Blame Arians

31
28

I'm a college student. I have class every Sunday night. Usually this doesn't present a problem. Tonight it did. I missed the first quarter.


You may say "He runs a Steelers blog! How could he miss a game?!" Well, I want to graduate and class attendance is mandatory. And besides, I'm just one person running a blog. And I still update more than those guys over at The Steelers Blog. They haven't actually done a recap since the Cardinals game.


So here's your forewarning: the first quarter recap is shoddy. All I know is what I've heard from people.

Everyone knew the story coming into the game. Denver had the worst run defense in the league. By far. Willie Parker and Najeh are a solid combo. The Steelers are a power team, everyone knows we're going to run the ball, right?

You must be joking.

We run 3 pass plays and gain 43 yards before Parker touches the ball. No gain. Two more passes ensue. Parker dashes for 3 down to the 1. 2nd and Goal from the 1. You know what that means...

7-0. Early lead looks good.

But then Denver gets the ball. Someone forgot to tell our defense how to cover 3 recievers. The defense doesn't force a 3rd down until Denver is on the Steelers 15. That just happened to be the same play Cutler hit Stokley for a score. 7-7.

Now the Steelers want to try and run. Parker for 7. Sweet, let's go to him a few more times. Oh wait, Arians likes to throw. Two incompletions later Superman is on to punt. Way to waste a great first down play.


Denver converts a 3rd and 12 to keep their drive alive but is forced to punt 4 plays later.

At this point Parker has 3 carries for 10 yards. That's pretty solid. What do we do against a Tampa-2 that has safties sitting back so you can't throw deep? Throw it deep. Interception.


Cutler seems like he's going to pick us apart again, but Anthony Smith (from the 'Cuse) steps up with a huge interception in the end zone to get the ball back.

Arians might be realizing his play calling sucks. So he goes back to the bread and butter. Parker for 4. Parker for 27. Naj' for 3. Parker for 3. Incomplete pass. Punt. Argh. This guy who sits next to me at Hienz Field always screams "RUN THE BALL." (Section 107 if anyone knows). The Steelers should hire him to stand next to Arians and scream the whole game.

In emanation of the Steelers, Denver goes run-run-pass-punt.


Parker loses 4 yards on 2 plays, but a solid play by Holmes keeps the drive alive. Ward barely drops a pass over the middle. Coach challenges. I think the altitude might have been getting to his head here. This wasn't the best idea in the world. Two plays later Ben throws a ball behind Ward that he tips into the air and gets intercepted.


Denver marches 40 yards for the score. 14-7 bad guys.


Parker for 7. Bad snap by Mahan, Ben holds on and hits Heath for a big gain down the middle. Arians tries to call a screen. Ben throws it at Parker's feet with a guy in his face. Another bad snap by Mahan and the O-line looks like the Maginot Line as Ben gets hit trying to pick up the ball. Broncos recover the fumble and take it to the house. 21-7.

Actual picture of the Steelers Offensive line.
Kendall Simmons is represented by "Sedan" on the map.

Down by 14 with just over 2 minutes in the first half, I guess we have to pass.


Sack. Then Hines steps up and makes a few big grabs to get us out near midfield. Naj' converts a big third and short. Hines again down to the 31. We're in field goal range. Remember that.


The Maginot Line breaks down again and Ben has to scramble for his life. Incomplete pass. Ben comes back and scrambles around again and hits Hines with a huge pass to get down to the 19...

Holding. Offense Number 73, 10-yard penalty.

2nd and 20. 14 seconds left. Ball on the 41. A safe play puts us in solid field goal range. Or the Maginot line could let them through. Sack. Reed falls short on a 65-yard field goal to end the half. Stupid play calling.

Denver comes out, seeming intent to drive the ball, but Larry Foote makes a great leaping interception to get us the ball back. Parker twice for basically nothing. Ben forced to scramble, picks up the first down with his own legs. Parker dashes for 15. Ben hits Holmes across the middle in double coverage for a huge score. 21-14.

So you're saying there's a chance.

James "Silverback" Harrison and LaMarr "I'm a Freaking Beast" Woodley come up with sacks on the next drive, but Denver converts two 3rd and 14's and opens the lead back up. 28-14.

The Steelers start in the shadow of their own goalposts. Holmes picks up a first down then the refs tack on 15 more for a late hit out of bounds by John Lynch. Ben hits Parker with a short pass that he takes for 22. Then Parker dashes for 24. Incomplete pass. Ben scrambles for 8. Parker dives for the sticks on 3rd down. Terrible spot, but Ben plows through on 4th down. Next play, Spaeth from 13 yards out. 28-21.

Denver goes 3-and out. Now's the time. 7 minutes to go. We can do it. Two passes to Holmes for a first down. Parker does basically nothing but Hines pulls in a big catch for 16 yards on 3rd down. The refs missed a false start penalty on us here, but I'm not complaining. Short pass to Parker and he darts inside the Broncos 40. The Maginot Line strikes back as Ben is sacked and Simmons is called for holding.

Ben sparks hope and hits Ward to bring it back to 3rd and 10. Great slant route by Wilson to convert. Parker for 4 more, bringing him to 93 yards on 21 carries. 4.4 yards per carry tonight for Parker and we only ran the ball 26 of our 61 plays. And two of those were supposed to be passes that Ben had to scramble on because the O-line choked.

Back to the game. Swing pass to Carey Davis to get inside the 15. And...

TOUCHDOWN.
Heath was open all night.
28-28

1:10 left to go. All we need is the defense to hold. Cutler starts picking apart the Prevent defense in the face of a 4-man rush. LeBeau doesn't blitz until they're at midfield. Cutler makes a shaky throw, but the catch is upheld by replay. Denver is down to the 30. Elam time.

Now I understand why the Romans had vomitoria.
31-28.
Game over.

By the numbers:
0-number of important running situations when I can remember seeing Dan Krieder on the field. Why isn't he playing?
1-the number of more games we can keep playing stupid like this. Play Krieder. Run the ball.
3-the number of touchdown catches by our tight ends tonight.
4-Heath Miller's total touchdowns on the season. And the cumulative total of all of our Wide Reciever's touchdowns.
8- number of different recievers Ben threw to tonight
39- The percentage of running plays actually called by Bruce Arians against the worst run defense in the league.