Turnovers again take their toll on Steelers
PITTSBURGH — The banging sound that was heard coming from Heinz Field Sunday was another nail being driven into the coffin that contains what remains of the Steelers' 2006 season.
While Pittsburgh kept an extremely early 14-0 Denver lead from growing in the first half, they failed to capitalize on several sustained drives, scoring only one touchdown and a field goal by the time the half ended.
The Steelers lived to regret those missed opportunities when the Broncos again scored early, this time on a 72-yard end around by Javon Walker just 1 minute and 3 seconds into the third quarter, while 10 points in the fourth quarter stretched the Broncos' advantage as they took a 31-20 victory back to Denver.
As for why the Steelers are now 2-6 and also-rans in the league they conquered last season, just take a look at one of the usual suspects: turnovers.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had 11 interceptions coming into Sunday's game and he left it with three more for a total of 14, while the Steelers fumbled six times and lost three, including one by Santonio Holmes that led to the Broncos' second touchdown in the first four minutes of the game.
"I feel like I'm saying the same thing every week," said head coach Bill Cowher. "We turned the ball over and, consequently, the score was what it was.
It sure does seem like it's déjà vu all over again. Two late turnovers cost the Steelers a 28-20 loss to Cincinnati on Sept. 24. In the Oct. 22 game at Atlanta, the Falcons scored 21 points off of Pittsburgh giveaways in a 41-38 loss and Oakland exploited miscues for 14 points Oct. 29 as the Raiders handed the Steelers a 20-13 defeat.
On Sunday, the Steelers' offense put up big numbers against the Denver defense: 499 total yards, including 403 passing yards by Roethlisberger, but turnovers often thwarted their effort.
One certainly did on the team's first big play of the day. On a fourth-and-2 from the Denver 41 in the first quarter, Roethlisberger hit Cedrick Wilson with a short pass to the right, which he carried 35 yards before he was hit by safety Sam Brandon, causing Wilson to fumble. The Broncos' Darrent Williams recovered at the 6-yard line.
"I guess that's the way it goes," Roethlisberger said about the play. "We've had so many opportunities right off the end of our fingertips.
"Cedrick did a great job getting all the way down there, so you can't get mad at him for anything," he added.
Another crucial turnover came in the second quarter with the Steelers on the Denver 14 on third-and 7 when Roethlisberger lofted a pass toward Wilson that was picked off by Denver's Champ Bailey at the 3 to waste another scoring opportunity.
"They brought the blitz — I tried to throw it away, but just didn't get it far enough," Roethlisberger said. "(Cowher) said, 'Next time, just throw it into the third row or get out and run it — just do what you can."
When asked to explain why his team seemingly can't keep control of the ball, Cowher had no explanation.
"I don't know what to tell you. I'm at a loss for words," he said. "I'm going to continue to talk about it and to stress it, but we've got to do a better job of protecting the football."
As the losses — and turnovers — mount, it's possible that the Steelers will write this season off, just like others already have. The way their heads were hanging when they walked off the field Sunday could mean they are close to doing that.
Cowher said he was confident it won't happen.
"There's a lot of character guys in there," he said. "There's no question it's very disappointing, it's very frustrating"
"It's funny how it works. Sometimes you're at the pinnacle and sometimes you're at the bottom, and we got to fight our way out of this."
