Patriots Put Blitz To Test Bledsoe’s Throws Thwart Steelers’ Defensive Plans
The call was made by New England coach Bill Parcells early last week.
Long passes on the first play. Go right at perennial All-Pro cornerback Rod Woodson. Let the Steelers know that the blitz can be beaten.
“I was choking a little on it,” Parcells admitted after the Patriots’ 28-3 victory over Pittsburgh in Foxboro Stadium.
But after Drew Bledsoe connected with Terry Glenn on a 53-yard pass on New England’s first play in Sunday’s playoff game, it was Pittsburgh that began to gag. The opening play set the tone for the Patriots, who cashed in on a handful of big plays to shock the NFL’s second-ranked defense into submission.
“Rod Woodson is a great player and does a great job of sitting on routes and making plays on curl-outs,” Bledsoe said. “We felt we had to run by him early, and we decided, ‘Hey, why not on the first play?”’
The Steelers’ vaunted blitz was ineffective most of the day against the Patriots, primarily because of Bledsoe’s quick release and stellar play by the offensive line. The former Washington State University quarterback connected on his first seven passes, and the line opened gaping holes for Curtis Martin, who made cuts like a crazy Etch A Sketch pattern once he got into the open field.
New England shot out to a 14-0 lead with 7:55 left in the first quarter on Keith Byars’ 34-yard score on a screen pass. They put it away with 9:55 left in the first half on a 78-yard touchdown run by Martin, who juked past safety Carnell Lake and went untouched the final 60 yards.
“(Parcells) had been on Curtis all week long during film sessions,” Bledsoe said. “He’d say, ‘Where’s Curtis? Have you got big-game disease?”’
Martin responded to the good-natured taunting by his coach with a franchise playoff record for a half with 109 yards on 10 carries by intermission, and he finished with 166 yards. Martin, a Pittsburgh native, said he was “shocked” to see so much open space in front of him on his 78-yarder.
“That might be my longest run ever,” Martin said. “College, Pop Warner, everything. To me, the Steelers are my second-favorite team. I kind of worry about when I go home, how infamous I’ll be.”
After Martin’s long run, Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher tried to insert some life into his slumbering offense by replacing floundering quarterback Mike Tomczak with Kordell Stewart. But the Steelers went three-and-out on Stewart’s first three series, and Tomczak was brought back after a Pittsburgh interception near the end of the half.
Ex-Bear Tomczak evoked vivid memories of his Soldier Field days, driving to the Patriots’ 24 before sputtering, turning over the ball on downs to thwart the Steelers’ best chance of getting back into the game.
Tomczak’s days as starting quarterback for the Steelers may be over after Sunday’s debacle. Though Stewart wasn’t effective either, he is the heir apparent because of his youth and mobility, not to mention Tomczak’s unimpressive numbers - 15 touchdown passes but 19 interceptions.
The Steelers may be only one player short of being a Super Bowl team again, but obviously they can’t win it with a journeyman and a gimmick sharing the quarterback role.