Steelers battered, but survive Colts' late push
INDIANAPOLIS Ben Roethlisberger had his ups and downs Sunday night, but he staged one final clutch drive when the Pittsburgh Steelers needed it most. Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 60 yards in the last 2:09 to set up a game-winning 38-yard field goal by Shaun Suisham and give Pittsburgh a 23-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Lucas Oil Stadium. He did it behind a tattered offensive line that saw right tackle Marcus Gibson leave with a shoulder injury, only to be forced to return at left tackle when Jonathan Scott went down on the final drive because Pittsburgh was down to only five offensive linemen. After starting strong with 10-0 lead, Roethlisberger fumbled twice on sacks and was intercepted - all of which led to Colts??? points and put the Steelers behind. But those turnovers didn't faze him on the final drive. "Bounce back, short memory," Roethlisberger said. The win improved the Steelers' record to 2-1 while the Colts fell to 0-3 for the first time since 1998. Roethlisberger completed 25 of 37 passes for 364 yards, one touchdown and one interception. "It was absolutely awesome to come into a hostile environment and get a road win," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "We haven't done that much, but we were able to make enough plays tonight to make it happen. We're just happy to get a win." It was hardly the easy Pittsburgh win expected by many against the struggling Colts. In fact, the game's final few minutes were as thrilling as any classic Steelers-Colts showdown. With the score tied 13-13, Steelers linebacker James Harrison knocked the football loose from Indianapolis Colts backup quarterback Curtis Painter and safety Troy Polamalu grabbed the ball for a 16-yard touchdown to give Pittsburgh a 20-13 lead with 5:13 left. The Colts weren't dead yet. Painter, who came in for Kerry Collins in the fourth quarter after Collins was diagnosed with a concussion, led a 10-play, 80-yard drive. Painter hit Pierre Garcon on three big passes and Joseph Addai scored on a six-yard run - eluding a Polamalu blitz that nearly disrupted the handoff - to tie the game 20-20 with 2:09 left. "We're still measured around here by wins," Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. "The guys played tough. They played hard. There's evidence we're getting a little better. But the key is we have to win." Roethlisberger's arm strength and touch burned the Colts early in the game when he found his new favorite receiver, Mike Wallace, for an 81-yard first-quarter score. Wallace found his opening behind Colts linebacker Pat Angerer and beat backup safety David Caldwell's late help. The touchdown put the Steelers up 10-0 with 3:29 left in the quarter. Wallace finished with five catches for 144 yards. From there, the Colts defense set the tone until late in the game. The Colts??? much-maligned defense changed momentum in the second quarter on three big plays on Big Ben: two sacks for forced fumbles and an interception. Colts defensive end Robert Mathis nailed Roethlisberger first, giving the Colts the ball at the 50-yard line. The Colts turned that turnover into a short drive and 21-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal, cutting the margin to 10-3. On the Steelers' next possession, it was the Colts??? other defensive end, Dwight Freeney's turn. Freeney dashed past Steelers left tackle Jonathan Scott and nailed Roethlisberger from behind. Colts tackle Jamaal Anderson picked up the loose ball and ran 47 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. The next time Roethlisberger took a snap, at his own 20 following the kickoff, his deep pass intended for Emmanuel Sanders was picked off by Colts backup safety Joe Lefeged. Lefeged returned the kick 25 yards and the Colts added another Vinatieri field goal to take a 13-10 halftime lead. Pittsburgh blew its opening possession of the second half when a 68-yard drive ended empty as Suisham's 36-yard field-goal attempt bounced off the left upright. But they tied it at 13-13 with 12:10 left in the game when Suisham hit a 44-yarder, setting up the game's thrilling finish. Game notes: Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace extended his streak to six games with 100 or more receiving yards. ... Colts receiver Reggie Wayne logged his 800th career reception. ... Steelers receiver Hines Ward entered the game needing 33 yards to pass Don Maynard for 20th on the NFL career list and had three catches for 17 yards. ... The Colts were without injured starters Peyton Manning QB, Gary Brackett LB, Melvin Bullitt SS, Fili Moala DT and Ryan Diem RG.Copyright C 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved. PrintEmail a FriendFacebookTwitterStumbleUponGoogle BuzzYahoo!DiggDeliciousShare
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Post je objavljen 27.09.2011. u 03:20 sati.