Indy achieves rarity

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

November 10, 2008 Last Updated: November 11, 2008 08:24 AM Professional

Referee John Perry aids Ben Roethlisberger, who feels the effect of a hit after throwing an interception shortly before halftime of the Steelers' loss to Indianapolis Sunday.

Colts win in 'Burgh for 1st time since '68

PITTSBURGH — Not a single Indianapolis player could remember the last time the Colts won in Pittsburgh, and for good reason. None of them were alive in 1968.

Many couldn't forget their last loss to the Steelers, in a divisional playoff nearly three years ago that was supposed to be the Colts' first step to a Super Bowl victory. Winning this game, at a point in their season where they can't afford to lose, felt a little more special.

Maybe the Colts didn't erase the hurt they felt after that out-of-nowhere loss to Pittsburgh in January 2006, but their 24-20 comeback victory Sunday took away some of the frustration that followed their 3-4 start this season.

"People aren't really expecting us to win, so it is a different type of football that we've been playing," quarterback Peyton Manning said after throwing three touchdown passes, the last a 17-yard game-winner to Dominic Rhodes with about three minutes left. "We truly are kind of fightin' and scratchin' and clawin' and trying to find a way in the fourth quarter to win."

Or exactly what kid brother Eli Manning did two weeks before in Pittsburgh when, with the Steelers up 14-12 late, he threw a go-ahead touchdown pass — yes, with about three minutes remaining — to rally the Giants to a 21-14 win.

Only the Giants are the reigning Super Bowl champions. The Colts (5-4) are breaking in new players throughout their lineup and are fighting numerous injuries and their poor start, yet they overcame Pittsburgh leads of 7-0 and 17-7.

Ben Roethlisberger had a lot to do with Pittsburgh taking those leads. He also had a lot to do with the Steelers (6-3) losing them, along with their AFC North lead over Baltimore (6-3).

"You'll never hear me say 'I' anything, but I lost this game," said Roethlisberger, who appeared to be crying into a towel when reporters entered the locker room. "I take it on myself. I let the guys down on offense and defense. It hurts, but we'll learn from it."

Maybe he could learn this from Manning: sometimes the best pass is the one a quarterback thinks about but doesn't throw.With the Steelers leading by 10 and not threatening with 90 seconds left in the first half, he forced a throw into coverage that Keiwan Ratliff intercepted at the Pittsburgh 30. Manning, not about to pass up such a gift, hit Dallas Clark on a 2-yard touchdown pass with six seconds left before halftime to make it 17-14."We really haven't been getting too many turnovers, so it was important to capitalize," said Manning, who ended 21-of-40 for 240 yards.Manning did so again after Tim Jennings intercepted a Roethlisberger pass with less than five minutes remaining. Pittsburgh led 20-17 following Jeff Reed's 24-yard field goal, after a Colts goal-line stand twice kept the Steelers' Mewelde Moore from scoring from the 1. Moore had scored from there twice in the first half.Rhodes, a backup running back, ran for 15 yards on three plays before slipping out of the backfield to get open for a touchdown that gave the Colts their first lead."Coach (Mike) Tomlin told us all week they are a team that likes to score before the half and at the end of the game," Steelers linebacker James Farrior said. "That's what happened to us."

Roethlisberger drove the Steelers from their 27 to the Colts' 27, but a fourth-down pass intended for Nate Washington on the final play was intercepted by Melvin Bullitt."Some of the balls that bounced against us early on (this season), we got today," coach Tony Dungy said.The Colts were due some luck in Pittsburgh, where they had lost 12 in a row since winning 41-7 in 1968."Forty years is kind of cool. I had no idea," Anthony Gonzalez said. "At this point it's great, but we needed a win for the current team. Obviously, it's a pretty tough place to win."Except for players named Manning, it seems."We hung in there, it truly was a team effort, and this is what we needed," Peyton Manning said.It was exactly what the Steelers didn't need, especially the mistakes. Playing with a separated shoulder, Roethlisberger has thrown eight interceptions in the last 10 quarters and seven in his last two home games."I am not going to make that story and neither is he," Tomlin said, referring to Roethlisberger's health. "He was well enough to play."However, running back Willie Parker (shoulder) and linebacker LaMarr Woodley (calf) weren't, with Parker missing his fifth game in the last six. Moore averaged 101 yards in his first three starts with Parker out, only to be held to 57 yards on 24 carries."It's going to come down to November and December," defensive end Brett Keisel said of the tightened-up AFC North race. "Just the way you like it."