on Plaxico Burress gave the Steelers a first down at the 3. But from there, Stewart fumbled the snap, Rod Woodson recovered and the Raiders began another scoring drive from the 10.
First, they moved back to the 5 when Joey Porter sacked Gannon on first down. Then, they stuck it to the Steelers' defense, converting third downs as if they were missionaries. (They made 12 of 20 in the game).
The Raiders moved 95 yards down field (officially 90) by converting all five third downs. Three of them were long ones, including Gannon's strike to WVU grad Jerry Porter on third-and-10, which beat Chad Scott for a 21-yard touchdown pass.
That gave the Raiders a 17-7 lead with 1:44 to go in the half.
The Steelers ended the half on Peterson's 46-yard field goal after Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala blocked a punt.
The Raiders opened the second half, after stopping a short Steelers drive, with a Janikowski field goal of 45 yards for a 20-10 lead.
Oakland appeared to be going in for the kill with just over 2 minutes to go in the third quarter. The Raiders had a second down at the 4. Gannon dropped back to throw his 57th pass of the game, to Jerry Rice in the end zone. But again, Joey Porter cut in front of him and intercepted his second pass at the 3. He returned it to the Raiders' 15, where he handed off to Chad Scott, who covered the final 15 for a touchdown.
Callahan challenged the call and it was overturned by replay. With a 5-yard penalty, it gave the Steelers' offense a first down at the 20.
This time, they took it home. Bettis ran three times for 15 yards and, after an incompletion, Stewart rolled right and threw a 5-yard touch pass to Ward on the final play of the third quarter.
Instead of being possibly 17 points down, the turnaround left the Steelers trailing by just three.
"If we would have won, it would gave been a good game for me," Porter said.
The next play would take care of that. Peterson kicked off and Kirby promptly returned it 96 yards for a touchdown and a 27-17 Raiders lead with 14:46 to go.
Stewart came out firing on the next series, but it lasted just one play. He completed a 13-yard pass to Ward, who fumbled when hit by Charles Woodson. The Raiders did nothing with it, but a series later Janikowski missed a 46-yard field goal.
Trailing by 10 with more than 8 minutes left, the Steelers still had time, but Amos Zereoue fumbled at the Raiders' 41 and that virtually ended matters for them.
Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3878.
Steelers' pass defense shredded once again as Gannon throws for 403 yards 
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