Here's the latest outrageous statement from Steelers cornerback Dewayne Washington:
"I feel like I can go out and dominate some of the wide receivers we're going against."
Before any of the Cleveland Browns tack that up on their bulletin board or Browns' director of football operations Dwight Clark reacts with horrified indignity, it was not aimed at them.
Washington was speaking in general terms about the increased confidence in his abilities. It's not like he predicted the Steelers were going to "destroy" the Browns the way he did the Bengals last week.
He spent much of his lunch hour yesterday fending off those who asked for an incendiary prediction this week.
"No predictions," Washington said.
The Bengals, in particular nose tackle Oliver Gibson, reacted angrily to Washington's quote last week, or at least they reacted that way before and after the game. Washington also heard from his coaches, who admonished him. But his teammates took a different approach.
"The guys in here kind of liked it," Washington said. "They said, 'Let's see what we're going to do; he already said it, let's go out and prove ourselves."
The Steelers' defense shut out the Bengals, and Washington had an interception and led them with 10 tackles, an astounding number for a cornerback. The Redskins' Deion Sanders can go a whole season without getting that many.
"I backed it up," Washington said. "I knew those guys were going to come after me. I knew it was going to be a long day."
Washington is having the best season of his seven-year career, his third with the Steelers after joining them as an unrestricted free agent in 1998. His three interceptions lead the team, and he is on pace for- eight this season, which would be a career best. He's second on the team with four tackles for losses and his 10 passes defended are twice as many as anyone else.
"Dewayne is coming around," said Tim Lewis, the defensive coordinator and former secondary coach. "He's doing some good things. He's been a solid player -- not spectacular by any stretch of the imagination -- but he's been a solid player over the course of his time here."
He's not spectacular by Rod Woodson standards, but Washington has had his moments during his two seasons and six games with the Steelers. He led the Steelers with five interceptions in 1998 and tied for the lead with four last season. He tied an NFL record and set a Steelers' record when he returned two interceptions for touchdowns against Jacksonville in 1998.
But that season he was known for spectacular drops. He easily could have had a dozen interceptions if the ball hadn't whizzed through his hands all the time. He had his eyes checked and doctors found nothing wrong, so he began carrying balls around with him and played catch more often with his teammates.
Today, he has what he calls his gadgets in his locker, which include a water ball and a small ball he tosses back and forth in his hands to work on hand-eye coordination. He and rookie quarterback Tee Martin make about 50 tosses after every practice.
"Right now," safety Lee Flowers said, "he's playing with so much confidence. His practice tempo right now is unbelievable. When he gets in the game, everything is easy. He's playing with a lot of vision, a lot of heart.
"He's catching the ball very well. As you guys know, when he first got here, he couldn't catch. If you look at his interceptions this year, all of them have been over his back or shoulder."
Washington ranks among the top handful of free agents the Steelers have signed since the system was instituted in 1993. Others would include linebacker Kevin Greene, offensive linemen Will Wolford and Wayne Gandy, and defensive end Ray Seals. Washington came from the Minnesota Vikings, who drafted him in the first round from North Carolina State. He's signed through next season.
Washington has missed just one game in his seven NFL seasons and started 99 of a possible 101 games, including all 38 with the Steelers.
His play has helped pick up a secondary that has settled down the past three games after being victimized by big plays early in the season.
"Anytime you have one guy playing with that much confidence," Flowers said, "it trickles down to other guys in the secondary. He's a good leader, an older guy and he brings a lot of experience to our secondary. He's making everyone feel good about themselves.
Steelers' corner comes on strong 
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