Don't blame the defense. Not this time.

The beleagured Steelers defensive unit can certainly be faulted for losses at Arizona, Denver, the New York Jets and at home against Jacksonville during the regular season.

The opponent drove downfield for game-winning scores at the end of all those games.

On the surface, it appeared the defense let the Steelers down again Saturday night, permitting a late drive for the deciding field goal and a 31-29 Jaguars' playoff victory.

Look below the surface and that's not true.

n The defense can only be held accountable for 17 of Jacksonville's points. A 96-yard kickoff return gave the Jaguars the ball at the 1-yard line for one score and Ben Roethlisberger had an interception returned 63 yards for another.

• The defense intercepted David Garrard twice in the second half, getting and maintaining needed momentum for Pittsburgh to get back in the game.

• On the Jaguars' possession before that deciding field goal, the Steeler defense forced a punt by registering a sack of Garrard on third down with four minutes and change left in the game.

When the Jaguars were forced to punt at that point, the defense had done its job.

If the Steelers were truly a championship team, the defense never would have taken the field again.

Facing a third-and-6, less than three minutes to go and Jacksonville burning all its timeouts on defense, the Steelers were a first down away from advancing to the next round.

A first down far too critical to call a naked bootleg on a slippery field. That was playing not to lose.

Calling a more aggressive play would have been playing to win.

The biggest disappointment about Saturday's loss was that Jacksonville melted down in a huge way — and the Steelers let them off the hook by playing too conservatively with the game on the line.

Taking an 18-point lead into the fourth quarter and losing would have been the biggest choke job in NFLplayoff history.

The only one that would have compared was the Houston Oilers blowing a 35-3 lead at Buffalo during the Bills' run of Super Bowl appearances a decade ago.

The Jaguars had a 28-10 lead and had the Steelers facing a third-and-26 late in the third quarter. Then they allow a fourth-and-12 play to go for a touchdown.

In essence, both teams blew this game.

It's hard to question Tomlin's decision to go for the two-point conversions when he did. As the coach said afterward, he didn't have a crystal ball to see how the rest of the game would play out.

Going for two to get within three makes sense. But after a holding penalty, kick the point and see how it plays out..

But none of that matters if the Steelers get that final first down.

Naked boot on third-and-six?

Makes for a long off-season.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle.