LOOKING AHEAD
Steelers vs. Browns, 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Heinz Field. TV: ESPN. Radio: WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970) and Steelers Radio Network.
NOTEBOOK
Three starters are questionable for the game Sunday night against Cleveland at Heinz Field -- WR Plaxico Burress (hip pointer), TE Jay Riemersma (shoulder) and OT Marvel Smith (shoulder). Burress has said he will be OK. Smith did not play against Tennessee because of his injury. LB Clint Kriewaldt also is questionable with a knee injury. “All of those guys have a chance of playing,” Coach Bill Cowher said. “We will assess it during the course of the week and make any changes in their status accordingly.” Cowher said Oliver Ross would start at left tackle again if Smith cannot play. Cowher listed LB James Farrior (buttocks) and OT Todd Fordham (knee) as probable. WR Hines Ward, who left the game against Tennessee Sunday in the fourth quarter because of a mild concussion, is not on the list.
Cowher said his team has found an identity of sorts after four games. “We have been consistently inconsistent. I think we are doing a lot of good things, but we are not doing it on a regular basis, and we are having lapses in a game that has created holes that we cannot overcome.” Cowher said there are more positives than negatives. He listed as the negatives as five returns that led to five touchdowns in their two losses. “I think it would be unfair to let those plays take away a lot of things that we have done very well in the first four weeks.” The positives? “We are moving the football on offense. We have taken the first drive in every game and moved it right down the field. We cannot overlook the fact that we are not scoring. We have to finish drives; there is no question about that. We are moving the football. Defensively, third down has been good, which was an issue coming in, and we are playing good run defense. I look at that, and to me we have to do a much better job on defense in the red zone than we have to do on offense. We need to hold people to field goals. The special teams, I thought the coverage teams got better last week. We have to get our return teams going. We have a ways to go in terms of that. There are a lot of things we are doing well, but I guess that gets lost a lot of times because everyone wants to focus on the things we are not doing.”
Cornerbacks Chad Scott and Dewayne Washington, along with the rest of the secondary, received a vote of confidence from the coach yesterday. “Chad and Dewayne love the challenges, and they have another one this week. I feel comfortable with them and Deshea [Townsend] coming in. It is a good group. I feel comfortable with that group. Mike Logan, Brent Alexander and Troy Polamalu are all playing well.” The Steelers, 20th in pass defense last season, rank second in the NFL, first in the AFC this year.
Houston coach Dom Capers’ decision to have his quarterback sneak the ball from the 1 with two seconds left in the Texans’ game Sunday against Jacksonville received a thumbs up from Cowher. “I don’t know if many head coaches would have done that, but I applauded him for doing it.” Houston won when David Carr stretched the ball over the goal line.
Cowher disputed Plaxico Burress’ opinion that teams are taking away the Steelers’ deep pass this year. Burress called the Steelers’ offense Sunday “dink and dunk.” “If you look at how many balls we have thrown downfield, I think that speaks for itself,” Cowher said. The Steelers average 11.6 yards per completion. They averaged 11.5 yards per completion last season.
Cowher said, “We have a team that can play catchup football.” Yet it is also a team that has blown two 10-0 leads in its two losses and did not have to come from behind in either victory. The Steelers have scored first in all four games. They led Baltimore, 27-0, on way to a 34-15 victory. They led Kansas City, 10-0 and 17-7, but lost, 41-20. They led Cincinnati, 7-0, on the way to a 17-10 victory. And they led Tennessee, 10-0, before losing, 30-13.
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Steelers Report: 10/1/03