Steelers 24 Chargers 20: Team shows heart/Results of my 3 keys

                                                                               By: Joe Smeltzer

One of the many things I love about sports is how drastically the opinions of fans can shift over the course of a game. For 3 quarters on Monday night, many Steelers fans were calling for Mike Vick to be benched in favor of 3rd string QB Landry Jones. By the end of the night, these same fans were elated, and their feeling of euphoria would not have been possible if it were not for the free agent backup quarterback who divided the city when he was signed in August. Vick was not great by any means on Monday Night. In fact, for the first 45 minutes of play, he stunk up Qualcomm Stadium. But that didn't matter in the end  because Vick came through when it mattered most. I think that Vick's pre-4th quarter performance made his eventual triumph even sweeter, and Steelers fans should be far more pleased with the way Vick finished his night than they are discouraged with the way he started it.

      How many backup QB's would be capable of throwing a 72-yard touchdown bomb while in crunch time the way Vick did when he hit Marcus Wheaton to tie the game at 17 midway through the 4th quarter? How many "substitute teachers" would watch their opponent take back the lead late, then take their troops down the field 80 yards in the span of 2 and 1/2 minutes to pull out a win on the road while the first string quarterback on the other side was red hot and looked destined for a win? Vick did all of these things, and the Steelers are in an exclusive club by being able to turn to a player like him in a time of crisis. He also impressed me with his professionalism after his dreadful start, as Vick showed leadership and his years of football experience allowed him to not get rattled while in crunch time. While Le'Veon Bell should be given credit for another excellent performance that was capped off by a fantastic 1 yard TD run as time expired, the main story of Monday night should be Vick, because his perseverance in that situation was something so rarely seen out of a backup QB.


       Before the game, I wrote an article where I discussed what I felt were 3 keys to a Steelers victory. Let's see how well the Steelers were able to execute my keys.

Key #1: Control Phillip Rivers Enough
     

     Judging by the numbers, the Steelers defense could have done a better job of limiting Chargers QB Phillip Rivers. However, I predicted in my last article that Rivers would make at least one key mistake that could have a big impact the game. Thanks to Antwon Blake, my prediction came true. Late in the 3rd quarter, Blake stepped in front of Rivers's pass over the middle and picked it off, running 72 yards for a touchdown that gave Pittsburgh a 10-7 lead. Had Rivers not made this mistake, San Diego would have almost certainly won the game and the Steelers season would start to be in jeopardy. So, judging by Rivers's 72.9% completion percentage and 365 yards passing, the Steelers did not do a good job of executing this key. However, Pittsburgh succeeded in forcing a key mistake, so their efforts to contain #17 were not entirely wasteful.

Original Likelihood of Executing Key: Fair
Final Results: Mixed

Key #2: Let Vick Loose

     Make no mistake about it, the Steelers win on Monday was not without faults, and the offensive play calling continues to be one of those. Todd Haley appears to have not learned too much from his awful offensive game plan against Baltimore. In fact, in some ways, Monday was an even worse performance from Haley. At least in week 4, Haley allowed Vick to run around a little bit and make some plays with his feet. The only running Vick did on Monday was when he made a crucial 24-yard scamper in the dying seconds of the contest. Haley simply would not let Vick open up the field enough, as the pass plays that were called were short and predictable, much like they were against the Ravens. Things were a little more open in the second half, as evidenced by Vick's 72-yard bomb to Wheaton, but Haley needs to call a smart game for 60 minutes instead of just 30. Something has to change with the Steelers offensive strategy, and considering a Superbowl contender is coming into Heinz Field on Sunday, it better happen fast.

Original Likelihood of Executing Key: Strong
Final Results: Weak

Key #3: Le'Veon Bell does what he does (with some help from DeAngelo Williams)

     Monday was business as usual for Le'Veon Bell, as he turned in a stellar performance with 111 yards rushing on 21 Carries, including the game-winning touchdown as time ran out. Bell most certainly did his job and continues to be one of the most exciting players in the game. I wrote before Monday's game that DeAngelo Williams should be given the ball more. However, he continues to be used sparingly, only getting 5 carries on Monday, and deserves to be used more often. So, yes and no for this one, just as I predicted.

     The Steelers did not play a great all around football game Monday night, but they showed a lot of heart and got a big win in a tough road environment. In the NFL, the W is all that matters in the end, and the Steelers should relish the win while looking to improve with every practice. The tough stretch of the schedule begins on Sunday when the 5-1 Arizona Cardinals come into town. It will be a very interesting season, and all we can do as fans is sit back and enjoy/complain.