2009 Packers @ Steelers

[Music] welcome to a cold December day spirt Pennsylvania 30 degrees the temperature will drop as we go for this inter conference battle it's the Green Bay Packers it's the Pittsburgh Steelers today on Fox and now welcome to the broadcast booth everybody I'm Joe block Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver both are coming up these are two teams meeting here this afternoon on five game rides for the Green Bay Packers it's been a great five games or one of the hottest teams in the NFC they're on the inside of the playoff picture they have nine wins on the year on the other side you've got the Pittsburgh Steelers the defending Super Bowl champs they've lost five in a row they're under 500 and right now they're on the outside of the playoff picture looking in but they have a lot to play for over these last three weeks they've got a bad taste in their mouths Troy as they try and figure out what has happened there under 500 but a dangerous Club here today yeah and one of the reasons why they are under 500 is because defensively they've given up entirely too many big plays and they haven't created takeaways now that has not been the problem on the other side for the Green Bay Packers their defense has been very opportunistic in fact they're playing like the Pittsburgh Steeler defense from a year ago the other part of the Packers and the reason they've won five in a row is they are playing with a quarterback that is as hot as any in the league right now and the guy who catches passes from that red hot quarterback Aaron Rodgers is Donald Driver and he's standing by with Pam Oliver on the field and Donald a five-game win streak it's not an easy thing to do what click for the Packers finally well just confidence you know we've realized that we can go out there and take care of business and we can win games and right now that's all we need to do facing the defending champions a wounded team but a dangerous team what must you do oh they just do Bowl champs you know to say if you want to be the champ you got to beat the champ so we got to go out here and play solid football today Thank You doc thank you sweetie back to you Joe okay sweetie nice work Pam on a cold day wind blowing around down on the field here at Heinz Field there's Ben Roethlisberger the Packers won the toss they receive and so we will look at Donald Driver and Aaron Rodgers and this offense which comes in ranked seventh in the NFL him doesn't even let me call her sweetie now well no no but Donald's got that electric smile and he was Pam's guest on Thanksgiving when he won the coveted galloping gobbler award there is head coach Mike McCarthy from Pittsburgh grew up in Greenfield and this is a special day for him with family and friends about 30 passes he has left for this game and he is back home and coaching a team that seems headed for the playoffs glad you with us today on Fox [Applause] rate pops it up not a deep kick and it's Jordy Nelson on the run making the grab and picking his way up to the 28 13-yard return and here comes the offense and Troy really since the last time we did a Green Bay Packers game things have solidified up front on the offensive line and it's been relatively healthy and the statistics are much better because of it well there's no question about that and and we've seen Aaron Rodgers not be sacked near as much during that time as he had been earlier in the year forty-eight sacks he's taken on the season but only seven over the last four games blitz from the Steelers Packers kick it up and Rogers throws it away and Aaron Rodgers had to do good work to get rid of the football and avoid a sack farrier was coming on a blitz barrier is the left inside linebacker as this Pittsburgh defense is a 3/4 aim for Green Bay and the architect of this defense is the great Dick LeBeau who's a finalist for the Hall of Fame and we'll find out if he is in he should be the day before Super Bowl 44 in February second and 10 Rogers slings it high and way too high for James Jones to incompletions and Aaron Rodgers has to peel himself off the grass here at Heinz Field to plays and twice James Farrior has come on the inside blitz this time they also brought number 94 Lawrence Timmons who is able to take Aaron Rodgers to the ground on first down he was able to avoid the pressure get the ball out but the Steelers on both first and second did a nice job in timing it before they hit it on the dead run certain ten Rogers with time throws and off the hands of James Jones it's a three and out we saw Brett Keisel the defensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers one of the things that the Steelers like to do a lot like with the Packers like to do defensively as move people around and the Packers do a good job up front blocking it up and they had a chance outside of James Jones for the first down just failed to connect well that didn't take very long for the Green Bay offense three and out on the return it stephane Logan and good starting field position for Pittsburgh at the 40 Derek Martin on the tackle a 12 yard return in the offense for Pittsburgh if you look at the stats and this is why stats can be misleading and why most of the time we try not to pay too much attention to them at the end of the season Troy Pittsburgh is looking at maybe a four thousand yard passer to 1,000 yard receivers or thousand yards back overall they are number nine in total offense but who cares they're six and seven yeah I think in addition as they just have not been consistent in fact that's been the case for this entire Pittsburgh team they've lacked consistency week in and week out they'll put up the big number offensively one week and the next week like last week against Cleveland little over 200 yards at the grounds here is one aired out for Mike Wallace what a start touchdown Pittsburgh Mike Wallace the young rookie out of Mississippi has had a heck of a rookie season he's got great speed back Jared Busch did not anticipate him being able just run by him did not respect the speed that Wallace has it was off the play action and Bush did not get caught looking into the backfield he just simply was able to run right by him fact Wallace even had to hold up and wait for that one to come down Roethlisberger not enough form to even hit him and strike with it but yet he was so far in behind bush he was able to get the touchdown that is the longest pass play for a completion by the Steelers this season and while Mike Tomlin's group hasn't gotten anything out of last year's second round pick limas wade who's inactive today they get touchdown number four on the season from the Blazer Mike Wallace who got behind Bush yeah it was play-action away but Jared Bush as I said he was manned man on Mike Wallace he was not looking into the backfield he did not see the play-action fake there by Ben Roethlisberger he just simply didn't respect not knowing the kind of speed mike wallace has and we were talking to Bruce Arians the other day and he said Mike Wallace may in fact be the fastest player on their team Mike McCarthy went right to Jared Busch if you realize that the Green Bay Packers have three corners on IR they lost paddle II and will Blackmon early they lost al Harris all on injured reserve with knee injuries and so that depth has been tested and everybody has moved up a spot some guys have moved up to and Jarrett Busch was just burned for a 60 yard touchdown by Mike Wallace and a good start by the Steelers in Ben Roethlisberger as they try to get back to the 500 mark at seven and seven Packers had it for 32 seconds went three and out Steelers for 10 seconds and went one play 60 yards and a touchdown Jordan Nelson on the return trying to give the Green Bay Packers a better starting field position this time and while he does for the moment the penalty flag is on the field we have a new audience joining us is Troy's glamour shot and if you're just joining us you missed a three and out by Green Bay and then on the first play from scrimmage return holding number 29 of the return team ten yard penalty first and ten Green Bay that's Derek Martin started to say on the first play from scrimmage like the Packers had last week at Chicago a 62-yard touchdown run by Ryan grant here's a 60 yard completion for a touchdown to the rookie Mike Wallace well the thing that the Green Bay Packers did not want to have happen they understand that they're coming in against a wounded dog and the team that had lost five in a row they really did not want to give them any chance early in this game to give them any hope that they could win this game and yet first play from scrimmage that the Steelers go the distance for the touchdown game break coming your way as play action from rogers who started the game old 4-3 has driver deep and he can make the cash let's go for a game break here's Curt game breaks Detroit and Arizona tied at 24 less than two minutes left and Quan Bolden always tough around the goal line scores the game winner from five yards out Cardinals win it by a touchdown get it over time Tennessee's Rob Bironas from 46 yards out after an interception set up the game-winner and they knock off the Dolphins 27 24 in OT Joe Troy and pan and about Tennessee getting to the 500 mark after that Owen six start and penalty flags before the snap both start number 71 puppets five-yard penalty second down starting right guard Josh sitting guilty of the false start you talk about Tennessee getting back to 500 and now they've got a big ballgame on Christmas night against the streaking hot San Diego Chargers meanwhile the Chargers they've won eight straight they're ten and three and they take on Cincinnati [Applause] as we play here in Pittsburgh [Applause] [Music] from out in Southern California thirty degrees at the start of this game second and 15 another Blitzen over the middle pass complete to Finley who gets 14 yards and Rogers is having trouble getting up he got smacked again he got hit about as hard as Steve I'm a little surprised there was not a penalty on that it looked like it was helmet-to-helmet contact you're gonna see it right here they bring the fire x blitz again and it's Timmins who comes free actually a good play there by Lawrence Timmons but he got rocked pretty good actually did look like there was a little bit of helmet-to-helmet there take a closer look at it and it comes in and they have now that virtually on every snack [Applause] they've had a free Blitzer each time and most of the time it's been Timmons third down and one six straight pass plays and this one's incomplete for Jamaica Finley and so forth down and I think Aaron Rodgers is saying hey I just got hit in the chin by Lawrence Timmons why no flag and here's that second downplay the owe Timmons comes in right there he actually begins the contact in the chest and then the helmet slides up and there was helmet to helmet but it was not initiated helmet to helmet and I guess that's what the referee saw there John Parian and did not make the call kappa knows it's his second of the day and a fair catch called for and taken in by stefan Logan we'll take a break Steelers one four one one play one pass one touchdown up by seven today's game on Fox is sponsored by Southwest Airlines go to Southwest Calm grab your bag it's on a crisp late afternoon early evening here in Pittsburgh and Roethlisberger his 1 for 1 have been less than two minutes off the clock in this game [Music] we've been seven plays run total in this game and still no running plays it's Heath Miller [Applause] and a good start for Roethlisberger he's thrown for 84 yards now on two completions that was 24 to Miller and this one again is off play axe and we gets the linebackers you see a Jayhawk and Nick Barnett they come up to bite on the run fake and it allows them Heath Miller to have a nice open scene in order to catch that ball [Applause] let's catch number 62 for Heath Miller one off the franchise record for a season [Applause] another pass and completion right through the hands of Santonio Holmes the defense coordinated by Dom Capers for Green Bay is ranked number two overall two against the run there three against the pass Dom Capers was the defensive coordinator on Bill cowers first staff that he put together here in Pittsburgh in 1992 well that was a quite a hire that Mike McCarthy made this offseason when he was able to bring Dom Capers in and the changes that he's been able to make and and then implementing the three-four scheme as you said has made a real difference for this club this year it's coming from Green Bay Steelers pick it up and down the sideline it's homes and it's not their coverage downfield by German Williams and its third and ten you know it's interesting talking with with Mike Tomlin the other day and asking him you know what do you want exactly what do you want the identity to be for this offensive football team we used to know what that was and anytime you talked about the Pittsburgh Steelers you knew that they were going to be a running football team a physical group they've gotten away from that a little bit but what Mike Tomlin said was I want us to be balanced and they've been anything but here in the early going same can be said for the Packers in two possessions having around the ball yet they're down in ten and Roethlisberger gets away from one tackler and have enough for a first down seven yards by Big Ben Nick Barnett on the stop when it's fourth down for Pittsburgh and that's been the real problem for this offense during the last five games is that they have just not been very good on third down in fact overall all season they've not been all that great but during the last five games converting only 28% on third down so cold that it hits the punt Jordy Nelson with a fair catch out there is 12 34 yard punt nothing on the return after the fair catch Packers have it down some today's game is sponsored by Bud Light with the chest right taste it's not too heavy not too light the difference is drinkability [Music] take a look at some of the early game headliners Vince Young is playing so well obviously and the Titans are red-hot another now seven and seven Jerome Harrison 286 yards three touchdowns his fourth year a 5th round pick out of Washington State in OH six and Andre Johnson another big day as the Texans won in st. Louis and the Rams right now in the driver's seat for the first pick in the upcoming draft here's Ryan Grant first carry of the day and the feature back for the Green Bay Packers gets to Ryan grant coming off a good game last week against Chicago 137 yards course one of those included the the 62 yard run that he had to open up the game but the two games prior to that against Detroit in Baltimore they did not run the ball nearly as effectively and they're going to have a hard time running it today if the Steelers play the run like they have long handoff is to grant over the right side and grant picks up three it's a third down coming up while Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense is struggled on third down the top-rated third down quarterback in the NFL is Aaron Rodgers and that's not good news for the Packers is Ryan grant have a tough time it looks like we got the wind knocked out of him as he's trying to gather himself on the sidelines it's third and five down the middle for Jennings what a perfect throw Jennings still going inside the 20 and the Packers have an answer 83 yards for Greg Jennings his fourth touchdown catch of the season where you talked about Aaron Rodgers leading the National Football League on third down pass and he had 11 touchdowns prior to that now he's got 12 and they are able to get pressure on him with James Harrison but Roger steps up and floats this ball in there just perfectly but Tyrone Carter which has been the case throughout this year another big play given up by this defensive secondary of the Pittsburgh Steelers and it's on a play like that Troy that you think about the absence of Troy Polamalu somehow getting the snap down and a new holder kappa knows the punter who took silver got the ball up and crosby knocked it through 83 yards for greg jennings another third down completion yarder to greg jennings longest career reception for jennings career long pass for Aaron Rodgers for break Jennings 13 of his 28 career touchdowns have been 40 or more yards right down the middle of the field and Tyrone Carter missed a chance to make a play while Paul Amato misses his ninth game of the season on the return it's Burnett just a 10-yard return Martin on the tackle back to the touchdown yeah well Chad Clifton might have gotten away with one right here on James Harrison you see the left arm there up against the neck could have gotten a hold call but right in the middle there you see Greg Jennings they give him a free release off the line Tyrone Carter you mentioned it Joe I mean that's a knockout punch right there if you want it but I think he thought the ball was going to be overthrown and he was going for the interception and then while doing that he just simply overruns Greg Jennings and fails to make the tackle so the 7/7 game [Applause] and the handoff to Mendenhall and last year's first-round pick Rashard Mendenhall gets nothing one small point maybe it's not a small point nothing small you're talking about the Packers two fans back in Green Bay the change has been made for the Packers with the holder Matt Flynn is no longer the holder kappa no siz and he was fortunate to get that snap handled and the ball on it ended up in the air for the kicker Mason Crosby who struggled to not get through to tie this game at 7 a lot of teams around the league blaming they're kicking problems on on the holders I think Nick Fork is out of guys to blame kicker in Dallas here's Hines Ward and Ward is good for for Brad Jones on the stop and here is that snap on the extra point which is taken for granted so often well he does a good job clearly of getting it down and yeah I know what mike mccarthy said about that was was good and that you know matt flynn had been the holder but kapha knows you know those guys they spend time together throughout the week and it's just so much easier for those guys then to work on the mechanics of the hold and the snap and kicking the ball and all that to where Matt Flynn has other responsibilities on third down and six Roethlisberger over the middle there's nobody tougher in this league behinds rule ten yards in a first down for the Steelers catch number 78 on the year it's Bennett Hines Ward right there they go trips left they got Hinds in the middle and then he's going to work the middle of the field no pressure in the middle here on Ben Roethlisberger he's able to sit back they've got two defenders which they typically do on Hines Ward they know he's a guy that they want to get the ball to he's the one who moves the chains but Ben puts it on him perfectly on first down handoff to Mendenhall Big B was the first to hit him Rashard Mendenhall picked up three the story with Mendenhall he didn't become a starter until week four last year had a broken shoulder that he suffered in week four so he was shut down in his rookie season but he came in with 895 yards in the 10 game since he became the starter which is a 14 hundred yard pace for a full season well he's given them a little juice and he had a little growing up to do early in the year and you know when he got his opportunity once he was sat down against Cincinnati came back got his first start against San Diego he's been he's been running well ever since second down and seven millets Heath Miller and Miller with a big gain of 14 yards in a stealer first down you got the rookie BJ Raji he's in the middle here he's going to be dropping out and he's going to then be trying to pick up as you see he's gonna be trying to pick up Heath Miller as he comes across now he's not locked up in man coverage but when he goes that way you know there he goes and he's got to try to somehow take care of him and I'd feel a little concerned if I was the Steelers and BJ Raji their nose tackle was able to stay stride for stride with one of their better players on the team [Applause] on first down Roethlisberger sets up and throws and penalty flags as Woodson went for the pick pass intended for Santonio Holmes and this one's against Charles Wilkes it's interference number 21 defense [Applause] that we see charles woodson he's up in press does not get his hands on Santonio Holmes of the line of scrimmage but once they get down the field he does and that's one of the areas because the Green Bay Packers do like to play aggressively they do like to lock up in man coverage that a lot of these offensive teams coming into the game they want to take some shots and believe that they then can get the pass interference fall like they did 17 yard penalty the most penalized team the NFL Mendenhall almost broke green picks up to here's a game break here's Curt the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the San Francisco 49ers and we've seen this combination couple times before we got on the finding DeSean Jackson 19 yards for short for Jackson nonetheless it puts the Eagles up 73 in the first 40 go Troy pan he is unbelievable I mean you talk about a guy who has completely changed the makeup of a ballclub I mean DeSean Jackson and the big play ability that he has given that team's been remarkable second down and eight Mendenhall broke through one tackler and picks up four for DeSean Jackson eight touchdowns or 50 or more yards last week a 60 yard touchdown pass in a 72 yard punt return at the Giants he is a major reason why the Eagles are on top in the NFC East and what a big win last night to the Dallas Cowboys a seven-point win at New Orleans their perfect season is over and Tony Romo 312 passing arts could not have played anybody well a cowboy team that went from being a December punchline to now think people look at a little bit differently as far as what they might be able to do if they're able to hold on to that number six seed and get in the playoffs stirred down in four Roethlisberger losing hits yard for first [Applause] Flagg is on the field and it's against Green Bay that's the indication another hole there in the secondary on Green Bay prior to the pass holding number 21 defense [Music] another one on charles woodson yo hines ward they get used to this I mean he's trying to stay alive he sees Ben Roethlisberger scrambling he starts like he's going to go to the endzone he comes back around and in talking with Hines Ward I asked him if there are any specific rules that he and the receivers had when Roethlisberger got out on the edge scrambling who said not really we just do our best to get open but because he scrambles so much sometimes we fail to run our routes as precisely as what we should anticipating the scramble fake the handoff st. any all homes with heat Miller in front to the one that'll set up the first and goal they're going to mark Holmes out and the two and its first and goal at 12 yard catch four homes and get it out to say Tom O'Neill Holmes quick and get a blocker out in front of them with Heath Miller on Ramon Williams and and get as much of it as you can and I like what Pittsburgh has done here they have been bounced on this series moving the football they haven't had a great deal of success running is that they've stuck with us of course the number to run defense in all football his Mendenhall stayed after it and has the touchdown [Applause] survived a hit from Nick Barnett and spun his way in for six watch Nick Barnett he hits it and does a good job just that he fails to wrap up right there in Mendenhall and this is what Mike Tomlin was talking about Mendenhall is a powerful man and he moves piles and so even though Barnett had a free look at it and got the hit on him he's able to bounce that and still get it into the end zone it's 14-7 Steelers 10-play Drive five runs five passes Big Bend five for five on the drive Steelers upset mendenhall with his seventh touchdown of the season there's the drive and it leaves 347 left in the opening quarter here in Pittsburgh we've seen a ton of action 21 points and Green Bay about to get it back Jordy Nelson set to return it foot of Jeff Reid who has only one touch back all season [Music] and this won't be number two Nelson from about the 14 yard line good return by Jordy Nelson it was a penalty by Woodson interfering with Santonio Holmes after a completion of Holmes on the other side Mendenhall pops it in Steelers up by 7 [Music] [Applause] my mom my dad my niece my nephew my brother and Happy Holidays I love you and Happy Holidays right back to you and all the men and women in the Armed Services during this holiday season wonder if she's a Jets or a Giants fan jets lost today at home to Atlanta Giants play a big one tomorrow night against the Redskins on first down Ryan grant this team gets six Casey Hampton on the stuff and it's Casey Hampton who anchors this three-four defense right in the middle at the nose tackle position you better have a big guy like Casey Hampton when you when you run the three-four scheme that Pittsburgh does that they've had so much success with over the years in fact the Green Bay Packers when they went to the three-four scheme this year they drafted BJ Raji with their first because they knew how valuable that position would be another blitz quick throw in the pass incomplete for driver William Gay was closing in on it defensively for Pittsburgh it's 34 had a couple opportunities now Aaron Rodgers has with these receivers and they've just not been able to make the connection ball just a little bit out in front there Donald Driver him not able to reel it in but we saw there on that first possession also a couple of open receivers and Rodgers was a little high on some of those on third down Roger slings it in the passes drop that's driver again right into his gut and then down to the grass and its fourth down for Green Bay Dick LeBeau likes to give you a lot of different looks and inside they bring the linebackers once again and it looked to me like William Gay if he had been playing the ball there he could undercut that one and taking it to the house yeah I said we're done sit into his gut it was the right arm of William Gay that got in there and broke it up good play yeah he kind of throttled it down a little bit but a hit stayed on the move I think he could have had an easy interception there captain Ellis hits it Stephon Logan on the return gets to the sidelines and then gets knocked out like Derek Martin well we talked about Mike McCarthy being from Pittsburgh he is from Greenfield Aiello's pizza putting him devoured thousands of slices there San rosalita's grade school in Church Maggie field there's his high school graduation picture and a bar and grill that his father owned and where Mike worked in his younger days and his father a police officer a firefighter and there's Mike's picture hanging on the wall and I guess Mike's mom Ellen is not at the game today she's at home watching it on television she's got babysitting duties with the grandkids say Happy Holidays to Ellen on first down this is Santonio Holmes and the rookie Brad Jones wasn't fooled at all a loss of two and when he come back home and he have all those tickets and passes to leave before the game it's hugs from everybody on the sideline and this is a special moment and Mike McCarthy said as much yeah yeah we had a chance to visit with him the other day and he was excited about coming home and excited about having his family here to be here with them on his homecoming and he was he was really looking forward to it good for him the last shot was Joe McCarthy jr. Mike's father he gets to share this moment with his 26 year old son second down and 12 the Blitz Green Bay doesn't get there and Hines Ward makes the catch smacked by Jarrod Bush after a gain of 7 how about that like Monday Night Football graphic when the helmets collide and suffer let's Ramon to foster who had somebody's helmet stuck to his okay it's Colin Jenkins will stare down here you want to take yours off or should I take mine off I take yours on Colin stirred down in five [Applause] timeout Pittsburgh so much movement defensively for Green Bay these days prior to the snap and Roethlisberger trying to figure it out and to spin around and take a timeout we look at the division leaders in the NFC New Orleans now 13 and 1 with their loss last night Minnesota plays tonight they've gone Carolina Philadelphia's playing as we speak in leading the 49ers 73 in Arizona they won today they're not in five wildcard leaders Green Bay at nine and for Dallas nine and five two teams certainly have their playoff hopes well within their own hands and then in the hunt the Giants is seven and six play tomorrow night San Francisco is still brief I think Green Bay watching that game last night was anticipating that they would be playing this one you know for a spot in the playoffs if the Cowboys had lost and they win he than they're in if they win today now they're waiting to see if the Giants would then losing their end but it got a whole lot interesting for that number one seed with the Saints losing last night third down and five Roethlisberger is hit from behind lost the football that was the rookie Matthews Green Bay takes over Matthews who leads this team with eight sacks took over as a starter week four and it was Matthews who forced it and recovered it we're gonna see him off the edge this is now his fifth sack in just the last four games he just uses a speed rush right behind starts and comes in behind and Ben who's got pretty good protection up inside if he's able to step up with his feeling Matthew's coming in behind him then he's got some room but he does not I take Craig Matthews has had a heck of a rookie year I mean this guy has come in from the University of Southern California as a rookie and made a real difference in this street for scheme and there's so much ass to that position not only playing the run but then also being asked to be a Ruud gesture or a Rudge an edge rusher Calvin's been his play you know in their sub position he's been outstanding a challenge from Tomlin as Matthew's now has a franchise rookie record with his ninth sack looks like that balls out we'll get the call when we come back right now Green Bay has it down seven he'd have game for a take away by this defense second longest streak going in the NFL and what a play by Clay Matthews we'll watch him off the edge here right there when he ducks underneath Starks I mean he starts with the speed rush and then once he gets even with him is when he was able to duck down and then make his move and I mean this guy has been a playmaker really once he got inserted in the lineup he was not the starter from the beginning but after a few weeks they then made him the starter and he has been outstanding a lot of times these rookies they hit the rookie wall about this time of year but with him he's only gotten better I mean over the last month of the season his his impact has been enormous long look under the hood by John Perry looked pretty clear-cut to me like the ball was out sitting on a shoulder pad as then the arm came forward play was third down anyway so even if the Steelers win this challenge they'll have to punt right now it's green baseball they have only one first down offensively in this game and that came on the eighty three yard touchdown completion to Greg Jennings ball right now is at the 27 they look to me Joe like Clay Matthews he's able to make contact with the ball when before his arm is really starting forward and from what I could tell it you know you look for the open hand when they're moving the arm forward and the throwing motion and is the is the ball then gone and if that's the case no then it's an incompletion that that's about as close as it will get and trying to determine whether or not it's an incompletion or a fumble but my best guess is that's a fumble with you but we are still waiting for John Perry to here and give the call here he comes but again even if Pittsburgh wins this challenge it'll be after reviewing the play the quarterback had possession of the ball with the arm going forward prior to it coming loose 34 years ago Pittsburgh it's not charged with the team time mental 114 on the game clock where you and I are an agreement John Perry isn't and Ben Roethlisberger was surprised when the call was made Wow yeah well even when the coach came over to talk to him but he's saying gosh and you know clay course he thinks the opposite but you know they dodged one there because now yeah even though it's fourth down at least they're able to advance the ball with the punt and not give the Packers the short field we can I just disagree with the call either the ball was out or the arm was going forward but call made by John Perry and it's a worthwhile challenge by Mike Tomlin but here's the punt by Sepulveda and he shanks it off the side of his foot takes a decent bounce for Pittsburgh and the ball is at the 27-yard line of the Green Bay Packers and so a big change in field position after the overturn call we welcome you back inside our booth and we talked about coming on the air that Pittsburgh even though they're under 500 they were a dangerous team for Green Bay to play today and it certainly looks like that's holding up so far well yeah you know Green Bay knew that coming in I mean this is a team that you know sometimes you tend to look at it as far as what has happened in recent weeks you say wow this team's just not very good but you know nothing could be further from the truth a number of playmakers for this Pittsburgh team particularly on the defensive side of the ball the challenge in the overturned saved Pittsburgh 46 yards of field position and now this one is incomplete in the direction of Greg Jennings although not close to him at all you know Aaron Rodgers he's off to a tough start in this ballgame he's got the long touchdown throw but he's only had two completions now in his first 10 attempts and he's been hit a number of times in addition to that backers have had it four times three three and outs and then the touchdown throw the three [Music] of the possession 83 yards to Jennings here's a completion that goes nowhere Jennings makes the catch and out there's Timmons [Applause] Donald Lee the tight-end rather not Jennings and it's Lee making his 34th catch of the season its third and ten in this Green Bay Packer offense save for one play hasn't been able to do anything well they went to a quick passing game right there trying to keep the hits off Aaron Rodgers they run the slant in behind it a flat route with Lee and in Timmons and great coverage and makes the play third down and ten Rogers throws and completes its driver Donald Driver into the open field and now down inside the 25 [Applause] for driver 49 yards and too big third down completions by Aaron Rodgers in this game and that's the way the first quarter comes to a close 14-7 Steelers Packers are on the move with a ball inside the Steeler 25 back after this from your local Fox station a 49 yard completion to Donald Driver sets up first down at the Steeler 24 the challenge by Tomlin academic Rogers sets up backs up outside the pocket so he throws it away back to the 49 yard completion to driving where there was little doubt as to where Aaron Rodgers was going to go with the football you can tell and he's staring it down from the time he got to the top of his drop and inside it was just zone own coverage and they gave him a free release off the ball Donald Driver runs the dick route and Aaron Rodgers puts it on him and at the end of this is when James Harrison drives him into the ground and looks like he's my flirter to to say to him there at the bottom James Harrison hasn't had the big splash plays this year that him Defensive Player of the Year but he is still a force has been hit five times second down backing up as he throws it that's Jennings on the completion and Jennings gets eight Timmons downfield to make the stop for Pittsburgh that was Aaron Rodgers his fifth completion today but two of those have gone for 132 yards and for those that have been following the Pittsburgh Steelers this season they're all too familiar with the big plays that they've seen in this ball another third down for Green Bay and inside the redzone are the Packers down by seven handoff is to Jackson and Jackson is driven backward as he got to the 15-yard line a gain of one Tyrone Carter the first player there for Pittsburgh Tyrone Carter looked like Jackson was about to bounce that thing out and maybe pick up the first down but Tyrone Carter doing his Troy Polamalu impersonation was right there to finish him off and it brings up fourth down fourth down in a yard and the field goal unit is on for Green Bay and a 34 yard try by Crosby who has struggled good snap good hold in the field goal is pushed wide right that's now four straight games a Crosby is missed from inside 45 yards a 34 yarder is why Steelers still lead by seven another missed by Mason Crosby is now 24 of 33 for the season he's missed seven of his last 20 and it's still a seven point game Steelers have it up 14-7 and a flea-flicker Roethlisberger nowhere to go with it so he dumps it off to Mendenhall and Mendenhall who has the ball in his hands twice on that play gets 10 depends on the spot as to whether it's enough for a first down and it is well they run the flea-flicker and in Green Bay played it perfectly down the field they were not fooled but at the end of this you've got warts coming back trying to put the big hit on a Jayhawk and he's the one who winds up taking out Mendenhall when that looked dangerous one wart coming in from behind of course we already know that they've got the Penta got the ruling in this year in order to keep a receiver from making a block backside without a receiver looking but ward was the one who came out of that one injury and off to Mendenhall trying to get to the edge penalty flag comes in in the area will hold the loss of two on that run by men diddling number 83 Puppets 10-yard penalty replay first down that's all he's Miller we look ahead to next week gets a single header weekend on Fox here are the early games of Panthers at the Giants Buccaneers and Saints Seahawks will be in Green Bay and then late you could get the Rams and Cardinals or the Lions at the 49ers [Music] two more games to go after this weekend it's first in 24 Pittsburgh [Applause] handoff to Mendenhall to blockers in front of him Barnett makes the play and Mendenhall gets 10 back to the original line of scrimmage and second intent when talking with Bruce Arians the other day and and how they're going to run the ball against this Green Bay team you know typically you start thinking about okay will you line up in two back sets and and do some of those things but sometimes the easiest formations to run the ball out of is when you go to the spread formations and kind of clean everything up for those offensive linemen and just try to keep the defensive players from locking down in the box and getting so many bodies in there there's mendenhall again you know we talked about this Green Bay defense in the progress that they made this year and I know in talking with with Mike McCarthy he made it very clear when he was interviewing for a defensive coordinator that he felt that they had playmakers on the defensive side of the ball and he made it very clear to Dom Capers once he got the job that we expect this to be a top-notch defensive football team and boy have they that [Applause] let's counting from Green Bay and this is my welding more cannot hang on incomplete its fourth doubt that a chance there for an awfully big play they bucks they brought Ramon Williams the corner blitz and in the Pittsburgh Steelers picked it up nicely and if Manuel D Moore had been able to make that catch he was one on one there was safety Nick Barnett there's Sepulveda his third punt of this first half and this is his best Jordy Nelson from the 16 somehow stays on his feet and runs a couple of tacklers and then gets hit out of bounds and a flag will be thrown Joe Byrne Nets the rookie was along the sideline and hit Jordy Nelson when he was out of bounds not very smart there by Joe Burnett I mean clearly you've got Jordy Nelson who's on his way out of it late hit out of bounds number 27 of the kicking team fifteen yards from the end of the run first and ten Green Bay take a timeout 45-yard punt 13 on the return Plus 15 on the penalty couple big plays in this game in a seven-point steal early last week against the 49ers Warner's better today the Cardinal survival scare from Maurice Morris and the Detroit Lions today and Josh Cribbs to kickoff return touchdowns after a big game last Thursday against these Steelers ten and a half to play in the half and Rogers throws and completes that's good for 12 yards teacher michael finley the big tight end and we go back to the penalty on Burnett yeah you see Joe Burnett Jerrod Bush actually for the Packers does a good job on him Joe Burnett stays alive and he's got a run clear across the field in order to try to get a hit here on Jordy Nelson by guys he's going to work that hard he's going to get a hit on him and he did whether he was out of bounds up or not you know a lot of these guys like Joe Cornett that our rookies that come into the league they're not used to playing special teams just a little bit a little bit different for some of these college players coming in fast driver he dropped it looked like a good throw from Aaron Rodgers who kind of turns his back and frustration and Donald Driver had it in his hands and let it go you don't see that very often from Donald Driver he's got some of the surest hands in all of football his hands were broken in by the Brett Favre fast literally broken in if he told me one time he has he's broken every finger on his hands on second down its Ryan Grant's not much and it's Hampton it's there to make the play gain of only one I mean you look at Green Bay and their lack of ability of running the football here in the early going of this ballgame and and yet they're sticking with it and rightfully so one because you can't just get into a game to where you're just driving back and throwing it that's awfully tough on these offensive linemen but also if you look over the last three games of the teams and has faced the Pittsburgh Steelers they have run the ball actually very well much better than what their season averages would indicate third down and nine play clock was at one pass dropped again this time James Jones [Applause] I think even if James Jones had been able to make that catch he was not going to be able to get enough for the first down he was short well short of where the drop took place but it didn't look like he was going to be able to get away from anybody in order to get the yards needed well Dee Moore now waits for the punt from Kappa nose and we'll see how good the rookie Kappa nose is at downing it inside the 20 [Applause] bangs this one high more let's it go is out-of-bounds in the end zone like I went right over the pylon and they're gonna call it a touchback well that football didn't just go right over the pylon it actually touched it and by rule the pylon is considered out of bounds in the end zone and so it's a touchback good call down on the field and the Steelers started their 20 up 7 [Applause] and office to Mendenhall and Rashard Mendenhall is to the 30-yard line and they're going to give Mendenhall a full ten yards and a first down for the Steelers the temperatures dropped three degrees since we started feels like 19 and the wind out of the West at 9 miles per hour we've seen a missed field goal by Mason Crosby this is notoriously one of the toughest places to kick in the NFL whether it's the footing or the wind mr. 34-yard try and it's a seven-point steal early [Applause] they faked the handoff to Wallace drop it off to Mendenhall who picks up to Atari Big B on the stop for Green Bay two big plays in this game and it started with a bang 60 yards out of the hand of Roethlisberger to the rookie Mike Wallace one play from scrimmage and a touchdown for Pittsburgh and then how about 83 yards to Greg Jennings from Aaron Rodgers to tie the game at 7 but since then it was Mendenhall at a touchdown run and the Steelers lead by self [Applause] second out of the hate rock Berger surveys the scene and now it dropped from Heinz War wide open over the middle and ward couldn't pull it in and they go trips to that side and you're gonna see the release of the field they executed pretty well they've got Heath Miller going up the field but then Hines comes off of that and they get chiller and Woodson attracted the Heath Miller which leaves Ward wide open then underneath and he just fails to make life [Applause] [Applause] and another timeout taken by Roethlisberger and the Steelers prior to a third and eight 7:16 left in the half [Music] interesting that the Packers have Rajee now leaving the field so only one defensive lineman on the field for Green Bay defensive that's 77 right there Colin Jenkins and he's there this is their their psycho package that they ran so effectively last week moving around prior to the snap Matthews gets there again he was the first one there Bishop got home as well and with all those linebackers flying around the rookie got home well look everybody is to the right here nobody over on this side of the ball these linemen right here have nobody to block I mean they got to somehow slide that down they try to and then in an attempt to do that it's then trying to figure out who's coming and who's got who and it's very very hard on these offensive linemen that is officially the first sack for Clay Matthews the other one was negated by the challenge by the Steelers and here's Jordy Nelson good return [Applause] and as we cue mark Russell the political satirist and those fingers tickling the ivory we remind you to make lunchtime your new primetime this foxsports.com brings you lunch with benefits log on to check out new episodes of original sports shows delivered to your desktop every Monday through Friday at 1:00 Eastern on Tuesday packers coach Mike McCarthy joins Brian Billick on coach speak only on and at foxsports.com on MSN we so that showed that psycho package that the Packers have defensively for these defensive players when he come in each Wednesday in new run certain schemes and do some different things and that's something that Dom Capers has done a great job of this year down by 7 Packers have it good starting field position and now go off his chest and Rogers has just got his hands on his hips turns his back to his receivers as if to say is anybody going to catch anything this is very hard you're going to see Donald Lee I mean he's got it and then James Farrior 51 he has to carry that he never is able to get his head turned around in the perfect throw hits Donald Lee right in the gut and as a quarterback when that happens I mean it is hard it is very very tough to sometimes keep your emotions in check mr. Rajan let's say it looked like it hit Ferrier glanced off his helmet and changed direction just enough here's one for driver bad throw driver up to get it a good catch in a gain of eight so let's go back to the throw two plays to go and watch a glance right there off the side of the helmet of Ferrier and then change the direction it doesn't limit the frustration for air in rock tears you can see him in the background but think his default - no no question I didn't catch that and hard cats when that [Applause] happens in as I'm sure is unaware of that unless Donnelly fleet in this case they're down in two fake the inside handoff here's Jennings making a move and has a first down he went right around William gay Taylor on the stop the gain of eight and a first down dream there Donald Driver is the same way Greg Jennings you know when you get the ball into their hands and so many times we see these types of things from the Green Bay Packers the quick throws and and then you've got to come up and try to make a play and it's not always easy to do the William Gay you don't want to overplay it and he tries to to then be in a position to make the tackle and Greg Jennings just goes around them [Applause] believe the cornerbacks for the Steelers don't have an interception all season team has only eight here's Jennings a nice play on first down to the 30-yard line gay on the stop of the game of seven and that's just it's about as easy as it gets yeah and this time instead of great Jennings trying to you'll make him miss he just gets the ball and runs right over William gay and I know in visiting with Mike Tomlin the other day he said these receivers in his description of them they're combative and that was a compliment and they're a physical group they're physical as we just saw and they're also physical at the point of the cat they're good after the catch with 101 yards after making the reception in this game Rogers with a good pocket hits Jones and James Jones makes a spin and adds to that yardage after the catch he's got a first down a gain of 12 and the ball is spotted at the 18 yard line and we're seeing the missed tackles in this ball game from Pittsburgh also William Gay has another opportunity he fails to make it and you know it's those types of things there that that we're just not used to seeing from a Pittsburgh defense you know they've always been so fundamentally sound they've never been outplayed physically they certainly were ten days ago against Cleveland but for some of the things that have made them such a great defensive unit for so many years or lacking from this 9 version 18 rogers drops in off almost intercepted [Applause] the hands of Woodley after Brandon Jackson couldn't haul in a screen pass Lamar Woodley who is having a heck of a year with nine sacks and he's got a chance here to make a big play to extend the lead I think that kind of falls into the category there's Troy Polamalu who they certainly miss and you know not make excuses for the defense [Applause] that if he were healthy he would change the outcome and at least a couple of the games this year his games have been that close the losses for Pittsburgh Rogers is in trouble and drops it off for Jackson who makes a move and takes it down inside the 15 picked up five third down and five coming up for the Packers Persky on the stop for Pittsburgh [Applause] miss Travis Kirsty one of the defensive ends this team lost a good one in Aaron Smith defensive end played the first five games but suffered a partial tear in his right rotator cuff very good against the wrong so they missed both Polamalu and Aaron Smith on his defense they're down in five Rogers thinks of throwing takes it into the end zone touchdown and the fourth rushing touchdown of the season for Aaron Rodgers [Applause] they go empty said you're going to cenote back in the back field so they got five receivers going out Pittsburg comes with a four-man rush they're locked up man underneath and Aaron Rodgers who is second on the team in rushing and you've got to be real careful down here when you're playing man coverage against a quarterback that can move the way that Aaron Rodgers can because that's what happens once he's able to get a lane he can gash you I just got through Mason Crosby is really struggle me almost yankin and Aaron Rodgers with his fourth rushing touchdown of the season no quarterback around the NFL has more rushing yards than Aaron Rodgers and a little pump fake along the way and then took it into the end zone untouched well you know as we said he's got great feet he's able to run and he makes plays moving around the pocket you like to have a quarterback that's like that it is we know I mean he throws it as well as anybody but even when he breaks contain he is looking to get the ball down the field and make the throw but a nice job on his part recognizing the coverage recognizing it was man-to-man and nobody is accounting for him go back to the problems there with the kicking game I don't know that I've ever remembered a year where so many kickers are having problems and kind of talked about a little bit earlier you know changing holders they did that in Dallas Tony Romo now the holder there I'm wondering what the the Green Bay Packers will do if anything maybe they'll change the deep snapper next week well there was speculation that they might bring in some kickers during the week to audition they didn't do it that may change heading into next week as diff'ent Logan has it on the return and Logan gets to the 20 that's it we showed you the NFC playoff picture here's the AFC playoff picture still undefeated Indianapolis they came back in a really good game against Jacksonville to go 14 at home san diego's won eight straight Cincinnati New England they won today Indianapolis by the way they've already clinched everything they can clinch in the regular season except perfection and there are the wildcard leaders the Steelers are still alive but they need to win out and from maybe NATO or somebody to get into the fourth season well San Diego Cincinnati game is huge Cincinnati with a one-point lead right now but that could very well be determined number two C Roethlisberger has it batted back in his face Johnny jolly got his hand up and knocked it down with nothing else this was a Steeler team that suffered eight sacks the hands of the Cleveland Browns a Thursday night game the Browns the 32nd ranked defense coming in and so far just one sack allowed and it belongs to Clay Matthews as you look at the offensive leaders for Pittsburgh [Applause] on second and 10 screen for more [Applause] brought down just shy the 25 picked up four and a half Desmond Bishop who's getting more playing time now with these extra linebacker packages put to use by Dom Capers made the tackle you know you talk about the sacks last week eight sacks that Ben Roethlisberger had against Cleveland and Bruce Arians and visiting with him I said you ever talked to Ben about the number of sacks and getting the ball out of his hands and he said he almost ruined the quarterback years ago when he was the coach at Mississippi State didn't say who that was so he must not have gone on the Ducks on us but he said he doesn't you know because he's able to create so many plays when he gets outside the pocket there's that psycho package again by the Green Bay defense the past and Heath Miller is forced out in midfield [Applause] we're gonna mark him out at the Green Bay 48 with 201 left in the head Lai Jayhawk he's the one who's in coverage on Heath Miller and that's a mismatch I mean Heath Miller is one of the better Titans in the league he runs awfully well AJ's with him stride for stride he just fell to make the tackle after Miller makes the catch a 27 yard catch and run by Heath Miller two-minute warning in Pittsburgh tied at 14 [Music] Pittsburgh has one timeout remaining tie game two minutes left in a first down at the Green Bay 48 [Applause] Roethlisberger throws and completes two homes and Santonio Holmes stays on his feet to the 15 roethlisberger who has a new career-high for single season passing yardage completes for 33 to Santonio home well Roethlisberger in this offensive line to a great job redirecting themselves to pick up the Blitz off the front side that allowed him time then to get the ball to Holmes on first down Roethlisberger over the is thrown Brandon chiller on the coverage of Heath Miller [Applause] Brandin chiller was just rewarded with a contract extension during the course of the week and there are two fouls into play both by the defense both 554 illegal contact number fifty-four families declined pass interference than the 54 and he's been accepted Brennen chiller he's the cover linebacker and they're sub-packages and he's now trying to get matched up on Heath Miller and you know good call there by the officials definitely the contact was made Heath Miller now with the new single-season record for catches by tight end in steelers history 64 Eric green in 1993 at 63 first and later in trouble he goes and guess who clay matthews a loss of four in Matthews has his second of the day but Clay Matthews is just so tenacious coming off the edge and this I mean this is awfully hard then when you're talking about Maddox Starks trying to hold up one-on-one with a speed rusher like Clay Matthews and he just simply hasn't been able to backers have three timeouts they have not elected to use any on defense it's second down I go touchdown Pittsburgh [Applause] pretty good design right there you're going to see Santonio Holmes come up here and make the block and they come up and they get the bottom and welding more right away and so he's in right behind in essence it's like playing tailback he got a lead blocker right out in front of you put it on him staying behind your blocker Holmes and take it in for a touchdown [Applause] vSTEP career high for passing yardage in a season has had a very good end 14 of 2223 yards two touchdowns now no interceptions and here's the big play on the drive well you talked about the way they've been Rob's burg on the offensive line they're able to redirect because the Packers are bringing blitz here they shift everybody over to that way and you're going to hear what Ben did to make it happen [Applause] [Applause] pretty good Justin Hardwick did the center he will come up he'll make a protection call but because Roethlisberger is in the shotgun he then can see where the pressure is coming and he can redirect the offensive line to make sure that that is blocked up you heard him say righty righty righty which means everybody then is going to sieve to the right pick up the two extra Blitzers coming to that side and by doing that you then got the protection to get the ball down the field for the big play 223 yards today 3569 for the season already a new career-high [Music] and we pops it up at under 30 seconds to plan a hat that goes right through the arms of Jackson it's back on the football takes it across the 25 they're going to say that Jackson is marked that back at the 23 so Jackson signaled for a fair catch and that's where they're going to mark him down at the 23 coming up on the Visa halftime report curtain Terry will have scores and highlights from around the league Fox sports ticker will keep you updated with up to the second stats we've heard how earlier today on the pregame show talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers and how they've gotten away from what they have been known for and running the football and how mike tomlin may step in next year and kind of get him back to that more of a physical run the football style Rogers spins out of trouble and now flips it for Nelson who has some room that's a big first down playing now with 24 seconds left in three timeouts the Green Bay Packers have thoughts of getting a score before the half 24 yards as Rodgers just dumped it over the defense into the arms of Jordy Nelson Jordy Nelson who has been pretty banged up for most of the year hasn't been able to contribute as much as what he was able to a year ago but we've seen him on the return game already in this game and but he's a he's a dynamic young player and now the Steelers use their final timeout talk about these defense coming in to Defense's our top five defenses around the NFL in each quarterback has over 220 yards passing in this first half and now with 18 seconds remaining in three timeouts the ball is at the Green Bay 47 the Packers defensively came into this game only giving up an average of 18 points a game in Pittsburgh with 21 here in the first half I thought this would be a pretty tight ball game but a lot of explosive plays and a lot of points considering the the style of these two defensive units the longest field goal ever made in the history of this stadium since 2001 is 51 yards to the Pittsburgh 33-yard line Rogers throws and just throws it away now 13 seconds remaining Jordy Nelson the closest one to it you look at Clay Matthews Matthews has a couple of sacks in this game and his family is dealt with the Steelers over the years his dad clay was a linebacker with the Cleveland Browns forever his uncle Bruce a Hall of Fame offensive lineman with the Oilers and Titans they set the standard pretty Matthew spent 13 seconds left pass is complete to Nelson who will get out of bounds stop the clock seven seconds left and they're getting awfully close to field goal range the Packers have one crack at trying to make it more realistic Nelson was good for a letter and another missed tackle and any more yardage out of it what he was able to do was stop the clock and it burn was able to make that tackle then Greenbay would have been forced to to call the timeout they've still got plenty left if they've got a chance to get one more shot they working [Music] [Applause] he's already missed one try this end the field - Greg Jennings may force Aaron Rodgers now to take one heave toward the end zone and hope for a defensive penalty or something miraculous to get points before that oh boy you got Aaron Rodgers now in this first half who's who's thrown for over 230 yards in the game and and yet it could have been so much better here in the first 30 minutes I mean so many opportunities that they have failed to connect on whether it's drop passes or just Samaritan throws on his point only four seconds left into the end zone through the back end of the end zone that sound 1/2 comes to a close it's a seven-point pitch Burghley the 6 & 7 Steelers against the 9 & 4 Packers the VESA halftime is coming up the home team pittsburgh up 21-14 [Music] [Music] a lot of action in the first half here in Pittsburgh a 21-14 Steeler lead and today's Avatar games summary before the start of the third quarter rush yards a ground game has been non-existent fact the Packers after a good week of running at last week against the Bears handed it off only five times the entire first half passing yardage see the numbers they're the plays of twenty or more yards and then some of the individual leaders avatar in theaters everywhere and it was a half of some big completions and a 21-14 lead by the steelers who will start the second half with the football this one is squibbed off the hands of the backup tight end Matt's faith and he just falls on top of it near the 30 down to the field and Pam Oliver hey there Joe Mike McCarthy was not very pleased about the way that half ended he said we had lapses on defense that we are going to have to clean up he also wasn't happy about those drops from the receivers he said it's not a matter of cold it's a matter of focus Mike Tomlin means that time told me you know things weren't perfect in that the first half but we really really fought and we need to do so for another 30 minutes back to you all right Pam thank you and as we hear that from Mike Tomlin he really thought his team was out worked last week in Cleveland on a frigid night [Applause] Steelers have lost five straight Packers at-15 straight Roethlisberger is brought down by the rookie Jones Brad Jones had slipped got up and racks up his second sack of the season the Steelers opened up the second half the same way they opened up the first half with Ben Roethlisberger coming off play action here and then looking to try to get a shot down the field but the receiver slipped over there on the sideline you see Wallace here he slips and Roethlisberger had nowhere then to go with the ball they're green baize sack of the game a loss of 5 the rookie Jones is playing a place of the injured Aaron Kampmann who's on IR torn ACL Roethlisberger scrambles and flips from Mendenhall who makes a spinning kitsch and that's what Ben want this burger does kept the play alive and completes it for 25 yards there's a scramble drill you know by Mendenhall and they're trying to get up and get the ball snapped it's a matter of whether or not his feet got in and it's close but but it looked like he did get him in but Mendenhall was in the flat he just took it up the sideline and prior to the snap of the football a timeout is taken by Green Bay Green Bay prior to the snap so Mike McCarthy wants to challenge it we get another look at it and we take a break we'll get the call from Jon Perry the referee when we come back [Music] after initially saying that Green Bay is charged with the timeout the officials gave the timeout back to Green Bay and it's now just a straight challenge by Mike McCarthy looks to us like Mendenhall got his feet inbounds with control of the football was ruled a 25 yard completion on second and 15 it's either a first intended midfield and green bay loses a timeout or third and 15 at the 25 for the Steelers and we think the play will stand but booth is over one so far in this game as we trying to figure out what John Perry is going to do after looking at it under the hood but it was a good job by Mendenhall on the play because once he recognized that Roethlisberger had gotten outside the pocket he then turned up the sideline and gave rothsburgher a place to go with the ball and I agree with you I think he got two feet and in fact I think he got three feet him before he went out about well as we say that the team's moved back down toward the Pittsburgh 20 now they're being called back toward midfield the interested to see if John Perry disagrees with us again after reviewing the play the play stands as called completed catch so if nothing else green bait catches a minor break-in that they put the timeout back on the board and just ruled it a straight challenge a green bait could have lost two time-outs by calling the timeout then losing one because of a Miss challenge Mike McCarthy he's had a few breaks with the challenges this year remember back a few weeks ago when they placed Dallas they were out of challenges and he threw the red flag anyway and yet did not get penalized in that game Roethlisberger now has five completions with 20 or more yards in this game he throws to Logan and spon Logan is to the Green Bay 46 wood chin on the stop and a gain of five and flayer is down that's middle linebacker Nick Barnett who is 13 months off tearing his ACL in his right knee and he's been experiencing some swelling Green Bay lost him last year and they can't afford to lose the middle only left knee just gave out footing is not good on this field as we've seen a couple of times in this game with players slipping and sliding as they try to make a cut know at this time of year this field has not been good it's probably in about as good a shape right now as we've seen in previous years it's not as wet as what it typically is this time of year I was down on the field before the ball game and it was it was pretty dry not a lot of grass on the field but no yeah that knee kind of gave out on him there and you know sometimes we talked about it you see a guy walking off the field as we see Nick Barnett and and you tend to think then that everything is fine and you know when I know when I was playing we'd have teammates that would leave you think they'd be ok and walk off on their own powers next thing you know they're having reconstructive surgery the next week well it was interesting it was the left knee that gave out but it that they were looking at that's the surgically repaired knee for Barnett here's Mendenhall on second down and Mendenhall loses to Johnnie jolly in the middle of that defensively a Jayhawk was in there as well and that'll bring up third down for Pittsburgh yeah I just never had a chance Heath Miller was trying to be the lead blocker on that play and Green Bay did a good job of getting a push and running Heath Miller right back and amend the Hall had nowhere to go a Jayhawk had to change helmets now he has the communication helmet on with Nick Barnett out of the game third down and seven [Applause] Roethlisberger throws down the middle pass completed not dropped Wallace had it and lost it Big B delivered a hit and as Wallace went to the ground he lost the football it was C Green Bay they had a too deep safety look and that's where you wanted them go with the football Wallace runs a good route Roethlisberger puts it right on him he has it but then you know Big B comes in late doesn't put a real big hit on him Wallace just is unable to control the ball as he goes down so it's ruled in incomplete pass and a punt from Sepulveda with Jordy Nelson a fair catch at the 15 sold by the Green Bay defense Packers have the football for the first time in the second half down seven [Music] discussion by Santonio Holmes in the rookie Mike Wallace sideline after that possession Wallace was open lost the ball gone to the ground incomplete on third down and so here's Aaron Rodgers Green Bay threw the ball 83% of the time in the first half they start with Iran and it's Ryan grant over the right side Tyrone Carter on the stop for the Steelers and the play selection Green Bay wanted to throw the ball since they got off the team bus 29 times compared to seven times rushing and that includes Aaron Rodgers touchdown run for 14 yards yeah no they have not run the ball and the few times they have they haven't run it particularly well but you know they've done a good job in pass protection and considering that and then of course they've been able to get the big plays in the passing game another hand off to grant plays strung out to the right and grant gets back to the line of scrimmage it'll be third and five one impressive part of this is with even all the issues that Green Bay has had protecting Aaron Rodgers the number of times he's dropped back he has not been sacked and with a pressure that Pittsburgh can generate and now it's third down and five and you expect another Aaron Rodgers pass [Applause] Reserve back up Lyman TJ Lane a little extra blocking and they still weren't able to get much out of it on third down Rogers throws Lowell and complete and Jennings grabs at his left ankle it'll be fourth down and Jennings needs help from driver to get up that field is sloppy at best we talked about the health of the Packers coming into this game they've got a few guys that are banged up along that defensive front but they got their line healthy and overall for this time of year there they're in pretty good shape but you're Nick Barnett went down them genders there kappa knows just got it away Stephane Logan balls it in inside the 40 penalty flag comes flying nothing on the return so chat Clifton come out banged up after that last third down play and Andre Frazier almost blocked that punt as Kappa knows just did get it away and the indication is the penalty is against Pittsburgh here is John Perry during the return it illegal block in the back number 29 of the return team 10-yard penalty first and ten Pittsburgh is Ryan Mundy no bread goood there there long snapper he got down the field pretty good too and made a pretty good leg dude get down the field good penalty against Pittsburgh and the balls at they're on 26 up 7 [Music] Jack Clifton had to have his neck stretched out after that last series bagging into the body of Scott wells now pittsburgh has it starting at their own 26 Roethlisberger with a pocket skips it into Santonio Holmes no fly Woodson on the coverage in Troy Charles Woodson has got to be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year in the NFL I mean he has done everything and for a guy that the Raiders thought couldn't run years ago he may be having his best season as he plays in his 12th out of Michigan oh I think that he is and if I had a vote he'd get mine I know throughout Ramos has been a heck of a player this year there for the New York Jets but I think when you look at the overall pack the Charles Woodson and has had I just can't imagine what else haven't done more for them has had a good year in Minnesota for sure but when you consider as Mendenhall carries it for to that Woodson has nine takeaways which ties for the NFL lead he's played some safety he plays the Nickelback he's up to slot receivers he's out wide he's covering receivers all the way down the field and he is creating turnover something the Steelers wish they had defensively and he is they're certainly defensive MVP on this Green Bates in addition to the interceptions he's fifth in the National Football League in forced fumbles here's that psycho package on third down and eight in the backfield it's Mendenhall plenty of room to run and Rashard Mendenhall is knocked out of bounds at the 47 of Green Bay Nick Collins drove him out after a gain of 25 the Green Bay Packers they go to their psycho defense again you got Colin Jenkins who is the lone defensive lineman he's standing up everyone else's linebackers the Pittsburgh Steelers overall do a pretty good job they turn one loose but Mendenhall who they're anticipating will stay in and block he comes out of the backfield and nobody then in coverage on him is Willie Parker this first carrier today gets knotted we go for it came break here's Curt Menefee Philadelphia and San Francisco a win by the Eagles and they own the playoffs San Francisco just trying to stay alive in the hunt Josh Morgan to the 12-yard touchdown score from Alex Smith and it's a touchdown difference but Roseville on top in the third quarter roaring Pam Kurt told you the Philadelphia side meanwhile for San Francisco they lose Arizona wins the NFC West [Music] mr. Parker almost welcome Willie Parker gets nine and he almost had his first rushing touchdown of the season he was one tackle away that's a job that Matt's faith does here the tight end he's the one who really allows them to get the hole you got Hines Ward leading the way but because of the block there he creates the alley the block on Brad Jones the outside linebacker and those are the types of blocks you have to have if you're going to run the ball to the tide inside big he's saved a touchdown with that leg tackle of Willie [Applause] it doesn't work this time as Clay Matthews makes the play a loss of one Packers defense compared to the season average in points allowed and total yards allowed midway through the third quarter already 21 points against him in 317 total yards allowed there in his five game win streak 14 points per game yeah and only the second time in the last 10 games that the Packers have given up over 300 yards at all often second down and 12 Roethlisberger over the middle complete for a first down to Heinz war [Applause] well they bring to mind Williams off the corner and they play cover to in behind it and you're going to have Charles Woodson who's back there playing safety and he's going to be the one who's going to try to make a play if in fact Ward has been able to catch that on the move [Applause] on first down Roethlisberger middle screen that's Mendenhall his second touchdown but a flag comes in [Applause] pass interference number 83 off its 10-yard penalty [Applause] pass interference on Heath Miller on a screen to Rashard Mendenhall yeah that flat came in late also you take a look I didn't see it right there he's down the field now you can block there they must have been saying that Heath Miller initiated the contact on that block prior to Mendenhall getting the ball into his hands you're able to do that but you have to do that within a yard of the line of scrimmage and clearly he was down the field before Mendenhall was able to make that catch I was a good call instead of a touchdown of Mendenhall it's first and 20 with a ball back at the 24 and off to Mendenhall in the rookie kill just really played well a seventh round pick up Colorado played outside linebacker for the Buffaloes and he took over after Kampmann the two-time Pro Bowler went down against San Francisco midway through the season and take it for a seventh round pick and out of a Wookiee the Green Bay Packers have gotten a lot out of Brad Jones well they like his pass rushing ability and I think it was a hard adjustment for Aaron Kampmann going from outside defensive end to outside linebacker hey Brad Jones gives them a little more athleticism now that he's on the field second down and 18 Roethlisberger gets away from Colin Jenkins now takes a second there's the good of ben roethlisberger and then there's the bad and that was the bad as he hung on forever and that fires up kevin green a long time stealer a sack for Brad Jones and it doesn't take much to fire up Kevin Green I'll promise you you know right about here is where Roethlisberger's got understand I got to get it out of my hand and you know Bruce Arians the other day was talking about the offensive line and the criticism that they've taken with all the sacks that have been given up and coming into this game he felt that the offensive line was only responsible for about half of them you can only hold up for so long quarterback has downloaded just get it away before the play clock expires more welding more on a screen takes it to the 20 and just inside of the 19 yard line and all they did was make it easier for the place kicker Jeff Reed on third and four yeah it was a good call because the sack you know then that was going to be an awfully tough field goal attempt from that range about 46 47 yards from where they were so they come to me well Dee Moore with the screen and you make this a much more manageable football town Roethlisberger now over 300 yards in this game a 37 yard try for Jeffrey this is the tougher end for field goals the opened end here at Heinz Field stays true inside the right upright and it's now a to score game and a 10-point Steeler lead with four and a half left in the third Haitian here in Southwest Asia I'd like to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to my wife my children Stephen and Sarah my mom and dad Ruben and Melissa and all of Colorado Springs and Peterson Air Force Base Happy Holidays Merry Christmas Happy Holidays to you and we welcome everybody back and we'd like to certainly welcome the men and women in uniform serving around the world watching today's broadcast in 177 countries on AFM the American forces Network thanks for all you do and we hope you're enjoying our telecast from Pittsburgh good game TenPoint Steeler League trying to snap a five-game losing streak you're one of the up backs you better be ready because Jeff Reed likes to pop up these kicks this one's got a little more behind it and carries all the way to Nelson from just inside the 10 see if he gets into blockin Jordan Nelson is out to the 32 earlier in this game Mason Crosby missed from 34 watch his left foot slide just a little the kick as we look at Fox ex-mo and maybe just a little less give with Jeff Reed hitting moments ago from 37 same end of the field the open end and that drive-by read makes it a 10-point game Packard start at their 31 Rogers and now Finley slips makes the catch as he's seated and then gets turned over by Lawrence Timmons out how you get up from someone look at that I mean he Aaron Rodgers had good protection Chet Clifton against James Harrison does a good job because Aaron Rodgers was holding that ball in the pocket for a little while that's that's not easy to do James Harrison as we know even though he doesn't the numbers he still one of the elite pass rushers in the National Football League Jenny's hurt after that tackle Simmons landing on top of Finley's legs in now about three Steelers land on top of Aaron Rodgers Lamar Woodley who's been hot seven sacks in his last five games coming in but he wasn't alone will Harrison drops and then they're coming from this side and so they they overload the one side which is what Dick LeBeau is so well known for [Applause] and they're able to get the pressure on Aaron Rodgers that they had not really been able to do since that first quarter it's the first sack of the day for the Steelers thirty two drop backs by Aaron Rodgers who sacked for the 49th time this season most in the NFL third and 16 Rogers over the middle completes for a first down to Donald Driver third and sixteen and Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay converted to a first down that's an area of the field that the Green Bay Packers have had some success with particularly with Donald Driver you know another dig route and playing zone and there's a nice area there then behind those linebackers and you know Aaron Rodgers even though he only has been sacked the one time he has taken a few hits in this ballgame 76 yard day for driver Finley is back in the lineup for Green Bay there is why did he have to check out for a play he was shaken up on the tackle by Lawrence Timmons when he was seated legs in the air and then Timmons just flipped him over [Applause] it was a one yard catch sir michael finley is emerging in his second year threats at the tight end position he can run he's a big body he is a mismatch two big the cornerbacks too fast for linebackers second and five then loose right here bass is behind the intended receiver catch made by twin Johnson and now they say incomplete initially it looked like they were going to have a and an uncovered receiver and Driver because they went with Ryan grant out wide and then you've got Ike Taylor who's who's a little bit confused and trying to get a defender out there and at the last minute James Harrison recognized it he came out then to try to give some help Aaron Raj that it initially didn't feel that they had anything the other way stirred down in five Roger steps up and completes to Jennings Jennings survived a hit from Ryan Clark hung on and gets a Green Bay first down Aaron Rodgers does such a nice job and they coach this Mike McCarthy and Joe Philbin the offensive coordinator you're going to see Aaron Rodgers he drops back he gets pressure off the edge and then as long as you've got a pocket to step up and step up and then slide and that's what he does and puts a good ball then on Greg Jennings who check Clifton he's had his hands full whether it be James Harrison this time he's got James Farrior he's clutching that right on but [Applause] first dad passed a family and Finley is wrestled to the ground by the rookie Jill Burnett it's a first down for Green Bay that time they split Finley outlined to the right well you talked about him and all the different things that they can do with your Michael Finley and he has created some real problems for defensive units he's doing all the things right now that they anticipated he would be doing a year ago when they drafted him out of the University of Texas we talked about the sharp men in Holland in his maturation in his second year will the same things have happened for Jamaica Finley [Applause] to split out wide bottom of your screen Rogers hangs in nearly picked off by James Harrison intended for Jennings second and 10 and Rogers was tough on that throw because he was going to get hit now he felt that one he felt it on his front side from from Lawrence Timmons and actually pretty good throw that has a heck of a play there by James Harrison being able to lay up and get his hands on that ball second down in ten [Applause] and now Pittsburgh spends their first time out each side is left with two 16 seconds left third quarter second down when we come back second down and ten for the Packers with the ball at the 27 down by ten has good protection in front of him but nowhere to go steady takes off the top running quarterback in the NFL picks up five you go back and take a look at that slant route that we saw earlier the play that Harrison made and Harrison might have got his hand there on on Greg Jennings and Greg Jennings was looking for the pass interference called pleat in this case here but with the officials as well as with James Harrison I don't think James Harrison is playing too much in the other thing is you're not going to get that call when you're when you're smiling like what great Jennings is he's still smiling third down and five when we come back as we go to the full 27 degree night chilly on December 20th third down and five for Green Bay well inside field goal range for Mason Crosby who has missed one in this game he is over one and struggling not working with a new holder backers had loftier ambitions of trying to convert I'm going to touch down as they trail by 10 [Applause] might get a cheap one it looked like Lamar Woodley might have got into the neutral zone [Applause] nutri zone fraction number 94 defense in the zone [Applause] five yard penalty there down it was either Woodley or Timmons either one could have gotten the call it's a five yard penalty and we'll see where that moves the football it's right at the marker there the Green Bay Packers now are asking for a measurement that's a it's a big five-yard penalty I mean a lot of things now if their disposal even if this is not a first down a good job there by Aaron Rodgers coming up and trying to use hard count and you really have to then trust as those offensive linemen are going to hang in there if you do that I mean going from third and five to potentially third and ten if you draw your own guys offsides but he was able to get the defense see how good our line is pretty good good enough it's short she'll be the tenth play of the drive Aaron Rodgers has already converted on a third and 16 and a third and five this will be third and inches yeah I mean the Green Bay has been awfully good on third down they've been good all season long but they have been good again in this ballgame and that's that's an area defensively for Pittsburgh and we talked about some of the big plays that they have given up and they've given up more big plays in this one but this year they have not been good on Rogers will keep it and make it shove forward by the up back win Johnson on green was in a tailback on that play and it's a first down for Green Bay it's a nice surge there by this offensive line Aaron Rodgers made that easily of course he got a little help there from Quin Johnson his fullback getting in behind him and making sure the pile went forward [Applause] about 22 rushing first downs this season for Aaron Rodgers Rogers throws and completes that's Donald Lee live here again you know it's interesting we've seen the Green Bay Packers go to a lot of empty set formations with Aaron Rodgers in the gun and every time they've done it I've only seen Pittsburgh bring four rushers and I think that's why they continue to do it because we've seen what's happened when the Green Bay Packers have gotten their people down inside and they're bringing those linebacker blitzes but they go to the empty set spread them out and the puttin in the Steelers not blitzed out of that formation second down and five Rogers over the middle passes broken up and a good play on Donald Driver by the shape Townsend third down in five that was a good play again they go empty set a four-man rush and just good position there by de chelly Townsend there was really nowhere that Aaron Rodgers could could put that ball to give Donald Driver a chance to make the play so another third down Rogers floats it penalty flag is the catch is made by Finley but is down in the middle of the field backers say it's against Pittsburgh is it a touchdown for Finland thrown holding number 23 defense that penalty will be declined results in the play touchdown I mean that touchdown right there just shows you how athletic and how good your michael finley is we got Ryan Clark who's 511 and drew Michael Finley who's six five and so yeah Aaron Rodgers he wants to get this ball up as best he can and right there it's just playing basketball post him up and let the bigger guy go up and make a play and that's what he was able to do [Applause] both quarterbacks now over 300 yards passing in this game jer michael finley has his fourth touchdown reception of the season and the Packers now combination is really becoming something for Green Bay juh michael finley been thrown to seven times in this game he has six catches 28 catches over his last five games now four touchdown receptions in the Packers were four for four on third down including the touchdown throw to Finley during that drive well this game is turned out to be a real shootout between these two quarterbacks two top five defenses coming in Stephane Logan on the return Logan breaks loose crosses the 30 and he's out to the 37 [Applause] he's healthy now coming off a nice brand and it's showing becoming the favorite target for Aaron Rodgers a touchdown catch for Finley makes it a three-point game in Pittsburgh [Music] you can see how the fourth quarter has been a problem for the Steelers points allowed 29th in the NFL there in the final quarter now a three point game as Roethlisberger steps up and hits Hines Ward to the Green Bay 35 the Marcum down at the 30 for a 29 yard completion from Ben Roethlisberger they do a good job up play-action a lot of times the play-action protections are the most solid protection that you can get and he gets good time and this is a perfectly thrown ball by Ben Roethlisberger Atari Bigby is in pretty good position he bites just enough flattens out and robbed this burger lays it perfectly over his head right into Hines Ward for Ben it's his fifth 300-yard passing game this season that's a new Steeler record balls handed off to Willie Parker good for two and back to the completion to high I mean from considering how far Roethlisberger has to throw this ball I mean he sees that Big B is in a position to be able to make a play and he knows he's got he cannot under throw that that ball he's got to get it out there and he does a good job there by Hines Ward I've been able to bring it in I thought it was interesting talking to Hines Ward you know here he is in his 12th year and ask him how much higher is gonna play said well it's not like I'm gonna lose a step I never had one to lose here's Parker again on second down picks up one [Applause] times Ward who's been playing with a straight hamstring he is over 1,000 yards for the season so that means that both he and Santonio Holmes his teammates are over a thousand yards pretty good you know he said that growing up that Michael Irvin was was his favorite receiver and he's always kind of compared his career to the numbers of Michael Irvin and he's there and he felt pretty good about that knowing what Michael was able to go on and accomplish to live in and now that psycho package roethlisberger completes first in he's military [Applause] twelve yard completion to the Pittsburgh tight end they've had a Jayhawk locked up on Heath Miller a few times that's just hard duty it's hard on no matter it's hard on anyone who's trying to cover Heath Miller we haven't had two minutes seeing too many guys have much success in doing that but he's Miller is able to turn around a big body and then Roethlisberger puts it right on [Applause] first down at the Green Bay 18 [Applause] the marker carries takes it to the sixteen and we take it to Curt Menefee for a game break in a game that will have a big impact on playoff seedings in the AFC Cincinnati and San Diego and that's lavanya's polls for the 2-yard cats San Diego has a 24 21 lead the winner of this game will have the inside track at number two seed in the AFC of course Joe shore and Pam both teams already French playoff spots all right Kurt thank you and an eight game winning streak for the San Diego Chargers three second and seven naked second and eight out of the shotgun pump fake from Roethlisberger in the past back of the end zone in the direction of Hines Ward it gets up gimpy third down and eight got to be pretty impressed with what we've seen from both of these offenses and the job that they've done moving the football putting points on the board and then also the big plays Bruce Arians in talking with him and you and you mentioned it Joe that he feels that they've had a balanced attack and and I would agree with that when you look at the numbers in the receivers in Mendenhall and then of course Ben Roethlisberger he'll likely go for over 4,000 yards before this season is over big third down here for the Steelers is Wallace burger throws it out of the back of the end zone and so green baize defense holds and a field goal attempt coming up from read and the best he can do is make it a six-point game well that shot there to Hines Ward I'm not sure exactly what happened I you know Hines looked like he was expecting a better opportunity to make a play and Roethlisberger either didn't realize that he was going to come open on that like he did or the ball just got away from look like Hines Ward kind of turned it on about halfway through that route Roethlisberger had already let it go 34 yard try by Reed good snap good haul Reed gets it he's two for two and the Steelers have a six-point lead with 945 left in the game I'm about to get the ball back [Music] big game for Ben Roethlisberger some big plays from Aaron Rodgers [Applause] short kick taken by bishop the backup linebacker and Greenbay will start at their own 38 good starting field position for the Packers down by six and we welcome you inside the booth um Joe that's Troy and another look at this Green Bay offense which has been so good during this five-game winning streak and now trying to move the ball again and the Pittsburgh Steelers yeah well I think both offenses have been outstanding both quarterbacks are playing great Aaron Rodgers doing a nice job numbers could be better than what they are if he had been able to get some of those balls caught but Ben Roethlisberger is having himself an outstanding game here tonight 346 yards two touchdowns no interceptions Rodgers has been sacked only once throws behind your michael finley who makes the catch is 7th to the game and a gain of five that didn't look like much you know a gain of five yards but that was a pretty hectic catch there by joe michael finley we've been talking about him and all the things that he's able to do his versatility but a ball that was thrown behind him and he makes a nice move and in order to get behind that mick play yardage wise Jennings has the most catches wise Finley leads this team with seven timeout greenback there second we'll take a break when we come back second down and five for the Packers who trail by six six point game nine minutes eleven seconds left Green Bay trying to win their sixth in Iran Super Bowl champs the defending Super Bowl champs trying to avoid their sixth consecutive loss Finley circled at the bottom of the screen second down that's Finley and Finley's stretches for a first down [Applause] we welcome in a new audience in a matchup of the number for overall defense against the number two overall defense Steelers have lost five in a row Packers of one five at all it's gonna shoot up cornerbacks over 300 yards passing Green Bay down by six on first down Rogers throws Jordy Nelson nice adjustment and a good throw from Aaron Rodgers in front of William Gay 27 yards in a Green Bay first down we've seen the Packers operate almost exclusively here out of the empty set with Aaron Rodgers in the shotgun and they got William gay here a ball that was well thrown and put it in the only place that he can really put it where Jordy Nelson had an opportunity because day was actually in pretty good position defensively but nice execution there on the previous play the Steelers finally blitz that formation and that's when they got the slack complacent of Judah Michael Finley Gallade handoff that's Ryan grant Ryan grant will scoot in for the touchdown and this Steelers defense in the Steelers team has been victimized again in the [Applause] well this time to go with a two back set you see Ryan grant in the i-formation Corey hall leading the way is the full-back good blocking down the field by Jordy Nelson when the first times Ryan grant has seen any daylight I'll say that gives Green Bay it's 2827 voxbox is going crazy Brian grant before that six carries for 17 yards and that one good 424 and after the extra point [Music] what a great job there by the Green Bay Packers defensively they're able to hold the Steelers to a field goal on their first possession or on their last possession and they come right back down the field and answer with a touchdown of their own and head coach Mike McCarthy who is from Pittsburgh grew up in the Greenfield area is pumped up 30 passes left for family and friends he had a family dinner last night about five minutes from downtown Pittsburgh and here he is bringing his red-hot Green Bay Packers into Pittsburgh and the Packers have their first lead one point with 749 left in the game as the shootout continues no defending Super Bowl champion has ever lost six straight the following season and that's what's on the line here for the Steelers along with a lot of pride they have currently lost five in a row here Stephon Logan and logan takes it out to the 31 here's a recap for you if you're just joining us how about 60 yards to start the day first play from scrimmage 2 Mike Wallace touchdown Pittsburgh how about 83 yards to Greg Jennings going the other way the tire a touchdown catch Mendenhall a touchdown run Aaron Rodgers flips one for Finland after a field goal by Jeff Reed the Packers down the field hand it off to Ryan grant 24 yards a touchdown an extra point and Ali twelve plays of 20 more yards in this game total 28 27 Packers Mendenhall tries the right side breaks through panel penalty flag is thrown in the area of a hold holding number 10 offense 10-yard penalty replay first down wide reciever Santonio Holmes we've seen Santonio Holmes get involved a lot on the perimeter block he's done a good job for most of the evening but he did have a hold of the jersey there of charm on Williams you know one thing over the years course Hines Ward sets the standard but he's wide receivers for the Pittsburgh Steelers for many years have done a heck of a job that time Santonio Holmes got a little too aggressive there's at first in 20 [Applause] Roethlisberger comes underneath the Mendenhall he's got basically nowhere to go we're scared Ramon Williams this January Fox once again brings you the greatest week in college football beginning a New Year's Day with the Allstate Sugar Bowl the AT&T Cotton Bowl the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and finally the FedEx Orange Bowl the bull bash begins new year's day on Fox in high-def the matchups as we look ahead to New Year's Day and beyond it's six and a half left Steelers down one [Applause] nowhere to throw it breaks loose and now here's a temper Hines Ward downfield what a catch Sharon Bush is victimized again 53 yards for Roethlisberger and Hines Ward and this is why Bruce Arians doesn't talk to Roethlisberger about the sax that he takes because he's able to keep this play alive where a lot of guys would have already unloaded it deceive him maneuverability that he chose and he had Hines Ward in behind George Bush and he sees him late fits as much on it as what he can Jared woods I'll tell you he made up ground because Roethlisberger could not get it out far enough he just never turned to make a play on the ball [Applause] play action from Roethlisberger over the middle Heath Miller hand on him by a Jayhawk we know and what this burger can't believe and a Jayhawk has seen enough of Heath Miller in this game yeah I think so I think this Green Bay defense is seen enough of Heath Miller in this game and I think it was a good non call I mean you saw that a Jayhawk reached out and I couldn't tell if he got ahold of him or not it didn't look to me like he actually got it got a grab on him but the way Heath Miller reacted you sure thought that he matter over 400 yards on the day against the number-two ranked defense is Roethlisberger good play by Charles Woodson backed it away from Hines Ward now it's third down with under five and a half minutes to play this is a Pittsburgh team that is trying to fight back behind on the scoreboard for the first time in this game [Applause] audience joins us third down and ten for the Steelers down by one [Applause] [Music] Roethlisberger over 400 yards passing in this game penalty flag his raucous burger fights for first down yardage flag is down [Applause] and it's coming back holding number 79 [Music] I think it was more like self-defense are you going to see Colin Jenkins goes right through Trey Essex and the only thing that he could the only thing he can do is try to grab him he was on his way on his back but tell you what that's a big penalty because it moves the ball back to the 33 now you're talking about a 51-yard field goal attempt which would equal the longest in the history of this Stadium provided the Steelers don't get anything here on third and 20 [Applause] game that has featured one big play after roethlisberger trying to find somewhere to go with it now throws and he hits Mendenhall is to the 25 an eight-yard gain and now you're talking about a 43-yard try from Jeffrey who just squeaked one in as last time from 34 yards out he's 2 for 2 in this game he'll try to put Pittsburgh back on top so pulpit of the holder clears out the area where he will place it for this tribe from Jeffrey nothing is a given in this Stadium took place to kill and the field goal is good Steelers back on top by two the difference in this game is a 34-yard miss on the other end in the first half by the Packers kicker Mason Crosby and there's the execution by the field-goal unit for Pittsburgh I just don't know if you can say enough about the job that Ben Roethlisberger has done in this game Aaron Rodgers as well but Ben Roethlisberger going in against this defense of the Packers the third-ranked defense giving up an average of under 190 yards a game and yet here he is over 400 yards passing here today career-high is 4 33 so he's approaching that and it brings up the bigger point first of all the Steelers if you're just joining us I know we keep saying this but they've lost five straight they've lost seven on the season and all seven defeats have been by eight points or less Aaron Benson heartbreaking fourth-quarter leads lost during the course of his five-game losing streak to Leeds lost against the Raiders of all teams one loss at Baltimore on a Sunday night and the Steelers are literally one play here one play there from game to game of having an above 500 record and a legitimate shot at the postseason well not making those plays is why Mike Tomlin says that he doesn't feel that he's got a great defensive unit will they get a chance here see if they can sustain the late on site feel the kick dry and it is to perfection recovered by pits penalty flag as Joan did it go ten yards it's got to get to the 40 cornets touched by Ike Taylor and a late flag is thrown and there's the sign for illegal touch when you talk about a gamble when you leave by two to try an onside kick I don't get it but they almost got it and now we'll check the call a late flag was thrown little Tucker's side the coin after the official I hear to it going 10 yards Pittsburgh by rule Green Bay ball at the spot of the touch first and 10 let's first see if it went ten yards you know it did not then I tailor theirs to make the try to he was in a good position and if he had gotten 10 yards and he recovers it without any problems but you know he just didn't want to wait until it got to that point the Packers knew right away but you know to go back to the decision I don't get it on a number of levels one you've got the lead you've got momentum you just went down the field to take the lead and to give or take a chance on giving the ball to the Green Bay Packers with a short field and not put your defense back out there on the field makes no sense Camille I mean yeah the Steelers are playing Troy Polamalu but you're basically saying that dick Lobos group we'd rather try and get the ball on an onside kick and put you back on the field in a normal position it would have made more sense if the Packers needed a touchdown to regain the lead only two points down trying to send something up for print and complete game break let's go to Curt Menefee Cincinnati scored late - tied at 24 San Diego got the ball back with only 54 seconds and no timeouts but that was enough to set up the game-winning field goal from 52 yards out by Nate Kaeding Chargers win their ninth in a row 27:24 over Cincinnati Joe Troy Pam and how about rivers during the month of December moved to 17 and oh and Mason Crosby so for one in this game and who has struggled second and ten from the [Applause] Pass complete - Jordy Nelson takes it just outside the 30 Crosby who was missed from 34 in this game is now missed in four straight games from inside 45 yards and he's missed to this end of the field Packers are inside field one time out I'm still trying still trying to go back to Mike Tomlin's thinking on the onside kick and I say it would have made more sense I don't think it made any sense regardless of what the score was if it meant that the Packers had to go down and get a touchdown then at least you're saying our defense can hold up and keep them from getting in the end zone but well you're giving them a lot of a lot of advantages when you give them a short field and all they did need to do is get the field goal to regain the lead Mason Crosby missed from 34 here it is back in the first half [Applause] pushed it and he's talked about this not finishing his kicks and he's kind of gone back to his fundamentals about through the ball and getting to the other side like a golfer finishing on his left side and there again he hung one out to the right didn't get through it and so he is not a confident kicker as right now the Packers are on the edge of his range in a spot that's tough to kick open into this field right now you're talking about a 49 yard truck and you talk about you know when you start working with mechanics and fundamentals you're working on those things during the course of the week and then you're just hoping that when you get into the game that you can continue to execute the way that you did in practice and when you're struggling it is hard it is hard to block out the negatives all that it's a long way of saying this is a big third in one for Green Bay NASA's complete your Michael Finley's had another big game down to the 20-yard line a completion of ten yards and now Green Bay can start to work some of the clock and that's what they're gonna want to do and Jamaica Finley actually does a good job after he catches that ball he immediately secures and he was expecting a collision right away he might have been able to get a little more yardage had he been anticipating that he was going to have some space to run but he protected the football knowing he had the first down and did not want to risk putting it on the ground nine catches for Finley 74 yards five of six on third down this house played by Casey Hampton played by Casey Hampton Aaron Rodgers I don't know if he got stepped on or just got tripped up but that was almost a disaster they're in the backfield now timeouts taken by Pittsburgh see how Aaron Rodgers came out awkwardly and but yet was fortunately for the Packers able to still make the exchange he talked about it now we'll give you a look at it Fitz Burt's lost five games this season in the final 15 seconds of regulation earn overtime week to Robbie Gould with 15 seconds left [Music] suck up a field goal in overtime Billy Cundiff feel going over time for the Ravens game Murphy a touchdown catch as the Steelers flew to fourth-quarter leads in a home loss to the Oakland Raiders but here Mike Tomlin if the Steelers lose this game got in here having to explain that onside kick try club had just taken a two-point lead second and 14 blitz Packers pick it up James Jones incomplete don't forget immediately following our action here in Pittsburgh it's the O team presented by Lowe's so wants to talk about with two games remaining on scheduled after this weekend the regular season third and 14 day has to [Music] [Music] another glance she's taught Jones touched it James Jones with his fifth touchdown catch of the season [Applause] the rookie Joe Burnett fell down and coverage which is why Jones was as open as he was here he is Joe Burnett you see the move to the post there and brunette jumps on it and then as he tries to come back out of it he was already beat but he slept and even if he hadn't been able to keep his footing good route there by James Jones selling the post coming back to the corner and Aaron Rodgers with great protection they brought your Michael Finley in to help solidify that in the middle Pittsburgh brought the Blitz and that that group up front did a good job given Rogers time to make the throw the offense stays out on the field to go for two [Applause] they can still only make it a six point game why not backers this season two for four two point tries they've gone to Jennings twice this one is complete to Jackson and it's a 36 30 score and now if the Steelers get into the end zone everything would be riding on point the celebration by the Green Bay Packers who are now two minutes and six seconds away from their sixth consecutive victory and a tough road win in Mike McCarthy's hometown of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania you go back to the touchdown and a good call by Mike McCarthy and a great route on the outside by James Jones and you sell it to the post come back running that route on the rookie it with no contest so with 24 yard touchdown run by Ryan grant followed by a 24 yard touchdown pass to James Jones and we welcome you inside our broadcast booth and again the onside kick drive and we can keep talking about it but when have you ever seen a head coach with the Steelers at least recently worried about throwing his defense back on the field and making the Green Bay Packers Drive to get the go-ahead points I just I can't wait to hear his explanation because I don't understand that decision at all well be more let's it get behind him here is Devon Logan on the return and Logan can't get to the 15 he's to the 13 yard line with 201 remaining in the game here is that onside kick attempt and because it was touched by Ike Taylor right there at the 39-yard line it didn't travel the necessary ten yards it's an illegal touch and Green Bay took over at the 39 and took it down into the end zone and the one thing about it is if they had executed it properly if Ike Taylor doesn't reach out and grab it with his hand at nine yards and waits till he's at ten yards you know they get the ball but I just it makes no sense to kind of take that that risk Roethlisberger completes penalty flag on the plays were at the two-minute warning bass is caught by Heath Miller for six yards and we'll get the call Pittsburgh has one timeout remaining and they need a touchdown prior to the past being thrown pull D number 21 defense death penalty will be accepted first down might as well take it you get five yards you get a first down but it's Green Bay on top at the two-minute warning here in Pittsburgh a minute 54 remaining Pittsburgh is down by six trying to avoid their sixth consecutive loss a minute 54 remaining new audience joins us here in Pittsburgh Steelers down by six Roethlisberger steps up not avoid the sack that's kapenga who gets his hands on the feet of ben roethlisberger and brings him down clock continues - why [Applause] Steelers have to wait for Hines Ward to get all the way back down the field [Applause] and to go second down pass is to Heath Miller who hops out about a gain of seven Jared Busch on the stop this is a game that has featured one big play after another both quarterbacks over 300 yards Roethlisberger's over 400 yards and last for two James Jones after the Steelers had kicked a field goal to take a two-point lead they tried an onside kick an illegal touch backers took over at the Steeler 39 and got it into the endzone two-point conversion and a six-point lead third down and seven hangs on and he's near tipped off stepping in front was Herman Williams and it's now fourth and seven and we're seeing from the Packers right now you got Johnny jolly he's standing up and no one's really trying to come after Ben Roethlisberger they're giving him time in the pocket they've got eight defenders dropping into coverage and the only thing they don't want is him breaking contain and putting pressure out on the edges because if he becomes a threat to run the ball then you've got defenders coming off the receivers they just trying to keep him in them in the pocket and make them throw and the Packers are doing a good job covering everyone it's fourth down Steelers have got to convert Roethlisberger over the middle hit Santonio Holmes first down Pittsburgh as they stay alive at the green bay 46:32 yards the Santoni will hold and this time with time in the pocket Roethlisberger is able to find homes Barnett mcbarnett the linebacker in a pretty good position but a perfectly thrown ball we've seen a lot of these from Roethlisberger here today a career-high four hundred forty nine yards pass over these two teams practice against similar defense they're facing in this game a three-four scheme and it shows feel these two offenses of God bazap ball has not been to the air by woodson intended from Mike Wallace nearly picked off number 78 10-yard penalty replay [Applause] it starts woodson actually should have intercepted that ball Joe you see the the hole [Music] we'll play Matthews who's had a heck of a game as well and clearly a hold but here's the other side of it Charles Woodson actually plays it pretty well comes underneath has got a chance to make a play on the ball had one interception last week against the Bears dropped two others we could have had another one [Applause] year nine take arise he is lurking in the secondary for great first down in 20 the pass is batted up picked off penalty Hines Ward is down indicating it's against Green Bay and will see Jared Busch with the interception Schiller knocked it into the air but let's get the call referee is John Perry prior to the pass being thrown and legal contact number 54 details [Applause] that's her Brandon chiller yeah [Music] and he comes out in knox hines ward and he's also the one who's then able to get a hand on the ball which led to the interception but a good call there by the officials you got McCarthy trying to say the ball was tipped wasn't tipped until after chiller knock Pittsburgh has one timeout left 51 seconds have to get it into the end zone Roethlisberger avoids this set and throws it away second down and ten with 43 seconds remaining the OT presented by Louis immediately after the action here in Pittsburgh two streaks on the line [Applause] like Tomlin's defending Super Bowl champs trying to avoid their sixth consecutive loss Ben Roethlisberger his quarterback has set a new career high with 449 yards passing [Applause] before the snap [Applause] under 78 offense five-yard penalty second down starts again back so they might call that on on Clay Matthews looked like he might have got into the neutral zone or maybe was because it starts that Matthews is the one but I thought Matthew started first but not a clip you see that starts he move that left shoulder and that's what Clay Matthews was cluing on and as soon as starts moved very came second down and 15 [Applause] over the middle [Music] [Applause] Lord and it's Charles Woodson who was there defending and ended up on his stomach and on the grass 39 seconds left and it's third down I think Roethlisberger was expecting a little bit more there on the route because they had a chance there was a nice seam in there behind Charles Woodson safety was cheating over the other way and a nice lane and you know Hines went inside well there's a lot of concept in the Charles Woodson and Charles Woodson has been called several times and he got away with one on that blood third down and 15 [Applause] Roethlisberger throws and a fascist [Applause] thirty-six and a conversion on third down well Jared Busch is underneath this route and a great position and a look like bode well it's a perfectly thrown ball initially I thought that Jared Busch might have been able to make a play on that ball but then turned it loose and put it up high and it's a wonder that Heath Miller was able to get around and locate that and make the catch Heath Miller is set a tremendous game six catches 103 yards 32 seconds left jenkins colonel gets the set the penalty flag comes in Colin Jenkins got there with a flag thrown on the play [Applause] number 26 defense first it puts an extra defensive back Josh Bell there it is heated yet Holmes trying to come out of the route and and Bell has got a hold on him and : Jenkins I mean he had done a nice job on his part coming in and then getting Roethlisberger to the ground and this is hard on those big guys she said Jenkins there at the defensive end position just goes right around starts there's one thing and then the hard part's getting bend to the ground but to have to continually come with the pass rush these guys are starting to get a little gassed up front three penalties on this drive against Green Bay they are the most penalized team in the NFL this Pittsburgh another first down to office program wit time throws complete teeth Miller first down inside of the 20 [Applause] and Pittsburgh will use their final timeout [Applause] 18 seconds left and Mike McCarthy will talk to Nick Barnett his middle linebacker after the completion for another first down as charles woodson they're basically playing a 3d pits it's actually too deep with charles woodson then playing deep metal and you wonder why they're able to get this completion it's a three-man rush and so Roethlisberger has some time and then it's just a matter of Heath Miller find in a hole within those zones who play math who's doing everything that he can but because of the timeout they were able to work the middle of the field and now they're in a great position to take shots into the end zone now for Ben Roethlisberger franchise-record 484 yards passing against the Packers a team that came in in the past this season 18 seconds left no time Roethlisberger swings it in completes from Mike Wallace that would have been interesting because if Mike Wallace catches that ball he likely does not get into the end zone and then they would have to run up and then spike the ball which they would have had time to do that and would have given one more play but right there the Packers were in a good position if he was able to make that catch to get him to the ground right now with the amount of time that's left [Applause] he owed me two o'clock still riding there I'm getting up to the line two o'clock second down from Colin Jenkins buys time throws out of the back of the endzone and now three seconds remain we're down to the final play and ben roethlisberger who has the biggest passing day of any quarterback in the league this season 484 yards passing against Green Bay we'll have one more try and even that play right there he thought he had throw it in a position to give his guy and only has got an opportunity to make the play they're just a ball that was a little too high but this is it right here Roethlisberger throws endzone touched [Applause] point two come thirty-six [Applause] he was active last week for the time all season he's one of Wallace and he's in a good position but Wallace is looking back for the ball Roethlisberger knows it's one-on-one he puts it on his back shoulder and comes back and makes the play heck of a job if no one where he was and keeping his feet inbounds like Santonio Holmes in the Super Bowl just did keep his feet inbounds made the catch falling out they're going to look at it but it looked like with every replay we've had Mike Wallace the rookie out of Ole Miss kept his feet in made the catch with no time remaining with the extra point to come at the moment we're tied at 36 [Applause] we're in a booth review every look confirms the touchdown but we'll get the official call as you look at the effort by Mike Wallace tapping the toes down making the catch falling out of bounds touchdown was the call here comes John Perry after hearing the play the play stands s called touchdown because the Packers were good on the two points right [Applause] by Jeff Reed who has not missed one this season mike tomlin can breathe us in of relieved as he doesn't have to questions an onside kick tried with a two-point lead this to win it [Applause] Steelers win their losing streak is over about 503 yards passing for Ben Roth one-a-day best in the NFL since November of 2006 we'll be back to wrap it up after this you

Channel: Bart Simpson

Views: 78,938

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Id: oABG93BsaHI

Length: 161min 3sec (9663 seconds)

Published: Sat Nov 25 2017