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Thursday, January 17, 2002

By Ed Bouchette and Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writiers

LOOKING AHEAD

Ravens (11-6) at Steelers (13-3), 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Heinz Field. TV: KDKA. Radio: WDVE-FM (102.5) and WBGG-AM (970).

NOTEBOOK

Ravens Coach Brian Billick said it's respect and not animosity that has been displayed between the two teams this season, and that goes for his relationship with Steelers Coach Bill Cowher.

"I have a huge amount of respect for Bill. When I first came into the league as a head coach, Bill was one of those people that was really very gracious toward me. I was very appreciative of that. He was very inclusive. You come in and you initially feel like an outsider, and Bill was always one to be very gracious and inclusive. ... I admire what he has done, so there is no rancor or bitterness. There's always competitiveness, sure, and Bill and I are two pretty, strong-driven individuals, but there's always been a huge amount of respect."

Billick scoffed at reporters who asked about the trash-talking that's gone on among the players of the two teams.

"Quite frankly, I think the players are playing you guys for chumps. I think they're having fun with you guys. It's competitive and. as the stakes go higher, it becomes more intense."

Billick said he's confident his team can win Sunday but, "[Heck], I took a Utah State team into Nebraska when they were ranked No. 1 and felt confident. We got our [butt] kicked, but I was confident going in."

Steelers S Lee Flowers added more strong opinions about the game Sunday. First, he did not think Terry Allen, 39, can run on the Steelers the way he did in Miami when he ran for 109 yards.

"No, nope, not at all," Flowers said. "They're not going to run the ball on us. That's nothing new. If you can't stop the run, you can't win the game, and we want to win the game, so we got to stop the run. Terry is running hard, but so be it. If we can stop a big-time running back like Curtis Martin, then Terry Allen is going to have a long day."

Flowers also said, "There's more pressure on them because they're the defending world champs. If you're satisfied winning just one ring, so be it."

The Ravens listed four players on their injury report yesterday to the Steelers' none. CB James Trapp will miss the game after undergoing having hernia surgery. "Other than that," Billick said, "we're in pretty good shape." Starting DE Rob Burnett is listed as questionable with a calf injury. Two wide receivers also are injured: Patrick Johnson (foot) is questionable and Travis Taylor (stomach) is probable.

Greg Norman, who said he has been a Steelers fan since 1976, watched practice yesterday. Norman was in town to have his elbow checked at the UPMC Sports Medicine Clinic. Several of the players came over to shake Norman's hand, including RB Jerome Bettis. K Kris Brown, an avid golfer, had the Shark sign a football. "I wanted to go over and meet him," Bettis said. "I told him I'm a big fan." Norman is affiliated with UPMC because his hip doctor, Marc Philippon, is among the surgeons there and a fellowship has been established in Norman's name. What's more, Norman is represented by Bud Martin of SFX Sports, who has a satellite office at the South Side complex. "I've been a fan since the old Steel Curtain days," Norman said.

Ravens DT Sam Adams did not play when the Steelers won Dec. 16 in Baltimore. Adams, listed at 330 pounds and likely much heavier, will play Sunday. The difference between playing against him and not playing against him, Cowher said, "is probably about 40, 50 pounds."