Overconfidence melts Stewart, Steelers

All week long they pretended to talk of respect for New England. They compared New England to themselves and said they both are blue-collar, smash mouth teams. Then, as the week progressed and the hype piled on, the brimming smiles revealed themselves.

Pittsburgh safety Lee Flowers admitted that New England was "one play away from being home."

In a pre-game press conference for the AFC Championship game, the Steelers admitted to having their Super Bowl plans already arranged.

Kordell Stewart got sentimental and waxed poetic about what it would mean to him to play the Super Bowl in his hometown.

Instead of focusing on New England, the Steelers were thinking about eating Jumbalaya down in the Bayou next weekend.

They had manhandled the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens squad and thought they were the team to beat.

As it turns out, the better-coached, better-focused team won.

After the Patriots drubbed the Steelers, 24-17, in the AFC Championship game, Stewart had these 'nuggets' to lob out the media:

"Sometimes the best team doesn't always win."

Say what?

"Considering all the crazy stuff that's happened up to this point, I'm not upset at all about {losing} it."

In my good ear, please.

Generally, whenever a team gets overpowered and outwitted - the better team prevails. Sorry Kordell, you all talked big and thought it was true, but your squad wasn't the better team. Talent wise, probably. Heart wise, no way.

Looking at the game, you can't hang the Steelers' loss on Stewart. Directly.

A blocked kick and a punt return both resulting in touchdowns, knocked the wind out of the overconfident Steelers' lungs.

When the Pats limited the Steelers running game to 58 yards total rushing, Stewart had no choice but to keep throwing the ball. The only problem was, he started throwing the ball to the swarming guys in blue and red, not to his teammates in the black and gold.

Stewart threw three interceptions in the final minutes of the game to mortally wound Pittsburgh's championship dreams. This is starting to become a trend for the unspectacular postseason performer. In the 1997 AFC championship loss to the Denver Broncos, Stewart also threw for three picks, two of which were in the end zone.

All week long Stewart downplayed Bill Belichick's intricate defensive schemes saying that aside from all the makeup and costumes they disguise themselves in, they really are still basic. Yet, it was those basic schemes that had Stewart punching his hand to the ground in disgust and frustration. In the previous 14 games, Stewart had only thrown five interceptions. Yesterday he threw three, yet four more could have nearly been picked.

Just like he was able to do with many quarterbacks, Belichick got inside his head and rattled Stewart.

The brash, cocky quarterback reverted to old form and the Steelers, the AFC's best team all season long, lost due to their overconfidence.

Had they not overlooked their pesky Patriot opponent, who knows how far the tenacious Steelers could have gone?

Yet, they were the greatest team to show up in pads - just ask them.