Game Story Assignment by Geofree Capodanno

Reed kicks Steelers to AFC Championship Game in OT
By Geofree Capodanno


PITTSBURGH - For the second week in a row, the New York Jets found themselves in a playoff overtime game. But this time the outcome was different as the Pittsburgh Steelers escaped with a 20-17 win at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The crowd of 64,915 on Saturday evening watched the Steelers advanced to the AFC Championship game next week as kicker Jeff Reed connected for his 19th consecutive field goal, a 33-yarder with a little under four minutes left in overtime. Reed also had a 45-yard field goal in the first quarter.

Jets’ kicker Doug Brien had two chances to seal the fate of the Steelers, but missed consecutive field goal attempts of 47 and 43 yards. After making a 42-yard field goal in the second quarter off of a bad snap, Brien hit the goal post with just under two minutes left in regulation and then kicked one wide left of the goal post with time expiring. “He can make those…he just missed it left,” said Jets’ coach Herman Edwards in his support of Brien. “He’s been a good kicker for us and it’s just a tough day.”

Steelers’ rookie quarterback Ben Rothlisberger, who remained undefeated as a starter, did not have a phenomenal outing going 17 for 30 with 181 yards passing along with a touchdown and two interceptions. The rookie of the year candidate threw one of those interceptions just after the two-minute warning and almost gave the game to the Jets had it not been for Brien’s final missed kick. “It wasn’t me out there today,” Rothlisberger explained about his performance. “I did everything I could to lose the game and luckily our defense did a good job of holding us to the victory.”

Rothlisberger’s poor play was overcome by the spectacular ground attack of running back Jerome Bettis. Bettis had 101 yards rushing with a touchdown in the opening quarter.

Pittsburgh, who is now 16-1 overall this season, did not have a dominant game against the 11-7 Jets, but still wound up with the victory. “We won the game (but) we certainly didn’t play our best game,” Steelers’ head coach Bill Cowher explained it. “We won the game and that’s the most important thing.”

Pittsburgh took a 10-0 lead early after the 45-yard field goal by Reed and Bettis’ three-yard touchdown run. In the second quarter, the Jets cut the lead to seven after Doug Brien kicked a 42-yard field goal. While the Jets’ offense seemed virtually ineffective due to playing the NFL’s top ranked defense, their special teams tied the score after speedy wide receiver Santana Moss returned a 75-yard punt to score with just under four minutes left in the half. It was the Jets’ first punt return for a touchdown in the team’s playoff history. The Jets’ defense not only stalled the Steelers’ offense after their early lead, but they also put them ahead when safety Reggie Tongue returned Rothlisberger’s first interception 86 yards to make the score 17-10 in the third quarter.

The Steelers then tied the contest in the fourth quarter when wide receiver Hines Ward took an inside toss four yards and across the goal line on Rothlisberger’s sole touchdown pass. The score remained that way due to Brien’s two aforementioned missed field goals in regulation and ended on Reed’s winning kick in overtime.

This was the third consecutive overtime game the Jets found themselves in overall after losing to the St. Louis Rams in the regular season finale and defeating the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the playoffs. Jets’ running back and NFL rushing champion Curtis Martin, who contributed with 77 yards rushing, expressed his pain of losing a game that he feels they should have won. “I’ve never been this angry about a game. This is a time in your career where you realize how much more than just a game football is,” said Martin. “The passion we had to win this game and to come away disappointed like this…this is the worst way to end the season.”

While the Jets head back to New York after elimination, the Steelers can look forward to hosting next Sunday’s AFC Championship game. There they will face the winner of the AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Indianapolis Colts and the defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots.