Tuesday, October 07, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Hines Ward found the situation critical enough to stand up before coaches and teammates to give a speech yesterday, and threw his support behind quarterback Tommy Maddox, who is throwing more touchdowns to foes than friends lately.

Quarterback Tommy Maddox heads for the sideline after his final series Sunday night in the Steelers' 33-13 loss to the Browns. (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette) Click photo for larger image.

Two consecutive losses at home have dropped the Steelers, an AFC favorite in the preseason, to 2-3. The 33-13 drubbing by Cleveland Sunday night prompted Ward to speak up.

"Captain or no captain, I still feel like a leader on this team," he said. "I just stood up in front of the team and spoke from the heart and told them how I felt. I feel like we have a great team The three losses that we have are all about mistakes and you can't do that.

"I just got up. I felt like somebody had to say something. I had never done it. I got things off my chest. To do it in the confines of the team, somebody had to do it."

Ward did not point fingers or criticize.

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"It was positive. I told the team, each individual to look at the film. I told them look at it, take today, tomorrow off and come in Wednesday prepared to be focused. Right now there are too many mistakes.

"We have a great team and we are not playing team ball right now. We are making too many mistakes. That's part of the reason we are losing so many games."

Ward supported Maddox, who has thrown an AFC-high eight interceptions. He has no touchdowns in the past two games but two of his four interceptions in that span were returned for touchdowns by the defense.

"I still have confidence in Tommy," Ward said. "Tommy is still my guy."

Three of Maddox's interceptions were returned for touchdowns this season and a fourth was returned to the 1. That puts him on pace to set an NFL record. The record for a team is seven, held by Miami in 1999, Kansas City in '84 and the Patriots in '67. While no record could be found, the individual mark is believed to be six, held by Dan Marino in '99 and Peyton Manning in 2001.

"We have to help Tommy out and take the pressure off of him and not just put it on his shoulders," Ward said. " The receivers -- we have to go up and make more big plays when we get the opportunities. We do have to run the ball better. Right now, I know for Tommy it seems like everything is getting thrown on his shoulder. That's not really the case. I know a couple of balls he would like to have back, and that's going to happen when you're passing the ball."

Maddox is second in the NFL in passing yards, but he has thrown for just five touchdowns. He led the NFL after the first game with a 134.3 passer rating that is now closer to the bottom at 74.5.

Maddox, though, is getting no help from his ground game. The Steelers average only 83 yards per game rushing. Amos Zereoue leads the way with 262 yards and Jerome Bettis is second with 94 yards.

"Obviously, everybody knows we want to run the ball better, especially if teams are going to play cover two [defense] against us," Maddox said. "Around here, team's aren't supposed to play cover two against us because of the way we can run the football."

The cover two defense basically drops two safeties deep to help on deep pass coverage. When Bettis was in his heyday, defenses consistently brought one safety up closer to the line of scrimmage to stop the run.

The Steelers find themselves in a catch-22 situation that has nothing to do with the number of receptions by Ward or Plaxico Burress.

Defenses dare them to run by dropping two safeties into a deep zone, which helps take away their longer pass routes. Until the Steelers show they can run, they can't throw deep. If they can't throw deep they can't be effective. They also aren't protecting the passer.

It all has produced an offense that is out of sync and atypical of the Steelers' approach to the game. They rank 26th in the NFL in rushing and on a pace to set low standards for Steelers ground attacks.

"The offensive line has to get better," Ward said.

The line again had to play without starting left tackle Marvel Smith. He left the game Sunday after three plays because his ailing shoulder, which kept him out the previous week against Tennessee, was reinjured. Oliver Ross replaced him.

"It's not to where it needs to be," Smith said of his shoulder. "That's all I can say about it right now."

Smith acknowledged the line needs to improve its play. Maddox was under heavy pressure Sunday and was sacked three times, once losing a fumble.

"We are not playing up to our ability," Smith said. "We go into games feeling like we are prepared, but we go out there and make mistakes. When you make mistakes, you can't capitalize on plays. We do one play good and then we have a breakdown. We aren't playing consistent."

The frustration, particularly on offense, is growing.

"We just have to find a way to get it done," Maddox said, "whatever it is -- run, throw, gadgets, whatever you want to do. We have to find a way to get it done."

Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3878.

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