Funny read in the Post Gazette this morning. Does anyone remember this being reported that day? The Shot: Steelers 27, Ravens 10 -- AFC Divisional Playoff, Jan. 20, 2002 After a three-year absence from the postseason, the Steelers (13-3) were making their return to the playoffs in a year in which games were postponed and the season extended because of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. After gaining home-field advantage and a first-round bye, the Steelers were playing host to the Ravens (10-6), the defending Super Bowl champs, in a game pitting two of the leagues top four defenses. More specifically, it matched the Steelers No. 1 rush offense, which averaged 173.4 yards per game, against a defense that set an NFL record a year earlier for fewest rushing yards allowed in a season. The Steelers leading rusher was Jerome Bettis (1,072 yards), but they had three other players who had more than 400 yards rushing -- quarterback Kordell Stewart (537), Chris Fuamatu-Maafala (453) and Amos Zereoue (441). It was one of those methodical, you-hit-me, I-hit-you-back games, Stewart said the other day, recalling the matchup. You knew you were going to get their best punch from them. But the game is remembered not so much for what happened on the field -- the Steelers jumped to a 20-0 lead, thanks to two 1-yard scoring runs by Zereoue -- but what happened in the locker room before the game. Bettis, who was bothered by a groin injury, received a pain-killing injection that mistakenly hit a nerve and numbed his entire leg. To this day I can remember standing in the end zone and we were going through the offense, running plays, and I noticed, No. 1, there was no Jerome Bettis and, No. 2, there was no [trainer] John Norwig, former coach Bill Cowher said the other day over the phone. That was never a good sign to me when we had one player missing and one trainer missing. Ill never forget John walking up to me and saying, We have a little bit of a problem with Jerome, and I said, Yeaaaah? And he said, We were going to numb his groin and they didnt hit the right spot. And I said, Yeaaaah? And he said, We hit the wrong spot and, unfortunately, we hit a nerve and, in fact, he cant walk. So I said, OK, when is it going to wear off? And he said, Well, probably not for another four hours. The Steelers played without their leading rusher -- sound familiar -- and relied on Zereoue (63 yards), Maafala (30), Stewart (30) and even wide receiver Troy Edwards (23) to make up the deficit. Meantime, their No. 1-ranked rush defense held the Ravens to 22 yards rushing.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 17:06:33 +0000
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