What If...Steve Johnson Hadn't Dropped An Overtime Touchdown?

"That's the way the ball bounces."  You've probably heard this phrase before.  There are nearly 35,000 plays in an NFL season, and on any one of them, a bounce of an oblong ball could determine a drive, a game, or even a champion.  In this series, I'll take a look at some of the defining moments of the 2010 NFL season and how things might have ended if the ball bounced the other way.

It's Week 12, and the Steelers, in the midst of a tight division race with the Baltimore Ravens, travel to Buffalo to face a Bills team that has just won two games straight after starting the season 0-8.  After battling back from a 13-0 deficit, Buffalo sends the game to overtime with a last second field goal.  Five minutes into the sudden death period, the Bills snap the ball at the Steeler 40 yard line and breakout receiver Steve Johnson races past corner Ike Taylor and safety Ryan Clark towards the end zone.  Ryan Fitzpatrick throws a perfect deep ball for the apparent game-winning touchdown, except...

After a Bills punt, the Steelers march down the field to kick a game-winning field goal and Johnson is left looking for answers and tweeting to God.  Pittsburgh wins six out of the next seven games before falling to the Packers in the Super Bowl.

But what if Johnson held on to that pass?  Let's say he does, and the Bills celebrate their third straight win while the Steelers go home with a demoralizing loss.  Even with a strong finish, Pittsburgh's 11-5 record leaves them one game behind Baltimore for the AFC North division crown.  Furthermore, a Week 15 loss to the Jets gives New York the tiebreaker and hands the Steelers the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs.Pittsburgh travels to Indianapolis for its wild card game, while the Jets go to Kansas City in the other AFC first round matchup.  The New York defense has no mercy for Matt Cassel in his first playoff appearance, and their victory earns them a trip to Baltimore.  Pittsburgh's strong defense and controlled offense keep Peyton Manning off the field long enough to eke out a close win over the Colts, setting up a rematch against the Patriots in Foxboro.  But Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have always had the Steelers' number, and another convincing win lifts the New England duo to 7-1 versus Pittsburgh.  The Jets fail to avenge their Week One loss to Baltimore, and the Ravens head  to Foxboro for the AFC Championship game.  Unlike their playoff loss to Baltimore a year earlier, this time the Patriots have a healthy Wes Welker to combat the aggressive Raven defense.  New England keeps Ray Rice under wraps to earn their fifth Super Bowl berth in 10 years.

Super Bowl XLV features the Packers versus the Patriots, a rematch of Super Bowl XXXI.  In that 1997 match, Brett Favre’s two touchdown passes, Reggie White’s three sacks, and Desmond Howard’s timely kickoff return touchdown knocked off Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells.  This time, the Patriots are the team with the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Belichick is no stranger to the 3-4 defense, and Brady dissects the zone blitz of the Packers much like he did that of the Steelers three weeks earlier.  Despite nearly upsetting New England in Week 15 with Matt Flynn, the Packers are not able to change the outcome with Aaron Rodgers under center.  The Green Bay quarterback takes advantage of a young Patriot secondary, but Brady is able to drive the Patriots for the game-winning touchdown with under two minutes left in the game.  Final score: Patriots 28, Packers 24

Belichick avenges his mentor’s  loss from 14 years earlier, and Brady hoists his fourth Super Bowl trophy, leaving the experts to argue if he’s the greatest quarterback ever…if Steve Johnson hadn’t dropped an overtime touchdown.

Image found here.