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Monday, January 21, 2002

The tendency is to survey the wreckage of the Baltimore Ravens and note they failed to score an offensive touchdown, managed only a staggering low seven first downs, compiled a measly 150 yards and determined that they had been undone by awesome might of the Steelers' defense.

That would only be partially correct.

As dominating as the defense was in the 27-10 dismantling of the former Super Bowl champions, this victory yesterday at Heinz Field was achieved every bit as much, if not more, by the excellence of the Steelers' offense.

The numbers aren't as glitzy for the offense. Kordell Stewart passed for 154 yards, his lowest output for a full game since Oct. 21 at Tampa Bay. Leading rusher Amos Zereoue managed only 63 yards. The offense as a whole mustered 297 yards, its lowest total since the second week of the season.

That might not sound like much, but with apologies to the Steelers' defense, it was the offense that dominated this game and it is the offense that deserves the major credit for this victory.

One number says it all: 40:45.

That was the Steelers' time of possession. That means the Steelers' offense controlled the ball for more than two-thirds of the game. That means that those spectacular numbers put up by the defense were at least partly attributable to the offense. How could the Baltimore offense do much of anything when it was on the field for only one-third of the game?

There's no questioning that both Steelers units dominated, but should anyone think the offense, because of its less impressive numbers, wasn't equal to the defense, consider the following.

The defense, ranked No. 1 in the NFL, was matched against a Baltimore offense that was ranked No. 14.

The offense, ranked No. 3 in the NFL, was matched against a Baltimore defense that was ranked No. 2.

In other words, the defense was pushing around a unit that was only a good passing attack and a strong running game away from being good.

The offense, however, was pushing around a unit that at this time last year was being heralded as the greatest in NFL history.

Most significant, the offense did its job after being dealt a stunning blow just minutes before the start of the game.

This game was supposed to be the return of Jerome Bettis, the team's premier running back and a future Hall of Famer. Bettis had missed the final five regular-season games with a groin injury but practiced with the first team all week and was expected to be a major factor in the game.

But he had a reaction to a painkilling injection before the game and could not play. It could have been a staggering setback, but the Steelers, who did not learn of Bettis unavailabilty until shortly before game time, chose to use it as a building block to victory

"This football team, all year, has never been about one individual," Coach Bill Cowher said. "This football team has been about a bunch of guys who have taken whatever adversity that has been handed and accepted the challenge."

Tackle Wayne Gandy was one of the players who responded.

"When we heard about the injury, it made things even more exciting for us," Gandy said. "Now we had more to play for. We had a fallen soldier. It was an unexpected happening, just like a turnover, and we had to pick up our game. The guys responded."

Did they ever. On the Steelers' first possession, Zereoue ran for 12 yards, Stewart for 11, and a pass to Bobby Shaw was good for 14. That drive stalled, and the Steelers had to settle for a Kris Brown field goal.

On the next possession, Stewart passed 17 yards to Burress and 20 to Ward, and Zereoue knifed through the line from the 1 to score and give the Steelers a 10-0 lead.

The tone of the game had been not just set, it had been cast in bronze. The once-great Baltimore defense was no match for the Steelers' offense.

"We've come a long way," Ward said. "At the beginning of the year everyone was relying on the defense and the run. Now teams are scared to defend the run because of our passing game.

The offense has achieved a near-perfect balance between the run and the pass. And although the statistics might suggest otherwise, the team as a whole also has achieved near-perfect balance between offense and defense.

Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com.