The Steelers are headed back to the AFC Championship game after defeating the Indianapolis Colts, 21-18, in a hard-fought game on the road.

“For us to come in and do what we did today it took a supreme effort from all three phases of our game today,” said head coach Bill Cowher. “It was a heck of a football game. There was a lot of ebb and flow in the second half and we weathered it. It was an unbelievable ending.”

The defense brought pressure all day, forcing errant passes from a normally composed Peyton Manning

“We did a good job of dropping eight and bringing pressure,” said Cowher. “We tried to disrupt him and get him out of rhythm. For the most part we did it, but you aren’t going to contain that team for 60 minutes.”

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed 14 of 24 passes for 197 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. But Roethlisberger’s biggest play of the game was after Jerome Bettis fumbled in the closing minutes and Colts safety Nick Harper recovered it and looked like he was headed for a touchdown until Roethlisberger tackled him.

“I was frustrated,” said Bettis of the fumble. “That shouldn’t have happened. I am supposed to take care of the football. That is my job. I was upset it happened. My defense bailed me out so I can leave here with my head up high.”

There were not many people outside of the Steelers Nation that gave the Steelers a chance to defeat the Colts, but the players were focused all week long and never doubted that they could get the job done.

“There were a lot of doubters,” said Bettis, who had 17 carries for 59 yards. “I think everybody in the country doubted us, including everybody on television. They said we couldn’t get it done. We knew last time we played here that wasn’t Steelers football. We wanted to come in and show what we had and we made it happen.”

The Steelers came out firing to open the game. Roethlisberger and Heath Miller connected early with the rookie tight end having receptions of 36 and 18 yards. Roethlisberger found Hines Ward for a five-yard gain, and on third-and-six he hit Antwaan Randle El for an 11-yard gain at the Colts 13-yard line.  Bettis pounded out seven yards and on third-and-three from the six-yard line. Roethlisberger was on the money to Randle El, giving the Steelers a 7-0 lead. Roethlisberger completed six of seven passes on the drive for 76 yards and ate up 5:35.

The defense got their first test against Manning and the Colts offense and fared well. Edgerrin James had a two-yard gain, and then Manning threw two incomplete passes to Marvin Harrison, forcing them to go three-and-out.

Roethlisberger went back to work with good field position at their own 45-yard line. He completed a 19-yard pass Jerame Tuman, but then Willie Parker was stopped for a one-yard loss. On second-and-11 from the Colts 37-yard line, Roethlisberger was under pressure from defensive end Dwight Freeney and forced an errant pass, which Cato June intercepted at the Colts 30-yard line.

It was up to the defense to come up big again and they did. Manning threw two more incompletions, and James had nowhere to go gaining only three yards on the drive before they had to punt it away again.

The running game got moving on the ensuing drive with Parker going off right end for nine yards and Dan Kreider up the middle for two yards and the first down. Parker then went off right tackle for no gain, and Roethlisberger’s pass to Hines Ward was incomplete, giving the Steelers third-and-10 from their own 39-yard line. Roethlisberger went for broke on the play, hitting Ward in stride for a 45-yard gain to the Colts 16-yard line. Bob Sanders was called for a facemask, taking it half the distance to the goal line, and giving them a first down at the eight-yard line. Bettis went off left tackle for a yard, before Roethlisberger threw a strike to Miller for a seven-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 14-0.

The defense continued to pressure the Colts, with Kimo von Oelhoffen sacking Manning for an eight-yard loss. Manning completed his first pass of the game, hitting Harrison for a 24-yard gain. The Colts then went backwards when they were called for a false start and then James Farrior sacked Manning for a nine-yard loss. On third-and-24 Reggie Wayne had a 13-yard reception, but the Colts had to punt again.

Both teams were forced three-and-out, and the Steelers got the ball back, but were unable to move it. Chris Gardocki punted and Ricardo Colclough downed it at the Colts two-yard line.

The Colts offense then seemed to wake up. James rattled off a 10-yard run, Manning hit Dallas Clark for 21 yards, then James for 15-yards, and Manning to Bryan Fletcher for 11 yards to give them the ball at the Steelers 36-yard line. The Colts steadily moved the ball down the field and had third and one from the one-yard line. James Mungro went around left end for an apparent touchdown, but the Colts jumped and were called for a false start, negating the touchdown and pushing them back to the six-yard line. Aaron Smith was called for a neutral zone infraction, putting the ball on the three-yard line. The defense swarmed James, stopping him for a one-yard gain. The Colts were forced to settle for a field goal and Mike Vanderjagt hit from the 20-yard line, cutting the Steelers lead to 14-3 at the half.

The Colts got the ball to start the second half, but were unable to generate the offense that they had at the end of the first half and had to punt. The Steelers were stopped on their first possession of the half as well, but backed the Colts deep in their own territory at the nine-yard line after a punt.

The defense went to work again. Manning was under pressure, forcing incomplete passes to James and Harrison. On third-and-10, the defense brought the house and Farrior sacked Manning at the one-inch line by for an eight-yard loss, barely avoiding the safety.

Randle El fielded the punt at the 50-yard line and returned it 20 yards to give the Steelers excellent field position at the Colts 30-yard line. The offense took advantage, pounding it on the ground. Parker had an 11-yard run, and then it was all Bettis, who had four carries for 19 yards, before taking it for a one-yard touchdown, to extend the lead to 21-3.

The Colts offense was unable to move the ball and they were faced with fourth-and-two at their own 36-yard line. The punt team came out on the field, but Manning waved them off and it paid dividends for them. Manning connected with Brandon Stockley for 13 yards for the first down. Two plays later Manning hit Clark, who then broke free for a 50-yard touchdown, closing the gap to 21-10.

The running game continued to be the mainstay for the offense. Parker had a 13-yard gain, then gains of three and five yards, before Bettis had a one-yard run. The Steelers had fourth-and-one, at their own 48-yard, and went for it. Roethlisberger took it up the middle for one-yard, keeping the drive alive. After a nine-yard gain by Bettis, the Steelers faced another fourth-and-one, and Bettis got the call and got two yards up the middle. They weren’t able to take it much further, though, and had to punt.

It looked like the Steelers defense was going to stop the Colts, but an apparent interception by Troy Polamalu was reviewed and the officials ruled it an incomplete pass. The Colts took advantage, with Manning moving the offense down the field quickly. James capped off an 80-yard drive by taking it up the middle for a three-yard touchdown. The Colts went for two and connected when Manning hit Wayne in the corner of the end zone, giving the Steelers a slim 21-18 lead and brining the crowd to life.

The Steelers offense was unable to move the ball, and the Colts got it back with 2:31 to go and the ball at their own 18-yard line. The defense met the challenge, with Joey Porter sacking Manning for an eight-yard loss. On fourth-and-16 from the 12-yard line, Porter and Farrior got to Manning for a 10-yard loss.

The Steelers took over at the two-yard line, and the unthinkable happened. Bettis was stopped for a two-yard loss and Gary Brackett got a helmet on the ball, forcing the fumble that Nick Harper recovered. Harper picked it up and broke away, looking like he was going to head to the end zone. But Roethlisberger made the best stop of the day when he tackled Harper, saving the touchdown.

The Colts didn’t give up, though, and Manning going them into position for a Vanderjagt field goal, but the 46-yard attempt sailed wide right, securing the win.

HOW THEY SCORED

FOURTH QUARTER

Steelers 21, Colts 18
Play: Edgerrin James three-yard run (2-point conversion good)

Steelers 21, Colts 10
Play: Dalals Clark 50-yard reception from Peyton Manning

THIRD QUARTER

Steelers 21, Colts 3
Play: Bettis one-yard run

SECOND QUARTER

Steelers 14, Colts 3
Play: Mike Vanderjagt 20-yard field goal

FIRST QUARTER

Steelers 14, Colts 0
Play: Miller seven-yard receptions from Roethlisberger

Steelers 7, Colts 0
Play: Randle El six-yard reception from Roethlisberger

GAME PHOTOS