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Wednesday, October 09, 2002

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Bill Cowher won't change any starters on defense, won't try to change Chad Scott's style of coverage and won't even change rookie linebacker Larry Foote's status.

	Saints running back Deuce McAllister breaks through a hole between rookie linebacker Larry Foote, left, and Kimo von Oelhoffen Sunday. (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette)

Unless linebacker Kendrell Bell can return to health fast enough this week, it will be unsteady as she goes for one of the NFL's most surprising turnabouts, the collapse of the Steelers' defense -- from No. 1 in the NFL last season to No. 20 today.

Cowher listed Bell as questionable with a sprained ankle that has prevented him from playing since the first half of their opener in New England. The injury first occurred in the second exhibition game. It has since been reinjured twice, against the Patriots and in practice after the second game.

If he plays in Cincinnati, that will be virtually eight weeks the sprained ankle has kept him from helping a defense that needs all the help it can get. The Steelers never dreamed it would take this long for his ankle to heal, but perhaps they rushed him back too fast not once but twice.

It only shows how badly they want him back at inside linebacker.

"This is such a team sport," said Cowher. "I don't sit and measure what we would be like if we had everybody. We do not. We deal with the players that we have. We are a good enough football team that regardless of who is not out there we should be able to overcome that."

Foote will continue to start at inside linebacker if Bell cannot play, Cowher said. He pulled Foote in the fourth quarter in favor of veteran John Fiala after Saints running back Deuce McAllister ran 52 yards through a hole created by Foote when he vacated his position. Cowher said Foote can correct the problems he had against the Saints.

	More Steelers Coverage: Steelers Report: 10/9/02

"I like Larry Foote. It was one of those games that he kind of overpursued them a couple times and, in trying to make a play, exposed the backside. He had a chance to see it on Monday and he will certainly learn from it."

Cowher does not necessarily want Scott, his starting left cornerback, to learn from the mistakes he made Sunday when the Saints often went after him successfully. Several times, Scott bit on double moves and could not recover when the receiver ran by him. He stumbled when Jerome Pathon did it, and Pathon was wide open to make a 64-yard reception that set up McAllister's 1-yard touchdown run.

"He got a little overanxious, and people know that has been his tendency," Cowher said. "They got him on it the other day a couple times on double moves."

The coaches will not try to curb Scott's aggressiveness, Cowher said.

"No. He knows. He is going to make some plays, too. I don't want them to quit challenging receivers. ... There is a responsibility you have, but you want to play aggressive. You want to challenge them. There is a fine line in there that you have to be disciplined.

"Chad's situation the other day is that he kind of got his eyes in the backfield. He wants to double move. I told him to keep his eyes on that receiver and do not come off that receiver until I know that he is broken and I am close enough to touch him that if he does run a double move, then I may bump him -- five-yard penalty, boom, let's line up and go again.

"I don't want him to lose the aggressiveness in challenging players, not just him but Dewayne Washington or anybody else. With Deshea Townsend out there, I would rather them be aggressive and challenge them. If you feel that the best way to beat them is with the double move, so be it. ... You don't want to be beat on a regular basis, but, at the same time, I don't want players becoming passive."

The Steelers rank 24th in the NFL on pass defense; they were fourth last season. Their five takeaways on defense -- four interceptions and one fumble recovery -- are one off the bottom in the AFC.

"They will come," Cowher insisted. "But you have more control over turning it over at times than you do at taking it away. That is the thing that we need to continue to eliminate."

The Steelers lost two turnovers in New Orleans when quarterback Tommy Maddox fumbled on a sack and threw an interception. They are minus-nine in turnover ratio, at the bottom in the AFC and tied with St. Louis for second-worst in the NFL.

Nevertheless, Cowher sees things coming together for his defense.

"For two plays, they had 116 yards," Cowher said of the Saints. "And 51 plays they had under 200 yards. Unfortunately, you cannot take those two plays out.

"So, as I talked to them again, it is just a case that we have to eliminate that. Third down was not a problem on either side of the ball. Now, it is the little things. I think we are close to putting this together. The last two weeks we have not been in sync. The one intangible, the kicking game, has not allowed us to get over the hump. That is kind of where our team is right now."