The AFC Championship game on January 27, 2002 featured
the overachieving New England Patriots against the defensively-solid Pittsburgh
Steelers. In their second season under Head Coach Bill Belichick, and coming
off a 5-11 record in 2000, the Patriots started off 2001 at 5-5 before reeling
off six straight wins to finish first in the AFC East at 11-5. A key
development along the way had been an injury to QB Drew Bledsoe that resulted
in unheralded backup Tom Brady moving into the lineup and remaining there even
after the 29-year-old veteran had recovered. Overall, the Patriots were not an
overwhelmingly talented team, but they did jell under Belichick’s coaching.
They defeated the Raiders in a snowy overtime Divisional playoff game that
featured a controversial reversal of an apparent fumble due to the tuck rule to
advance to the conference title game.
The Steelers, in their tenth year under Head Coach Bill
Cowher, came into the game as nine-point favorites. After missing the
postseason in the three previous seasons, Pittsburgh went 13-3 in ’01 to top
the AFC Central and gain top seed in the playoffs. Guided on offense by
talented but erratic QB Kordell Stewart, the Steelers were adept at running the
ball, although Pro Bowl RB Jerome Bettis had been slowed by a groin injury that
had kept him out of action since Week 12. Still, they had two thousand-yard
wide receivers in Hines Ward, another Pro Bowler, and Plaxico Burress. But the
key to their success was the league’s top-ranked defense that featured
linebackers Jason Gildon, Kendrell Bell, and Joey Porter. The Steelers had
easily dispatched the defending league champions, the Ravens, in the Divisional
round of the playoffs.
There was a crowd of 64,704 at Heinz Field, and they saw
a quiet start to the contest as both teams traded punts back and forth. With
just over four minutes remaining in the opening period, the Steelers had to
punt from their own 13 and Josh Miller got off a 64-yard boot, but had to kick
again when WR Troy Edwards was flagged for stepping out of bounds and returning
to the field. It made a big difference as the second kick was returned 55 yards
for a touchdown by WR Troy Brown to give the Patriots a lead.
In a series that extended into the second quarter, the
Steelers drove into New England territory. After reaching the 11 yard line,
Kris Brown kicked a 30-yard field goal to get the home team on the board. The
contest again settled into a defensive battle until the Patriots took
possession at their own 30 with less than three minutes remaining in the half.
On the third play, Brady passed to Troy Brown for a 28-yard gain, but the
quarterback was hit hard by SS Lee Flowers. Brady left the game with an injured
left leg.
In to replace him was the quarterback who had been
relegated to the bench, Drew Bledsoe (pictured at top). Four plays later, after hitting WR David
Patten for gains of 15 and 10 yards and then running for four yards, Bledsoe
threw again to Patten for an 11-yard touchdown. The Patriots were up by 14-3 at
halftime.
In their second possession of the third quarter, the
Steelers drove to the New England 16, but a 34-yard field goal attempt was
blocked by DT Brandon Mitchell and Troy Brown picked up the loose ball, ran 11
yards, and then lateraled to DB Antwan Harris who carried it the remaining 49
yards for a TD.
Pittsburgh came back with a long 79-yard series in eight
plays that featured Stewart completions to Ward for 24 yards and RB Amos
Zereoue for 19 and culminated in a one-yard scoring run by Jerome Bettis. New
England’s lead was cut to 21-10 with over five minutes to go in the third
quarter.
The Steelers closed the gap even more following a 28-yard
punt return by Troy Edwards to the New England 32. They went 32 yards, the
final 11 coming on a run by Zereoue. It was a four point game heading into the
fourth quarter.
A long, methodical drive by the Patriots added more
points less than four minutes into the final period on a 44-yard Vinatieri
field goal. The Steelers had plenty of time, but their remaining three
possessions ended in a punt and two interceptions, by FS Tebucky Jones and SS
Lawyer Milloy. Vinatieri missed a 50-yard field goal try in an effort to extend
the lead, but it didn’t matter. The Patriots were AFC Champions by a final
score of 24-17.
The Steelers had the edge in both total yards (306 to
259) and first downs (23 to 15). However, they also turned the ball over four
times, to none by New England. Linebackers Willie McGinest and Ted Johnson did
a great job of shutting down Pittsburgh’s running game, as the Steelers gained
only 58 yards on 22 carries. Pittsburgh also recorded more sacks (four to
three) and the Patriots hurt themselves with 12 penalties, at a cost of 87
yards, as opposed to three flags thrown on the home team.
In his relief effort, Drew Bledsoe completed 10 of 21
passes for 102 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Before exiting, Tom
Brady was successful on 12 of 18 throws for 115 yards. Troy Brown (pictured below) had a big
day, catching 8 passes for 121 yards, returning a punt for a TD, and
contributing to the score on the blocked field goal. Antowain Smith rushed for
47 yards on 15 attempts.
For the Steelers, Kordell Stewart went to the air 42
times and completed 24 of those passes for 255 yards and no touchdowns along
with three interceptions. He also led the club in rushing with 41 yards on 8
carries while the hobbled Jerome Bettis was held to 8 yards on 9 attempts that
included a short TD and Amos Zeroue gained 11 yards and scored once on four
carries, although he also caught 4 passes for 50 yards. Hines Ward had 6 pass
receptions for 64 yards and Plaxico Burress gained 67 yards on 5 catches.
“I’ve done this for a long time and at times at a pretty
high level,” said Drew Bledsoe of his performance off the bench. “I felt
confident coming out. I’ve been working out and preparing for this exact
scenario.”
Tom Brady was back for the Super Bowl and the upstart Patriots
defeated the St. Louis Rams in a stunning upset. They missed out on the
postseason in 2002 but came back to win the first of back-to-back NFL titles in
’03. Pittsburgh again reached the playoffs in ’02 and lost in the Divisional
playoff round.
The relief appearance by Drew Bledsoe marked the end of
his nine-year career in New England. He moved on to the division-rival Buffalo
Bills for 2002.
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