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Steelers Steelers seeking offensive identity

Wednesday, October 10, 2001

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

With Halloween around the corner, the Steelers are sifting through costumes, trying to determine the getup that best suits them as the weeks unfold.

Will they come dressed as the power offense that passes only when their hands are put to the fire?

Will they use quarterback Kordell Stewart as if he is a third running back and operating a wishbone offense?

Will they continue to throw passes so short that Stewart could pitch them underhand?

Or will they try to strike a balance on offense and find or develop a passing game to go with the best running attack in the NFL?

 
 
More Steelers Coverage:

Steelers Report: 10/10/01

   
 

Only Bill Cowher knows? Not really, not yet.

"I don't know that you ever really find your identity until probably your first four or five games," Cowher said. "I think we are in the process of trying to do that."

Part of finding that identity, Cowher hopes, will be an ability to find the end zone. The Steelers have done so only three times in three games, just twice on offense and not once through the air.

They have found it particularly difficult to score once they reach scoring range, inside the 20-yard line, known as the red zone. They've been there eight times and they've scored one touchdown.

"You don't work that hard to get in the red zone and come away with no points," Cowher said. "We have done that. ... We have to rectify that problem."

They've found all manner of ways to avoid getting from the red zone to the end zone.

Against Cincinnati Sunday, they scored one touchdown in five tries inside the 20. They had a first down at the 5 on their first series and did not score. Stewart bobbled the snap on fourth down from the 1 and handed off to Jerome Bettis, who was stacked up for no gain.

Before that, Stewart threw a fade pass to Plaxico Burress, who had good outside position on the defensive back. Stewart's pass was woefully short and almost intercepted.

Cowher's advice to Stewart after that one: "Don't underthrow a guy who is 6-5."

They reached the Bengals' 8 two series later and settled for a field goal after Bobby Shaw and Hines Ward collided in the end zone to knock what would have been a touchdown pass away.

Stewart scored the season's only touchdown from inside the 20 when he ran 8 yards up the middle on a quarterback draw on the fourth series.

They reached the Bengals' 8 again on their fifth series and lost another chance when Stewart fumbled the snap to the Bengals.

That's also how their only trip inside the 20 at Jacksonville ended. They had first down at the 6 when Stewart fumbled away the snap.

They failed to reach the end zone on three tries in their second game, at Buffalo. Kris Brown missed a 33-yard field goal on one, made a 30-yard field goal on another, and the Steelers ran out the clock to end the game on their final trip.

The trend continues one that plagued them in the final game of the exhibition season. The first-team offense played two series. It executed two long drives. The first reached Buffalo's 3 and the Steelers settled for a field goal. The second made it to the 11 before the Steelers kicked a field goal.

Cowher isn't sure if it's a problem yet, though.

"It is hard to assess what you are doing when three times you can't get a center-quarterback exchange," he said.

"I am glad we are getting down there. I would rather get down there and fall short as opposed to getting down there very infrequently and then having great success. I would rather deal with this problem right now.

"Let's keep getting down there and I think we will get that worked out."

Early last year, Cowher started Kent Graham at quarterback but inserted Stewart when the offense was near the goal line. Obviously, he believed Stewart gave them a better chance to score touchdowns because of his versatility.

Cowher and offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey seem ready to lean on that versatility even more after Stewart's performance on the ground against Cincinnati. Stewart faked handoffs and pitched out, faked passes and kept the ball on a sweep and ran quarterback draws.

"That was some good stuff," Cowher said. "It was new. ... We have a quarterback that is very good with the ball in his hands. We want to utilize his skills.

"There were some designed runs and there were some that I was glad that we called early because I think it got him into running a little bit. Some of it he did on his own, which is good. There is a degree of newness with what we are doing."

Cowher also thought Stewart threw the ball more accurately and with better anticipation.

"He threw the ball to people better before they got out of breaks, behind defenders, and throwing it to receivers on the move."

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