Morning after

* Right after the game, Cowher was talking about the two returns:

We overcame two returns for touchdowns.  If you look at the game, the big difference in the first half was the punt return for a touchdown and then in the second half, you have an interception return for a touchdown. Then we move the ball all the way down and we fumble.

And reminded us:

I thought defensively, we played a good football game.  We did not give up a touchdown. They gave up three points throughout the day.

Quotes from this link.

* The PG notebook includes this:

At halftime, New York owned an eight-minute advantage in time of possession. By game's end, the advantage belonged to the Steelers, 39:42 to 31:22. In short, after halftime, the Steelers' offense had a 2-to-1 edge in time of possession.

I'm going to bitch about the first-half playcalling this week when I get the chance. I did not like it. Too many shots down the field. They can't let the other team have the time-of-possession advantage. Not ever.

"When we're on the field longer, we're feeling good," guard Alan Faneca said. "We're kind of energized by being out there."

* Porter recognizes the twelfth man:

"They say home-field advantage is not really an advantage," Joey Porter said, "but I disagree. I applaud our fans. I promise you our fans had a lot to do with [Doug Brien] missing those kicks."

But also note that neither one of those kicks was a gimme.

* Polamalu doesn't watch football.

"I've never watched a football game in my life," safety Troy Polamalu said, promising that wouldn't change today. "But, hopefully, the game goes into, like, 50 overtimes and lasts a few days. I'd be OK with that."

I'd guess he doesn't play video games, either.

* Chico Harlan describes the tailgating scene. The Trib has an article interviewing fans.

* Foote called the win a miracle but no, it was not a miracle. It's been forever since the Steelers won a big game like that so I can understand thinking it was miraculous. But it wasn't even close to a miracle. The Jets were the lucky ones with the two returns.

* Kevin Smith describes the kicking conditions at Heinz Field:

Struggling kickers are nothing new to Heinz Field.

The wind swirls constantly, and the open end to the river has caused constant misery -- just ask Kris Brown and Todd Petersen.

Steelers punter Chris Gardocki is still learning the wind patterns in Heinz Field.

Reed admitted he is a Weather Channel junkie the day before a game. He also understands the changeable weather patterns which are part of Pittsburgh.

"It was 75 the other day at practice,'' Reed said. "I was sweating and the ball was jumping. Today it was cold, but if you got it solid ...''

In this game, the secret was that the open end was perhaps the easiest.

The wind was in Brien's face when he missed his tries into the closed end of the stadium. It was behind Reed on kick.

"(Brien) had it a little tougher with the wind at his face,'' Reed said. "You could tell by the way his first kick started straight and started drifting.''

* Willie Williams had a big game. That's one a few stories about the little guy.

* The Trib-Review notebook reminds me that the playcalling was not so shabby on those key plays in the second half.

* Sam Kusic writes about the things the fans do. I have an interesting story about the end of this game that I'll save for later. It was a little creepy.

* In football, it's the last impression that matters most. Looks like the Jets kicker will go down as the scapegoat. He should change his name to Doug Belinda.

* Another common theme to some of the post-game coverage is Jesus Loves the Steelers. Alan Robinson of the AP, for example, puts Foote's miracle quote right before Hartings' God-must-like-us quote.

* Finally, it sounds like the team emerged from the game without significant injury. All hail that.