Their record could tie a 34-year low, their offense has slipped to No. 22 in the NFL and their ground game has not ranked this low since the NFL merged with the AFL.

		Steelers Report: 12/18/03

It has been a woeful season for the Steelers in more ways than one, particularly on offense, where so much more was expected from them. Yet Tommy Maddox is having one of the most productive seasons of any quarterback in Steelers history.

Maddox, who set several team records in less than a full season as their starter in 2002, is poised to rewrite more Steelers records in the next two weeks.

With only 194 yards passing in the next two games, he will compile the second-most-prolific passing season in the Steelers' history. Without fanfare, Maddox set the team's record for most completions in a season Sunday (273), snapping Neil O'Donnell's mark by three. Thirteen more attempts will give him 487 and the team record for most passing attempts in a season.

Maddox has 3,146 yards passing and, while Terry Bradshaw's record 3,724 yards in 1979 remains within his reach, it's more likely he will supplant Bradshaw's 1980 season as No. 2 in club history. The Hall of Fame quarterback threw for 3,339 yards that season.

"Any time you get put into categories with guys like that, somewhere down the road it will mean something," Maddox said. "Obviously, he's been a guy I've looked up to for a long time. I feel that way about just playing here, all the history that's come here. I think both things will be special some day."

Right now, Maddox can't take solace in such accomplishments because he's the quarterback of a 5-9 team going nowhere in the postseason.

"I think there's a time and place where you sit back and say you know it was a tough year," Maddox said, "but some good things came out of it. I think this business is about wins and losses. If you have those numbers and we're 10-4 sitting here, then you feel pretty good about it."

In less than two full seasons as the Steelers' starter, Maddox already owns team records for season completion percentage (62.1), for career completion percentage (59.8), for most 300-yard passing games (six), for most yards passing in a game (473), and for most attempts in a game (57) in addition to his completion record this season.

There has been talk the Steelers might draft a quarterback in April, perhaps even in the first round, but Maddox's record-breaking performance the past two seasons and the solid support from his coach and his teammates leave little doubt he will be their quarterback in 2004 and perhaps beyond.

"As far as I'm concerned, he's having a great year," said Hines Ward, the first Steeler to have 1,000 yards receiving in three consecutive seasons.

Maddox has had to operate behind an offensive line shaken by injury, illness and unexpected poor performances this season. And, with a running game that ranks 31st in the NFL, the Steelers dumped more pressure on his shoulders. He has missed only three snaps with a brief knee injury, even though he has been sacked 34 times, the most by a Steelers quarterback since O'Donnell was sacked 35 times in 1994.

His passer rating has dipped nine points from last season to 76.0 and his touchdown-interception ratio of 15-14 is not good, but under the circumstances Maddox has done as well as might be expected. Coach Bill Cowher has firmly backed Maddox all season and looked incredulously at a reporter who asked himTuesday if he might play backup Charlie Batch more the next two games.

"For what reason?" Cowher asked. "I think I just stated it, and I will state it again: We are going to play the players that give us the best chance of winning."

Said Maddox, "It's always good to hear, but I really haven't been that worried about it and don't worry about it. I play as hard as I can, do the best that I can and the chips are going to fall where they're going to fall. Things are going to happen how they're going to happen. Worrying about it or trying not to let it happen, those are the things that get you into trouble."

Maddox, elected captain of the offense by his teammates before the season, has their backing for next season.

"Those comeback drives, those weren't fluke drives," Ward said of Maddox's play in 2002. "It all began with him taking control of the huddle and letting his guys believe in him. We just have to help him, the supporting cast around him has to go out there and help him so he doesn't feel like all the pressure's on him to go force the issue.

"The offensive line has to protect a little bit and the receivers have to make some plays. We're all involved in being around him. He has the quality to lead this team to the championship, no doubt."

While the Steelers are having a bad season, it's probably not bad enough for them to get a chance at the expected two top quarterbacks in the draft, Eli Manning of Mississippi and Ben Roethlisberger of Miami, Ohio. And if Cowher had any idea he wanted to turn things over to Batch, he'd be playing him more.

"Just because he didn't go out and have the year everyone expects, it's a funny game," said receiver Plaxico Burress. "There's no guarantee what's going to happen on a day-to-day basis or on a Sunday basis. Whether it shows or not, the guy comes in, prepares every week, he leads our team on the field on Sundays and he goes out and plays his hardest. I look for him to being here."