Tidbits, thoughts and anecdotes from Heinz Field as the Broncos grapple with the Steelers:
6:37 P.M. EST: Jake Plummer opens the final quarter with an incomplete pass for Stephen Alexander, forcing a Paul Ernster punt.
6:40 P.M. EST: Demetrin Veal came achingly close to notching Denver’s third interception of the day; Ben Roethlisberger’s errant pass went into his hands, but he couldn’t quite hang on. One play later, Veal, Elvis Dumervil and others get to Roethlisberger at the 1-yard-line, forcing a fumble that the quarterback manages to recover.
6:41 P.M. EST: Darrent Williams has a future in the legal industry. His objection to the unnecessary-roughness penalty was sustained, and after it was initially announced by referee Walt Anderson to the Denver cornerback, it was reversed to go against his doppelganger in black and gold, Anthony Smith. Denver begins the possession at the Pittsburgh 17.
6:46 P.M. EST: First-and-goal from the Pittsburgh 7 … and these next three downs could end up determining the game. Mike Bell begins py piling through for three yards amidst a morass of players on the left side of the field.
6:47 P.M. EST: Jake Plummer’s pocket collapses as Aaron Smith and Joey Porter chase him down to the right side; Smith gets credit for the sack.
6:48 P.M. EST: Javon Walker, 10 yards, touchdown. Sounds familiar. His second 10-yard score of the day — and, like the first-quarter score, it was a throw that Jake Plummer made splendidly, lofting it to the outside and out of position for a potential interception — stretches Denver’s edge back to 11 points with 11:16 left.
6:52 P.M. EST: Both Champ Bailey and John Lynch — as well as Sam Brandon — missed opportunities to tackle Hines Word. Sixty-three yards later, Domonique Foxworth gets the stop, but the Steelers are now back in scoring range — and need only a field goal to get back within one score.
6:53 P.M. EST: A delay-of-game penalty and a sack later, the Steelers have second-and-21 at the Denver 28.
6:55 P.M. EST: Pittsburgh gets 17 of those yards back — enough to give Jeff Reed position for a 29-yard field goal, trimming the lead to one score — 28-20.
6:59 P.M. EST: Sixty-one yards later, the Broncos are back in scoring range as this game turns into an exchange of downfield sprints.
7:01 P.M. EST: The elevator leaves soon … and so must I. We’ll have postgame thoughts later tonight.
Tags: Pittsburgh Steelers