Andy Lyons / Getty Images

Hines Ward, Ben Roethlisberger and Max Starks celebrate after Roethlisberger scored the game-clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter.

John Elway was on hand, but sitting in a luxury suite, watching the Broncos fall short of the ultimate destination for the seventh straight year since he led them to their second championship.

Plummer, who had played so well in the lead all season, finally faced some comeback pressure and failed miserably. He went 18-for-30 for 223 yards with two lost fumbles and two interceptions.

He threw one pass underhanded, scrambled for his life and, though valiant as always, proved what had been proved many times before — that he can’t do it by himself. He said he woke up with a bit of a cold, but it had no effect on his game.

The Steelers certainly did.

“It’s tough,” Plummer said. “They were getting after it and when they got a lead, we get one dimensional.”

Trailing by two touchdowns late in the first half, Jake the Snake lobbed a terrible pass into the flat that was easily intercepted by Ike Taylor. Moments later, Bettis ran it in from 12 yards for an apparent touchdown on third down.

A penalty nullified that, but it only set up Roethlisberger for his best throw of the day — a 17-yard touchdown that barely cleared the fingertips of Al Wilson and Nick Ferguson, before finding Hines Ward tucked neatly in the back of the end zone.

That made it 24-3.

Roethlisberger ran to the sideline and celebrated by pretending to fire six-shooters from his hip. Yep, he was on target all day in this one — 24 yards to Heath Miller, 17 more to Wilson, 21 to Ward and 18 to Wilson again, all after being given ample time against Denver’s ill-timed blitz.

Slide show   The Week in Sports Pictures A kayaker flips out, a racehorse eyes the Triple Crown and more. more photos

“He’s the catalyst of our whole offense,” Ward said. “The quarterback has to have confidence, or how else will the rest of the 10 guys follow him? He’s going out there confident and having trust in his teammates to make plays.”

Midway through the fourth quarter, Denver pulled within 27-17 and got the ball back at its 20.

But Plummer lost a fumble on fourth-and-10 and that pretty much made it official: The Steelers would be back in the big game after becoming the first team to beat the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 seeds in the playoffs.

“It’s amazing, especially to have done it all on the road,” Steelers receiver Antwaan Randle-El said.

The Steelers had played five AFC title games since 1994, all at home, and managed only one victory, leading many to wonder if the pressure of being a favorite, or doing it in front of the home crowd, was something the Steelers could handle.

Cowher, now in his 14th year, kept his job through it all — the Rooney family cherishes stability over all else.

“If you look at our ownership, Mr. Rooney is a football guy and he understands how hard it is to do this,” Cowher said. “Nothing would be more satisfying to me than to hand him the Vince Lombardi trophy in two weeks.”

As the clock wound down, Cowher was still going full tilt on the sideline, jabbing his finger at Bettis, preaching ball control and no repeat of last week’s fumble in Indy.

Roethlisberger put this one away, diving in for a score on third-and-goal and sending the crowd home.

More news

Justin Edmonds / Getty Images

Manning off to strong start

  PFT: Broncos coach John Fox raves about Peyton Manning's progress on the first day of OTAs.

Mike Roemer / AP

Breaking down fantasy football offensive stars

Ranking the top 10 at quarterback, running back, receiver and tight end.

Headlines

• Label

PFT: Texans' Johnson will sit out OTAs

PFT: Rivera says Newton will avoid sophomore slump

PFT: Suspended Loomis will work for Hornets

PFT: Osi falls short of target to buy LT's ring

PFT: Harbaugh calls Crabtree's hands the best

PFT: T.O. still doesn't realize that it's all over

PFT: Welker backtracks on claims about Patriots

PFT: Kitna goes from QB to high-school teacher