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7 |
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0 |
22 |
36 |
| Steelers |
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Sunday, December 20, 2009 - 3:15 PM CST - Heinz Field (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
TV: FOX | Local Radio: WTAQ 1360 AM, WTAQ 97.5 FM, WIXX 101.1 FM
Live Game Stats (NFL.com) | Press Box Notes | Dope Sheet |  Gameday Photos
PACKERS-STEELERS POST-GAME QUOTES
GREEN BAY PACKERS HEAD COACH MIKE McCARTHY:
(How difficult is this loss?) "Losses are difficult. Losses in December are probably a little more important. This is a game that we had a lot of confidence coming into it. We knew we had to score some points today from the offensive side of it. I don't think we thought it would go that way as far as the aggressiveness and the passing game against our defense. We came up one play short and we'll correct it tomorrow. I'm sure there will be a number of opportunities that we could have made one play. I think this is classic December football. It came down to the last play of the game and we didn't get it done."
(Is it safe to say that Crosby's missed kick is the "one play short?") "One play short showed up in all three phases. I felt offensively in the first half we left some opportunities on the field, particularly in the passing game. They played a lot more base defense versus some of our particular personnel groups. We felt confident throwing the football. That's why we were throwing the ball. Mason needs to make the kick. He missed the kick. He's missed kicks in the past. He needs to make the kick. Yeah, it would have been nice to have those three points, but I'm sure if you go through the defense there were opportunities, a play here and a play there, that we needed to make. We were one play short, and I'm sure all three phases will have evidence that needs to be corrected."
(Is there anything to be gained from this loss?) "Confidence comes with winning. There are different levels of success that you have during the course of the performance and we point to that. We're very honest and realistic with our correction and our evaluation process, and that's the way we'll go at it in the morning with the players. It's important to correct this and move on to Seattle. The Seattle game is very important to us. We need to get our win total to 10. There better be a focus as soon as we get off the plane in Green Bay. Tough loss for everybody, to let one get away at the last play of the game is a hard one to swallow."
(Did Aaron Rodgers step it up today?) "I thought Aaron played well. He took some hits early. I thought he just stayed right in there and threw the ball. They had some dropped balls in the first half that hurt us, and he didn't lose confidence in anybody and just kept going. I thought the protection was outstanding. I thought the direction of Aaron [Rodgers] and Scott Wells and the production of our protection unit was outstanding versus that defense today."
(Did the Steelers' on-side kick surprise you at that point in the game?) "I don't think it surprises you. They were playing to win. I thought they threw caution to the wind. I thought they threw everything at us. They didn't hold anything back. I thought Bruce Arians did a hell of a job today. I thought they called an extremely aggressive game on their part. Obviously Mike [Tomlin] was going for the win there on the on-side kick."
PACKERS CORNERBACK JOSH BELL:
(Opportunity to win game) "I was just enjoying being out on the field, trying to help us win the game."
(Describe the mood of the defense during the last Steelers' drive) "We always believe we're going to come up with a stop."
(Did you feel you had good coverage on final play?) "Not good enough. Not good enough. I'll have to see the film before I can say whether I had good coverage or not. It wasn't good enough."
(Could you have broken up the play?) "If I would've reached my hand into the receiver instead of looking back for the ball, or even just forced the receiver out. If I could've lifted one leg, it would've been incomplete."
PACKERS CORNERBACK/SAFETY JARRETT BUSH:
(Steelers offense) "Roethlisberger just slides in the pocket and gave them time to get open. That's what they do. You can't take it away from them, they made the plays."
(Flag thrown negating his interception) "That's the way football is sometimes. Sometimes it's not going to go your way. You just have to get up and play the next play. That's what I did – I kept fighting. I saw the pick, and I thought a ball bounced my way. And then it didn't. It's just one of those things. You have to keep coming back, keep coming back no matter what happens. That's just being a defensive back in general. You have to have short-term memory. Something bad happens, you have to get up and play again like it never happened. If you play like that, good things happen. Unfortunately, they made the last play."
(Did you feel they were picking on you?) "(Ben) Roethlisberger gave them some time to get open. We didn't get it done on the back end. Yes, we have to be held accountable and move on."
(Is your confidence shaken?) "It's a minor detail. That's Ben Roethlisberger. He's going to make plays. That's what he does. They're defending Super Bowl champs. You have to beat the champ to be the champ. Unfortunately we didn't, so we have to keep swinging and move on to Seattle."
PACKERS LINEBACKER BRANDON CHILLAR:
(Final play of the game) "The last play was basically a last-play defense. It's hard to defend a throw like that. That was about as good as it gets. I wasn't in."
(Mindset after losing close game) "Anytime something like that happens on the last play, you look back – because there are other plays within the game that let us get to that point. A penalty here, my penalty, a missed coverage here and that's all it takes."
(Leeway in covering tight ends) "You have to play physical, otherwise they're just going to hit you and bounce out. I might've been on him a little too much. You have to gauge that. Sometimes they'll let you get away with it. The second one, I didn't even see (Hines) Ward. I was just trying to drop to a different coverage and just ran into him. It's unfortunate, but it's still my fault. I'm upset that it happened, but that's part of the game. I'll be ready to come back to work and correct it."
PACKERS KICKER MASON CROSBY:
(Change in kicking game) "We made the decision this week, got some good reps, had a good week of work. It felt good with how it went this week, so it's a little disappointing to have that one end the game here, but obviously I haven't been making those short ones, so we thought we'd make a switch and start fresh and get out of this little hole."
(Hold on missed kick) "We'll look at the film, but he did a good job today. He stepped in really well, and that one is on me. The ball was going to go right, and I just didn't get it far enough left."
(Magnification of kicking game in close games) "Big game, we want to get to 10 wins here – it was an early kick in the game. I missed it, and that just shows you have to make them all, because they can come back. Our focus now is Seattle. We have to get to 10 wins, we can't think about anything further than that."
(Assessing trend in kicking game) "It's unfortunate. A week of work is not doing it. It's just popping up in games, and it's something that if I'm fortunate enough to keep being here, I've got to go to work. I have to get back after it in Seattle, and if we're going to make a run here I have to make some kicks."
PACKERS QUARTERBACK AARON RODGERS:
(How difficult was tonight, the loss, the way you lost?) "It was a tough game. Two teams that played well offensively and didn't turn the ball over. Unfortunately, the last team with the ball would win tonight. You have to give Ben [Roethlisberger] a lot of credit, he played very well, took care of the football-made big plays, big throws. And it felt good after we got that touchdown and two-point conversion and knowing that they had to go the length of the field in less than two minutes. It's a tough loss, it really is. But I think we showed a lot of character and being able to come back and we got on a roll offensively and kept that going-and I think the onside kick just showed that they didn't think they could stop us on offense. We got our chances to take the lead back and did, and unfortunately they made one more play than us tonight."
(When they had that onside kick, did that give you more confidence?) "I think the statement to me was that - it was a gutsy call, for one - but I don't think they felt like they could hold up. We were getting on a roll there, scoring touchdowns, and fortunately we cashed that in but couldn't come up with one big play down the stretch."
(Do you as a fairly young quarterback feel good about a game against a defense like that?) "I felt good. You have to give the offensive line a lot of credit. I thought they did a great job tonight, communication-wise between Scotty [Wells] and I, and the rest of the guys was great - although Scott really did a great job managing their number of different looks on defense. We were on the same page, so I was able to get the ball in my hands pretty quickly. The guys made plays - Greg [Jennings] had a big play early in the game - a catch and run - Jermichael [Finley] had a great game; he's been great for us since he's been back. But I think the guys up front deserve a lot of credit. We got into a rhythm, and [Head Coach] Mike [McCarthy] put the ball into my hands, and I'm appreciative of that and we were able to make some plays that put us in the position to win the game."
(Do you think you have to prove anything in that regard, or are you past that?) "I think I'm past that. But tonight felt good. We got into a rhythm offensively. Personally, I felt very good after a rocky start, not throwing the ball very well to start the game. We got into a rhythm offensively; they had a hard time stopping us. We converted a couple of big third downs and we cashed in in the red zone."
(Would you have expected to be in the empty backfield situation as often as you were and when you're in that spot, what did you figure out?) "Well, I think when you watch the film, it was one area we wanted to attack them; matchups outside. With Jermichael being back in the lineup, he really gives us another great option where we can split him out on his own side or work him on the three receiver side. And he had a great game tonight. But when we're in that empty set, it's just a matter of communication up front. And like I said, Scotty did a great job declaring the guys we were going to and when they brought an extra guy or brought a guy where you expect him to come, I was able to get the ball out of my hand pretty quickly and let guys make plays."
PACKERS TACKLE MARK TAUSCHER:
(Assessing the Steelers' defense) "We have different challenges each week, and their guys upfront are just really good players."
(Changes in protection after early hits on Rodgers) "They did more inside blitzing than we thought. We showed what we do verses a 3-4, and I think they came in with a plan to attack it. We did some adjusting as the game went on. I think when you do something that you're having some success with, you keep doing it."
(Should the game have come down to that last play?) "Anytime you lose a tight game, obviously there's a lot of attention on that last play. We just didn't do enough. We didn't play well enough, especially offensively, in the first half. When you leave the game in their hands and they have a championship quarterback on the other side, you have to give yourself a little cushion, and we weren't able to do that."
PITTSBURGH STEELERS HEAD COACH MIKE TOMLIN
(Opening statement) "Not dead yet. The guys hung together, fought, made enough plays to win. We haven't won in a while so it feels good. To keep it in perspective, we've got a little pulse here. Hopefully we can use this as momentum to get ready to play Baltimore next week, which is of course a very warm football team. Good to stay in the fight, good to win one for our fans, we've got the greatest fans in the world. Good to perform for them and get them something to be excited about here at Heinz Field. Today, I'm just as excited about that as I am getting that five-week monkey off our back."
(Talk about the onsides kick, was it something you saw?) "I'll be very bluntly honest with you, based on the way the game was going in the second half, first of all I thought with the element of surprise we had a chance to get it, but if we didn't get it and they were to score, then we would have necessary time on the clock to score or match their score. Plan A didn't work, we got the ball but we were illegal, that was the correct call, but it kind of unfolded the way you envisioned it. We had 30 minutes of evidence that we could drive the ball on them, we also conversely had 30 minutes of evidence to show they could also drive the ball on us. That's why we took the risk when we did."
(Was the offensive kick a hunch?) "No, we were just trying to win the football game. There was time left in that game that had we kicked that ball away and the half had gone the way that it'd gone, they were converting third downs. They would have moved the ball down the field on us, we wouldn't have had necessary time to respond. I'm just being honest, but it starts with feeling pretty good about the element of surprise and having a good chance to get that ball, but that part of it didn't work out."
(You're 19-3 when the Steelers score 24 points or more, your thoughts on that?) "No, I don't care. I don't care about the style points, I'm just trying to win if it's 2-3 or 36-37 or whatever it ended up today."
(Was Mike Wallace the go-to-guy on the last play?) "It's not many options when you're talking about having to put the ball in the end zone and they had very good coverage. They had two deep with Charles Woodson acting as a middle linebacker in the middle of field. That P-2 or Tampa-Two as people call it. There's not many places to throw the football and that's probably one of the few places that you get to do it but it's going to take that kind of throw and that kind of catch versus that coverage. That's why we were throwing incomplete passes on the plays prior to that because that thing is tough to penetrate. Heck of a throw, heck of a catch. Gutsy, clutch performance by a lot of people."
(Did that play remind you of Santonio Holmes' catch in Super Bowl 43?) "Oh my gosh, that's so far in our rear view, we're just trying to stay alive."
(Have you talked to other NFL coaches during this losing streak to seek guidance?) "No, I like to waddle in my own misery."
(Talk about Ben Roethlisberger's play) "It was clutch. We needed that kind of performance. We're on life support here in terms of staying in the hunt for the playoffs so, we can't save anything. This football team is individuals and he played with that kind of spirit."
(Talk about the kick before the onside kick) "We tried a deep lob like we tried earlier in the game when they attempted to fair catch it and we didn't kick the ball far enough but we were trying to drop the ball in that dead area around the 20 to 25-yard line like we had done earlier but we didn't get it as far, but similar to that one that landed in that dead spot earlier."
(Do you think the onside kick gave confidence to your defense when they had to defend a short field?) "I was just trying to win a football game. First and foremost, I wanted the ball, we hadn't stopped them in the second half and they hadn't stopped us, both teams were driving the football. I wanted to maintain possession of it, we weren't able to do that. I figured if they're working on a short field and they were to happened to score, we'd have appropriate time to drive down the field, which is kind of how the game unfolded."
(Can you put your finger on why the Packers had success on offense?) "Sure, they're good, they've got a good quarterback. He's got 130.0 quarterback rating on third down coming into this game, he played like that on third down in this game. He's got a good weapon of wide-outs, the tight end's a vertical threat, they played to their personality. We didn't make enough plays on third down to keep them cool."
(If you lost today, the onside kick we be talked about all week, your thoughts on that?) "I wear that. I wear that like a badge of honor. That comes with the job. I don't live in my fear, I just play and play to win and I don't worry about being judged, I really don't."
(What's the status on Greg Warren?) "Not good, looks like a torn ACL."
(On the extra point?) "On the very last play of the game, yes, unfortunately. It's in his other leg, he had an ACL [injury] last year, it's the other leg."
(Have you lost confidence in your defense's ability to close the game out with a lead?) "No, its not about confidence, it's about plays. I believe in these guys, they believe in each other. Sometimes games unfold in different ways. We had a tough time stopping them in the second half and you do what's appropriate to win the football game, but it doesn't speak to anything moving forward. We analyze this game, we put it in our rear view mirror, we prepare for Baltimore. It's not like we're going to play scared or lack confidence in that football game in terms of what we're capable of doing defensively, but today, I was concerned about our ability to stop them based on what I was looking at in that stadium."
(Was Mike Wallace the primary receiver on that play?) "We were just trying to get the ball in the end zone to a guy. You can't break the huddle saying that you're going to throw the ball on that weak side versus that cover two, but again, under those circumstances there's not that many opportunities and what you're looking for really is a one-on-one and then somebody's got to win it. That's probably about the only one-on-one on that field in terms of the way that ball unfolded. So we had a one-on-one opportunity, Ben [Roethlisberger] made the appropriate decision and Mike [Wallace] made a play."
(Talk about he two deep passes that you gave up in the game.) "Those aren't one-on-one matchups versus linebackers. Those guys are covered up by half-field safety's over the top, similarly to a few situations that we had them in. We had Mike Wallace down the middle of the field and seemingly a completion but Atari Bigby came in and banged the ball out. That's how those plays happen, it's the exact same coverage Dom Caper plays similar stuff to what we play. When they threw the ball down the middle of the field at times, they were able to catch it and hold on to it and in one instance, they were able to have a long score. We had a similar route versus a similar coverage and Atari Bigby banged the ball out versus Mike Wallace there. So that's football, it's about execution. There were very few secrets, we knew what coverage they were in at times, they knew what we were in and they executed a little better than we did at times if you're talking about running down the middle of the field with number threes."
(What was the difference in Mike Wallace this week compared to the last couple of weeks?) "He made plays when given the opportunity, not that he's had a bunch of opportunities and sometimes, it's like that. It's about what you do with them when you get them. He played big, he played older than a rookie for us today which was needed."
(Are there any other injuries?) "That's the only one and that's preliminary gut reaction, but it doesn't look good in regards to his knee."
STEELERS LINEBACKER JAMES FARRIOR
(Ryan Clark said he was disappointed in the way the defense played. Do you feel that way too?) "Yeah. I'm upset with the points that we gave up. I thought we could have played a lot better. When our offense is putting up points for us, we have to hold our end of the bargain up and keep teams from scoring. But they did a great job responding to every score that Green Bay had. I've got to give our offense a lot of credit. They kept us in the game today and pulled it out."
STEELERS CENTER JUSTIN HARTWIG
(General comment) "The way this game ended was incredible, especially that last play. It was obviously pretty reminiscent of the Super Bowl last year. But, Ben [Roethlisberger] had a big game. We passed the ball the whole game. The bottom line is he made the big throws when he needed to when the game was on the line. When it's fourth down or third and long, Ben is one heck of a quarterback."
(The onside kick in the fourth quarter) "Coach Tomlin told us we were going to kick this onside kick. Obviously, he was thinking that we're going to get the ball right back. That's not the way it transpired, but his plan was that if they were going to score, he wanted to leave us enough time go down the field and score on them. And the plan worked. We got enough time to put a drive together at the end of the game. And at the end of the game, "seven" is the guy you want with the ball in his hand."
STEELERS QUARTERBACK BEN ROETHLISBERGER
(Last drive) "It seemed that everything that could go wrong went wrong except for when we got a couple of penalties. We had to go over eighty-yards with one play before the two-minute warning, and one timeout. There was no big chunks until we hit Heath (Miller) on one. The thing was, was that guys were coming back to the huddle worn out, lineman, wide receivers, everybody. We didn't quit, everybody believed that we could do it. We got down to three seconds to go it looked kind of bleak, but this team never quits fighting. I can't say enough about the line giving me enough time to get it out, and Mike (Wallace) making the play."
(Charles Woodson different looks during the game) "He was moving all over the place. I told him afterwards he's an MVP defensive player. He's a phenomenal player and he makes unbelievable plays. That last play he was playing center field and I knew that I had to be careful going down the middle with him."
(The last touchdown play) "The back that he was supposed to stay in and block, then get out late. I told him that they're not going to blitz, just run down the sideline, hopefully they will forget about you and you'll be open. I went to Tone (Santonio Holmes) on the right side, then to the back, then went to Heath, Hines (Ward), then saw Mike Wallace. The back had his back to me. If the guy has his back to me then I have two shoulders to throw at and Mike made a heck of a catch."
(What was more impressive Mike making the catch or his route running?) "The play before I chewed him out a little, because I felt that he kind of quit on the play. I thought that he could of pealed out and made a play for a touchdown the play before. I know that he's kind of hurt and banged up, and tired, but I just said listen it's time that you have to make a play. if I'm coming to you, I'm coming to you. It's time to grow up and do this. I always tell those guys it doesn't matter if you drop it, I have a short memory I'll come back to you."
(Bailing out Coach Tomlin from Bill Belichick comparisons) "He's our head coach. When he makes decisions we go with it no matter what it is. It's amazing how one play can change everything. If that last play was incomplete nobody in that locker room is talking, everybody is down and we would probably have the worst Christmas ever, but because that play is a touchdown it's a completely different ballgame."
(Throwing for 503-yards) "We needed all 503. When you're out there I'm not even thinking about that. To tell you the truth I'm thinking about the plays that we missed. I missed Hines on one that I felt we could have had a touchdown. I make fun of the receivers for their drops. I could have had 600-yards and they could have had more yards."
(Your thoughts on the onside kick) "I hope we get it. If we get it we get the ball back and can control the clock a little bit. They're the number one or two defense in the league. They did a phenomenal job, but I felt we could do whatever we wanted on offense. If we would have got that ball back I felt we would have gone down and scored."
(Making plays out of the pocket) "I think most of the time they were only rushing four, our guys picked it up. They rush the faster guys from the outside and it was easier for our guards to push them wide. That let me step up and open up lanes."
(On this team not giving up their confidence) "You see Hines coming back to the huddle dead tired, but as soon as they get to the huddle they are ready to go for the next play, same with Santonio. I'm upbeat and tell those guys it's still ok. I think the leadership we have on this team all the way around we don't quit. That is kind of a Pittsburgh mentality, we don't quit no matter what."
STEELERS OFFENSIVE TACKLE MAX STARKS
(What were your thoughts when you saw him catch that ball in the corner of the end zone?) "I saw it after he hit the ground. The fans seemed to think it was [a touchdown] so I'm alright with it. I was in there blocking and I tried to look for it, but I couldn't spot it. Everybody else was excited, so it must have been a touchdown."
(You guys are still alive) "Still alive. You can't kill us until we're dead."
STEELERS WIDE RECEIVER MIKE WALLACE
(General comment) "I'm just happy to have a guy come back to me and to have a guy help me fight through adversity."
(What was the play [on the winning touchdown]?) "Go. We all had go routes and find the open man. [Ben Roethlisberger) had the confidence in me and threw the ball. I just tried to make a good play."
(How much did that remind you of last February?) "Well, that guy [Santonio Holmes] got us down there, so you can't ever forget about that. He got us down there with a big catch on third or fourth down - I think it might have been fourth down when he caught the ball and kept going down the sideline. So we owe it to everybody, from Hines [Ward], Heath [Miller] Rashard [Mendenhall], the offensive line. Everybody made great plays on that drive. That's a collective group making good plays."
(Talk about the first touchdown on your first offensive play of the game?) "I was just hoping they were in man coverage. When we came out, I saw one safety in the middle of the field [and] I kind of had a feeling that Ben was going to throw me the ball. I just tried to make a good play on it."
(Did you feel any dejection after the one [dropped] ball?) "Most definitely. I try my best not to drop any balls. But sometimes, those things just kind of happen. The one time, the ball was knocked loose. I was trying to fall down [and] he got my in my back to knock the ball out. On the other one, I just tried to catch it and tuck it too fast before I even caught the ball. When you're playing this game, things happen. You just have to try to fight through it and make plays the next time it comes to you."
(Is this your first career game-winner in high school, college or pro?) "No. I caught one in high school. I caught three in high school. That's not my first time, but it was definitely the biggest."
(Never in college?) "No. I never had one in college. That was the only one where the clock had zero on it. That was by far the biggest one."
(Your quarterback threw for 503 yards) "Wow."
(What does that tell you about him?) "He's a great guy [and] a great quarterback. His numbers explain it all. 503 yards – you don't see that too often."
(Did you have any concern about whether your toes were in at all?) "No. Once I caught the ball, I knew I was in. I had no doubt in my mind that I was in. It was just making sure that I held onto the ball. I looked at the referee. I knew he couldn't overturn it because I knew I dragged my feet. We practice that every day in practice."
(On touchdown catch on game's final play) "I just saw the ball. I was hoping the ball hadn't gotten there before I turned around. Ben put it in the only spot where I could catch it."
(What was it like for you to be in there on a drive like that?) "You dream of things like this all the time. Before a game, I always see myself making plays in my head. For it to come true like that is great."
(How tough is it to score a touchdown from that spot on the field?) "I can't even explain it. Probably nobody in the stands thought we were going to score a touchdown except for us. Ben told me he was coming to me before the play. He was like, "just stay alive, I'm going to come to you." Sure enough, he threw it, and I made a play on it."
(Why do you think he said he'd come to you?) "Because I'm the least one that everybody is worried about out there. We have great guys. We have a Hall of Famer, Hines Ward. We have Santonio [Holmes], a potential Pro Bowler. We have Heath [Miller], another potential Pro Bowler. So it's just little old me, out there by myself on an island."
(Was that your first catch since the first drive of the game?) "Yes. I only had two catches – two catches, two touchdowns. I can't even explain it. It was just a great win – great for us."
(With that much time between catches, is it tough to stay in the game?) "You have to keep yourself in the game. I understand my role and I understand the guys that are in front of me. [They are] great guys. I have no problem with that – coming in and trying to learn from those guys. But when my number is called, I'm going to be ready."
STEELERS LINEBACKER LAMARR WOODLEY
(Team's offensive performance) "We have two games to play and the offense showed that when the defense is down, they can put points on the board. They've been doing that all year. It's just that we've been letting offense off. They picked us up today, kept us alive [and] kept us in the fight for the playoffs."
**
SCORING SUMMARY & GAME NOTES
4th Qtr
 PIT 37, GB 36
PIT: Wallace, 19 pass from Roethlisberger, 0:03
12 plays, 86 yards, TOP 2:06
Key plays: Roethlisberger throws a deep pass to Holmes for 32 yards. Roethlisberger throws a 19 yard pass to Wallace for a touchdown.
 GB 36, PIT 30
GB: Jones, 24 pass from Rodgers (2-point conversion good), 2:12
6 plays, 39 yards, TOP 1:52
Key plays: James Jones catches a 24 yard pass from Rodgers for a touchdown. Rodgers passes to Brandon Jackson for a 2-point conversion.
PIT 30, GB 28
PIT: Reed, 43 field goal, 3:58
6 plays, 44 yards, TOP 3:51
Key plays: Ward got behind Bush for a 54-yard catch deep down the left sideline. Roethlisberger scrambled for a first down, but a holding call on G/T Trai Essex pushed the Steelers back as they settled for the field goal.
GB 28, PIT 27
GB: Grant, 24 run (Crosby kick), 7:49
4 plays, 62 yards, TOP 1:56
Key plays: Finley caught two passes for 11 yards, and then Rodgers found Nelson deep down the right sideline for a 27-yard gain with CB William Gay covering. Grant found a hole on the left side on the next play and took it the rest of the way.
PIT 27, GB 21
PIT: Reed, 34 field goal, 9:45
8 plays, 47 yards, TOP 3:45
Key plays: Roethlisberger completed a 29-yard pass down the sideline to Ward on the first play of the drive, and then converted a 3rd-and-6 from the Green Bay 30 with a 12-yard pass to Miller. Back-to-back incompletions to Ward forced Pittsburgh to settle for the field goal.
PIT 24, GB 21
GB: Finley, 11 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick), 13:30
13 plays, 69 yards, TOP 6:06
Key plays: Rodgers converted two third downs early on the drive, the first a 19-yard completion to Driver on 3rd-and-16, and then a 14-yard gain to Jennings on 3rd-and-5. Rodgers threw a jump ball pass for Finley on third down and Finley went up over S Ryan Clark to make the grab for the touchdown.
3rd Qtr
PIT 24, GB 14
PIT: Reed, 37 field goal, 4:36
11 plays, 55 yards, TOP 6:12
Key plays: Roethlisberger connected on a swing pass to RB Rashard Mendenhall on third down to pick up 29 yards. RB Willie Parker picked up 18 yards on back-to-back 9-yard runs, and Roethlisberger found WR Hines Ward for a 17-yard gain over the middle. A pass interference call on TE Heath Miller and an 8-yard sack by LB Brad Jones, his second of the afternoon, forced Pittsburgh to settle for three points.
Injury update: Packers LB Nick Barnett left the game with a knee injury, and his return is probable.
2nd Qtr
PIT 21, GB 14
PIT: Moore, 10 pass from Roethlisberger (Reed kick), 0:26
6 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:38
Key plays: Roethlisberger moved the Steelers down the field with two big plays, the first a 27-yard completion to TE Heath Miller on third down, and a 33-yarder on the next play to WR Santonio Holmes. RB Mewelde Moore caught a quick pass and followed a block from Holmes into the end zone.
GB 14, PIT 14
GB: Rodgers, 14 run (Crosby kick), 3:04
8 plays, 52 yards, TOP 3:51
Key plays: Rodgers completed passes of 8 yards to WR Donald Driver, back-to-back 7-yarders to WR Greg Jennings, and a 12-yarder to WR James Jones. On third down, Rodgers brought the ball down and ran into the end zone untouched.
Milestone: With his ninth sack of the season midway through the second quarter, LB Clay Matthews set the Packers' franchise record for most sacks in a season by a rookie, eclipsing the mark of eight held by Tim Harris (1986) and Vonnie Holliday (1998).
1st Qtr
PIT 14, GB 7
PIT: Mendenhall 2 run (Reed kick), 3:47
10 plays, 72 yards, TOP 6:09
Key plays: Roethlisberger converted three third downs, two on passes of 9 and 6 yards to WR Hines Ward, and a 14-yarder to TE Heath Miller. CB Charles Woodson was flagged for a 17-yard pass-interference penalty, and WR Santonio Holmes picked up 12 yards on a quick pass down to the 2. RB Rashard Mendenhall took it in on the next play for the touchdown.
GB 7, PIT 7
GB: Jennings, 83 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick), 9:56
3 plays, 88 yards, TOP 1:33
Key plays: On third down, QB Aaron Rodgers lofted a pass to WR Greg Jennings over the middle near midfield, and Jennings shook off tackler S Tyrone Carter to take it the rest of the way for the score. The TD pass was the longest of Rodgers' career and Jennings' career-long reception.
PIT 7, GB 0
PIT: Wallace, 60 pass from Roethlisberger (Reed kick), 14:18
1 plays, 60 yards, TOP :10
Key plays: On Pittsburgh's first offensive play, QB Ben Roethlisberger rolled out to his right on a play-action fake and found WR Mike Wallace, who got behind CB Jarrett Bush, deep down the sideline for the score.
**
The Packers won the coin toss and elected to receive.
Weather at kickoff: 30 degrees (wind chill of 21 degrees) and cloudy.
Today's attendance: 57,452
**
Today's captains: T Mark Tauscher (offense), CB Tramon Williams (defense) and LB Brandon Chillar (special teams)
**
PACKERS INACTIVES:
18 WR Patrick Williams
30 FB John Kuhn
33 CB Brandon Underwood
47 S Matt Giordano
68 T Breno Giacomini
78 T/G Allen Barbre
96 DE Michael Montgomery
99 LB Jeremy Thompson
STARTING LINEUP CHANGES
On offense, (#35) Korey Hall starts for (#30) John Kuhn at FB. On defense, (#90) B.J. Raji starts for (#79) Ryan Pickett at NT.
STEELERS INACTIVES:
14 WR Limas Sweed
16 QB Charlie Batch (Third QB)
20 CB Keenan Lewis
43 S Troy Polamalu
65 G Kraig Urbik
68 G Chris Kemoeatu
77 DE Sunny Harris
93 DE Nick Eason
STARTING LINEUP CHANGES
None. |
 | Badger Mutual Family of the Game
Seventh-graders in the state of Wisconsin are eligible to enter an essay contest to see their family named the Badger Mutual Insurance Family of the Game. Winners will receive four game tickets, pre-game VIP on-field passes, recognition on the video board during the game and much more. To enter, Wisconsin seventh-graders should write an essay of 500 words or less that tells "Why Education Is Important to Me." Print out a registration form on packers.com. |
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 | Coldwell Banker "Take it to the House"
Two lucky couples will have a chance to win a house courtesy of Coldwell Banker during halftime at every home game. Visit one of Coldwell Banker's Open Houses to sign up!
"Take it to the House" TV Commercial - Real | Windows |
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 | Crunch Time Catch
The Crunch Time Catch presented by Copps and Pick 'n Save gives two contestants the chance to show their skills catching punts. Both contestants will attempt to catch a thirty yard punt. If they succeed they move on to a sixty yard punt for the chance to win an Ariens® snow thrower or lawnmower. |
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 | Kohl's Fan of the Game
Four randomly selected fans will be selected at every Packer home game to win Kohl's Gift Cards. |
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 | Kraft Best Seats in the House Sweepstakes
Watch the game from the "Best Seats in the House". Winners and a guest will watch the game from recliners in the stands. The area will also include a color TV and a fully catered picnic lunch. Entry forms available at participating retailers. |
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 | MasterCard Fan Photographer
All Associated Bank customers who make a signature-based transaction will automatically be entered into the sweepstakes. You and a guest will receive passes to be on the field for the Packers warm-up to take pictures that will be posted on Packers.com. |
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 | Miller Lite End Zone
Watch for Miller promotions throughout the season for a chance to be part of this exciting section. |
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 | Nicolet Water Boy/Girl Sweepstakes
Win a chance to be the Official Water Boy/Girl of the Green Bay Packers. Children between the ages of 8 and 14 may enter by sending in an official entry form available at participating retailers. |
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 | Novartis "Blood Pressure Success Zone"
Stop by the Novartis "Blood Pressure Success Zone" located in the Atrium to have your blood pressure screened. While you are there be sure to pick up information on how you can be eligible to win Packers home game tickets, Packers Pro Shop gift cards and a trip for 2 to the Packers away game in Jacksonville!
To learn more about the program, visit www.packers.bpsuccesszone.com |
|
 | Operation Fan Mail
The Green Bay Packers and Festival Foods this season are recognizing military families separated by active duty with a new program, 'Operation Fan Mail.' The families will be recognized on the field during home pregame activities.
To choose families, the Packers and Festival Foods are asking interested families, or friends of eligible families, to submit an essay, 500 words or less, on why a particular family should be saluted. Essays can be sent to: Operation Fan Mail, P.O. Box 10628, Green Bay, WI, 54307-0628, or by clicking here. |
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 | Shopko Kickoff Kid promotion
Packer fans 12 and under can win the opportunity of a lifetime: Packers Honorary Kickoff Kid! One lucky fan will be selected for each 2006 home game to run onto the field after the Packers first kickoff to retrieve the tee. Each winner will receive the opportunity to be on the field during pre-game warm-ups, four (4) game tickets for the winner and his/her family, and a Packers Goodie Bag. Visit participating Shopko stores for your chance to win! |
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 | Verizon Jr. Captain
For every home game one lucky Packers fan between the ages of 7 and 14 is selected to be the Verizon Jr. Captain of the game and join the team captains on the field during the coin toss. Sign up at participating Verizon Wireless locations. verizonwireless.com |
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