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Tuesday, November 06, 2001

Distraught about the Steelers' loss to Baltimore? Worried that kicker Kris Brown will dissolve in a sea of jitters and cost the team another game? Concerned the defense will revert to its 2000 form of blowing late leads?

Such apprehension is understandable. The Steelers have fooled us in the recent past. In 1998, they were 5-2 -- just as they are now -- and coming off an appearance in the AFC title game. Who didn't think there was a Super Bowl in this team's future? They finished 7-9. The next season they were 5-3 and collapsed to 6-10.

So why not expect something similar? Why not expect the worst after the 13-10 loss to the Ravens?

Prophecies of gloom and doom make no sense with this team, despite its history. This is an entirely different team from the ones that came apart in 1998 and '99. Although the loss Sunday was difficult, it's one this team can build upon.

The Steelers know how well they played against the defending Super Bowl champions. They know if they can do that against the Ravens, they can do that against most teams on their schedule.

It's this simple: If Brown makes 3 of 5 field-goal attempts instead of 1 of 5, the Steelers would be 6-1. They would have a two-game lead in the AFC Central, they would be gaining national recognition and considered among the elite teams of the AFC.

The beauty of all that is the Steelers still feel that way even after the loss.

Tackle Wayne Gandy didn't play because of a hamstring injury, but he walked away from the game feeling good about his team.

"It's the best feeling I've had after a loss in my entire time in football," he said after team meetings yesterday. "The guys around here are saying, 'OK, we lost the game. Now who wants to come and play us next?'"

The Steelers have seen the best and know they measure up.

"I think [the loss] will make us better and stronger in the long run," wide receiver Plaxico Burress said.

Although acknowledging the defeat, Hines Ward wouldn't back away from the good feeling he took out of the game and, at the same time, provided the Ravens with bulletin-board material for the next time the teams play.

"We did what we wanted to do with them both offensively and defensively," he said. "If that was supposed to be the No. 1 defense, we went out there offensively and had our way with them."

The Steelers ran for 123 yards against a Baltimore defense that had been allowing an average of 66 yards per game. They passed for 225 yards against a defense that had been allowing 189 yards per game. They did all of this without Gandy, their best offensive lineman. Gandy's replacement was Oliver Ross, who had never started an NFL game and was playing in his first one since 1998.

The defense held Baltimore's offense, which had been averaging 353 yards per game, to 183 yards.

"We beat them up pretty bad on both sides of the ball," Burress said.

The most heartening aspect of the Steelers' performance was the continuing good play of quarterback Kordell Stewart. He completed 22 of 37 for 236 yards and no interceptions. That's not the stuff of Kurt Warner or Brett Favre -- Stewart will never be able to consistently play that type of game -- but it's what the Steelers need to win. He's throwing with greater accuracy than he ever has. He's hitting receiver in stride, giving them a chance to run after the catch.

With Stewart complementing Jerome Bettis -- and sometimes the other way around -- the Steelers have a competent offense. They need to better capitalize on their opportunities, but that should come.

The defense ranks among the best -- if not the best -- in the NFL. It's talented and deep.

The schedule is encouraging. There's not a dominant team on it. There's not a game the Steelers can point at and believe they cannot win. Teams that were expected to be championship contenders, like Tennessee and Minnesota, have declined significantly. Even the Ravens, who the Steelers play again Dec. 16, are performing below expectations.

It's a schedule that allows the Steelers to win the AFC Central and to have at least one home game in the playoffs.

The Steelers have been at this point in the recent past. But never with this kind of team.

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