No panic in Big Ben
PITTSBURGH 鈥� There was no tremendous hurry when the Steelers embarked on their 97-yard game-winning drive in Sunday鈥檚 37-27 win over Detroit.
No reason to hurry, right? Not with 12:49 remaining. Plenty of time to move down the field, score a touchdown and leave Matt Stafford and the Lions little time to respond.
鈥淭here was no panic by anybody,鈥� receiver Antonio Brown said.
The Lions had just botched a fake field goal. Instead of kicking a field goal for a seven-point lead, the Lions decided to send their punter up the middle for a touchdown that would have sealed the win for Detroit.
鈥淚 got hit by a 350-pound man,鈥� punter Sam Martin said, in reference to Steve McClendon, when asked what happened. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I had the first down, but regardless that guy made a great play. When you looked at it initially, it was a big hole.鈥�
So, when Ben Roethlisberger and the offense took the field 97 yards away from the end zone, there was no panic, just some advice from a guy who had done this before.
鈥淚t was a situation where I told the guys, first and foremost, let鈥檚 get a first down,鈥� Roethlisberger said. 鈥淚f we get a first down, then you see where you go.鈥�
One first down, Le鈥橵eon Bell was stopped for no gain and, on second down with Mike Adams in as an extra tight end, Bell managed one yard.
So now it鈥檚 third-and-nine, time to panic?
No, time to make a play.
Roethlisberger passes to Brown for 16 yards and a new set of downs.
鈥淎ntonio Brown made a great catch, a contested catch,鈥� Roethlisberger said. 鈥淚 think the preparation was good for everybody.鈥�
Not only did Brown secure a first down, his catch kind of opened the playbook for Roethlisberger and the rest of the offense.
Heath Miller made a 9-yard catch and Bell ran up the middle for five yards and another first down. Roethlisberger finds Miller down the middle for 21 yards and, suddenly, the Steelers are moving the ball.
But Bell was stopped for a 2-yard loss and Brown can鈥檛 come up with a catch. Third-and-12 and Roethlisberger runs to the right and goes head-first for the stick. He comes two yards short.
Fourth-and-2. Timeout, Steelers.
鈥淚 just have to do what I can to get the first down on third down. I have to prepare myself to do better in that situation,鈥� Roethlisberger said. 鈥淲e called timeout just so I could make sure there was no rush. It鈥檚 an important down, let鈥檚 make sure we get it.鈥�
The call 鈥渇rom the get-go,鈥� according to Roethlisberger, was a screen pass to Bell and the play was not changed during the timeout.
Bell catches the pass and picks up three yards, good for another first down at the Detroit 33, 6:53 still on the clock. No time to panic, just do what you do.
Of course, the middle part of the 16-play drive was run from the no-huddle, which has become a Roethlisberger specialty.
He passed to Jonathan Dwyer for 13 yards, incomplete to Brown and adds a 19-yard pass to Jerricho Cotchery that carries to the Detroit 1-yard line.
Now Detroit is calling timeout with 5:39 still on the clock.
Two passes fall incomplete, but a flag accompanies the second one. Pass interference, new set of downs, 5:30 on the clock. Dwyer runs for no gain before Roethlisberger finds Will Johnson for the touchdown.
A thing of beauty, that鈥檚 what it was. It鈥檚 also what we鈥檝e come to expect from Roethlisberger.
缅北禁地 editor Mike Ciarochi may be reached at mciarochi@heraldstandard.com.