Although a Steeler victory did nothing to save a lost season, it did prove to themselves, and the fans, that they haven't given up.
In the first half, the Steeler Defense continued their recent trend of giving up the big play. Fred Lane ran untouched 41 yards into the end zone. Then, they gave up the longest pass reception in franchise history when Patrick Jeffers caught an 88 yard touchdown strike from Steve Beuerlein. With 13 seconds left in the half, and on 4th and 10, Jeffers caught a 43 yard desperation pass for a touchdown.
We have come to expect that would have been the beginning of the end for the Steelers. But then, the tonic the team has been looking for arrived. It started snowing!
The cold wet flurries seemed to rejuvenate the Defense, and they reverted to playing STEELER football once again. Steve Beuerlein was limited to 54 yards passing in the second half, and the Defense didn't allow any more points. There were no more big plays allowed, and the Defense as a whole decided to follow the example Levon Kirkland had been setting.
Kirkland had a monster day with 10 tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles, including one that resulted in Travis Davis setting a Steeler record with a 102 yard return.
With the snow falling, and the Defense shutting down Carolina's 2nd ranked passing offense, there was only one thing left to do. Hop on the Bus!
And hop on the Bus they did! Bettis was back to being the work horse of old. He had 33 carries on the day for 137 yards, and the game clinching touchdown. With the game still in doubt, they handed Bettis the ball 9 times on their final 11 play drive. He responded with 38 yards, 4 of them on a fourth down and 1 play. He then drove 8 yards to the end zone to seal the victory.
This is the kind of play we have been expecting from the team all year long. The question must be asked- "Where has it been"? Well for one thing, the Offensive line finally started opening some holes. Richard Huntley added to Bettis' totals with 72 yards of his own on only 7 carries. Tomczak had such good protection he was sacked only once on the day. Shar Pourdanesh shut down Kevin Greene, and didn't allow him near his Quarterback. The line played so well, that the Steelers were able to have over 35 minutes in time of possession. If the line could have played this well all year long, we wouldn't be asking ourselves what went wrong with the season.
Steeler football has always been running the ball, and wearing out the opposition. On Sunday, the line opened the holes, and the Running Backs responded. Sure, the season might be a waste, but this day provided us with the hope that the Steelers aren't as bad as they appear. Maybe all they need is consistent play from the Offensive line. A healthy Dawson, Farris, and Strzelczyk will help to accomplish that goal.
As for now, the Titans await. The Steelers should be going in with a little more confidence than last time.
by SteelerGil (Dec. 27, 99)