Back in 2010, the Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the best teams in the league. The team finished the regular season with a 12-4 record which helped them claim the top spot in the AFC North division. The defense looked elite, allowing the fewest points per game that season with 14.5. There were huge playoff aspirations for this group, and after overcoming the rival Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round, Pittsburgh was on the verge of a Super Bowl birth. Only one team stood in their way, the New York Jets.
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Jets’ Sky-High Expectations
The Jets went 9-7 in 2009 and had made it to the AFC Championship that year before losing to the Indianapolis Colts 30-17. However, with this level of success, they would be featured in the 2010 edition of HBO's training camp series “Hard Knocks”. During that experience, New York’s head coach at the time, Rex Ryan, made the bold claim that the Jets were going to win the Super Bowl. With how they played, it certainly looked as though Ryan wasn’t just full of talk.
New York was viewed as the clear-cut favorites to win the AFC East, yet despite an 11-5 record, they finished second in the division. This did not stop them from making a statement in the postseason. They first got their revenge on the Colts in the Wild Card round and then shocked everyone with a victory against the New England Patriots on the road in Foxborough. It was then they had to make the trek to Pittsburgh for a showdown at Heinz Field.
Smooth Sailing First Half
To begin the game, the Steelers marched down the field on their opening drive. Running back Rashard Mendenhall had eight carries for 28 yards that would eventually lead to a rushing touchdown.
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On the next possession, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger would be intercepted by Jets linebacker Bryan Thomas. New York would be unable to capitalize and was forced to punt. Pittsburgh drove down the field and capped off the drive with a 20-yard field goal from kicker Shaun Suisham, giving them a 10-0 lead.
It was after another punt from the Jets that Roethlisberger began to air things out, completing a trio of passes. One pass to tight end Heath Miller for 24 yards, one to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders for 20 yards and another one to Mendenhall for 14 yards. This aerial assault would set up a two-yard touchdown run to give the Steelers a 17-0 advantage.
On the ensuing possession, Pittsburgh cornerback Ike Taylor blitzed Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez which led to not only a sack but a forced fumble. The loose ball was scooped up by another Steelers cornerback, William Gay, who took it 19 yards for a touchdown. The lead was now 24-0 with a little over a minute left in the first half.
Sanchez would lead a quick drive downfield to put them in field goal range. Kicker Nick Folk would convert from 42 yards out to help put New York on the board at the halftime break, trailing 24-3. After a dominant first half, it seemed that a black and gold victory was all but certain and Pittsburgh would be in the Super Bowl. Many thought so, that is, until the second half began.
Sanchez’s Super Second Half
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New York received the ball to begin the second half of play, and they made good use of it, scoring a touchdown in five plays. Most notably were a 23-yard run by Shonn Greene and a pair of passes caught by Santonio Holmes whom the Steelers traded in April of 2010 for a fifth-round pick. Holmes’s catches on that drive included a 16-yard reception and a 45-yard completion in the endzone.
Roethlisberger tried to respond, getting into Jets territory before being picked off inside the 10-yard line by safety Brodney Pool. Both teams would exchange punts, giving New York the ball. They would go on a 17-play drive that included two fourth-down conversions to give them first and goal from the Steelers' two-yard line.
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An incomplete pass by Sanchez and another pass batted down by linebacker LaMarr Woodley would bring it to third down. Unable to score on third down, and being so close to the goal line, the Jets decided to go for it on fourth down. They gave the ball to running back LaDainian Tomlinson to hopefully run it up the gut and break into the endzone. Unfortunately for Tomlinson, defensive end Brett Keisel and nose tackle Casey Hampton tackled him for no gain, forcing a turnover on downs.
The Jets would still manage to get points after turning the ball over as Roethlisberger fumbled the snap which he recovered in the end zone for a safety, cutting the lead in half to 24-12. New York would score again on their next possession, driving 58 yards, capped off by a four-yard touchdown pass to Jerricho Cotchery. They had rallied to make it a 24-19 ball game with three minutes remaining in the game.
Pittsburgh knew they had to do everything they could to keep the ball out of Sanchez’s hands. On the final drive, Roethlisberger completed a pass to Miller for a 14-yard gain. Under two minutes left, the Steelers were facing a third and six and needed another first down to ice the game. That’s when wide receiver Antonio Brown caught a pass for 14-yards. From there, they ran the clock out and advanced to the Super Bowl. This performance has been viewed as one of the top five most memorable Pittsburgh Steelers playoff moments at Heinz Field.
The Aftermath
The Steelers would appear in Super Bowl XLV but would be defeated by the Green Bay Packers 31-25. This is currently the last time Pittsburgh has appeared in the Super Bowl with 2010 also being their last appearance in the AFC Championship game. The team has still made multiple playoff appearances including last season. The same, however, can’t be said for New York.
Not only was 2010 the last time the Jets were in the AFC Championship game, but it was their last playoff appearance. Some who were involved with this Jets team are still upset over the final results. In 2021, former team general manager Mike Tannenbaum went on the “Around the NFL” podcast, saying that he believes the team was one defensive stop away from winning. He felt that if given the ball back, Sanchez would have scored the touchdown that had them going to the Super Bowl instead of Pittsburgh.
“One hundred and fifty percent,” Tannenbaum said. “There’s no doubt in my mind.”
Thankfully, it’s a scenario that Steelers fans won’t have to worry about any time soon.
What do you remember most about that AFC Championship game? Let us know in the comments below!
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