Steelers get out-coached & ‘Tebowed’ in early playoff exit

This write-up will be constructed a lot differently than my previous columns here. Normally I branch my articles together, beginning with a cumulative review of the big picture for each team, and then write a detailed report that encompasses all of the scores, big drives, and stats to make the reader feel fully enveloped and educated on the games events. Truth be told, I was really excited and looking forward to this game. Not just because of how much the matchup favored the Steelers on a personal fan level, but for my first chance to really include my opinions on the media circus that is Tim Tebow. As a fan, journalist, and opinionated person in general, this topic was one I'd been waiting to throw my 2 cents into for months now.

Let me get this out of the way immediately: I have nothing against Tim Tebow as a person. I've never heard a single person utter one bad syllable about him, so I imagine he's as great a guy as there is. I'm glad there's an athlete in the spotlight these days who is known as a Christian. As a man of faith myself, I respect Tim's beliefs (although I don't appreciate people mocking the 'Tebow'ing pose', better known as genuflecting). But this is football. If it were the National Christian League, then Tebow would be a hall of famer...but it's not. His job is to play quarterback, just as my job here is to report his ability to do so. So to summarize the opinion portion of this write-up, it is terribly un-fair to give a guy a job like that due to a popularity contest. Never before have we seen a QB complete just 2 passes to win a game, or have as bad a stretch as he did in the final two weeks of the regular season. I may get blasted for saying this (more so considering the result in this game), but Tebow is a complete laughable disaster at his position, a joke to QB's everywhere, and a glorified fullback. Those words would not come so harshly if not for the coverage and hype surrounding Tim's every move, but I digress.

And now, to completely eat my own words. Not to be lost in all this banter, but there was a playoff game going on. One that started with Pittsburgh opening hotly, converting on two solid drives for FG's on offense, and a defense that posted 9 men in the box to stifle Denver's running game. That strategy worked early on, holding Denver to just 8 yards and no first downs in the first quarter. Denver though, would answer strongly in the second, to the tune of 20 straight points. Tebow recognized the Steelers run-stopping plan, and started throwing over the top. Steelers star CB Ike Taylor had possibly the worst game of his career, getting plastered time and time again by Broncos ace WR Demaryius Thomas. Thomas had two 50+ yard catches in the next two drives, and Tebow began faking the Steelers' ends out of their shoes with the same option play on repeat, en route to an 8 yard TD of his own. After a costly Steeler botched snap by backup center Doug Legursky, the Steelers go into the half down 20-6.

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Pittsburgh came out with heart, as they rallied in the second half. Big Ben, injured ankle and all, hit on all cylinders in a long drive that ended in a Mike Wallace one yard rushing TD, bringing the deficit down to 20-13. Tebow continues to adjust to the Steeler D, and executes a great balance between pinpoint sideline passes, and the shotgun option (both of which have the Steel Curtain more confused than I've ever seen them in my 20+ years as a fan). The fourth quarter was as action-packed as any game we'd seen all season, which opens with both teams trading 30+ yard FG's. Tebow is still hitting passes more accurately than ever and Big Ben is hobbling around valiantly on one leg, making plays as if there's nobody tougher. Suddenly, Pitt's defense finally makes a play, as the returning Lamarr Woodley forces a fumble which Ryan Mundy recovers, and Ben scrambles and finds Jericho Cotchery for the tying score.

Now it was a matter of which disabled QB could take the reins with 3:48 remaining. The Pittsburgh defense holds Team Tebow to 20 yards and regains the ball with 1:37 to go. Though oddly enough, the offensive playcallers don't seem to be trusting Ben to take the reigns as he normally does in clutch-time. They fail to call plays quickly or manage time outs properly, as the Denver D steps up with a sack to end regulation. With the game tied at 23, the referees then explain to us the new overtime rules. I won't do that here, because it is moot. Denver gets the ball first and never looks back. Steelers D coordinator Dick LeBeau is a hall of fame genius, but he failed to switch his scheme and do what brought his team to the dance (zone blitzes). As Troy Polamalu attacks the line, Tebow quickly hits a crossing pattern to Thomas for the 80 yard score, and the Steelers get 'Tebow'ed' in the clutch. Tebow finished with 316 and 3 total TD's, in the best game of his career to date. Thomas procured 204 yards of that success. Issac Redman stood out for the Steelers with a career high 121 yards in his rare start, but for now, the Steelers go home way sooner than expected, as Taylor, LeBeau, and poor clock management take blame for a quick playoff exit. Despite my (and many others) feelings about Tebow, he stepped up big-time in the spotlight and finally showed some signs of reading a legitimate NFL defense and improving, as the Broncos Cinderella storybook turns its page to Foxburough next week. It's been a great season and a ton of fun, thanks everyone!

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

By Jason Burke
Pro Football Fans Pittsburgh Steelers Correspondent