DETROIT — As a place-kicker, the Steelers' Jeff Reed does not expect unconditional love.

"You make a big kick, they love you," he said. "You miss a big kick, everyone wants you out."

Reed and his counterpart, the Seahawks' Josh Brown, know that the outcome of the Super Bowl could rest at their feet.

Four Super Bowls have been decided by last-second field goals, either made or missed, most recently two years ago, when Adam Vinatieri made a 41-yarder with four seconds left to lift the New England Patriots to the second of their three titles.

How would Brown feel about the chance to kick today's game-winner?

"I'd rather win 55-0 if you want to know the truth," he said.

But just in case, Brown and Reed have been preparing for the pressure that comes with kicking in their sport's ultimate game.

The two admit that missing the potential game-winning kick today would be devastating. Reed said he empathized with Scott Norwood of the Buffalo Bills, who missed a 47-yard field goal in the waning moments of Super Bowl XXV in 1991, allowing the Giants to escape with a 20-19 victory.

"It's sad to see that even to this day, people give Scott Norwood a hard time," Reed said. "But that's the Super Bowl. On the other hand, Vinatieri is a household name because of this game.

"Whenever you feel you've lost a game, you feel awful. We lost 6-0 in a blizzard against the Jets in 2003. Doug Brien made two field goals and I missed two. I was mentally down for at least three or four days. I try not to think about it anymore. Monday and Tuesday of that week, I didn't want to leave the house, didn't want to see anybody. People around town were saying I needed to be cut. You have to learn to deal with that."

Reed and Brown could be one kick away from stardom.

Brown made 18 of 25 kicks during the regular season and 4 of 5 in the postseason, while Reed converted 24 of 29, and 3 of 3 in the playoffs. But neither has ever made a game-winner in a postseason game, so a last-second attempt in today's game would be uncharted territory.

Reed signed with the Steelers as a free agent in 2002, after trying out for more than six teams.

"I played four months in New Orleans, and got cut after the first preseason game in 2002," Reed said. "Probably every week or two, I was flying to different cities trying out. I tried out, I flew home. I went to Seattle twice, which was kind of ironic. I think Pittsburgh was my seventh team."

Kickers can never feel too secure. After signing his first contract with the Steelers, Reed said he asked the director of football operations, Kevin Colbert, if he could leave Pittsburgh to return home for more clothes.