Foes' big plays a Heinz Field playoff staple
Share with others:
When its gates opened in 2001, Heinz Field generated no unusual atmospherics, no portent other than what the place merely figured to be. As the lair of typically inhospitable Steelers defenses, it loomed as a very difficult place for teams to win, particularly in January.
Which it has been -- for the Steelers.
It is truth that they won the first playoff in Heinz Field history handily, 27-10, against the Baltimore Ravens, whose only touchdown that day came on an 88-yard punt return by Jermaine Lewis. But in Greek mythology, Ravens were notorious carriers of omens (or at least they should have been), and though no one suspected it at the moment, long, spectacular opponent touchdowns with the Steelers' decorated defenses watching helplessly from the sideline have become a postseason staple on the North Side.
Since Lewis' 88-yarder, the Steelers have played five playoff games at Heinz Field, and very nearly lost them all. The two they've won, 20-17 against the New York Jets in the 2004 divisional round, and 36-33 against Cleveland in a 2002 wild-card game, required miracles. To beat the Browns, the Steelers needed two touchdowns in the final 2:24. To beat the Jets, the Steelers needed Jets kicker Doug Brien to miss two field goals in the final 2:02, the first of which clunked the crossbar from 47 yards, the other whistling wide left from 43.
Aviation officials would call the Jets incident a double near miss, but it was classic Heinz Field in January. New York scored only two touchdowns, one on 75-yard punt return by Santana Moss, the other on an 86-yard interception return by Reggie Tongue. The Steelers had a great defense, but you can't defend from the sideline.
A week later, Rodney Harrison took an interception 87 yards as New England swiped its second AFC championship in four years at Heinz Field, the first one having included a 55-yard punt return by Troy Brown and a 49-yard touchdown run by Antwan Harris with a blocked punt.
In six Heinz Field playoff games, the Steelers effectively have allowed seven touchdowns for which their vaunted defenses had no culpability, three punt-return touchdowns, three more on interception returns, and ...
"Maurice Jones-Drew last year," remembered special-teams ace Gary Russell yesterday before practice.
Correct, sir.
The Steelers had just gone ahead, 7-0, against Jacksonville last January when Jones-Drew took the ensuing kickoff 96 yards to the 1, from where Fred Taylor erased the lead in a game the Steelers eventually would lose by two points.
First Published January 8, 2009 12:00 am
