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Sunday, December 10, 2000

Compiled by Ed Bouchette

Three Rivers isn't the only grand old stadium creaking through its final season on earth.

Denver's Mile High Stadium will be flattened after the Broncos are through with it this season, although it might get a short stay of execution because the Broncos are in the chase for some home playoff games.

Mile High actually has played host to more Super Bowl teams than Three Rivers, 6-5, but Three Rivers had four winners to Denver's two.

Nevertheless, Mile High was the place visiting teams most hated to play because of the altitude and the noise from the fans.

"They're as supportive as any group in football," Seattle Coach Mike Holmgren said. "When you go in there as the opponent, it's a tough place to play. Will I be sad? Will I have horrible feelings that they've torn it down and built a new one? No."

Those storied Ravens

When the NFL granted an expansion franchise to the Cleveland Browns, it was with the provision that they retain all the previous Browns history and records. The Baltimore Ravens would be considered a new franchise, starting in 1996 when they moved from Cleveland.

However, the Ravens recently unveiled their "ring of honor" celebrating, presumably, those greatest players in their four-year history.

One accorded such an honor was running back Ernest Byner. He played for the Cleveland Browns from 1984-88 and from 1994-95. He played for the Ravens in 1996 and '97 and gained 947 yards rushing in his short term with them.

Based on that criteria, the Ravens can be expected to induct next into their ring of honor one Bam Morris, who rushed for 1,511 yards for them in those same two seasons with Byner.

Look out, Coach

If New Orleans Coach Jim Haslett had gotten a piece of Denver safety Billy Jenkins as he tried to do last week, he would have had to deal with Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski.

An angry Haslett charged after Jenkins when the Broncos' safety shoved Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks out of bounds. Haslett, who thought Jenkins used unnecessary roughness on Brooks, never got to him.

"If I saw that," Romanowski said, "I would have gone after him."

Rookie drop-off

Perhaps the 61 receptions by Troy Edwards as a Steelers rookie last season have gone underappreciated.

Cincinnati's Peter Warrick leads all NFL rookies this season with just 43 catches. Darrell Jackson of Seattle and Kansas City's Sylvester Morris are next with 41 apiece.

Morris has the most yards of the bunch with 600.

Last season, Edwards started only six games but led the team with 714 yards receiving and was tied with Hines Ward in receptions. This season, Edwards, who was moved to flanker and beaten out by Ward, has only 16 catches.

Quick slants

Denver's Jason Elam broke an NFL record set by former Steelers Norm Johnson by making his 302nd consecutive extra point.

Jeff Fisher lost his first game as coach of the old Oilers to the New York Giants. Over the past two years, his Titans are 7-0 against the NFC East.

Cincinnati has more projected cap room next year than anyone with about $16 million available. The problem for the Bengals is, they don't know how to use it.

The NFL's two leading scorers have both kicked more field goals than extra points. Baltimore's Matt Stover has 23 PATs and 31 field goals, and Carolina's Joe Nedney has 19 and 30.