Center Jeff Hartings said he will return to play next season with the Steelers but there remains doubt about teammates who may leave voluntarily or involuntarily.

Two starting offensive linemen, right tackle Oliver Ross and right guard Keydrick Vincent, will become unrestricted free agents. So, too, will wide receiver Plaxico Burress and linebacker Kendrell Bell, who played only three games this season because of groin injuries.

Others may not return because the Steelers cannot afford them or do not want them back. That could include cornerback Chad Scott, who is supposed to earn more than $4 million next season. Scott lost his job through injury Oct. 17 and could not regain it from Willie Williams even though he was healthy for the playoffs.

The Steelers could ask a player or two to accept a pay cut to return, as they did with Jerome Bettis last year.

"I definitely plan on coming back," Hartings said. "I talked to Jerome on the sideline and I said, 'No way I'm going out like this.' "

Burress talks

One day after he said he "probably" played his last game with the Steelers, Plaxico Burress was one of the players who stood up yesterday at a team meeting and addressed his teammates. According to people in the room, Burress talked about his desire to win a championship and the hard work that is necessary to do so.

After catching just three passes for 37 yards against the Patriots, Burress was critical of the way he is employed in the offense, saying that "three or four balls just doesn't suit me very well."

He also criticized the coaches for not putting the "onus on our shoulders" and not allowing the receivers "to get something going." Burress, though, dropped a 3-yard pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter that would cut the Patriots' lead to 31-24.

Burress is an unrestricted free agent, meaning he is free to negotiate with another team. The Steelers have indicated they will try to re-sign Burress.

"It's been great playing with him," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "I hope they can keep us together."

What went wrong?

Jerome Bettis, who is 0-3 in the AFC championship games with the Steelers, was asked what went wrong against the Patriots.

"Turnovers," he said. "You go through the last three of these, it's been turnovers. You're not going to win a football game of this magnitude if you turn the football over."

The Steelers had four turnovers against the Patriots -- three interceptions by Ben Roethlisberger and a fumble by Bettis. The fumble, though, was inconsequential because it came on a fourth-and-1 play in which Bettis had already been stopped short of the first down.

No contact

The Cleveland Browns did not contact Russ Grimm yesterday, a sign that he is not at the top of the list to become their next head coach.

Browns officials interviewed Grimm, the Steelers' offensive line coach and assistant head coach, for the job Jan. 8. They were not permitted to talk to him again until after the Super Bowl or the Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs.

Romeo Crennel, New England's defensive coordinator, is considered the front-runner for the job.

On to the offseason

The process of moving into the offseason began yesterday for the players, who took turns meeting individually with coach Bill Cowher. That process will continue today, and Cowher is likely to hold a season-ending news conference tomorrow even as his scouts and some coaches scramble to attend Senior Bowl practices that began yesterday in Mobile, Ala. The Steelers' staff will coach the AFC in the Pro Bowl Feb. 13.

Tough loss

Despite a 15-1 record, the Steelers lost for the fourth time in five AFC championship games played at home in the past 11 seasons. They've lost them as heavy favorites, as slight underdogs, in warm weather and cold, at Three Rivers Stadium and at Heinz Field.

They have not won a Super Bowl in 25 years and Jerome Bettis said the loss Sunday night had a profound effect on Cowher, whose record slipped to 8-9 in postseason play and includes one loss in Super Bowl XXX.

"I think it was tough on him. He's the kind of guy, he wants to win. He doesn't want it to be his legacy and it's frustrating for him. I think it's frustrating for all of us, but it's especially frustrating for coach."

Quick outs

Ben Roethlisberger had more rushing yards against the Patriots Sunday than he had all season -- 45 yards on five carries. That gave him 75 yards on nine carries in two playoff games.

The TV ratings from the AFC championship game were the highest since 1999. The game between the Steelers and Patriots drew a 27.0 rating and a 38 share.