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Thursday, October 19, 2000

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Browns (2-5) at Steelers (3-3): 4:05 p.m. Sunday, Three Rivers Stadium. TV: KDKA; Radio: WDVE-FM (102.5), WWSW-AM (970) and Steelers Radio Network. The Browns are 2-1 against the Steelers since rejoining the NFL.

The Browns signed 5-foot-9, 182-pound WR Damon Dunn yesterday because they have several injuries at the position. They waived OL Paul Snellings to make room for him on the roster. David Patten, their second-leading receiver, is doubtful for the game with a toe injury. Two other receivers, Dennis Northcut (ankle) and Darrin Chiaverini (knee) are questionable. "We're banged up there pretty good," Cleveland Coach Chris Palmer said.

The Steelers have until after their game at Baltimore Oct. 29 before they must decide whether to practice WR Will Blackwell or not. Blackwell has been on the physically unable to perform list since the start of training camp after having knee surgery. He was not permitted to practice until last week, but the Steelers chose not to do so. Once he starts practicing, they have three weeks to decide whether to add him to their 53-man roster, put him on injured reserve or release him. If he does not practice before they play at Baltimore, they would have three more weeks to watch him in practice before making that decision.

Palmer said Steelers P Josh Miller won't have to worry about retaliation Sunday. The Browns were upset when LB Joey Porter blocked their punter, Chris Gardocki, on a return when they played in Cleveland. "No, I'm not into that," Palmer said. "After the game, Coach [Bill] Cowher told me that he was going to take care of it, and I'm sure that he did because Bill isn't that type of guy. Some things happen on the field that the coaches don't have any control over, and Pittsburgh is normally not that type of team."

RB Jerome Bettis, a Yankees fan who knows OF David Justice, predicted the Mets will go down in five in the World Series. "The Mets will win game one or two, but I don't think they're going to last more than five or six games, tops." A bigger question might be, what's a kid from Detroit doing as a Yankees fan? "After they made the decision with the Tigers to try to save some money and let [Manager] Sparky [Anderson] go, that kind of soured me on my Tigers. I turned the channel, so to speak."

As is their custom, Bettis and Dermontti Dawson did not practice yesterday. T Shar Pourdanesh, not expected to play, also did not practice, nor did RB Amos Zereoue. Wayne Gandy went through some light work.