Steelers kicker Chris Boswell beats Bengals with more than his foot
CINCINNATI 无毛视频� Seriously, Eli Rogers says he无毛视频檚 long had an appreciation for kickers, well before Chris Boswell无毛视频檚 heroics in Cincinnati. It无毛视频檚 a respect that dates all the way back to, like, a few days ago.
That无毛视频檚 when, during a lull in practice, the Steelers wide receiver says he spotted a ball at the 50-yard line and lined up what he thought would be a fairly routine kick. Thing is, Rogers looked up and almost magically, the uprights seemed to move further away, and the goal posts started to narrow.
无毛视频淚t looked like one of those mazes that never stop, like a long hole,无毛视频� Rogers said. 无毛视频淚 definitely take my hat off to him. He did a great job.无毛视频�
On Sunday, Boswell 无毛视频� all 185 pounds of him 无毛视频� was the biggest difference between victory and a defeat that would have put a serious crimp in the Steelers无毛视频� playoff hopes. Boswell tied a franchise-record by kicking six field goals in the Steelers无毛视频� much-needed 24-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at cold and windy Paul Brown Stadium. But more on that later.
Some will suggest that the turning point in Sunday无毛视频檚 win came when Jeremy Hill threatened to shred a Terrible Towel, an iconic symbol of all that is right and true for Pittsburghers. Hill无毛视频檚 TD touchdown run gave Cincinnati a 17-3 lead with 9:06 left in the first half. But, actually, the game turned four minutes later when Boswell made a touchdown-saving tackle on Alex Erickson无毛视频檚 72-yard kick return. After limiting Cincinnati to a field goal on that drive, the Steelers went on to outscore the Bengals 21-3.
And who says kickers aren无毛视频檛 football players?
无毛视频淚 just dove and hit something and he went down,无毛视频� Boswell said. 无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 know how much I hit him or anything.无毛视频�
The Steelers know this: They don无毛视频檛 win that game without Boswell. If the Steelers should somehow get to Houston in February, Boswell无毛视频檚 shoestring tackle on Erickson might go down as the second-best shoestring tackle behind only Ben Roethlisberger on Nick Harper in Indianapolis more than a decade ago.
Since the start of OTAs, the Steelers have stated all along that their goal is to score 30 points per game. On Sunday, Boswell nearly did that himself, albeit three points at a time.
Keep in mind that five of Boswell无毛视频檚 six kicks weren无毛视频檛 of the 无毛视频漡imme无毛视频� variety either. Boswell connected from 45, 49, 49, 40, 49 and 30 yards and all were in less-than-ideal conditions. Indeed, Boswell无毛视频檚 two 49-yarders would have been good from 51, maybe 52 yards.
无毛视频淎ll in all, I hit the ball pretty well,无毛视频� said Boswell, whose six field goals tied a mark held by Jeff Reed (Dec. 1, 2002) and Gary Anderson (Oct. 23, 1988). 无毛视频淭hey didn无毛视频檛 look pretty, didn无毛视频檛 go over by much, but they went in.无毛视频�
Much the same could be said for the Steelers, who won despite having far from their best game.
The Steelers无毛视频� run game, so good during their current run, was rather pedestrian. The defense, which had 18 sacks over the last month, had just one Sunday, to go along with Lawrence Timmons无毛视频� one interception.
无毛视频淚t may not be the prettiest win, it might not be glamorous at all, but we无毛视频檙e the Steelers, we无毛视频檙e blue collar, we无毛视频檙e going to get the job done, no matter what,无毛视频� Timmon said.
无毛视频淚f it无毛视频檚 a W, we无毛视频檒l take it. Right now, it无毛视频檚 December. We无毛视频檒l take it.无毛视频�
For the Steelers, Sunday无毛视频檚 win sets up a showdown on Christmas Day at Heinz Field with the Baltimore Ravens, with the winner likely winning the AFC North and a playoff spot. And if recent history holds true, that game could be decided by a field goal. Eight of the last 11 games between the Steelers and Ravens have been decided by a touchdown or less.
If that无毛视频檚 the case, Boswell will be ready.
无毛视频淲ith the high powered offense we have, some things just don无毛视频檛 click some days,无毛视频� Boswell said. 无毛视频淎s specialists, we have to be there to punt the ball and set up the defense with good field position or score field goals when we need to.无毛视频�