Kris Brown never saw Brandon Mitchell.
He never saw the New England Patriots defensive tackle burst through the middle of the Steelers' offensive line. He never saw Mitchell stretch his arms upward. He never saw Mitchell block his 34-yard field-goal attempt.
The play happened so fast, it's almost a blur to Brown. But he clearly remembered the sound of the play that helped seal the Steelers' fate Sunday.
"The thud, thud," Brown said quietly in the aftermath of the Steelers' 24-17 loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship game at Heinz Field. "Just the dreaded sound the kicker hears."
It's a deafening ring in the ears of all the Steelers. It's one that won't soon subside.
Mitchell's block at the Patriots 16-yard line sent the ball bounding backward toward Brown and holder Josh Miller. Brown raced to recover it when Troy Brown, who had already returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown, scooped up the ball at the Patriots 40.
The Steelers' Brown corralled him near midfield when the Patriots' return specialist lateralled to teammate Antwan Harris, who ran 49 yards untouched for a touchdown.
Instead of the Steelers pulling within 14-6 with 8:51 remaining in the third quarter, the Patriots built a 21-3 lead from which the Steelers never recovered.
"It's devastating," said tight end Jerame Tuman, who was lined up on the right side of the Steelers line on field goals yesterday. Tuman normally sees out of the corner of his left eye the ball sail off Kris Brown's foot. This time, he didn't.
"No ball went through," Tuman said softly. "I just heard the crowd. I didn't even hear the thump of the ball; I heard the crowd. They usually say you hear the thump of the ball, and you know it's been blocked. I just heard the crowd. I turned around. I saw Kris chasing him."
Brown, who connected on a 30-yarder early in the second quarter to make it 7-3, actually was fortunate to even have this opportunity.
The Patriots almost intercepted two Kordell Stewart passes on the drive, which began at the Steelers 32. But two Patriots penalties helped the Steelers' cause, and when Willie McGinest dropped a would-be interception, Brown had his chance.
"Everything seemed to be fine," Miller said. "The snap was fine; the hold was fine; the kick was fine.
"You just hear the double thud, which is the nightmare."
It's been a recurring nightmare for the Steelers.
Special teams have been the weak link all season. They finally dug a hole for the offense and defense they could not escape.
It began with Troy Brown's 55-yard punt return for a touchdown late in the first quarter that gave New England its first lead. It ended with Troy Brown pitching to Harris, who finished the improbable score in the third quarter.
"It's atrocious," Miller said. "You're supposed to not hear about these guys. You can't spot a team in a championship game 14 points on special teams and then expect to win the game.
"We have six months to think about it."
They had all season to correct the problems. They addressed one, and another would arise.
"Very disheartening," receiver Hines Ward said. "We lost the game in special teams. To give up 14 points, that is unheard of. That is not how we play football around here. We do not give up points on special teams. We have had problems with it all year."
The Steelers have ranked among the worst teams in kickoff coverage and kickoff returns all season. Punt coverage has lingered near the bottom of the league. And Kris Brown missed an NFL-high 14 field goals, one of which was partially blocked by Baltimore Nov. 4.
Mitchell's block of Brown's second attempt yesterday was reminiscent of a kick Brown never attempted at Cincinnati on Dec. 30.
Miller fumbled a snap from long snapper Mike Schneck. The Bengals' Robert Bean recovered, then lateralled to Brian Simmons, who ran 56 yards for a touchdown in the Steelers' eventual 26-23 overtime loss.
"Sometimes, you go a couple, three, four, five years, and that never happens, and here it happens twice in a year," Brown said. "What can you say?
"They just outplayed us in special teams today. That was the difference in the game. We knew going into the game special teams was going to be an important part. We just didn't make the plays we needed to make."
"To have that kick blocked," running back Amos Zereoue said in astonishment, "it boggles me. But that's part of the game."
It's the part that cost the Steelers dearly yesterday.
