Pittsburgh held on for dear life and advanced to the Super Bowl with a 24-19 victory in the AFC Championship, but after the Steelers staked themselves to a 24-point lead, they needed a key third-and-6 conversion with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to seal a tense win.
The 2009 Steelers, who were the defending Super Bowl champions, blew five fourth-quarter leads and missed the playoffs. They were soft, and their defense couldn't keep a lead in key situations.
This year's squad blew just one fourth-quarter advantage — Week 3 against the Ravens — and the renewed faith in one another helped Pittsburgh win the AFC North and snag the second seed for the playoffs, which came with a first-round bye that might have been the difference against the well-traveled Jets.
It was ugly at times, especially when Ben Roethlisberger couldn't handle a fourth-quarter snap from backup center Doug Legursky, and the Jets picked up a safety that trimmed the deficit to 24-12.
On the Steelers' next offensive possession, though, they rectified all of their second-half wrongs. Needing six yards to lock up the win, Roethlisberger scrambled out of the pocket and kept the play alive for a few extra seconds — since the Jets were out of timeouts, it would have been easier for Roethlisberger to slide to the turf and let the clock run before punting — and then snuck a nice pass into Antonio Brown's chest.
The Jets also managed to mismanage their own situation, particularly with some curious coaching during a failed goal-line situation just prior to that safety. With a second-and-goal from the 1-yard line, the Jets — with the fourth-ranked running game in the NFL — threw two straight incompletions.
At any rate, the Steelers have moved on because they erased a 14-point deficit against the Ravens and clung to a 24-point lead against the Jets. They've got Super Bowl experience — most notably Roethlisberger, who has two rings and will try to match Tom Brady, among others, with three — and enough mental toughness to handle the big stage.
The Super Bowl will feature a matchup between two of the best defenses in the NFL this season, which is a recipe for a close game, and the Steelers' improved mental aptitude in late situations could give them an edge against the Packers.
