Steelers vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m. Sunday, Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J. TV, radio: KDKA; WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970).
NOTEBOOK
Jim Fassel's statement guaranteeing the New York Giants would make the playoffs has had better results than Bill Cowher's proclamation to his Steelers that they would run the table.
Since Fassel made his guarantee after a home loss to the Lions, the Giants are 2-0. After Cowher's bold prediction, his team lost two in a row before they rebounded to win the next two.
The Giants lead the NFC East with a 9-4 record, half a game better than the 9-5 Philadelphia Eagles.
"I had gotten to the point where I was tired of reading about what we couldn't do and why we couldn't do it," Fassel said yesterday. "I didn't want my team to lose confidence. There were a lot of distractions -- picking on this player, picking on that coach -- and I just figured that I was going to defend my team and publicly say what I told the team and what I felt and we needed to take a stance, and I'm the guy who's designated to do that.
"I know that I was putting my neck in a noose and I knew that I would be questioned about doing that, but you know what? It doesn't matter. I don't care."
Kordell Stewart has heard nothing but cheers for his recent play, starting Sunday in Three Rivers Stadium and continuing through the week from all corners.
"Yeah, it is different," Stewart said. "It hasn't been like that in three years maybe? A long time. I'm still just keeping everything in perspective, just doing what I've been doing. Nothing's going to change, the mindset's still the same."
Stewart was asked how he handled being banished to wide receiver last season and not starting the first three games this season.
"You don't want to be kicked out of [quarterbacks] meetings, you don't want to be benched and playing wide receiver. You have one or two ways of handling it -- very maturely, or immaturely.
"Based on my upbringing, I think I had to handle it in a mature fashion and understand it was something I couldn't control. It was a decision the coaches had to make and I had to live with it.
"I probably matured through the process more than anything and understand how serious it is for me to be on point whenever I have the opportunity."
The Steelers realize that in order to make the playoffs they must win their final three games and still get help from others. But they don't want to talk about it.
"These next three games are big games for us," safety Lee Flowers said, "but right now we're taking them one game at a time and getting ready for a big game against the Giants."
Jerome Bettis said that talking about the playoffs and running the table a month ago might have hurt them.
"If it did or it didn't, it wasn't right and we paid for it. It gave some other teams motivation to come in here and best us. In retrospect, we probably shouldn't have done it. That age-old saying of taking one game at a time is what we really didn't do."
The Steelers players and coaches cast their ballots for the Pro Bowl yesterday. The all-star team will be announced next week.
Those players who did not practice yesterday when the Steelers held their drills indoors were Courtney Hawkins, Jerome Bettis, Mike Vrabel, Wayne Gandy and Dermontti Dawson.
Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, who will miss his seventh consecutive game because of a broken foot, ran for the first time.
Steelers Report: 12/7/00 
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