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Fiala's recovery gives Peterson second kick

Monday, September 30, 2002

By Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

To be sure, Bill Cowher did not have in mind the chaotic scene that transpired near the south end of Heinz Field when he dispatched kicker Todd Peterson to attempt a 24-yard field goal in overtime.

	Steelers kicker Todd Peterson attempts to run with the ball after the Browns blocked his kick in overtime. He fumbled on the play, but John Fiala recovered to give Peterson a second chance to win it. (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette)

Understand, Cowher was aware of the potential pratfalls of attempting a field goal -- bad snap, muffed hold -- which is why, with the Steelers at the Cleveland 6 and 8:02 left in overtime, he sent Peterson to the field on second down.

If there was going to be a snafu on such an important attempt, Cowher wanted to make sure he had at least another play to try it again.

“I was planning on a bad snap or something of that nature,” he said. “That was the thinking behind it. Not getting it blocked, fumbling it and us recovering it.”

But that’s exactly what happened when it appeared as though the Steelers blew yet another good chance to put away the Browns. Peterson’s 24-yard field goal, with the score tied, 13-13, was blocked by Browns defensive tackle Alvin McKinley, who leaped in the middle of the line. This occurred on the same afternoon in which the Steelers had a punt blocked to set up the Browns’ go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.

“I thought it got up fine,” Peterson said of his first attempt to win the game.

But strange things happen to kickers at Heinz Field. Especially at the open end of the stadium. Just ask Kris Brown, who had 10 of his league-high 14 misses last season at home.

“There must be an area on the field where they buried a dead kicker,” left tackle Wayne Gandy said. “I’ve never been involved in a stadium where you’re just not sure if a field goal is going in.”

But a funny thing happened on the way to 0-3 and the bottom of the AFC North Division.

Peterson picked up the blocked kick and started running toward the end zone.

“I was thinking, ‘just try to score,’ ” he said. “I wasn’t thinking about going down. I just had the ball and I was trying to do something. When the ball bounced up to me, I just said, ‘Run.’ But it was like a predator going after its prey. I knew someone was going to come after me.”

Peterson didn’t make it very far, but then he didn’t have to. He had recovered the blocked kick, behind the line of scrimmage, which, under NFL rules, allows a team to retain possession.

He got another chance to kick the winning field goal, this time from 31 yards, and he delivered, giving the Steelers a 16-13 overtime victory and their first victory of the season. But not without a little luck and lots of confusion on what looked to be another botched effort by the special teams.

“That’s the benefit of trying it on second down,” Peterson said. “We got to go again.”

The Steelers did because Peterson fumbled after he tried to run with the ball. Peterson said it wasn’t intentional, either.

Unlike some of his teammates, who thought the Steelers lost possession when the kick was blocked, Peterson knew the rule and fumbled -- accidentally, he said -- when he was hit by cornerback Anthony Henry. The ball was recovered by linebacker John Fiala, who did so despite thinking the Steelers had indeed lost possession.

“The ball’s out,” Fiala said. “I’m just getting on the ball. You had a lot of people out on the field looking around, not knowing what the situation was.”

Count Fiala among them.

He had lined up on the left wing on the field goal attempt. Nobody rushed from his side when he heard the “thump” of Peterson’s kicked being blocked.

“I turned and saw Todd running with the ball, trying to get a block,” Fiala said. “I did everything I could to try to help him.”

When Peterson fumbled, Fiala’s instinct took over. He dived on the ball, even though, in his mind, it was Cleveland’s ball. He did not realize at the time he saved the game, perhaps saved the season, with his recovery.

“You go for it, anyway,” Fiala said. “You’re not going to sit there and watch another team grab it.”

Worried that Peterson might have been shaken on the tackle, Cowher considered running another play from scrimmage to give his kicker a chance to regain his breath. Perhaps even his composure.

“I didn’t feel like I was hurt,” Peterson said. “He said, ‘You want us to run a play?’ and I said no. He said, ‘OK, let’s get out of here.’ ”

And that’s what the Steelers did. Peterson said he had the same trajectory on the winning kick that he thought he had on the one blocked by McKinley.

That might be true, because McKinley said he almost blocked that one, too.

“I felt it,” McKinley said. “I felt the wind of it.”

Actually, that was just the Steelers breathing a collective sigh of relief.