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Friday, October 13, 2000

By Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

LOOKING AHEAD

Bengals (0-5) vs. Steelers (2-3), 1 p.m. Sunday, Three Rivers Stadium. TV, radio: KDKA; WDVE-FM (102.5), WWSW-AM (970).

NOTEBOOK

Rookie Marvel Smith, the team's No. 2 draft pick who missed the past two games with a sprained ankle, has been working at left tackle and could start there against the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, it's possible that veteran Larry Tharpe, who filled in last week when Shar Pourdanesh was injured, could start at right tackle against the Bengals, even if Smith is healthy enough to play. Tharpe has been taking all the snaps at right tackle this week.

Wayne Gandy, the starter at left tackle who has a partial tear in his right bicep, took a few early snaps with the first-team offense, then sat out the remainder of practice.

Gandy is listed as questionable on the team's official injury report, though he has said he intends to play.

"Marvel had two good days," Coach Bill Cowher said after practice. "Wayne took some work, but we'll see how they feel [today]. We limited it [for Gandy], but they both got through what appeared to be pretty good."

Asked if Smith will start at right tackle if Gandy is healthy, Cowher said, "I don't know about that."

The transition to the left side would not be difficult for Smith, who is a natural left tackle and played the position at Arizona State.

"In the beginning, it was kind of an adjustment, but I think I adjusted to it better than I did going over to the right side because I've always been on the left side," Smith said.

Cowher said Kordell Stewart is still getting a lot of work with the first-team offense in practice, even though Kent Graham has been announced as the starting quarterback.

Last week, Cowher said Stewart and Graham were splitting the snaps in practice while he was deciding which quarterback to start against the Jets. It turned out to be Stewart because Cowher told Graham he didn't want to risk further injury to Graham's bruised right hip that possibly would force him to miss more playing time.

"I haven't counted them, but [Stewart] is getting a lot of snaps," Cowher said. "They were in and out, both of them. That's the way it's going to be."

DE Kevin Henry (shoulder) returned to practice after sitting out Wednesday. So did C Dermontti Dawson (hamstring) and RB Jerome Bettis (knee), who have been getting an extra day off every week.

Former Steelers DL Oliver Gibson was both surprised and upset when told about the comment cornerback Dewayne Washington made about the Bengals on his weekly radio show.

After losing three of the past four against the Bengals, Washington said on his Monday night show on WEAE-AM, "I just see us going out and destroying Cincinnati."

When reporters asked him about the statement several days later, Washington said he was kidding.

"My reaction is, buckle your chinstrap, Mr. Washington," Gibson told Bengals.com. "I'm hoping that was taken out of context, because I know Dewayne and I know Coach Cowher and he doesn't believe in bulletin-board sayings."

When Joel Steed had to retire because of bad knees, the Steelers did not look very far to find a replacement. They signed NT Kimo von Oelhoffen, who played six seasons with the Bengals and was given a hearty endorsement from the player who had to face him twice annually -- Dermontti Dawson.

This is von Oelhoffen's first game against his former team, but he said the reunion is nothing special.

"No, not really," von Oelhoffen said. "Me being with the Bengals, that's in the past. I've had some good memories. I respect the owners, the coaches, just as well. If I had stayed with them, great, I would have given them all I have. Now that I'm not, they're just another team."