RICHMOND, Va. -- The Steelers of 2004 were on quite a roll with rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at the helm, having won his first four starts. Still, defeating the Bengals and Browns was one thing … taking on the defending champion Patriots, who hadn’t lost a game in a calendar year, was quite another.
The team rose to the challenge, and dominated in all phases to trounce the Pats. The next week, they faced another undefeated team, the 7-0 Eagles, and crushed them, too, eventually winning out to finish 15-1 on a 14-game winning streak.
Yeah, yeah, I know … in the final analysis, the outcome of this contest meant little, as it was New England prevailing in January when it mattered most in that cold, miserable AFC Championship. But watching this game, in the moment ... it was Halloween, a perfect autumn afternoon, and the Steelers were just sticking it to the Patriots … man, it sure was fun, wasn’t it?
And in the end, isn’t that the reason we watch?
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ROB ULLMAN / DKPS[/caption]
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