Coach Bill Cowher fired Kevin Gilbride as his offensive coordinator because, he said, he wanted to change the team's passing fortunes.
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With 31 receptions for 311 yards, Hines Ward makes up the bulk of the Steelers' passing game. (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette) |
They have. Last year, the Steelers ranked 29th in passing. Today, they rank 30th.
But those lowly pass rankings haven't prevented the Steelers from winning four of their first five games, nor have they hurt a perception that quarterback Kordell Stewart is running the offense better than he has in years, even if he's not throwing the ball much.
"We are where we are right now," Cowher said, "with the recognition that if we have to open this thing up and air it out, that we can do that."
That might have to happen Monday night against Tennessee. Jerome Bettis has 100-yard games in eight of his nine appearances on Monday, but he has only one in his past 10 games against the Titans, who have held him under 90 yards in their past eight meetings.
Perhaps Monday night will be a coming-out party for the Steelers' passing game against the Titans' 30th-ranked defense against the pass.
"Rankings sometimes can get you into trouble," Stewart said. "We're the 30th ranked pass team but we're 4-1. If you really get caught up in that and think you can go out and do things based on paper, it's going to lie, because on paper we seem as if we can't get too much done but we're beating teams down."
It's happened before. The only time the Steelers ranked last in passing in the NFL since the merger in 1970, they went to the playoffs. That happened in 1989. They ranked 22nd of 28 NFL teams in 1976 and advanced to the AFC championship. The were 27th in 1996 and made the playoffs, 23rd in 1997 and made the AFC championship.
Jeff Fisher has seen the same thing in Tennessee. Two years ago, the Titans came within 1 yard of extending the St. Louis Rams into overtime in the Super Bowl with Steve McNair at quarterback. McNair had a so-so passer rating of 78.6 that season. Today, McNair's rating is 60.9, second-worst in the AFC. Stewart is a rung above at 65.3.
Passer ratings do not accurately reflect the way either quarterback runs his offense, Fisher said.
"Steve has been the starting quarterback for a team that has won 13 games in each of the last two years and has not had a rating over 90," Fisher said. "To me, he is a winner. That's what Kordell is doing in this offense now -- he's winning."
Passer ratings do not include a quarterback's running ability and McNair and Stewart are among the best running quarterbacks in the league.
"We don't pay much attention to the ratings," Fisher said. "What we look at are the plays that are made downfield, whether or not the offense is converting third downs. Kordell is doing that."
Stewart ranks fourth in the AFC with an 81.5 passer rating when he throws on third downs.
"He is becoming more confident," Cowher said. "You can see it in him."
One reason the Steelers rank 30th in passing is they rank No. 1 in rushing. They're getting early leads and are content to run Bettis and Co. to protect them. Rankings are based on total yards and the Steelers just aren't throwing much. Their 125 pass attempts are the fewest in the league. Yet when he does throw, Stewart has been accurate. He has completed 61.3 percent of his passes. Neil O'Donnell holds the team record with 59.1 percent in 1995.
"Based on how we're playing the game right now, it's really only allowing us to complete passes we need to in order to keep drives going," Stewart said. "It's not like we're dropping back six consecutive times trying to complete passes downfield. We're methodically beating teams up. That's the approach we have right now.
"If it's not broke, don't fix it. Until we feel we need to change, we'll cross that bridge when we have to."
That day will come. Cowher said it, Bettis has said it and Stewart knows it.
"We are going to have to be able to throw the ball," Cowher said.
"Eventually," Stewart said, "something's going to break down somewhere. You want to be able to throw the ball to the point where you're as efficient as you can be."
Until then, they are 4-1 with him at quarterback, 11-5 over the past two seasons.
"I'm working within the scheme of things, trying to get my groove back after not having so much success in the past. I'm just enjoying this moment right now and trying to ride this horse the best way I possibly can to victory each week."
Stewart's passing to get test vs. Titans 
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