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Monday, September 10, 2001

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Good thing Mike Mularkey didn't open up the Steelers' offense during the exhibition season. Good thing Mularkey didn't allow the rest of the National Football League to see what he was hiding. Good thing he saved the best stuff for the season opener.

If not -- who knows -- the Steelers might not have been able to score the three points they did against the Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday.

The belief that the Steelers would have a different offensive look this season never materialized in a 21-3 loss to the Jaguars. The performances was mindful of season's past, not a new beginning.

The defeat is not necessarily a forecast for a bleak season. It's only one game, and the schedule lightens in the weeks ahead. But it certainly is a reason to believe not much has changed from last season when the Steelers' offense, 29th in the league in passing, held the team back.

It looked mostly like business as usual despite the fact Mularkey replaced Kevin Gilbride as offensive coordinator.

Statistically, the offense was eerily familiar to last year's. In 2000, the Steelers averaged 298 yards a game, 141 rushing and 157 passing. Their total yardage yesterday was 281, with 120 coming on the ground and 161 in the air.

For once, the major portion of the blame could not be placed on quarterback Kordell Stewart, who though hardly overwhelming played well enough.

He completed 21 of 37 passes for 181 yards. It was the most passes he has thrown since late in the 1998 season and might have been expected to produce a 200-yard game. But that elusive figure, accomplished only once last year and once in 1999, eluded him again.

Some of that has to do with Stewart's receivers, who continued their unexceptional play. Plaxico Burress and Troy Edwards, the bookend No. 1 draft choices, combined for three catches and 41 yards.

Burress continues to fail in his projected role as a big-play receiver. In the first quarter, Stewart threw the ball up for grabs with Burress being guarded by a shorter defender. But as is so often the case, he failed to come down with what might have been a difficult but catchable ball.

Hines Ward caught seven passes for 82 yards but made a crucial fumble near midfield in the second quarter. Jacksonville recovered and scored two plays later, it's third touchdown in an 8-minute, 14-second span.

What is equally disturbing about the Steelers' passing game is the failure to go downfield with the ball. Almost all their routes are short and, more often than not, curls or comebacks, which frequently leave the receivers with no running room.

Hitting a receiver in stride while he's running down the field is rarely seen in the Steelers' offense. It was that way with Gilbride, and Mularkey seems to be staying the same course.

With the Steelers behind by so much so early, Jerome Bettis was not a factor. He carried 12 times for 28 yards. Amos Zereoue, getting the most playing time of his three-year career, carried nine times for 60 yards and the talk shows should be buzzing about him replacing Bettis.

It won't happen, not that something doesn't need to be done with this offense.

The Steelers had opportunities but mostly failed to convert.

Their best drive began late in the first quarter when they moved from their own 20 to a first down on the Jacksonville 30 in a scoreless game. They had a chance to assert themselves but instead the drive bogged down as Bettis gained 3 yards on two carries and Stewart ran for 4. Kris Brown came on to kick a field goal.

The Steelers moved from their 21 to the Jaguars' 32 late in the half before a Stewart pass was intercepted.

Stewart's fumble of the snap from center on first down from the Jacksonville 6 midway through the third quarter ended the Steelers best scoring opportunity.

Coach Bill Cowher, often angry after tough defeats, seemed to be philosophical about the game.

"We moved the ball. We had some opportunities," he said. "We just couldn't make a play. There was a period there where we turned the football over. You can't play football like that on the road."

With this offense, there aren't many places they can play and win.

Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com.