Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Antwaan Randle El falls to the ground last Sunday vs. the Bengals -- the end of a play on which Cincinnati's Reggie Myles was called for pass interference. Emphasis is one thing, but are the referees going to far? Click photo for larger image. More NFL Coverage: Five things to look for today: 10/10/04 Onside kicks: 10/10/04 By the numbers: 10/10/04

As promised, NFL officials called tighter pass interference penalties through the first four weeks of the season.

Or did they? Through the first four weeks of the season, pass interference penalties actually are way down compared to year ago. There have been 50 pass interference penalties assessed this year compared to 80 a year ago. However, defensive holding penalties are up, 56-41, compared to last season and illegal contact penalties have increased dramatically, 33-13.

Anecdotal evidence alone is enough. Two penalties in the Steelers-Bengals game Sunday, one against Chad Scott and the other against Cincinnati's Tory James, would not have been called fouls in an NBA game. Kansas City nearly lost to Baltimore because of a phantom pass interference penalty called in the end zone.

"I know it was a point of emphasis," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. "Those are judgment calls. We have to live with it. That has been a contact thing, something that we talk about all the time."

It's changing the way the game is played because defensive backs are terrified of the possibility of giving up a 60-yard penalty.

"I think that you do see a little bit of a different style," Cleveland coach Butch Davis said. "The risk or reward of it, a 50- or 60-yard penalty down the field ... you have to adjust or you are going to lose games."

Games should not be lost by a ticky-tack 60-yard pass interference penalty, or because a cornerback did not play the ball because he feared giving up a big penalty and instead gives up a big touchdown pass.

The league long has resisted changing the pass interference penalty to 15 yards the way the colleges have it, rather than at the point of the foul. But if officials want to keep calling penalties the way they are, they have to do something so the time fits the crime.

Here's a suggestion: Mark off 15 yards on pass interference penalties (unless they are committed shorter than that) except when an official deems the penalty was blatantly committed to prevent a gain beyond 15 yards. That would ease the fears of those who think badly beaten defensive backs that might try to tackle receivers before they can catch the ball 60 yards downfield because it would only cost them 15 yards to do so.

Officials already have discretion on whether a facemask penalty deserves 5 yards or 15, so why not the pass interference penalty?

Building blocks

Here's how you build a football team: Pick offensive linemen high in the draft and fill in around them. That's a popular theory in the NFL. It's just not one anybody follows.

Of the 160 offensive linemen who started for NFL teams in the second game, only 32 were first-round draft choices, 21 of those with the team that drafted them. Green Bay is the only team to draft all five of its starting linemen, but none in the first round.

The Steelers are one of eight teams to have two first-round picks as starters in the line (guard Alan Faneca and center Jeff Hartings), the most in the league. The Steelers had three last season with Faneca, Hartings and guard Kendall Simmons, on injured reserve this season.

Two of the four teams that start two linemen who weren't drafted are unbeaten, Philadelphia and New England.

Flop signs

The first Monday Night Footflop is about to unfold tomorrow when 1-3 Green Bay plays 1-3 Tennessee.

NFL officials had to figure this was a no-brainer when the schedule came out. Since 1997, the Packers have the best record in the NFL at 76-40 and Tennessee is second at 73-43.

By Tuesday, one of them will be 1-4 and the other 2-3.

"Teams are not looking at us like, 'Oh, that's the big, bad Titans' anymore," wide receiver Derrick Mason said.

Bills due

The Bills combined with a Buffalo dairy to make a one-time offer for its home game last week against New England. If a Buffalo player returned a kickoff for a touchdown, one fan would pick up $100,000.

Seemed a safe bet, since no Bills player had taken one back at home in eight years. But then, Terrence McGee returned a Patriots kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Beverly Bennett of Batavia, N.Y., attending her first game, won the money.

Winners become losers

Carolina should have been forewarned: The past three NFL champions all went 7-9 the following season and did not make the playoffs: The Giants, Rams and Buccaneers.

Carolina, which lost to New England on a field goal on the last play of the Super Bowl, is 1-2.

"We're definitely not where we want to be at this point," Panthers wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad said. "But that doesn't mean that we won't be here by the end of the season."

Not so great outdoors

You knew someone would ask department: Because the Vikings have lost 17 of their past 18 outdoor games, their players were asked if they hoped the Texans would close their retractable roof at Reliant Stadium for the game today.

"If it's a nice day, they should open it," quarterback Daunte Culpepper said.

"If it rains, they probably should close it."

The great toe debate

Thanks to Duce Staley's injury, this topic materialized: Some trainers insist that what everyone else calls a big toe is correctly called a great toe. (If they become popular, the Steelers could sell the rights as the Coca-Cola Great Toe). Which brings up two other topics: Why is it the big or great toe the only one injured in football? And what do they call the other four toes. Is their an index toe? A foretoe?

Shot down

Keep them six-shooters in your holster, big fella.

Minnesota rookie defensive end Kenechi Udeze appealed a $5,000 fine he got from the league for drawing his hands like pistols after dropping the Eagles' Donovan McNabb for his first NFL sack.

"You're not supposed to show a gun or anything," Udeze said.

No knife either. Hand grenades might be acceptable. In many stadiums, after all, smoke bombs are set off during player introductions.

More banner years for Eagles

Apparently losing three consecutive NFC championship games, two of them at home when they were favored, has somehow gone to the head of Philadelphia Eagles president Joe Banner.

Banner believes the Eagles' Super Bowl window will remain open for a long time.

"I could easily look out now, without even considering how well we do in the draft, and feel like the team should be realistically competitive enough to be in and win Super Bowls for at least the next two or three years," he said.

Maybe then the Eagles could make it six or seven consecutive losses in NFC championship games.

No miracle for Redskins

If Joe Gibbs' record keeps going like this, does he have to give back his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring? Gibbs' Redskins are 1-3, a pace even Steve Spurrier (12-20) surpassed in his two seasons.

"I don't know what everybody thought with coach Gibbs, but I didn't think it would be like a miracle and he would come in and win right away," linebacker Antonio Pierce said.

Tell Daniel Snyder that.

They said it

Coach Jeff Fisher on the Titans' 1-3 start: "I am not panicking. I am a little irritated, to say the least, but I am not panicking. People talked about us being one of the elite teams when the season started. Well, we're not. We are not an elite team right now. We have to win some games."

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, on this year's 1-3 record, identical to last season's start: "Last year's record was almost a relief. This year has some people on panic mode, at the edge of their chairs."

Browns safety Earl Little after watching video of rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the Steelers' 28-17 win Sunday against the Bengals: "Roethlisberger looked better than Carson Palmer."