The 10 Most Impactful Plays From the Conference Championship Round

9. Ben Roethlisberger Can't Hit Jesse James on 3rd Down

Win Probability Change: -5.04% | Win Probability After Play: 8.08%

Trailing 20-9 on their second possession of the third quarter, the Steelers needed to make up ground in a hurry. And they started that pursuit well, navigating all the way to the Patriots' 39-yard line. Then, the drive just stalled.

On 2nd and 7, Ben Roethlisberger tried to hit Darrius Heyward-Bey in the end zone, but he overthrew him by a few feet, setting up 3rd and 7. If the Steelers could pick up a few yards, they'd have the option of either turning to Boswell for a field goal attempt or going for it on 4th down.

They got neither. Instead, Patriots safety Patrick Chung knocked a ball out of tight end Jesse James' hands, forcing an incompletion. The Steelers were faced with 4th and 7 from the Patriots' 39 and wound up punting the ball away. The Patriots scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive, and that was pretty much all she wrote for the Steelers' chances.