Steelers flag down victory
PITTSBURGH – Miami coach Nick Saban had the red challenge flag in his hand, hitched it forward and back, and couldn’t seem to let it go in time. Maybe the Dolphins should flag their coach for a costly delay.
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Heath Miller chugged his way down the sideline on an 87-yard touchdown pass play midway through the fourth quarter, fill-in quarterback Charlie Batch’s third scoring pass of the game, and the Super Bowl champions beat the Dolphins 28-17 Thursday night in the NFL’s first game of the season.
“It seemed like it took me forever to get there,” Miller said.
For good reason.
Miller’s score shouldn’t have stood – TV replays seemed to show that he was out of bounds inside the 5-yard line. Saban hesitated to throw his flag, which fell to the turf sight unseen as referee Walt Coleman watched the extra-point kick. That meant the Steelers didn’t have to try to get the ball into the end zone from short yardage.
Asked if he got in, Miller said, laughing, “Touchdown. Yeah.”
Saban apparently thought he could throw the challenge flag at any time before Jeff Reed kicked the extra point, but no official saw him – and thus, no replay. No Dolphins upset, either, even though the Steelers didn’t look particularly sharp in their first game that counted since the Super Bowl – despite Willie Parker’s 115 yards rushing, Miller’s 101 yards receiving and Batch’s first three-TD game since Nov. 18, 2001, with Detroit.
“They said they didn’t see it,” Saban said. “Whose fault is that?”
Saban explained that assistant coaches in the press box first had to watch the replay before notifying him whether to challenge.
Miami, down 21-17 at the time, had a chance to come back. But new quarterback Daunte Culpepper was intercepted on consecutive series, with linebacker Joey Porter scoring on a 42-yard return with about 3 minutes left.
“We knew we had put them in a situation where they had to pass the ball. I had my chance to make the play and I made it,” Porter said.
The Dolphins, trying to build off the momentum of their six consecutive victories to end last season, trailed until Ronnie Brown scored on a 5-yard run to make it 17-14 in the third quarter. Marty Booker, sidelined with what appeared to be a concussion in the first half, came back to make a 50-yard catch of Culpepper’s pass, aided by safety Tyrone Carter’s slip, to set up the score.
“We were definitely in the driver’s seat. We needed to stay focused and finish the ballgame out,” said Miami safety Renaldo Hill.
Culpepper also was intercepted by Troy Polamalu immediately after Miller’s catch put the Steelers up. Culpepper finished 18 for 37 for 262 yards.