That’s how far McCarron was from taking on Tom Brady in Foxboro after taking down Ben Roethlisberger in sneak peek at Canton.
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And in the end, it didn’t matter.
When the game ended Whitworth was one of four Bengals – the others were kicker Mike Nugent receiver Marvin Jones and halfback Rex Burkhead – who sought out Steelers players on the field to congratulate them. It doesn’t matter. We win together and lose together. Jones was attempting to defend Burfict, and he would not have been put in that situation if it Burfict had not made the hit.
Cincinnati might want to do the same after somehow losing despite rallying from a 15-point deficit to have the lead and the in Pittsburgh territory and the lead with 1:30 to go.
Then the Bengals turned into… the Bengals.
Roethlisberger said he was in “a lot” of pain on that final drive.
“It’s hard to put into words, but this one is on me. It’s on me. I take full blame for it. It’s very unfortunate”.
He had plenty of help from two of his volatile teammates, both with a history of questionable decision-making.
Burfict’s sack of Roethlisberger came in the final seconds of the third quarter.
The bruising battle between AFC North foes was marked by numerous personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct calls, players threatening one another after crushing hits and the Cincinnati crowd throwing debris on the field in protest.
It’s mind-boggling how much Cincinnati has struggled to stop the run in playoff games, and Marvin Lewis needs to figure out why, if he’s around next season. Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith completed 17-of-22 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown, helping the team move down the field at will for scoring opportunities.
Undrafted former practice squad back Fitzgerald Toussaint and unheralded journeyman Jordan Todman combined for 123 rushing yards for Pittsburgh as injury replacements for recently departed DeAngelo Williams, who was filling in for long-gone Le’Veon Bell. Brown caught a short, 10-yard pass over the middle from Roethlisberger and ran 50 yards with it for a 60-yard completion to the 10.
Still, that production didn’t look like it would be enough. Back-up quarterback A.J. McCarron had to battle an aggressive Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense and a driving rain storm; certainly not the best conditions to break an 0-6 playoff record for Lewis with Cincinnati.
The second longest kick-off return in National Football League playoff history would stand up as the only touchdown of the first half with Brazilian kicker Cario Santos adding two second-quarter 49-yard field goals.
And just as suddenly as it appeared, the Bengals’ resolve vanished. But on the next play, Cincinnati running back Jeremy Hill was stripped of the football, and Pittsburgh recovered the fumble.
The victory sends the Steelers to Denver for a 4:40 p.m. game next Sunday against the AFC’s top-seeded Broncos. From Brian Hoyer’s four picks to special teams breakdowns to defensive struggles, it was a bad day all around for the Texans. Yet all a dozen wins did was set them up for a third showdown with their longtime tormentor in an increasingly acidic rivalry.
It was a series of events that led to a intense ending in the second game on wild card weekend, and it seemed to start with a huge hit from Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier on Bengals running back Giovani Bernard. There were no pregame fisticuffs this time – unlike Pittsburgh’s previous visit – thanks in part to assistant coaches on both sides creating a black-clad DMZ at midfield.
McCarron, so effective while replacing Dalton, could do little. They opted to go for a gimme 35-yard field goal on first down rather than risk disaster with no time outs. Then, the Bengals let their game get out of control. And it cost the Bengals dearly.
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“I thought the game was over”, Green said.
