Speechless: Patriots do all the talking, 34-13
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Speechless: Patriots do all the talking, 34-13
Monday, December 10, 2007
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
Patriots' Jabar Gaffney celebrates with Randy Moss after he scored a touchdown in the second quarter yesterday in Foxborough, Mass. (at Patriots
12/10/2007)
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- There is but one guarantee worth making in the NFL these days:
Tom Brady is as good as gold.
Brady threw four touchdown passes and 399 yards as the New England Patriots yesterday
snuffed out what was supposed to be the last, best regular-season challenge to their perfect
record with a 34-13 spanking of the Steelers at Gillette Stadium.
That's 13-0 and counting, and Brady and the Patriots seemed to enjoy rubbing it into the
faces of the Steelers and their cocky free safety, Anthony Smith, who guaranteed a victory in
this game.
Smith got into a jawing match with Brady early and was on the butt end of his two biggest
touchdown passes as the Patriots blew open a close game in the second half.
"If that's the measuring stick, we're not close," said coach Mike Tomlin as the Steelers
slipped to 9-4, one game ahead of victorious Cleveland in the AFC North Division.
"They're the best team in the league, you can't take that away from them," linebacker James
Farrior said.
The Steelers hung with the Patriots for a while, taking a 3-0 lead, climbing back to within
one point at 14-13 with a touchdown and trailing by 17-13 at the half. But Brady's final two
touchdown passes, both in the third quarter, blew this game away.
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Speechless: Patriots do all the talking, 34-13
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Randy Moss caught Brady's first two touchdown passes of 4 and 63 yards and ended with
seven catches for 135 yards. Jabar Gaffney (7-122) caught a 56-yard flea-flicker from Brady,
and Wes Welker (9-78) caught Brady's final touchdown from 2 yards.
While the Steelers had the kind of offensive statistics that usually win their kind of games,
Brady overwhelmed them. Willie Parker ran for 124 yards and Ben Roethlisberger completed
19 of 32 for 187 yards, one touchdown pass and no interceptions.
Two things thwarted the Steelers, though. They failed to score touchdowns on three of their
trips inside the New England 20 -- and came away with no points on two of them. And they
gave up those two big plays.
"We were going up and down the field, but they scored touchdowns and we didn't," said
receiver Hines Ward, who led his team with five catches for 39 yards. "That is the biggest
difference."
"Nothing worked today," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "It seemed like nothing worked."
One thing that definitely did not work was Smith's guarantee. He was the victim on the 63yard Moss touchdown catch that was wide open after Smith bit on Brady's play-fake. And he
also was late covering Gaffney after Brady threw a cross-field lateral to Moss, who dropped
it and threw it back to his quarterback. Brady then hit Gaffney in the end zone.
Tomlin downplayed Smith's "guarantee" made Wednesday as providing any motivation for
the Patriots. Keisel did not.
"Absolutely they were motivated," Keisel said. "When someone says you guarantee no
matter what they do you're going to win, absolutely that's going to affect how that team looks
at you. They came ready to go.
"They made a couple of big plays. I think the read they did on those plays was because of
what he said. Maybe try and take a shot at him. Why not take a shot, you know? And the shot
went their way."
After the first big play to Moss put New England ahead, 14-3, the Steelers stemmed the
bleeding somewhat when Roethlisberger threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Najeh
Davenport, who ran a route in the flat and then broke into the end zone when his quarterback
escaped pressure.
Jeff Reed, whose 23-yard field goal staked the Steelers to an early 3-0 lead, kicked his
second from 44 yards late in the first half to put the Steelers within a point at 14-13.
But Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 42-yard field goal with 42 seconds left for New England,
the first of 20 consecutive points by the Patriots and another blowout notch on their belt.
The Patriots had very little interest in running the ball -- they did so nine times for 22 yards -and hung everything on the right arm of Brady, who completed 32 of 46 and no
interceptions.
"It was the No. 1-ranked defense and all of that," New England coach Bill Belichick said of
the matchup against his No. 1 offense. "I thought we went out there and moved the ball and
scored some points. Most of it was throwing and we felt like that was a good matchup for us,
and I would say that it was."
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Speechless: Patriots do all the talking, 34-13
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The game opened the way the Steelers hoped it would on the first two series, with one big
exception.
New England went three-and-out after receiving the opening kickoff. The Steelers then put
together a 15-play drive that consumed 59 yards and eight minutes, 14 seconds. Problem is,
they had to settle for Reed's short field goal after having a first down at the Patriots' 6.
Against the best offense in the league, settling for field goals is just not good enough.
"Because they're such a smart veteran team, by the time you put together a long drive, they're
figuring out some way to stop you," Roethlisberger surmised.
The Steelers' kickoff team did what it does best after that field goal, allowing a 39-yard
kickoff return by Chad Jackson to New England's 48.
Brady took it from there, zipping the Patriots 52 yards in nine plays. Moss caught the 4-yard
touchdown pass between cornerback Ike Taylor and Farrior in the back middle of the end
zone.
It erased the Steelers' only lead quickly.
The Steelers' next series ended quickly and after a punt, Brady faked a handoff from his 37.
Taylor had Moss on the outside, but Smith bit on the play and as Moss cut to the middle he
blasted past the flat-footed Smith and was wide open when he caught Brady's deep pass for
63 yards, the longest against the Steelers this year.
Smith said he was coming up on run support.
Just as it appeared the Patriots were about to blow the Steelers to Rhode Island,
Roethlisberger said not so fast. He followed a 30-yard Parker run on the next series by
avoiding a rush and throwing a 32-yard touchdown pass to Davenport, who caught it over
cornerback Ellis Hobbs in the end zone.
Reed followed with his 44-yard field goal to make it 14-13, but that was high tide for the
Steelers and high time the Patriots hit the pedal.
"We've got some work to do, and that is what we just talked about in there," Tomlin said
after emerging from a quiet Steelers locker room. "We have a ways to go."
Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected].
First published on December 10, 2007 at 12:00 am
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Formula for winning wasn't good enough
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Formula for winning wasn't good enough
"We have to find ways to finish. We couldn't make the critical plays when we had to ... ."
Monday, December 10, 2007
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- It is usually a recipe for success, a mantra on which the Steelers'
offense is built: Control the ball, convert third-down situations, limit turnovers and get a 100yard rushing performance. Oh yeah, and protect the quarterback.
The Steelers did most, if not all, of that, right down to keeping Ben Roethlisberger upright
and unscathed for most of the game. In most circumstances, that would be enough to
guarantee a victory, even with no help from Anthony Smith.
But, in most circumstances, the opponent is not Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
He did not need much time to inflict damage, not even against the league's No. 1-ranked
defense and secondary.
Worse, when the Steelers tried to counter the Patriots' offensive assault with field goals, not
touchdowns, the result was a predictable 34-13 blowout victory last night by the Patriots.
"When you play great teams on the road, field goals aren't going to get it done," coach Mike
Tomlin said.
"Playing against a team that's going to score points, you got to score points to beat them,"
offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said.
"Both teams drove up and down the field," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "They scored, we
didn't. That's it."
Oh, how the Patriots scored. Touchdown passes of 63 and 56 yards by Brady against a
secondary that had allowed only one pass longer than 40 yards in the previous 12 games,
fewest in the NFL. Two more from inside the Steelers' 5.
It was more than enough to disrupt the Steelers, who actually did a good job of controlling
the time of possession (34 minutes, 43 seconds) -- their No. 1 priority on offense -- and
getting their most rushing yards (187) since Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers.
In the end, though, it didn't match up to the performance of the New England offense, not
that many offensive performances can.
"We got the ball down the field and we did a good job with our no-huddle offense,"
Roethlisberger said. "But we didn't get it in the end zone. We had to settle for three points,
and three points isn't good enough against a team that potent."
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Formula for winning wasn't good enough
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Then he added, "They are a phenomenal football team, in all facets of the game."
Indeed, the Steelers scored on three of their first four possessions against the Patriots, getting
a 23-yard field goal by Jeff Reed, an improvised 32-yard touchdown pass to running back
Najeh Davenport and a 44-yard field goal by Reed to remain close to the Patriots, 14-13.
But the Steelers feel as though they wasted a chance on Reed's first field goal because they
had first down at the Patriots' 7 and gained 2 yards on the next three plays.
Even on the drive leading to Reed's second field goal, the Steelers twice gambled
successfully on fourth-and-1 situations -- one at their 47, the other at the Patriots' 42 -- only
to waste the momentum and stall the drive at the Patriots' 26.
"We didn't convert down there and get enough points," Arians said. "Even if you're first-and8 or first-and-9, you have to get it in. When you don't score points, those things kill you."
In the end, the Steelers managed just three points on three drives that ventured inside the
Patriots' 20. Two of those came in the second half when, trailing, 31-13, the Steelers failed to
score after having first-and-goal at the Patriots' 8 and first-and-10 at the Patriots' 19.
Arians accepted the blame in each situation: He called a play the Steelers use for a 2-point
conversion -- a handoff to Ward -- on fourth-and-goal from the 1; and didn't get out of the
no-huddle attack and take more time when the Steelers got to the 19.
"There's a couple of those I'd like to get back," Arians said. "I should have gone into the
goal-line offense instead of staying in the hurry-up on third and fourth down."
It probably wouldn't have mattered against the Patriots, who scored on six of eight
possessions after their opening series ended with a punt.
Still, it crystallized the Steelers' failure to produce the points necessary to keep pace with the
Patriots and highlighted a major deficiency in a game in which they managed to do a lot of
things they wanted to do offensively against the Patriots.
"We have to find ways to finish," Tomlin said. "We got to go back to the lab on that. We
couldn't make the critical plays when we had to, particularly in the second half."
Otherwise, their formula might have worked on any other day.
"You look at it, you have to keep things in perspective," said Ward, who had a team-high five
catches for only 39 yards. "We drove the ball fairly well and the no-huddle seemed to create
problems for them. But we got down in the red zone and couldn't put it in."
First published on December 10, 2007 at 12:00 am
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Report Card / Game 13 -- Steelers vs. Patriots
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Report Card / Game 13 -- Steelers vs. Patriots
Monday, December 10, 2007
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
Patriots receiver Randy Moss hauls in pass as he's defended by Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor. (at Patriots 12/10/2007)
GERRY DULAC grades the Steelers' effort in a 34-13 loss to the Patriots yesterday. The
report is broken down into offensive and defensive positions, special teams and coaching.
Quarterback: C+
Ben Roethlisberger did a good job executing the offense, especially the no-huddle, and made
several big plays out of the pocket. But the offense didn't convert enough of its opportunities
in the red zone -- not a good recipe against the high-scoring Patriots. Roethlisberger did not
throw an interception and nicely eluded pressure to find Najeh Davenport on a 32-yard
touchdown pass.
Running backs: B+
Willie Parker had 68 of his 124 yards in the first half, including a 30-yarder to jump-start the
first touchdown drive. He also caught four passes for 23 yards. Najeh Davenport made two
big plays in the first half, especially when he broke off a route to make a nice 32-yard
touchdown catch. He also converted a fourth-and-1, which led to a field goal.
Receivers: D+
Not enough big plays from the receivers, particularly Santonio Holmes, who had only one
catch for 13 yards. The longest reception by a receiver was 21 yards by Nate Washington
near the end of the third quarter. Cedrick Wilson made several key catches after Holmes left
the game in the second quarter, including an 8-yard catch on fourth-and-1 to keep alive a
field-goal drive.
Offensive line: BOverall, it wasn't a bad performance. The Steelers had their most rushing yards (187) since
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Report Card / Game 13 -- Steelers vs. Patriots
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Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers and Roethlisberger was sacked only once into the
fourth quarter, when the game was out of hand. The linemen nicely adjusted to protection
changes when the Steelers ran their no-huddle offense. But they missed a good scoring
chance when right tackle Willie Colon got pushed back into Hines Ward on a fourth-down
handoff at the Patriots' 1.
Defensive line: CThe Steelers did not have to worry about the run because the Patriots rushed only nine times
for 22 yards. Still, QB Tom Brady was not sacked and was under very little pressure. About
the only highlight was DE Brett Keisel deflecting a third-down pass from the Steelers' 24,
forcing the Patriots to settle for a field goal.
Linebackers: D
The Steelers tried to pressure Brady with ILB James Farrior, who got close with a lot of
inside blitzes. Nothing seemed to work, not even dropping backers into coverage to help stop
the Patriots' underneath routes. Farrior helped on the first touchdown pass to Randy Moss,
but couldn't make the play.
Secondary: F
The only guarantee was that Brady repeatedly victimized safety Anthony Smith, sucking him
in for two long touchdowns -- one with a play-fake, the other on a flea-flicker. CB Ike Taylor
followed Randy Moss all over the field and gave up seven catches for 135 yards and two
touchdowns. But he was supposed to get inside help on the first TD and deep help when
Smith bit on play-fake on a 63-yard TD.
Special teams: D
Jeff Reed was solid again, kicking field goals of 23 and 44 yards, but there were enough
gaffes to make a difference. One was allowing a 39-yard kick return to set up the Patriots'
first TD. The other was William Gay not knowing where the ball was and getting hit on a
punt, allowing the Patriots to recover. Lawrence Timmons even had a block-in-the-back
penalty that negated a nice return by Allen Rossum.
Coaching: CMike Tomlin showed some guile on the road when he twice went for it on fourth down in the
first half, converting both. The offense did a good job with time of possession (34:43),
running the ball and not turning over the ball. But the league's No. 1 defense just couldn't
stop Brady, who threw four TD passes, and had the first 300-yard passing game of the season
against them.
First published on December 10, 2007 at 12:00 am
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Steelers Notebook: Taylor, DBs no match for Moss
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Steelers Notebook: Taylor, DBs no match for Moss
Monday, December 10, 2007
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Peter Diana / Post-Gazette
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is brought down by the Patriots' Ty Warren yesterday. (at Patriots 12/10/2007)
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Ike Taylor calls his celebratory waving hand gesture in front of
his face, his "Faceoff" and that's what Mike Tomlin assigned him to do yesterday: Face off
against what may be the game's best receiver, Randy Moss.
Although Tomlin has said he does not like to have one cornerback shadow the same receiver
all day, that's precisely what he had Taylor do.
Perhaps the Steelers should have had three defenders shadow Moss because it looks as
though no one can cover him alone or even with safety help. Moss caught seven passes for
135 yards and two more touchdowns on his march toward Jerry Rice's single-season NFL
record.
Moss has 19 now, second most in NFL history only to Rice, who caught 22 in the strike
season of 1987.
"They have got Tom Brady out there and he does not make mistakes," Taylor said. "When
you have a guy like that and receivers like that, you just about have to play perfect."
Brady's four touchdown passes boosted his total this season to 45. With three games to go,
only Peyton Manning (49 in 2004) and Dan Marino (48 in 1984) are ahead of him.
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Steelers Notebook: Taylor, DBs no match for Moss
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Brady's 399 yards were his most in a game played in regulation and second only to his 410 in
an overtime win against Kansas City in 2002.
Tomlin said the Steelers put Taylor, who is 6 feet 1, on Moss, who is 6-4, because he "is our
biggest guy, he is our fastest guy."
It wasn't just Taylor that Moss beat; on his 63-yard touchdown pass, Moss ran past safety
Anthony Smith, who came up on the run-fake by Brady.
"It didn't mean that we were going to match [Taylor] up in man-to-man situations all day,"
Tomlin said. "That wasn't the case. We called our normal defenses. We just had what we
thought was a physical matchup that leveled the playing field."
Running nowhere
Normally, when Willie Parker tops 100 yards rushing, the Steelers win. Yesterday, he ran
for 124 on 21 carries and they did not come close.
It was his first 100-yard game in the past four and his most since he ran 22 times for 126
yards Oct. 28 at Cincinnati. It was the only time in seven 100-yard games this season for
Parker that the Steelers lost.
"I still don't think -- if we don't beat ourselves -- a team in this league can beat us, and that's
what happened today, we beat ourselves," Parker said.
Why bother?
The Steelers allowed only 22 yards rushing by the Patriots, who showed little interest by
running only nine times.
That's usually the Steelers' formula for success -- run, stop the run. They also held the ball
longer than the home team, 34 minutes, 43 seconds to 25:17.
"It was a little weird," linebacker James Farrior said. "I thought they'd try to run a little bit
when they got a good lead on us, but they kept trying to throw the ball.
"We try to make a team one-dimensional and they did it for us and we still didn't stop them.''
Mom will get over it
Brady got into a little bit of jawing with Smith after his first touchdown pass put the Patriots
ahead for good, 7-3.
"There's always just a little jawing," Brady said. "I don't care to repeat what I said ...
especially if my mother reads it. She wouldn't be very happy with what I said."
Smith said he does not know what was said.
"I couldn't hear him, I was talking so loud myself," Smith said.
What did he tell Brady?
"A whole bunch of cuss words," Smith replied.
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Look! Up in the sky!
A couple hours before kickoff, a plane droned over Gillette Stadium with the kind of banner
behind it you might see on the beach at the Jersey shore.
The banner read: "Bonds -- 762• , Belichick 3 Super Bowl Wins• "
Yesterday was Bill Belichick's 100th victory as the Patriots' coach.
Talk is cheap
Everyone on the Steelers' side, from Tomlin on down, downplayed the significance of
Smith's victory guarantee on the game's lopsided outcome.
"At 4:15, what was said during the week was irrelevant," Tomlin said. "It's about what you
do and how you play ... That is a good football team. I doubt that those comments were a
motivating factor in terms of how they performed today. They were the better team. They
beat us."
Although most of his teammates would have preferred that Smith had kept his mouth shut,
Parker said he was motivated by Smith's comments.
"He fired me up," Parker said. "I went into the weight room every day [last week] because of
that boy. I wanted to do everything I could to back him up. We just came up short."
Quick hits
• The victory clinched a first-round playoff bye for the Patriots, guaranteed one of the top
two seeds in the AFC and a home game after the bye.
• With 503 points, the Patriots need 54 to break the NFL record of 556 in a season, set by
Minnesota in 1998.
• Ben Roethlisberger's 26th touchdown pass puts him within two of Terry Bradshaw's
record of 28 in a season.
Inactives
Troy Polamalu, as expected, did not dress for the game and was replaced at strong safety for
the third consecutive game by Tyrone Carter.
The other Steelers' inactives: QB Brian St. Pierre, WR Willie Reid, RB Gary Russell, LB
LaMarr Woodley, C Marvin Philip, C Darnell Stapleton, OT Trai Essex.
The Patriots' inactives: QB Matt Gutierrez, CB Eddie Jackson, S Rashad Baker, G
Stephen Neal, T Wesley Britt, WR Troy Brown, DL Le Kevin Smith, LB Chad Brown.
Ron Cook of the Post-Gazette contributed to this report. Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected].
First published on December 10, 2007 at 12:00 am
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'Guarantee' turns from confident to laughable
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'Guarantee' turns from confident to laughable
Monday, December 10, 2007
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- It would be completely inaccurate to say the Steelers' secondary
didn't have a prayer against Tom Brady, Randy Moss and the New England Patriots
yesterday.
Right after Moss made toast of cornerback Ike Taylor and safety Anthony Smith to pull in a
63-yard touchdown pass from Brady in the second quarter and only a moment or two after
Brady got in Smith's face to remind him that you have to be awfully young and awfully dumb
to wave a red cape in front of a proud and ultra-talented opponent, the Steelers' defensive
backs got down on their hands and knees in a circle on the sideline, asking for a little divine
intervention.
Obviously, it didn't work.
Hence the chants of "Guarantee!" in the final moments from a thrilled Gillette Stadium
crowd that watched their unbeaten heroes take another step toward NFL history with a
ridiculously easy 34-13 victory against the Steelers to go to 13-0. They were directed, of
course, at Smith, the second-year safety who was all over the national sports news last week
with his silly, sorry guarantee that the Steelers would win.
"If you talk that [stuff], you've got to back it up," Steelers linebacker James Farrior said.
Smith didn't.
The Patriots were only too glad to remind him of it during and after the game.
There was the great Brady, taking time out from making another statement that he's the best
quarterback of all time, searching out Smith on the field after Smith and Taylor bit on a play
fake and allowed Moss to streak by for the long touchdown that gave the Patriots a 14-3 lead.
Asked what he said to Smith, Brady laughed and said, "I don't care to repeat it, especially if
my mother reads it. She wouldn't be very happy with what I said."
Teammate James Harrison rushed to Smith's defense, giving Brady a little love tap to get him
away from Smith. But there was no saving Smith from ridicule in the Patriots' locker room
after the game.
Even New England's staid coach, Bill Belichick, couldn't help getting in on the fun at Smith's
expense. "We've played against a lot better safeties than him, I'll tell you." Ouch.
But there was more from Belichick when he was asked about a 56-yard touchdown pass to
wide receiver Jabar Gaffney in the third quarter. On the play, Brady lateraled to Moss, who
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threw back across the field to Brady, who found Gaffney all alone behind, yep, you know
who.
"Well, again, the safety play at that position was pretty inviting," Belichick said.
Talk about piling on.
Smith had it coming, the Patriots said.
"There's nothing wrong with confidence, don't get me wrong," cornerback Ellis Hobbs said.
"You have to have a swagger out on the field. But there's a fine line and he definitely crossed
it. He was definitely knocked down when he crossed it today."
Smith, for his part, tried to shrug off the abuse, expressing regret only for making mistakes
and giving up the two big plays. He even talked bravely of getting another shot at the Patriots
next month. "If we do what we're supposed to do, we're going to be back."
If the Steelers do get to face the Patriots in the AFC playoffs, it's fair to assume coach Mike
Tomlin will put a muzzle on Smith before the game. Tomlin clearly was irritated about that
guarantee foolishness. He also couldn't have liked that Smith didn't stop there. Smith said the
Cincinnati Bengals' receivers were better than the Brady Bunch -- Moss, Gaffney, Wes
Welker and Donte Stallworth.
"He basically called us out," Gaffney said.
Moss had seven catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns. Gaffney had seven for 122 and a
score. Welker had nine for 78 yards and a touchdown.
"He's young. He'll learn," Gaffney said of Smith.
This loss wasn't all on Smith, of course. The Steelers' defense as a whole didn't show up.
Brady wasn't sacked and threw for 399 yards and the four touchdowns, prompting his
Steelers' counterpart, Ben Roethlisberger, to gush, "It truly is an honor to watch such a great
quarterback play the game."
Here's the really frightening part about this game, especially if you dare to look ahead to a
January rematch: The Steelers came in with a plan to take away the Brady-to-Moss
connection by matching Taylor -- "our biggest guy, our fastest guy," Tomlin said -- against
Moss all over the field.
That didn't work out too well.
"He's a freak of nature," Taylor said of Moss. "Once every blue moon [a player] comes out
like him. His ball skills are just unbelievable, the way he locates the ball. His speed, too.
They can say he's getting old, but there's nothing slow about Moss."
It was Moss who took the final shot at Smith.
Just say it was appropriate.
"They did their talking throughout the week. We did our talking on the field today."
Ron Cook can be reached at [email protected].
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Another sackless performance for Blitzburgh
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Another sackless performance for Blitzburgh
Monday, December 10, 2007
By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- All kinds of nice round numbers have surfaced in the mountain of
evidence that the New England Patriots are allegedly the best football team in the world, with
the discovery yesterday by the Steelers being especially thick with them -- Bill Belichick's
100th Patriots win, Tom Brady's 4,000 passing yards, New England's total eclipse of the 500point planet in this pluperfect season.
But this game's biggest number was the smallest, and the roundest:
0.
As in sacks by the Steelers.
Brady was back to pass 46 times, and 46 times, pass he did, which is why New England is
13-0 this morning and the Steelers are, to quote Mike Tomlin on the occasion of the worst
defensive performance of his initial NFL season, "not close."
Anyone remember Blitzburgh?
The Steelers have one sack on the previous 90 opposition pass plays, which is no way to
polish a reputation as a pressure defense, but it is the worst conceivable failing when you
have to line up against Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte' Stallworth, Jabar Gaffney,
et al.
"He got rid of it real quick," said linebacker Larry Foote of a game in which Brady rang up
18 passing first downs and 399 air yards. "He was guessing right on us all night. He was
really on top of his game."
Of course, there was no particular reason why he had to be, because the Steelers were not
making him even moderately uncomfortable. Not only did they fail to sack him once, but on
one play, they actually let him throw it twice.
That came on New England's first possession of the third quarter, when Brady whipped one
to Moss in the right flat, where the brilliant wideout was positioned far enough behind Brady
that when he dropped it, it was a fumble. Moss picked it up and flung it back to Brady, now
positioned behind Moss, and Brady threw it again, this time 56 yards to Gaffney in the
Steelers end zone.
Safety Anthony Smith, badly fooled on the play initially, recovered beautifully and caught up
to Gaffney just as Brady's missile arrived. In other words, Smith was just in time to pretty
much guarantee that Gaffney would catch it for the touchdown that made it 24-13.
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"We were out of position," Tomlin said of that one. "We thought we were closing, but we
didn't make the play."
That's about as close as Tomlin comes to pointing fingers in public, but Smith isn't the most
pressing of the head coach's defensive problems. The Steelers have been stone sackless twice
in the past five games, and managed only one in a third.
"Sometimes we got to them," Tomlin said, "and sometimes we didn't."
That's right, except for the first part.
When James Harrison purposely bumped into Brady from behind while Brady was jawing
with Smith after the first of four New England touchdown passes, it was about as hard as
anyone in white hit No. 12 the mere 25 minutes he was in the game.
At halftime, the Steelers offense had been on the field for 19 of the first 30 minutes, a major
accomplishment in the so-called blueprint for beating New England. With the exception of a
blown coverage by Smith and Ike Taylor on Moss's 63-yard touchdown, the Steelers played a
clinical first half and trailed by only four at the break.
But had the Steelers known there were another 30 sack-free minutes ahead, they could have
stayed in the locker room and saved themselves some embarrassment.
"He was good at reading our defense," linebacker James Farrior said. "Our disguises weren't
good enough today."
Even operating from a backfield that was often empty but for himself, Brady was rarely even
threatened. Brett Keisel tipped one of his passes, but not because he was particularly close.
"We were just not there," Keisel said. "It wasn't meant to be. He was nickel and diming us,
forcing us to make tackles, and we didn't make enough of them. He was running a lot of
shotgun. He'd get the ball, take one step, and throw. He took us up-front people completely
out of the game."
New England ran 55 offensive plays that averaged 7.7 yards, and would have put up 41
points on the league's top-rated defense had Moss not dropped one in the end zone and
Stephen Gostkowski not missed a field goal on another possession.
"We worked too hard, worked too hard for this to happen to us," said safety Tyrone Carter,
who started his third consecutive game for Troy Polamalu. "You can't make mistakes at the
back end of the coverage like we did today and expect to beat this team. That's what's been
happening to teams all year against them. They blow a coverage, give up the big play, then
they're behind and they can't stay with the game plan.
"It's hard with Brady. He'll be doing things on long counts and a couple of times, I was
holding my disguise, holding my disguise, then he'd yell hike. You can't tip your hand too
early with him."
But you can tackle him. It is legal.
You would never know it from this performance.
Gene Collier can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-1283.
First published on December 10, 2007 at 12:00 am
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07344/840547-150.stm
12/10/2007
Brown: Patriots pound Steelers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 1 of 3
Patriots pound Steelers
By Scott Brown
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, December 10, 2007
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- If the Steelers happen to meet the New England
Patriots in the playoffs next month, this is certain: Anthony Smith will speak a
much as a mime in the days leading up to the rematch.
Tom Brady toyed with the NFL's No. 1 defense Sunday, making Smith's
guarantee that the Steelers would beat the unbeaten Patriots look about as
foolish as the second-year safety did on a couple of New England pass plays.
Brady threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-13 win over the
Steelers, giving Smith a comeuppance he won't soon forget in front of 68,756 at
Gillette Stadium.
Next up for the Patriots, who improved to 13-0 with their three touchdown win,
may just be immortality.
They need just three victories to finish the regular season undefeated. Nothing
that transpired in what had been billed as a showdown for AFC supremacy
suggested they will lose any time soon.
"They're the best team in the league," said Steelers inside linebacker James
Farrior, whose team plays host to Jacksonville next Sunday. "You can't take
that away from them."
The Steelers' vaunted defense didn't take much, if anything, away from the
Patriots, who were content to spread the field and pass the Steelers silly.
The Steelers (9-4) stayed close to the Patriots for two quarters, but they
ultimately had no answer for Brady and his wide receivers, led by Randy Moss,
who had seven catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
The Patriots and their quest for perfection took on an air of inevitability in the
third quarter, when they scored two touchdowns, including one on a trick play,
to pull away from the Steelers.
"Nothing worked," defensive end Brett Keisel said after a game in which the
Steelers didn't sack Brady one time.
Added Steelers coach Mike Tomlin: "If that's the measuring stick, we're not
even close."
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Brown: Patriots pound Steelers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Smith had predicted last Wednesday that the Steelers would do more than stay
close to the Patriots.
The Patriots, however, got the last words, and coach Bill Belichick said after the
game of Smith, "We've played against a lot better safeties than him."
The Patriots got Smith and cornerback Ike Taylor to bite on a play-action fake
early in the second quarter, and Brady tossed a 63-yard touchdown pass to
Moss. They fooled Smith five minutes into the third quarter off a double pass in
what may have been the play of the game.
After getting a lateral back from Moss, Brady dropped a 56-yard touchdown
pass just over the outstretched hands of Smith and into the arms of Jabar
Gaffney. That touchdown gave the Patriots a 24-13 lead and control of the
game.
With the score 31-13, the Steelers drove to the New England 1 early in the
fourth quarter.
However, they didn't give the ball to Willie Parker, who rushed for a game-high
124 yards, or Najeh Davenport on either play from just outside New England's
end zone.
A fade pass to Santonio Holmes fell incomplete in the end zone, and wide
receiver Hines Ward was stuffed on a fourth-down handoff.
The Steelers never got any closer in a game in which they had 349 yards of
total offense but managed only one touchdown.
"We got down to the red zone, and we just couldn't put it into the end zone,"
Ward said. "That was the difference in this game."
There was a difference of opinion as to what impact Smith's guarantee had on
the game.
Tomlin downplayed it, but Keisel said of the Patriots: "Absolutely, they were
motivated, and they came ready to go. They made a couple of big plays, and I
think the reason they did those plays was because of what we said maybe.
"Why not take a shot at him? We stand behind Anthony."
Farrior said the same thing, though he admitted he and others on defense didn't
exactly have Smith's back.
"We could have helped him out a little bit," Farrior said. "He didn't play his best
game. No one did."
Scott Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/print_541964.html
12/10/2007
Rematch the least of Steelers' concerns - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 1 of 2
Potential rematch the least of Steelers' concerns
By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, December 10, 2007
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The second-worst part about Patriots 34, Steelers 13
is it could have been worse (Randy Moss dropped a touchdown pass and
Stephen Gostkowski missed a 48-yard field goal).
The worst part, from the Steelers' perspective, is it's painfully obvious this
morning that this is not 2005 and the Patriots are not the Colts.
The Steelers ventured into Indy in late November 2005 and were beaten, 26-7,
but came away with a feeling they'd be able to handle Peyton Manning and the
crowd noise and give a much better accounting of themselves should they be
fortunate enough to play the Colts again.
The rest, particularly their 21-18 playoff triumph in Indianapolis in January 2006,
is Super Bowl history.
This time around it's the Patriots who are in the process of making history.
And after becoming a footnote to history by becoming the 13th consecutive
victim on what appears to be a relentless march toward 16-0, the Steelers had
much more to digest than what might happen if they get another chance at the
Pats.
"That's a good, heartfelt story to go back to something that happened in the
past that we pulled off, but in all honesty that doesn't mean anything to this
team," Steelers guard Alan Faneca said. "We come back here, we still have to
go out there and play football and try to win the game; it's not just a given."
It's anything but because the Patriots are not the Colts of 2005 and the Steelers
are not the Steelers of 2005.
The Steelers could run the ball then.
They no longer can.
Not when it matters.
They put their fall from grace on the ground on film at the outset of the fourth
quarter, when, trailing 31-13 but a mere 1 yard away from threatening to make
a game of it again, the Steelers tried a pass and a gadget play to get the TD
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12/10/2007
Rematch the least of Steelers' concerns - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 2 of 2
they desperately needed.
In their defense, they had intended to run it up the gut on third-and-goal from
the New England 1-yard line, but the offense sensed a bunching Patriots
defense was all over that and sight-adjusted to a fade to wide receiver Santonio
Holmes.
Veteran safety Rodney Harrison was all over that, as well, which left the
Steelers confronting fourth-and-goal from the 1.
They came up with an empty-backfield set and opted for a sweep to motioning
wide receiver Hines Ward.
Tackle Willie Colon got blown up.
Ward got blown up.
And the Steelers' reputation as a team to be feared on the ground was likewise
blasted into oblivion.
Forget Willie Parker's standing among his fellow rushers or the Steelers'
ranking in rushing offense.
Those statistics mean nothing after such a development.
The Steelers don't have a back or a play they can count on when they have to
have a yard at crunch time.
A touchdown there would have only delayed the inevitable, but at least the
Steelers could have emerged feeling a little bit better about themselves and
their game.
Instead, they exited having exposed a problem that must be solved before they
can begin to think seriously about winning a playoff game, let alone writing a
different script in a New England rematch.
Mike Prisuta can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7923.
Images and text copyright © 2007 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
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12/10/2007
Harris: Smith's guarantee motivates Patriots - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 1 of 2
Smith's guarantee motivates Patriots
By John Harris
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, December 10, 2007
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Steelers free safety Anthony Smith believed what he
said.
Knowing Smith, he'd probably do the same thing again. He's that confident, that
stubborn.
"No, I don't regret it," Smith said Sunday. "We came up here to win."
But in allowing his emotions to get the best (worst?) of him, Smith's mouth
wrote a check that his body couldn't cash due to insufficient funds.
A 34-13 loss to New England at Gillette Stadium was a humbling experience for
the Steelers defense in general and Smith in particular.
Smith's personal guarantee of a Steelers' victory over the unbeaten Patriots
made him the center of attention prior to the game -- and the team's most
popular player when it was over.
That's somewhat odd. Reporters rarely speak with Smith, who's quiet and likes
his privacy a lot more than taking wave upon wave of questions from the media
about what went wrong yesterday.
That said, Smith accepted his punishment on what had to be the worst day of
his NFL career.
"You take it like a man," Smith said. "You say something; be ready to defend it.
I'm a stand-up guy."
Smith, who drew the ire of the Patriots after the game, was involved in two of
New England quarterback Tom Brady's four touchdowns passes.
On the Patriots' first play in the second quarter, Smith bit hard on a run fake
and allowed Randy Moss to run free in the middle of the secondary. With
almost no pass rush, Brady hit a wide-open Moss, who got behind Smith and
cornerback Ike Taylor for an easy 63-yard touchdown -- the longest play this
season against the Steelers' defense.
In the third quarter, Brady completed a 56-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open
Jabar Gaffney off a flea-flicker in which Brady took a return lateral from Moss.
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12/10/2007
Harris: Smith's guarantee motivates Patriots - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 2 of 2
Brady's pass landed just beyond the reach of Smith, who couldn't retreat fast
enough.
"You come up and try to support the run, and they went deep," Smith said of
Moss' touchdown. "You've got to eliminate the big plays, and we didn't do it."
Smith traded verbal jabs with Brady following Moss' 4-yard touchdown catch in
the first quarter that put the Steelers in a 7-3 hole.
Brady said he used language he wouldn't want his mother to hear. Smith said
he didn't hear what Brady said.
"I was talking so loud myself," Smith said.
What did he say to Brady?
"(A) whole bunch of cuss words," he said.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick said the Patriots targeted Smith, a second-year
player who became the starter when Ryan Clark was lost for the season.
"We've played against a lot better safeties than him," Belichick said.
Moss said Smith's guarantee surprised and motivated the Patriots.
"I've played in the league for 10 years, and I don't think I've ever heard a player
say anything like that," Moss said. "It came to us, and we went out there, and
you (could) see we wanted it more."
A whole lot more.
John Harris can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.
Images and text copyright © 2007 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
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12/10/2007
Harris: Patriots prey on hapless secondary - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 1 of 2
Patriots prey on hapless secondary
By John Harris
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, December 10, 2007
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- So much for establishing the run to set up the pass.
The New England Patriots called all of nine running plays for 22 yards Sunday
against the Steelers, who knew what was coming but still couldn't stop it.
New England didn't even disguise the fact that they weren't going to run the
ball. They just lined up and kept winging it all over the field.
The Patriots passed on their first play of the game. In fact, the Patriots passed
on the first three plays of their first drive -- one completion for four yards and
two incompletions. They didn't record a first down and were forced to punt.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady attempted 46 passes. He completed 32 for 399
yards and four touchdowns in a 34-13 rout of the Steelers at Gillette Stadium.
The showdown between the NFL's top-rated offense and defense never
materialized.
"We just try to execute on offense. That's what it comes down to," said Brady,
who has 45 touchdown passes this season -- four short of Peyton Manning's
league record -- with three games remaining. "You know you're going against
the first-ranked defense in the league, and that's what it takes."
Randy Moss had seven receptions for 135 yards and two touchdowns, pushing
his NFL-leading total to 19 TD catches this season. Jabar Gaffney had seven
receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown. Wes Welker had a game-high nine
receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Even with a big lead late in the game, the Patriots continued to pass.
Welker had five consecutive catches to open a fourth-quarter drive that began
at the New England 1.
During that drive -- which resulted in a field goal for the game's final margin -the Patriots used the no-huddle with Brady operating from the shotgun.
The 13-play drive consisted of all passes.
"It was a little weird at first," Steelers linebacker James Farrior said. "I thought
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12/10/2007
Harris: Patriots prey on hapless secondary - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 2 of 2
they would try to run when they had a lead on us, but they kept throwing the
ball."
For the first time all season, the Steelers defense was powerless to stop the
pass.
"We tried to mix it up a little bit," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "We ran
some no-huddle, and then we also ran some of our regular stuff and tried to mix
some runs in there and some play-action passes, so it was just trying to keep
moving around on them and keep them off-balance."
John Harris can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.
Images and text copyright © 2007 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com
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12/10/2007
Steelers special teams struggles again - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 1 of 1
Notebook: Steelers special teams struggles again
By Scott Brown
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, December 10, 2007
• The Steelers seemed to regress when it came to special-teams play Sunday
in a 34-13 loss to the Patriots. They had a turnover, gave up a long kickoff
return and committed several penalties. After the Steelers took a 3-0 lead in the
first quarter, Chad Jackson returned the ensuing kickoff 39 yards, giving New
England the ball on its own 48-yard line. Nine plays later, the Patriots scored
the touchdown that gave them a lead they would never relinquish. The Steelers
lost a fumble in the second quarter, when a Chris Hanson punt bounced off
William Gay, and New England recovered at the Steelers' 34-yard line. The
Steelers held defensively, however, and Stephen Gostkowski missed a 48-yard
field goal.
• Troy Polamalu missed his third consecutive game because of a sprained
knee. Tyrone Carter started in place of the three-time Pro Bowler at strong
safety.
Other Steelers inactives for the game were outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley,
wide receiver Willie Reid, running back Gary Russell, center Marvin Philip,
guard/center Darnell Stapleton, offensive tackle Trai Essex and quarterback
Brian St. Pierre.
• Deshea Townsend left the game with a jammed neck but later returned. The
veteran cornerback said he was fine afterward. Wide receiver Santonio Holmes
said he didn't have any problem with the sprained ankle that had sidelined him
for the Steelers' previous two games.
• Hines Ward has caught at least one pass in 144 consecutive games -- a team
record.
Scott Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.
Images and text copyright © 2007 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com
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12/10/2007
Steelers inside the game - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 1 of 2
Steelers inside the game
By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, December 10, 2007
2 -- 100-yard receivers for the Patriots against the Steelers (WR Randy Moss,
135 yards on seven caches, and WR Jabar Gaffney, 122 yards on seven
catches). The Steelers had allowed just one 100-yard receiver prior to meeting
New England (Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald, 11 catches for 123 yards, on Sept.
30).
19 -- Touchdown receptions for Patriots WR Randy Moss after finding the end
zone twice against the Steelers. Moss ranks second in NFL history in singleseason TD receptions, behind San Francisco's Jerry Rice, who produced 22 in
1987.
45 -- TD passes for Patriots QB Tom Brady after firing four against the Steelers.
Brady trails only Peyton Manning (49 in 2004) and Dan Marino (48 in 1984) on
the NFL's all-time single-season list.
503 -- Points scored by the Patriots this season after posting 34 against the
Steelers. New England is the 11th team in NFL history to surpass 500 points.
(Minnesota scored an NFL-record 556 points in 1998).
WHAT WENT RIGHT: New England was held without any points on its first
possession for just the second time this season (Nov. 4 at Indianapolis) and
permitted points on an opponent's first possession for the first time in 2007 (a
23-yard field gal by Steelers K Jeff Reed).
WHAT WENT WRONG: The Patriots scored on six of their next eight
possessions after their game-opening three-and-out. New England could have
made it seven of eight, but PK Stephen Gostkowski missed a 48-yard field-goal
attempt in the second quarter.
BEST RUN: Patriots RB Laurence Maroney picked up 10 yards, in part by
pushing the pile about six yards, on first-and-10 from the Steelers' 28 during a
first-quarter touchdown drive. WR Randy Moss put an exclamation point on the
play by blasting CB Ike Taylor, who was standing around the pile, at the run's
conclusion.
BEST PASS: Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger finding RB Najeh Davenport for a
32-yard touchdown on first-and-10. Davenport lined up at wide receiver on the
play as the Steelers went with an empty backfield. Roethlisberger had to deftly
avoid Patriots DL Mike Wright in the pocket before stepping up and finding
Davenport in the end zone.
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Steelers inside the game - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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BEST PLAY: Patriots QB Tom Brady tossed a lateral to WR Randy Moss, who
failed to field the ball cleanly before gaining possession and getting it back to
Brady, who found WR Jabar Gaffney in the end zone for a 56-yard touchdown.
SECOND-BEST PLAY: Patriots QB Tom Brady hooked up with WR Randy
Moss on a 63-yard touchdown pass on the first snap of New England's third
possession. The play began with Moss motioning back toward the formation
from his wide-left alignment. Brady executed a play-action fake to RB Laurence
Maroney that would have done Boomer Esiason proud. Steelers FS Anthony
Smith bit hard on the play-action and charged up to help snuff what he thought
was a run, and by the time CB Ike Taylor realized what was happening, Moss
was long gone.
IKE vs. RANDY
The Steelers departed from policy and switched CB Ike Taylor from side to side
in an effort to force Patriots WR Randy Moss to confront size and speed at the
line of scrimmage on either side of the formation. Taylor wasn't solely
responsible for Moss, but much of the Steelers' plan to defend Moss depended
on Taylor.
Moss finished with 135 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns on seven
catches. He also drew a pass interference penalty against Taylor in the
Steelers' end zone and dropped what would have been a third TD catch when
Brady found him alone in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
BEN vs. BRADY
Neither quarterback was intercepted, but the battle of passers clearly was won
by New England's Tom Brady.
The Patriots threw more often, went down the field more often and were able to
protect their QB more often than the Steelers.
Mike Prisuta can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7923.
Images and text copyright © 2007 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com
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12/10/2007
Steelers fans want to lend team a hand - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Page 1 of 1
Steelers fans want to lend team a hand
By Michael Machosky
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, December 10, 2007
When he was a junior in college, aspiring filmmaker Jason Georgiades decided
to go where no casual football fan had gone before -- to design a play and
convince the Steelers' coaching brain trust to use it in an actual game.
Shot by his friend Trevar Cushing,"The Steal Phantom" documents his quixotic
quest to brthis super-secret, unstoppable play to the gridiron. The production
took many unexpected twists, turning into a funny and occasionally poignant
study of what it means to be a fan in today's world of big-time, big-money
professional sports. Guest cameos include ex-Steelers Jack Ham, Craig
Wolfley and Mike Logan.
The film is headlining the monthly local film showcase at Film Kitchen on
Tuesday night at Pittsburgh Filmmakers in Oakland. Admission is $4.
Details: 412-316-3342, ext. 178.
Michael Machosky can be reached at [email protected] or 412-3207901.
Images and text copyright © 2007 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com
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12/10/2007
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MONDAY DECEMBER 10, 2007 :: Last modified: Monday, December 10, 2007 12:31 AM EST
Column: Smith should have kept his mouth shut
By Mike Bires, Times Sports Staff
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — One of these days, Anthony Smith is going to wise up and keep his mouth
shut.
At the least, he should zip his lip until he’s able to back outrageous guarantees with consistent
performance on the football field.
On Sunday, Smith surely let himself and his teammates down.
When a team experiences a 34-13 thrashing like the one the New England Patriots put on the
Steelers, it’s hard to single out any one goat.
But on this day, that wasn’t the case. Smith, the Steelers’ second-year free safety, was that bad.
On the two biggest pays of the game — a 63-yard touchdown catch by Randy Moss and a 56-yard TD
catch by Jabar Gaffney — Smith was out of position and burnt to a crisp.
Yet, after the game, with a swarm of media around him, the man who guaranteed that the Steelers
would upset the Patriots actually made another guarantee.
“We’ll be back,” he said.
By that, Smith meant that the Steelers would return to New England for a rematch against the Brady
Bunch in the playoffs.
At least one dumbfounded newspaper reporter who couldn’t believe what Smith said asked this 24year-old kid who had just made his 12th pro start if he had heard correctly.
“You said you guys will be back here. Is that a guarantee?” the reporter asked.
“You’re trying to make me make another guarantee.” Smith said. “If we do what we’re supposed to
do, we’ll be back here.”
Certainly, Smith didn’t do what he was supposed to in this showdown against the Patriots (13-0).
Early in the second quarter with the Pats leading 7-3, superstar quarterback Tom Brady connected
with Moss on that 63-yard TD bomb. Cornerback Ike Taylor was assigned to guard Moss, but was
supposed to get deep help from Smith. But as Moss streaked by Taylor, Smith was nowhere to be
found.
He had been sucked in by Brady’s play fake to running back Laurence Maroney and could only watch
helplessly as Moss scored uncontested.
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Then early in the third quarter with the Steelers trailing only 17-13, Smith was fried again.
On a gimmick play, Brady fired a lateral to Moss, who was flanked to the right side of the Patriots’
formation. Moss dropped the backward pass, but quickly scooped it up and threw it back to Brady.
Once he got the ball back, Brady looked down field where Gaffney sprinted behind Smith.
By the time Smith closed in on Gaffney, it was too late.
Touchdown.
Another big-play touchdown.
Another big-play TD at Smith’s expense.
“You can’t give up big plays to anybody in this league,” lamented inside linebacker Larry Foote. “But
that’s especially true against a team as talented as New England. Give up easy, big plays like that,
and they’ll kill you.”
After the game, the Patriots continued to terrorize Smith, only this time verbally.
Coach Bill Belichick snickered when asked about Smith’s guarantee.
“We’ve played against a lot better safeties than him,” Belichick said.
Brady and Moss both approached Smith early in the game, right after they hooked up on a 4-yard TD
pass that gave the Pats a 7-3 lead.
Even though Taylor was the man Moss beat, Brady ran toward Smith and offered up some choice
words. Moments later, Moss did the same.
Smith said he didn’t hear what Brady and Moss said to him.
Brady admitted that it was an X-rated lecture.
“I could repeat what I said. But I don’t care to repeat what I said … especially if my mom reads what
I said,” Brady said. “She wouldn’t be very happy with what I said.”
Ultimately, Brady, Moss and the rest of the Patriots let their performance on the field speak for itself.
Smith should do the same.
His guarantee was nothing less than a black eye for Steelers’ proud franchise.
So was the way he played Sunday in a game he guaranteed the Steelers would win.
Mike Bires can be reached online at [email protected]
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MONDAY DECEMBER 10, 2007 :: Last modified: Monday, December 10, 2007 12:31 AM EST
Column: Steelers had no answers for Brady
By Chris Harlan, Times Sports Staff
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Trying desperately to say something positive, the Steelers’ rationalizations
began with the same five words.
“Next time we play them ...,” said Larry Foote.
Those five words.
It became the Steelers’ pain reliever after a decisive 34-13 loss to the still unbeaten New England
Patriots, a loss that made the Steelers look just as helpless to stop Tom Brady as has the rest of the
league.
For weeks the Steelers had been anointed as the defense that could prevent the perfect season,
insisting their blitzing schemes could pressure Brady into either sacks or bad throws.
That never happened.
There was no pressure, meaning no sacks and certainly no bad throws.
“Next time we play them, we’re definitely going to change what we did tonight,” Foote said. “I’ll tell
you that.”
But no one knew how.
Not after seeing Brady throw for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns against what was the
league’s top-ranked defense. He ran his touchdown total to 45 — four away from Peyton Manning’s
single-season record — and topped the 4,000-yard mark with three games left to play.
The Steelers did little to slow his pace.
“Tom Brady don’t make mistakes,” said cornerback Ike Taylor, shaking his head. “That’s just plain
and simple.”
Maybe next time.
But probably not.
“He’s always been smooth,” said Foote, who was Brady’s college teammate for two season at
Michigan. “Silky Tom. I wish I could have hit him a couple more times.”
Once when he still had the football would have been a start.
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Brady’s quick passing neutralized the Steelers pass rush. The game became a duel between Brady
and his receivers against the Steelers defensive backs. That’s a battle the Steelers will never win.
Brady had two touchdown passes from the other side of midfield — a 63-yarder to Randy Moss and a
56-yarder to Jabar Gaffney — while guiding an offense that passed 46 times and ran the ball nine.
Brady is disproving years of history that says teams have to run to win. Brady allowed his receivers
to turn 2-yard passes into 30-yard gains.
Still, the Steelers kept insisting they weren’t all that impressed.
“It wasn’t necessarily throwing skills, he was throwing hot routes,” Foote said. “A high school
quarterback could come out here … and complete it. Mentally he was beating us because he knew
when that blitz was coming.
“I don’t care if you blitz 15 guys, when he’s throwing the ball as soon as he gets it ... blitzes don’t
work against hot routes.”
Brady deserves more credit that that, but they can’t admit he might truly be unbeatable.
This time he certainly was.
And “next time” could come in the AFC Playoffs. The Patriots clinched their division title weeks ago
and Sunday’s victory secured them a first-round bye. To reach the Super Bowl, the Steelers will likely
need to face the Patriots again in Foxborough.
If you can’t beat Brady, then what’s the point?
“Hopefully we’ll learn from this, and hopefully we’ll see them again,” said defensive end Brett Keisel,
who also admitted: “We didn’t have any answers for stopping Tom Brady.”
That was true on the field and in the locker room.
Chris Harlan can be reached online at [email protected]
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MONDAY DECEMBER 10, 2007 :: Last modified: Monday, December 10, 2007 12:31 AM EST
Steelers Notes: Parker was pumped by guarantee
By Chris Harlan, Times Sports Staff
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Steelers running back Willie Parker said he thought Anthony Smith’s
guarantee actually had a positive effect on the Steelers’ performance.
“That pumped us up,” Parker said after Sunday’s 34-13 loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. “He
guaranteed a win so we’re going to go out there and try to make it happen. I know I did. He fired me
up just looking at it all week. ‘Anthony Smith. Anthony Smith. Anthony Smith.’ He fired me up. I
went in the weight room every day just because of that.”
Parker rushed for 124 yards on 21 carries, his seventh 100-yard game this season but the first in
four weeks. The Steelers dominated time of possession by more than nine minutes but still lost.
Typically when Parker reaches the century mark, the Steelers win; they won the other six times this
season.
“We beat ourselves,” Parker said. “… If we don’t beat ourselves, I don’t think no other team in this
league can beat us. That’s what happened today. We beat ourselves.”
Parker had run for 52, 81 and 87 in his last three games, while averaging nearly three yards per
carry. Against the Patriots, Parker averaged 5.9 yards per carry, which included a 30-yarder.
Still, Parker wasn’t happy.
“If you sit back and look at the game, there are a lot of ‘if I could have’ and ‘if I would have,’” Parker
said. “… We have to get our job done.”
NAJEH KNOWS
Najeh Davenport knows how Patriots receiver Randy Moss felt.
Well, sort of.
The Steelers back-up running back — used in third-down situations — caught a 32-yard touchdown
pass during the second quarter of Sunday’s 34-13 loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
It was the team’s longest play.
“That was me getting open,” he said with a laugh.
Davenport said he still has the numbness in his foot that forced him to miss last week’s game, but he
said the injury won’t keep him from playing. The numbness _ which runs along the outside edge of
his foot _ was a side effect of an acupuncture treatment.
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Davenport was also used twice on short-yardage situation — a third-and-one and a fourth-and-one —
and both times earned the first down. Once he leaped over the linemen.
“When people have confidence in you, that’s the best feeling in the world,” Davenport said. “You’ve
just got to deliver.”
Davenport’s touchdown wasn’t a short pass that Davenport took the distance; This was a leaping,
over-the-shoulder, end zone catch while avoiding a defender that cut New England’s lead to 14-10. It
came just minutes after Moss caught a 63-yard touchdown.
Davenport was running a short route toward the left sideline, but when quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger began to scramble, Davenport turned upfield. The Patriots defensive backs let him slip
through unguarded.
The whole way down field, Davenport was waiting and clapping to get Roethlisberger’s attention.
“That’s a habit I got from college,” Davenport said. “If you look around the league at the backs from
Miami — Edgerrin James, Willis McGahee, Clinton Portis — you’ll see all of our running backs
clapping. That’s something our running backs coach taught us.”
It was Davenport’s fourth touchdown this season, and his second career receiving touchdown.
INJURY UPDATE
Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes sat out several possessions during Sunday’s game but coach Mike
Tomlin said he didn’t know whether Holmes’ sprained ankle was again bothering him.
“At this point, we don’t have anything major from an injury standpoint,” Tomlin said. “We’ll see
where it is tomorrow.”
The injury had forced Holmes to miss games.
Cornerback Deshea Townsend also left Sunday’s game with a neck injury in the third quarter when
he was hit on the head by teammate James Harrison’s elbow but later returned. The two were
combining to make a tackle.
Trainers were still checking Townsend’s neck in the locker room after the game.
POLAMALU INACTIVE
Strong safety Troy Polamalu missed his third straight game with a knee injury, again replaced in the
Steelers starting lineup by Tyrone Carter. Smith was the only usual starter to miss the game.
Joining Polamalu on the inactive list were LB LaMarr Woodley (hamstring), WR Willie Reid, RB Gary
Russell, C Marvin Philip, C/G Darnell Stapleton, OT Trai Essex and third QB Brian St. Pierre.
Inactive for the Patriots were CB Eddie Jackson, S Rashad Baker, G Stephen Neal, OT Wesley Britt,
WR Troy Brown, LD Le Kevin Smith, LB Chad Brown and third QB Matt Gutierrez.
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Off the Field: Arnold Harrison
By Chris Harlan, Times Sports Staff
Where’s your favorite place to eat?
Nakama, (the) Japanese restaurant up on Carson Street, is probably one of my favorite eateries.
What do you order?
Steak, shrimp and chicken cooked hibachi-style. It’s done up with rice. You get a nice little soup. It’s
pretty good.
If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be?
I’d probably get in trouble if I didn’t say my girlfriend.
When you signed your pro contract, what was the first thing you bought?
I think I bought a flat-screen TV.
How often do you get recognized around town?
Only when I’m standing next to Chris Hoke (who has the locker next to Harrison). People recognize
me when I’m standing next to Hoke because he tells them who I am.
What would be your perfect vacation?
I’ve been aspiring to get back over to Europe but I really want to go to Africa before it’s all said and
done. I’ve heard there are a couple of beautiful beaches off the Ivory Coast. I just want to go travel
throughout West Africa. Just see the sights because I heard it’s real beautiful over there and a lot of
fun.
What part of Europe did you see?
I was in Italy for a while. It was about two years ago and I had a great time. I also want to go to
Paris. Africa first, and then Paris.
When you’re not playing football, what else are you doing?
Traveling. Going everywhere in America that you could possibly go.
Do you use an iPod during warm-ups?
I do occasionally, but what gets me the most ready is going through a couple Bible verses — a couple
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verses get me fired up — or just looking at my teammates in the locker room and seeing all the
intensity in their faces.”
What do you listen to when you do use your iPod?
Oh, man, a plethora of music. I’m a big music fan. That’s probably one of my other hobbies, disc
jockeying. I do a lot of that back home.
Is this something you do at your house? At parties?
It’s not so much for outside entertainment. I mix music myself for myself. Every once in a while,
back in college, I might have done a couple parties but not so much now.
What shows make you set your TiVo?
Desperate Housewives. I’m getting into a show named The Game that comes on CW. I’m real hot on
it right now. Oh, definitely the Wire. And the Sopranos. I’m a big fan of the HBO series.
Who would you change places with for one day?
I’m a pretty happy person. I take life for the good with the bad. For me to say I wanted to be
someone else for a day would almost be like downsizing myself. I’m pretty happy with who I am. I
don’t want to trade with anybody.
Say the Steelers hold a talent show. Who wins?
Other than myself? Because I’m a ventriloquist, a comedian, a singer, a dancer. I’m just multitalented.
So you’d win?
I’m definitely one of the frontrunners. But I’d have to say Chris Hoke. He’s one of the most talented
players on the team. He’s just Chris Hoke.
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It wasn't that bad; Steelers made strides
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It wasn't that bad; Steelers made strides
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Those who didn't watch the game Sunday between the Steelers and Patriots
will look at the final score and think New England dominated.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
While New England certainly got the better of things on the scoreboard, the Steelers took an important
step, playing well on the road against a very good opponent and not getting overwhelmed by the
mystique of the Patriots.
How can a team that lost a lopsided game like this one come away with anything positive out of it?
Despite the score, the Steelers really didn't play poorly.
New England just played about as well as it could, which turned out to be better than the Steelers on this
day.
The Steelers had failed to play a decent game in previous non-division road contests, losing at Arizona,
Denver and in New York against the Jets.
In each one of those games, the offense never got untracked and the defense failed to make key stops at
critical times against offenses that would not even be considered in the same breath with New England.
The road to the Super Bowl in the AFC will go through New England this season. And the Steelers
proved that they will not be intimidated if they have to make a trip here again in January. They'll just
need to find a way to score touchdowns instead of kicking field goals - as they did in the first half from
inside the Patriots' 10-yard line - or failing on fourth-and-goal from the 1 - as they did in the second half.
In a rematch with the Patriots, you'd have to give the Steelers a puncher's chance. That, of course, is
assuming New England doesn't play at the top of its game as it did in the second half Sunday.
Ahead only 17-13 at the half, New England took the Steelers out of the game in the second half by
scoring touchdowns on back-to-back possessions.
You can bet it was a learning experience for Pittsburgh second-year free safety Anthony Smith, who
guaranteed a win over New England.
Smith was picked on repeatedly by the Patriots, as if to say, "Hey, kid, next time you want to open your
mouth, you might want to think twice about it."
After Tom Brady's first touchdown pass for the Patriots, he sought out Smith to let him know what
happened.
The Patriots then targeted Smith on their next touchdown, getting him to bite on a run fake. Brady then
threw deep over the middle to where Smith should have been.
And, finally, New England got Smith again in the third quarter, this time with a little trickery. Brady
threw a lateral to Moss behind the line of scrimmage, and Moss threw back across the field to Brady,
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who tossed a 56-yard touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney, who had gotten behind Smith when the safety
came up to defend what he thought was a short pass.
In Smith's defense, he nearly got a hand on the pass before Gaffney hauled it in.
On this day, Smith's effort was symbolic of the entire team.
The Steelers were close to being in the right spot to make play. They just never made the big play when
needed.
F. Dale Lolley can be reached at [email protected]
Copyright Observer Publishing Co.
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Guarantee shattered; Brady leads Pats' romp
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Guarantee shattered; Brady leads Pats' romp
By F. Dale Lolley, Staff writer
[email protected]
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Anthony Smith's guarantee of a victory by the Steelers only assured that the
New England Patriots would come into Sunday's game as focused as possible.
It also seemingly put a target on Smith.
New England made him pay, hitting a pair of long touchdown passes against Smith in a 34-13 victory
over the Steelers at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots (13-0) are three victories shy of becoming the first team in NFL history to go unbeaten in a
16-game regular season.
Tom Brady completed 32 of 46 passes for 399 yards and four touchdowns as the Patriots went to the air
early and often against a Pittsburgh secondary that entered the game No. 1 in the league against the pass.
The Patriots dropped back to pass 26 consecutive times in the decisive second half, when New England
turned a 17-13 halftime lead into a rout.
"Obviously, the Patriots were the better team today," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, whose team
fell to 9-4. "We couldn't stop them when we had to.
"If that was the measuring stick, we're not close."
Actually, they were closer than the final score indicates.
New England used a trick play in the third quarter to take a 24-13 lead.
On first-and-10 from the New England 44-yard line, Brady tossed a lateral to wide receiver Randy
Moss, who had seven catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns. When the defense came up to tackle
Moss, he threw the ball back across the field to Brady, who then fired the ball to Jabar Gaffney in the
end zone, just over the outstretched arms of Smith.
"I almost got there," said Smith, whose guarantee of a victory by the Steelers certainly riled up the New
England fans, if not the Patriots themselves.
"If I would have gotten there a half-second sooner, I would have had the pick."
But he didn't and New England took the Steelers out of the game after forcing a three-and-out. The
Patriots drove 50 yards in 10 plays - all passes - to score on a four-yard toss from Brady to Wes Welker
to make it 31-13.
The Steelers returned the ensuing kick to their own 43 and drove to the New England 1, but quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger's third-down pass to Santonio Holmes was batted down by Rodney Harrison. Hines
Ward was then stopped for no gain on a fourth-down end around as Pittsburgh turned the ball over on
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downs.
"We've got to find a way to score in that situation," Ward said. "We can't go down there and kick a field
goal like we did in the first half, or come away with nothing, like we did in the second half, against a
team like this."
The Patriots moved the ball from their own 1 to the Pittsburgh 10, again completely through the air,
before settling for a 28-yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal to secure the victory.
Brady was 20 of 26 for 223 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.
"We knew this was going to be a pass-type game," Steelers linebacker Larry Foote said. "But they didn't
even try to run the ball. They really made it a finesse game. And he was just getting rid of the ball very
quickly."
The Steelers never sacked Brady and pressured him only four times.
The Steelers took a 3-0 lead on their opening possession. Jeff Reed's 23-yard field goal marked the first
time an opponent has scored on its first possession against the Patriots.
But New England got a 39-yard kickoff return to midfield and Brady tossed a four-yard TD pass to
Moss to put the Patriots ahead 7-3.
The Steelers went three-and-out on their next possession, and Brady and Moss hooked up for a 63-yard
bomb off play-action, beating Smith to go ahead 14-3 early in the second quarter.
Pittsburgh used a 30-yard run by Willie Parker, who had 124 yards on 21 carries, to set up a 32-yard TD
pass from Roethlisberger to running back Najeh Davenport.
Another Reed field goal trimmed New England's lead to 14-13, but the Patriots added a short field goal
of their own at the end of the second quarter to take a 17-13 lead into the locker room.
Things went downhill from there for the Steelers.
"It was a frustrating day," Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel said. "We just kept getting punched in the
mouth and we never punched back."
As for Smith, he had no regrets about his guarantee.
"We come into every game expected to win," Smith said. "I'm not going to go into any game and say
we're going to try to win. We've just got to do it the next time."
Copyright Observer Publishing Co.
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12/10/2007
Patriots reject Steelers' guarantee en route to 13-0 - USATODAY.com
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Patriots reject Steelers' guarantee en route to 13-0
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By Tom Pedulla, USA TODAY
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — What was Anthony Smith thinking?
What went through the second-year free safety's mind when he guaranteed the Pittsburgh Steelers would squash the New England Patriots' bid to join the 1972 Miami Dolphins as
the only undefeated teams in NFL history?
ROAD TO PERFECTION: Pats three games from 16-0
TD RECORD IN SIGHT: Brady within four of Manning's mark
After New England quarterback Tom Brady torched Pittsburgh's league-leading pass defense for 399 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-13 rout that improved the Patriots to 13-0,
Smith's teammates almost surely wished he had never been so bold.
BOX SCORE: Patriots 34, Steelers 13
"No matter what you say during the week," Brady said, "it comes down to how you play."
Brady completed 32 of 46 passes and raised his touchdown total to 45, four shy of matching the single-season record set by the Indianapolis Colts' Peyton Manning in 2004. Brady
twice exploited Smith on long pass plays, a 63-yarder to Randy Moss for a 14-3 advantage early in the second quarter and a 56-yard flea-flicker to Jabar Gaffney for a 24-13 lead
early in the third quarter that had Moss and Brady lateralling to each other.
The Patriots are so white-hot that even mistakes turn to their advantage. When Moss dropped the lateral to him, it served the aim of the play even more by drawing the defense to
him. The Steelers were hopelessly out of position once Moss returned the ball to Brady.
"I bet everybody was like, 'Uh-oh. Uh-oh, uh-oh,' " Moss said. "And then it got caught on Smith."
PHOTOS: Week 14 in pictures
Of Moss' beneficial drop, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said, "I think that sold the play a little bit and everybody kind of was hustling over there, and he made a nice throw back to Tom.
You can't get much more open" than Gaffney was by the time Brady found him.
The Patriots weren't targeting Smith, were they?
"He just ended up being in the right place at the right time," said Brady, who could not keep from smiling and laughing after he made the remark.
Smith was hardly contrite after he was the victim of New England's all-out, empty-backfield attack. He and his teammates were serenaded by Patriots fans with chants of "Guar-antee! Guaran-tee!" in the closing minutes.
Asked if he had any regrets, Smith replied, "No, you take what you get and you move on. Like I said, we come here to win. We come in to win every game. So for us to come in here
and say we're going to try to win, that's just not us."
Closer to history
Pittsburgh fans were left to question the quality of a 9-4 team that owns victories against only two clubs with winning records, the Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks. For the
New England faithful, a 16-0 season that once seemed unthinkable never seemed so possible.
Home games remain against the 3-10 New York Jets and the 0-13 Dolphins before a visit to the New York Giants. The Giants, like the Steelers, are 9-4 and also puzzling, with two big
losses to the NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys. By comparison, New England dominated Dallas 48-27 on the road Oct. 14.
"It's hard not to really pay attention to what is going on," Moss said. "I try to stay with tunnel vision and eat coach Belichick's humble pie."
Brady refused to even contemplate what it would be like to win out. In keeping with the one-game-at-a-time mantra that is at the core of New England's success, he thought ahead
only to the arch-rival Jets this Sunday.
"Fourteen-and-oh would mean something to me," Brady said. "That's about as far as I'll go."
It is difficult to imagine any defense stopping New England after Pittsburgh's proud "D" fell so woefully short. The Steelers began their long afternoon leading the league in fewest
points (12.9), fewest total yards (230.8) and fewest passing yards (154) a game.
But they were no match for Brady or Moss or anything or anyone the Patriots chose to throw at them. Moss and Gaffney each caught seven passes and surpassed 100 receiving
yards. Wes Welker had a team-high nine catches for another 78 yards and a touchdown.
Pittsburgh played a turnover-free game and controlled time of possession, keeping the ball for 34 minutes, 43 seconds as running back Willie Parker carried 24 times for 124 yards.
The Steelers, though, could not match the Patriots' firepower.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger finished 19 of 32 for 187 yards and one touchdown and then paid Brady the ultimate compliment.
"I don't like him playing against us and how well he played," Roethlisberger said, "but it truly is an honor to watch such a great quarterback play the game."
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Patriots reject Steelers' guarantee en route to 13-0 - USATODAY.com
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Taking care of business
The contest started the way no other had for New England this season — with the opposition driving for points on its initial possession.
Roethlisberger was cool and methodical in leading Pittsburgh on a 15-play, 59-yard drive that burned 8 minutes, 14 seconds off the clock. The Steelers advanced from their 36-yard
line to first-and-goal at New England's 7 before the Patriots Defense held.
Parker was stuffed after a 1-yard gain, and then tight end Heath Miller was buried following another 1-yard gain on a short pass to the right side.
On third-and-goal at the 5, Roethlisberger rolled several steps to his left to buy time only to find his receivers were blanketed. He was determined not to come away empty and wisely
heaved a pass out of the back of the end zone, leaving Jeff Reed to nail a 23-yard field goal.
New England wasted no time responding. The Patriots went nine plays in 52 yards. They, too, were faced with first-and-goal at the 7. The difference: They generated a touchdown.
Running back Laurence Maroney bulled up the middle for 3 yards before Brady rifled a 4-yard pass to Moss in the left side of the end zone.
Moss established a career high with his 18th touchdown reception, surpassing what he set with the Minnesota Vikings in 1998 and again in 2003. He also climbed past Curtis Martin
to set a Patriots record. Martin had scored 17 times in 1996.
A fired-up Brady got in Smith's face, obviously reminding the Steelers safety of his guarantee and retorting with a few choice words of his own. The quarterback kept at Smith until
linebacker James Harrison finally stepped in and nudged him aside.
"I couldn't repeat what I said. I don't care to repeat it, especially if my mother reads it," Brady said. "She wouldn't like what I said."
New England was hardly done with Smith.
After Pittsburgh went three-and-out on its next series, Brady went after him at once. His pump fake so completely deceived Smith that his back was to the play while Moss tore up the
middle of the field for his 63-yard touchdown. It came 54 seconds into the second quarter for the 14-3 lead.
Pittsburgh would not be turned away that easily at that point in the game. Roethlisberger needed only 2 minutes, 35 seconds to take the Steelers 77 yards in five plays, culminating in
a 32-yard touchdown pass to reserve running back Najeh Davenport on the ensuing possession. Reed's extra point narrowed the deficit to 14-10.
New England was presented with a gift of an opportunity later in the quarter when Pittsburgh's William Gay inadvertently let a punt get caught up in his legs as he retreated and tried
to get out of the way. Uncharacteristically, the Patriots could not convert after taking over at the Steelers' 34. They settled for a 48-yard field goal attempt by Stephen Gostkowski that
missed wide right.
After Reed's 44-yard boot brought Pittsburgh to within 14-13, Gostkowski atoned for his earlier miss by converting a 42-yarder to close an eight-play, 54-yard march and provide New
England with a 17-13 margin with 42 seconds left before halftime.
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Athletes at risk: Leagues, players scramble to stay safe - USATODAY.com
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Athletes at risk: Leagues, players scramble to stay safe
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By Tom Weir, USA TODAY
Washington Redskins tackle Chris Samuels says he plans to buy a gun. Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor says he will station the meanest dog he can find in his front
yard.
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Torii Hunter plans to try to keep a lower profile in public — as much as a multimillionaire athlete can, anyway. His sentiments are being echoed by the
NFL, which is urging its players to "lower their profile as private citizens and try to avoid making it conspicuous that they are NFL players," league spokesman Greg Aiello says. "In
other words, don't make it easy for people to target you."
Two weeks later, the gunshot that killed Redskins safety Sean Taylor continues to reverberate throughout the sports world, as professional athletes are still coming to grips with how
their wealth and celebrity can make them vulnerable targets for crime.
Taylor was fatally shot in his suburban Miami home Nov. 26 by a would-be robber. Miami police have said one of the four suspects arrested in the slaying apparently had done
yardwork for Taylor and another had been in the home for a birthday party for Taylor's stepsister.
Several pro athletes say Taylor's slaying has led them to beef up security and made them more wary of those around them. And at a time when seven- and even eight-figure salaries
aren't unusual in major pro sports leagues, athletes say the slaying has led them to tighten their inner circles.
"We go to practice every day, and people know where we work," says Dallas Mavericks guard Jerry Stackhouse, a 12-year NBA veteran who made $9.2 million last season. "They
can follow us from the arena."
Stackhouse says he often has his brother stay with his family when he's on trips and keeps dogs in his yard, "as my first line of defense."
Fred Taylor, who isn't related to Sean Taylor, is one of at least eight Jaguars players TheFlorida Times-Union reports are licensed to carry a concealed firearm. He told the Associated
Press even though his house is equipped with a surveillance system, Sean Taylor's slaying has inspired him to get a dog that will "bite you till the death, right on that jugular."
Among the Redskins, Samuels told SportsIllustrated.com he plans to buy a gun for protection. And fullback Mike Sellers says he'll keep potential intruders guessing what they might
encounter at his home.
"I have my ways," Sellers says. "I guess they'd have to find out if they tried to break into my house."
Tennessee Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck says Taylor's killing made him realize it's time to start activating his home's alarm every day. "It went off during a storm and scared me, and
I turned it off," he says. "Definitely, I went back to using my alarm."
Hunter, who signed a five-year, $90 million contract last month, says Taylor's death points up how, "when you get money, you have a lot of friends who get jealous. They talk. They
tell guys about what's inside your home, and the next thing you know, you've got trouble."
That, Hunter says, is "why I don't have an entourage. I fly solo. In an entourage, trust me, not all of those guys are going to be looking after your best interest. There's a lot of hating
going on."
A reminder of that came early Sunday morning, when shots were fired at Jamaal Tinsley of the NBA's Indiana Pacers and several of his companions in Indianapolis.
The group had visited a nightclub where a group of men were giving Tinsley's friends a hard time about the money they made, says Sgt. Paul Thompson, a spokesman for the
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Pacers equipment manager Joe Qatato was treated for minor injuries and released from Methodist Hospital. No one had been arrested
late Sunday.
Wary even of bodyguards
The NFL provides free security checks of players' homes upon request and regularly holds seminars on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud and extortion.
Major League Baseball, meanwhile, employs at least five members of law enforcement who are on call to provide security in each of the 30 cities with a team.
Kevin Hallinan, MLB's security director for 21 years until his recent retirement, says the league encourages players to use those free resources rather than hire bodyguards who may
or may not be trustworthy. Such security also is available to players in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, where many Latino players have offseason homes.
Hallinan says he discourages players from hiring their own bodyguards "because in many instances they hire their brother-in-law or a friend of a friend. If you think you're being
stalked, we're going to take an interest and the price is going to be right."
Chicago Bulls forward Joe Smith says he had personal bodyguards when he entered the NBA 12 seasons ago as the No. 1 overall draft pick but no longer uses them.
"I think that drew more attention than just me being out by myself, so I just kind of went away from that a little bit," says Smith, who made $12 million last season.
Hallinan says MLB works with stalking expert John Lane of Los Angeles and during the last two decades has had about eight incidents that required full-time protection for a player or
assistance from the FBI.
For example, Hallinan says, "We had a guy who was an ex-convict who had an infatuation for one of our players, and this guy had done some serious time for serious crimes. He was
calling and showed up in the neighborhood where the player lived.
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"It took a lot of resources," Hallinan says, "but we ended up getting him. He went back to jail."
Hallinan says his top priority was telling players, "It's very, very important to notify us if their homes have been broken into or vandalized in any way."
Sean Taylor's home was broken into Nov. 17. He had not played the Sunday before he was shot because of an injury and had told the Redskins he was in Miami to check on his
house after the initial break-in.
When burglaries or home intrusion occurred with MLB players, Hallinan says, "We would do an assessment of his property, working with the local police, and make sure we put
something new into the game, whether it was an alarm system, a German shepherd, whatever. We were going to change something about the look of that house so the burglars
would believe they couldn't come back."
The NFL, Aiello says, has always encouraged players to report to their teams and NFL security "any threat or incident of victimization." He says league security wasn't notified about
the first break-in at Taylor's home.
'It's a lose-lose situation'
This year began on a deadly note for pro athletes. In the early hours of New Year's Day, Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was killed when his rented Hummer limo
vehicle was sprayed by gunfire.
Gene Upshaw, head of the NFL Players Association, says that killing heightened his belief that athletes are being targeted. Upshaw says when a dispute flared at a nightclub,
Williams responded exactly as he had been trained to during seminars provided by the NFL and the players association.
"They were trying to get out. They were in the limo," Upshaw says. "He still lost his life. We all look back at that."
Baltimore Ravens President Dick Cass says his team often addresses players' safety.
"If you look at some of the worst incidents that have faced NFL players, they tend to be bars or nightclubs where there's a lot of drinking, a lot of people and a sort of macho
environment where people are trying to take on an NFL player," Cass says. "That's exactly the environment you want to avoid."
New York Rangers forward Sean Avery, a combative player who twice has led the NHL in penalty minutes, says confrontations don't always involve money.
"There's always that guy that wants to go home and say they either beat up Sean Avery — or got beat up by Sean Avery," he says. "It's a lose-lose situation."
Nelson Mercado, a bodyguard whose clients have ranged from entertainment figures Spike Lee and Stevie Wonder to Hall of Fame baseball players Reggie Jackson and Rod Carew,
says athletes have to be careful about the status they gain as they excel on the field.
"The guy goes to the same nightclub he used to go to, and suddenly he gets more attention," says Mercado, who works for the CTU security firm in Newport Beach, Calif. "He checks
out a girl, and they come running over. Well that creates a lot of jealousy. … And soon you have danger."
But Taylor's death occurred at his home, as has been the case with other crimes against high-profile athletes.
In September, two men broke into the home of Houston Texans cornerback Dunta Robinson, tied him up and stole jewelry.
Last summer two NBA players, New York Knicks center Eddy Curry and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Antoine Walker, were robbed at their Chicago-area homes. Los Angeles
Clippers guard Cuttino Mobley also lost $500,000 in cash and jewelry in a burglary.
"It now goes beyond going out," Washington Wizards forward Antawn Jamison says. "You have to take precautions now as far as being at home. We really have to take proper
precautions in terms of protecting our homes and making sure our families are safe."
Playing in a league in which 21 players had salaries of $15 million or more last season adds to the risk, Jamison says.
"Every year the amount of money we make is in the newspaper, so people know we have money," he says. "Our faces are everywhere. That makes us a big target."
Kidnapping is 'a growing threat'
Increased crime against professional athletes isn't limited to the USA. In Africa, champion distance runners have been targeted.
Ondoro Osoro, the 1998 Chicago Marathon champion, was shot in the neck during a 2000 carjacking with his pregnant wife and young daughter present. Lameck Aguta, the 1997
Boston Marathon champion, was severely beaten while being robbed of $10,000 last summer and was left comatose for three months.
Tom Nyariki of Kenya, winner of several major international races, lost sight in his right eye during a 2003 carjacking at his home.
In 2005 in Mexico City, coach Ruben Omar Romano of the prominent Cruz Azul soccer team was kidnapped as he left practice in broad daylight and held for two months before he
was rescued.
A year earlier in Venezuela, the mother of Detroit Tigers pitcher Ugueth Urbina, Maura Villarreal, was kidnapped and spent nearly six months in captivity before being rescued.
"Kidnapping is a very real threat. Certainly it's a growing threat, even in this country," says Larry Wansley, CEO of Infinite Security and a consultant to the Dallas Cowboys. "You go to
some places, kidnapping is part of the national economy. People with celebrity status have to be on guard. I don't say that to heighten paranoia, but to heighten awareness."
Rising concerns about safety have led some pro athletes to arm themselves. Wansley cautions those who do that.
"A weapon is for only one purpose, and that's to kill someone," he says. "If you're going to arm yourself, make absolutely certain you've been trained properly."
NFL policy forbids having firearms on league property or at league functions, and the league is trying to make sure players don't misuse guns when they are off the job.
Last season, the Houston Texans arranged a three-day firearms training course. Former Houston receiver Eric Moulds, now with the Tennessee Titans, says 40 to 45 players were
instructed by about 15 local police officers.
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Redskins coach Joe Gibbs says gun safety is "addressed non-stop" from the start of training camp.
Kelly Davis, a Chicago police officer who worked for three years as the bodyguard for flamboyant NBA player Dennis Rodman, says, "If you feel like you need to carry a gun … you
need to hire security."
During the Chicago Bulls' championship years in the 1990s, he says, stars Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Ron Harper, Rodman and coach Phil Jackson had bodyguards. "Just
because a guy is 6-9 and 300 pounds doesn't mean he knows how to handle a situation," Davis says. "The world has changed, and professional athletes are targets. They are the
lambs, and there are plenty of wolves out there."
Contributing: Mike Dodd in Chicago; Sean Leahy in Ashburn, Va.; Michael McCarthy in New York; Roscoe Nance in Washington, D.C.; Bob Nightengale in Nashville; Dick Patrick in
McLean, Va.; Larry Weisman in Baltimore; Skip Wood in Jacksonville
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Patriots Send a Message by Spoiling a Guarantee - New York Times
Page 1 of 2
December 10, 2007
PATRIOTS 34, STEELERS 13
Patriots Send a Message by Spoiling a Guarantee
By JUDY BATTISTA
FOXBOROUGH, Mass., Dec. 9 — A few hours before the New England Patriots became only the fifth team in
N.F.L. history to win its first 13 games, a plane trailing a banner flew over Gillette Stadium bearing a nonetoo-subtle message: Bonds — 756*, Belichick — 3 Super Bowl wins*.
But as a chilly night fell over Foxborough on Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Anthony Smith might have
offered a rejoinder to whoever paid for the plane: it is best not to show disrespect for the Patriots, at least not
in range of a microphone. Smith, who last week guaranteed a Steelers victory, learned a lesson in the Steelers’
34-13 loss to the Patriots, one that the rest of the league had figured out much earlier: the Patriots will
embarrass whoever doubts them.
Early in the season, opponents received a taste of Patriots vengeance when the veracity of their
championships was questioned in the wake of a videotaping scandal. Smith got it this week, when he was
caught flat-footed on two touchdown passes by Tom Brady.
The Patriots did not bother to hide their disgust with Smith. After the game, Patriots Coach Bill Belichick
could not resist a dig that the Patriots have played against better safeties than Smith. “The safety play at that
position was pretty inviting,” Belichick said.
The Patriots caught Smith biting on a play fake on a 63-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss. The other play
in which Brady victimized Smith, a 56-yard flea-flicker to Jabar Gaffney, began with Moss dropping a lateral
from Brady and ended when Brady’s pass sailed over Smith’s head into Gaffney’s hands. Belichick joked that
Moss did a good job selling the play.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Patriots safety Rodney Harrison said.
The Jets should probably remember that next week, when they step into the line of fire against the Patriots. It
was the Jets who caught the Patriots videotaping on the sidelines during their Week 1 game at Giants
Stadium. The motivation it provided the Patriots has seethed right below the surface all season. New England
has seemed determined to prove to the league that it does not have to cheat to win. If a perfect season is the
best possible revenge for the Patriots, they seem well on their way, having survived a stretch of three
consecutive late games.
After the Jets (3-10) next week, the Patriots play the Miami Dolphins (0-13) at home and the Giants, who are
likely to be locked into their playoff spot by then and will probably rest significant players. The Patriots will
be playing only for history by then. With their victory against the Steelers, they secured a first-round bye. A
victory against the Jets would wrap up the top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
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Patriots Send a Message by Spoiling a Guarantee - New York Times
Page 2 of 2
So much for the Patriots looking vulnerable. After consecutive 3-point victories against the Philadelphia
Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens, in which their run defense was lacerated and Brady was under unusually
stiff pressure, the Patriots returned to their dominating form against the Steelers, the best team remaining on
their regular-season schedule and the likely third seed in the American Football Conference playoffs. The
Patriots’ defense had looked shaky in recent weeks and it entered the game with three goals: defend the run,
do better on third down and prevent scores in the red zone, a weakness all season. The Steelers rushed for 181
yards, but they were mostly inconsequential, and they were just 5 for 14 on third-down conversions.
On their first drive, the Steelers settled for a field goal after they were held on a first-and-goal at the 7-yard
line. Early in the fourth quarter, the Patriots stuffed a sweep by Hines Ward on fourth-and-1 from the 1, a
play that essentially ended the game.
“So big,” linebacker Tedy Bruschi said. “We’ve been harping on that pretty hard.”
But as usual this season, it was the Patriots’ offense that dominated the game. Brady shredded the Steelers,
who entered the game ranked first in the league in scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense. So the
Patriots passed. And passed. And passed. From late in the second quarter until garbage time at the end of the
game, the Patriots did not call a single running play, a stretch of 34 pass plays, unusual for a team playing
with a lead and an example of why the Patriots are so difficult to defend, even when the defense is renowned
for blitzing.
Brady threw for 399 yards and 4 touchdowns, giving him 45 for the season, four short of Peyton Manning’s
single-season record.
After the game, Smith did not back down from his guarantee, saying he would make it again and intimating
that he expected the Steelers to face the Patriots in the playoffs. Perhaps so. But by then, the Patriots will
probably not need extra motivation.
“Nobody around here is chasing the record,” Matt Light said. “We’re chasing higher goals than 16-0.”
Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company
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ESPN.com - When facing the Pats, just shut your mouth
ESPN.com: NFL
Page 1 of 4
[Print without images]
Sunday, December 9, 2007
When facing the Pats, just shut your mouth
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
FOXBOROUGH,
Mass. -Memo to
New York
Jets coach
Eric
Mangini,
whose team
is the next
speed bump
in the path
of the New
England
Patriots and
NFL history:
At the risk
of alienating
the local
media and
Ty Warren and the Patriots put the wraps on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. ZOOM Gallery
perhaps
incurring a league fine, impose a wholesale gag order on your roster this week.
No designated spokesmen. No fabricated quotes. Not even any packaged, syrupy platitudes citing the
brilliance of the undefeated Patriots. And, for gosh sakes, don't raise the issue of that whole video spying
incident from the opening game of the season. Mum is the order for the week. Turn the locker room,
coach Mangini, into a monastery full of mutes.
Because, as the Pittsburgh Steelers painfully discovered Sunday in a 34-13 beatdown, silence might not
always be golden, but it certainly tops the alternative when facing a New England team for which even
the most innocuous verbiage is a red-flag rallying point.
Chasing The '72 Dolphins
The Patriots are trying to join the Dolphins as the only teams to produce a perfect season. Here's how
they match up after Game 13. Pursuit Of Perfection
In pursuit of perfection, the Patriots don't require any additional motivation, but there was Pittsburgh
second-year free safety Anthony Smith, stoking the competitive inferno of a club that thrives on
challenges (real and contrived) by guaranteeing a victory over New England last week. And there was
Smith on Sunday afternoon, clearly targeted by coach Bill Belichick and the New England passing
game, a bull's-eye figuratively emblazed between the "2" and the "7" on the front of his jersey.
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ESPN.com - When facing the Pats, just shut your mouth
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"He basically called us out," said Patriots wide receiver Jabar Gaffney, who caught one of four Tom
Brady touchdown passes and one of the two on which the Patriots obviously went after Smith like
sharks converging on chum. "He's young. He'll learn."
Indeed, in a season in which New England has decided to play with absolutely no regard for down,
distance or score -- and in which offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels regards a running game as
something only the opposition secondary should do in chasing his talented receiving corps -- Smith was
turned into the latest ember in the Patriots' scorched earth policy.
Next on the list of potential immolation victims are the Jets, who lost to the Patriots 38-14 in the season
opener, and who nabbed a New England videotape assistant illegally filming the signals of their
defensive staff. The indiscretion cost Belichick $500,000 and the Pats $250,000 plus their first-round
pick in the 2008 draft (although they do own the 49ers' first-round pick).
It was obvious that they didn't care about running the ball. ... They were in attack
mode all the way.
-- Steelers CB Ike Taylor
To his credit, Smith, who became the starter when the Steelers lost free safety Ryan Clark to a
splenectomy three weeks ago, stood by his locker and fielded questions long after a public relations
official suggested the interview was over. In his locker hung a T-shirt with a representation of a $100
bill on the front of it.
The image of the currency was about as counterfeit as Smith's much-publicized guarantee, which was
hardly offered with much resolve. Taken in the full context of his interview with the Pittsburgh media
last week, the so-called guarantee wasn't so much a dare aimed at the Pats as it was a confirmation the
Steelers would come here to win.
But in this season of revenge, when the Patriots are hell-bent on making the league pay dearly for any
suggestion that their three previous Super Bowl victories are tainted by charges of cheating, any
discouraging word provides impetus.
Good thing for Smith he wasn't the pilot of the plane that buzzed Gillette Stadium a few hours before the
game, trailing a banner that read: "Barry Bonds, 756 homers, *. Bill Belichick, three Super Bowls, *."
Fortunately, the New England players and coaches were in the locker room most of the time the plane
was flying overhead. Had they gotten a good look at it and its message, they might have ordered up the
anti-aircraft artillery. As it was, they turned the big guns on Smith and a Pittsburgh defense that entered
the game statistically ranked No. 1 in the league.
Even Brady, the embodiment of cool detachment, spent some time jawing at Smith and other Steelers
defenders.
"To tell you the truth," Smith said, "if [Brady] was talking to me, I didn't notice him."
But the Patriots, who like to flaunt their "Humble Pie" T-shirts but play with a justifiable dose of
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ESPN.com - When facing the Pats, just shut your mouth
Page 3 of 4
arrogance and undeniable chippiness, took note of where Smith was aligned on several key plays.
And they attacked him with a vengeance.
One Steelers official, asked during the week about
Smith's comments, termed the safety "young and dumb."
The Patriots turned him into used and abused.
Early in the second quarter, Brady got Smith, who
appeared to be playing a Cover-1 look, to bite on a wellexecuted play-action fake. As the young safety moved
forward, Randy Moss sprinted by him and gathered in a
63-yard touchdown pass, his second score in a lightningquick span of 1:59.
Then, five minutes into the third quarter, the Pats dug
deep into the playbook to torch Smith again, this time
with a rare gimmick play. Brady threw a long lateral to
Moss, who was flanked to the right. Moss gathered in
the backward pass on one tricky hop, then calmly tossed
the ball back to the quarterback. Brady wound up and
lobbed a 56-yarder to Gaffney, with the ball barely
sailing over the sprawling Smith, who nearly recovered
from his initial misstep.
Steelers safety Anthony Smith likely won't be
making another prediction anytime soon.
Asked after the game to describe Brady's most notable attributes, Moss, who finished with seven catches
for 135 yards, said: "Poise. Patience. And the determination to go out and kill you at any given time."
Once again operating out of spread formations with three or four wide receivers, Brady surgically carved
up the Pittsburgh defense, ringing up 421 total yards against a unit that entered the game having
surrendered just 230.8 yards per game. Against a secondary that had allowed just 154.0 passing yards
per outing, Brady threw for 399 yards, with 32 completions in 46 attempts, including 24 completions to
his wide receivers.
In the second half, New England ran the ball three times -- and just two of those were designed running
plays. In one stretch, the Patriots called 33 consecutive pass plays, and they didn't have a designed run in
the second half until only 2:49 remained in the game.
"It was obvious that they didn't care about running the ball," Pittsburgh cornerback Ike Taylor said. "Not
at all. They were in attack mode all the way. The only thing we can do is keep playing hard and hope we
get another shot at them. Hopefully, if we get that chance, we'll do things a lot differently."
And in a lot more quiet manner.
Hear that, Jets?
Senior writer Len Pasquarelli covers the NFL for ESPN.com.
ESPN.com: Help | PR Media Kit | Sales Media Kit | Report a Bug | Contact Us | News Archive | Site Map | Shop | Jobs at ESPN |
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12/10/2007
Jim Donaldson: Promises you shouldn't take to the bank | New England Patriots | projo.co... Page 1 of 3
New England Patriots
Jim Donaldson: Promises you shouldn't take to the bank
09:39 PM EST on Sunday, December 9, 2007
FOXBORO - Anthony Smith has some more guarantees for you.
There will be no more housing foreclosures. Gasoline will cost 99 cents a gallon by the end of the
month. Osama bin Laden will realize the error of his ways and turn himself in to the CIA.
Outrageous? Ridiculous?
No more so than the second-year safety's brashly - and, as it turns out,
erroneously and embarrassingly - guaranteeing the Steelers would beat the
undefeated Patriots Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
Tell us what you think
about Anthony Smith's
guarantee Submit | View
Results
Chocolate is not fattening. Guaranteed. It won't snow again in New England this winter. Guaranteed.
Britney Spears will win a Grammy as top female vocalist. Either that, or she'll be named Mother of the
Year. Guaranteed.
Hillary Clinton will be elected president and promptly cut taxes by 20 percent, across the board. And her
husband, Bill, did not have sex with "that woman" -- meaning Monica, not Hillary.
There's about as much chance of those "guarantees" coming true as there was of the overmatched
Steelers beating the fired-up Pats, who took notice of Smith's ill-chosen words - guaranteed.
"He's got to be smart with his words," Hines Ward, Pittsburgh's veteran wide receiver, said of young Mr.
Smith. "When you're playing the best team in the NFL, you don't need to give them bulletin board stuff."
The Patriots, you may have noticed, make plays, not guarantees. They only thing the Pats guarantee is
that they will show up for the game. Which, the way they're playing, is the same thing as guaranteeing a
victory.
But they don't come out and say it, the way Smith did last week.
"When you guarantee you're going to win," said Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel, "it definitely affects
how the other team approaches the game."
While the Patriots downplayed Smith's comments during the week, they took them to heart - and on the
field with them - Sunday.
"They definitely did," said Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers' quarterback. "I heard a couple of their guys
say to me during a TV timeout: 'Why was your guy mouthing off? We're fired up about it.' "
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And what was Roethlisberger's response to those angry New England defenders?
"We've got some young guys," he replied.
Only 24, Smith hopefully will be become wiser as he gets older, although he gave no indication of that
in his well-attended postgame interview.
"If we do what we're supposed to do," he said to the media throng gathered around his locker, "we're
gonna be back here."
If the Steelers hope to return to New England next month for the AFC Championship Game, Smith is
going to have to play much better than he did Sunday, when he was burned for two touchdowns, both
involving Randy Moss.
On the Patriots' first play of the second quarter, Smith bit on a well-executed play-action fake by Tom
Brady, who then threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Moss, wide open behind the Steelers' secondary.
"It's tough," Smith said. "You've got to play the pass. But you've also got to come up and help with run
support."
Smith and the Steelers were fooled again on the Patriots' first possession of the second half, when Brady
threw a lateral to Moss, who, after dropping the ball, picked it up and threw back across the field to
Brady. The quarterback then lofted a 56-yard scoring pass to Jabar Gaffney, who caught it a step behind
Smith in the end zone.
"I almost got there," Smith said. "If I'd read it a second quicker, I could have made the play."
If the Patriots hadn't read Smith's ill-considered prediction, it might have made it easier on the Steelers.
"Him being young," Moss said, "and getting caught up in the hype of the game, something was bound to
slip out. They did their talking throughout the week. We did our talking today."
"If we're going to talk the talk," Roethlisberger said, "we have to be able to walk the walk."
Instead, Smith's "guaranteed" win turned into a New England runaway.
Even the dour Bill Belichick smiled when asked about Smith's guarantee.
"You know," he said, "I think Rodney [Harrison] put it best, so I'll just leave it at that. But we've played
against a lot better safeties than him, I'll tell you."
The way Harrison put it, when apprised of Smith's comments a few days ago, was: "Never heard of
him."
Smith certainly heard from a number of Patriots on Sunday, although he claimed not to recall anything
specific that they said.
"I talk a lot myself," said Smith, in what wasn't exactly a stop-the-presses revelation. "So it's hard to
hear people when they're talking back to me."
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Jim Donaldson: Promises you shouldn't take to the bank | New England Patriots | projo.co... Page 3 of 3
Like Roger Clemens, who often claimed to be "misinterpretated" by the media when he was pitching for
the Red Sox, Smith on Sunday said he hadn't been quoted correctly.
"If I'd been quoted right," he said, "people would have understood that what I said was: 'If we come out
and do what we're supposed to do, we're going to win.' "
What happened instead was that the Patriots came out and did pretty much whatever they wanted to do
against Smith and the Steelers.
"Because of what he said," Keisel said, "I think they decided to take a few shots at him. And the shots
went their way. I think he learned his lesson."
Perhaps.
But Keisel wasn't willing to guarantee it.
http://www.projo.com/patriots/content/projo_20071210_smith.843a008e.html
12/10/2007
SI.com - Writers - Don Banks: Pats end funk, thanks to Smith's 'guarantee' - Monday Dec... Page 1 of 4
Powered by
The giant slumbers no more
Perfect Pats end malaise, thanks to Smith
'guarantee'
Posted: Sunday December 9, 2007 10:31PM; Updated: Monday December 10, 2007 12:42AM
FOXBORO, Mass. -- Let's have a quick show of hands.
Anybody out there still wondering if the New England
Patriots intend to remain hell-bent in pursuit of this
perfect season stuff?
Because, to use the phrase the Patriots themselves seem
to best understand, I "guarantee'' you they are. There
will be no backing off from the challenge of perfection.
No taking a pass on history in favor of resting starters
for the playoffs. The Team That Can Not Lose is going
for it all. And it's as obvious as the hoodie that
occasionally covers you-know-who's head.
If you needed a new reminder of what kind of will
these Patriots have, where their desire level stands as
mid-December approaches, just review Sunday's 34-13
dismantling of Pittsburgh, the team that supposedly was
best positioned to end New England's 2007 magic
carpet ride.
So much for that ill-informed notion. Motivated to the
extreme by the garden-variety guarantee of victory
issued by second-year Steelers safety Anthony Smith
at mid-week, the Patriots made beating the Steelers
seem like the most urgent, most desperate task ever put
before them.
Tom Brady was his usual all-world self on
Sunday, completing 32 of 46 passes for 399
yards and 4 TDs, giving him 45 this season.
Jim Rogash/Getty Images
Once again we discovered these Patriots are not
messing around. They mean business. They didn't want to just win on Sunday, they wanted to win mean.
They wanted to bruise the Steelers and leave a mark on their psyche, just in case they should meet again.
And Smith foolishly handed them the perfect weapon.
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"It's almost like when you go to a pizza shop and you order your pizza, and you say I want extra
sausage,'' said Patriots veteran safety Rodney Harrison, of the added motivation that Smith's guarantee
inspired in New England's locker room. "There's nothing wrong with extra sausage.''
Challenged in unexpectedly tight games two weeks in a row, against the Eagles and Ravens, the Patriots
jacked themselves up courtesy of Smith's words and used 'em against the Steelers, with extreme
prejudice. They didn't just target Smith. They abused the young free safety, hanging him out to dry on
touchdown bombs of 63 and 56 yards to Randy Moss and Jabar Gaffney. Tom Brady's exquisitely
executed play-action fake reeled in Smith and was the key to Moss's score; and the other touchdown
came on a Brady-to-Moss-to-Brady-to-Gaffney flea-flicker, on which Smith unwisely bit once again.
Brady, trying to conceal a mile-wide grin, attempted to refute the notion in the post-game that the
Patriots had drawn a bull's-eye on Smith's back. Let's say he wasn't very convincing.
"No, he just ended up being in the right place at the right time,'' Brady said. "He's a good player. I think
he was trying to motivate his guys.''
Instead, he wound up motivating the Patriots. Who really don't need much in the way of outside
incentive these days, what with making NFL history staring them in the face at 13-0.
"I've played in the league 10 years now, and I've never heard a player ever say anything like that,'' said
Moss, who finished with a team-best seven catches for 135 yards, including his career-best 18th and
19th receiving touchdowns, the second-highest single-season total ever. "I don't really know if his team
had his back or not. But it (the guarantee) was said, it was documented, it was printed, and it came to
us.''
Like a gift from heaven. The vaunted bulletin-board fodder that football coaches everywhere seek out
was wrapped up like an early Christmas present for the Patriots.
From Thursday on, I had been asked on various radio shows whether I thought anything as tired and trite
as another victory guarantee would actually motivate New England? Smith's silly boast, remember,
wasn't exactly of the Joe Namath variety. He put more qualifiers in his promise of victory than you see
at an Olympic Trials.
No matter. Hedges or no hedges, the Patriots don't need much to have their honor impugned. With New
England, there's no slight too small. No insult too meaningless. The Pats aren't above using far less than
Smith's guarantee to pump up the motivational meter; so of course, I knew what they'd do with Smith's
gaffe.
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They'd make him eat some of their famed humble pie,
in several large and humiliating servings.
"Well, everything happens for a reason,'' said Harrison,
when asked about Smith's role in both long touchdown
passes. "That's why in life you remain humble, continue
to work hard and be thankful for everything God
blessed you with.
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"When I was a young player like that, I barely opened
my mouth. You've got to just go out there and play
football and not worry about the other crap that's going
on.''
If there was any lapse in intensity in New England's
past two games, those near-defeats against Philly and
Baltimore, the Patriots re-discovered their fire against
the Steelers. Thanks to Smith and his inability to back
up his big words. Bill Belichick couldn't have asked for
anything more than getting his ridiculously talented
team to again go for the throat.
Steelers rookie head coach Mike Tomlin said he
doubted Smith's comments "were a motivating factor''
in the Patriots' performance, but he was in the distinct
minority in his own locker room. Many of Pittsburgh's
veterans seemed to know that Smith had carelessly
awoke a sleeping dog.
"It definitely did (motivate them),'' Steelers quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger said. "I had a couple of their guys
as I was coming on the field during the TV timeout
With his two touchdowns on Sunday, Randy
who said, 'Why are your guys opening their mouths?
Moss now has 19 TDs, the second-highest
We're so fired up out there.' We got some young guys.
total for a wideiout in NFL history.
Lesson learned for the young guy.''
AP
But a lesson that came at a costly price, at least in terms of Pittsburgh's own confidence level, as a
playoff berth comes into sight. The Steelers left Gillette Stadium with considerably less swagger than
they had entering Sunday.
"They made a couple big plays today, and I think the reason they did those big plays was because of
what (Smith) said maybe,'' Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel said. "Trying to take a shot at him. Why
not take a shot? The shot went their way.
"Absolutely, they were motivated. When someone says you guarantee no matter what they do, you're
going to win, absolutely that affects the way the team looks at you. They came ready to go.''
The Patriots are ready to go all right. Pushed around in Baltimore Monday night, they were determined
not to let the Steelers out-physical them on Sunday. They took the fight to Pittsburgh, and out-smashmouthed a smash-mouth team.
"We played Patriots football, and this is what I'm used to playing here for the past five years,'' Harrison
said. "Going out here and not taking any crap. The last two weeks really opened up your eyes. That
wasn't Patriots football. We came in today and really re-focused.''
So it's 13 wins down for New England, with three more to go in the regular season; and then three more
in the playoffs. At this point, I can almost guarantee this much: No one else in the NFL this year is going
to make the mistake that Anthony Smith made against New England.
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"There's all kind of young players in the league, so there's no telling what will come out next,'' Moss
said. "But I really think by him being young and getting caught up in the game and all the hype,
something was bound to slip out.
"I think the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers, because of their toughness and their mouths,
they've got a lot in common. They did their talking throughout the week, and we did our talking on the
field today.''
Getting the last word, and getting it their way, is what these Patriots have always been about.
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