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Sunday, December 17, 2000

By Ed Bouchette, Dejan Kovacevic and the Associated Press

Steelers vs. San Diego Chargers, 4:05 p.m. Sunday, Qualcomm Stadium. TV, radio: KDKA; WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970). The Steelers have lost their past six regular-season finales.

Brent Alexander, Steelers FS, had a cut to his left hand in the first quarter. The trainers taped it, and he returned to play.

Levon Kirkland, Steelers LB, had a head injury in the first quarter but returned to play.

Aaron Smith, Steelers DE, had a cut on his right hand in the first quarter but returned to play.

Jeff George, Redskins QB, was knocked out of the game with 10:30 remaining by a back injury of undetermined severity. While completing a pass to WR Irving Fryar, he was pressured by Steelers LB Jason Gildon and LB Joey Porter.

Andre Reed, Redskins WR, left with a pulled hamstring in the third quarter and did not return.

There have been plenty of bitter-sweet times for QB Kordell Stewart in Three Rivers Stadium. Yesterday, he left a winner and without saying good riddance. "I had great games in this stadium. 'Slash,' that's what gave me the opportunity to get where I am now. Also as quarterback in '97, I had some great games here." There was the December in 1997, when he and the Steelers beat the Broncos, only to lose to them a month later in the AFC championship game. "I played against a great John Elway," Stewart said, "and had a chance to beat him but came up short." Over the past few seasons, Stewart has been booed at home, where he also had a beer dumped on his head. But he finished strong, winning the past two games against the Raiders and Redskins here, and he preferred to recall the good times. "There were a couple years when things weren't as pleasant as we would like, but now we have an opportunity to finish it up real strong. It's not how you start but how you finish, and we finished up with a win. I feel real good right now. I had fun, I really enjoyed myself today."

LB Jason Gildon, two days after his first Pro Bowl selection, celebrated by ringing up 1 1/2 to push his total to 11 1/2, the most in his career. It meant more to him because he did it in front of Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene, two of the old Blitzburgh linebackers who helped show Gildon the way. "It really was special because Greg and Kevin and those guys were out there," Gildon said. "Those were the guys I looked up to, and they really showed me what it means to be a linebacker here. So I was going to go out and have a good game."

Last time the Steelers celebrated so much in their locker room, they were on their way to the Super Bowl. Between interviews, players took photos of each other with disposable cameras provided by club officials. They gathered in groups. They even passed their cameras to some reporters to take their pictures for the final time in a locker room steeped with history and success. LB Levon Kirkland talked emotionally about what the day meant, about the great players who returned and the memories of playing in Three Rivers: "I came in here today and saw some guys ... David Little, Greg Lloyd, Jack Lambert -- it was the first time I talked to him and told him how much I appreciated it -- Jack Ham, all those guys, man. Franco Harris. It's a very special place to play."

C Dermontti Dawson went so far as to videotape a writer while being interviewed by him. Dawson, a rookie in 1988, had the longest tenure in Three Rivers of the current Steelers. He could not play because of an injured right hamstring, but he stood on the sideline and soaked it all in: "It was fun. The way things happened throughout the game, the way things were going was great. I wish I could be out there. But you can't be out there, you just enjoy the moment."

P Josh Miller was knocked silly when he caught an elbow and a knee after he fumbled a snap in the third quarter. The next time the Steelers' punt team took the field, PK Kris Brown was sent in to punt. But Miller would not let him. With Brown standing in formation, Miller ran out to replace him and Brown trotted off. Miller hit a perfect punt of 38 yards that was downed on the Washington 4. "I went out on my own -- I think," said Miller, still woozy after the game.

With 8:12 left. Redskins TE Stephen Alexander broke loose for what appeared to be a touchdown catch. But when he got to the 2, Steelers CB Jason Simmons reached from behind and punched the ball loose. It dribbled out of the end zone for a touchback, and Alexander stormed back to the sideline and threw his helmet against the bench. That drew a sharp lecture from Coach Terry Robiskie: "I told him he made a great play, and he doesn't need to be doing that." Alexander explained: "The guy made a good play. That's an error on my part. I didn't know where the defender was."

Charles "Ace" Heberling, former head of the WPIAL, officiated the first football game played in Three Rivers Stadium, an exhibition in the summer of 1970 between the Steelers and Giants. He served as the line judge. Yesterday, he capped it off by serving as the NFL's official observer in the press box.

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and a contingent of league executives were on hand for the stadium's finale.

Mike Webster, scheduled to join fellow Hall of Famers Franco Harris, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham and Mel Blount as honorary captains, was a no-show.

The Steelers deactivated FB Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala (ankle), C Dermontti Dawson (hamstring), SS Lee Flowers (knee) WR Kamil Loud, OT Shar Pourdanesh and OL Oliver Ross.

The Steelers finished 182-73 at Three Rivers Stadium, including 169-67 in the regular season and 13-6 in the playoffs.

In their final 80 games at Three Rivers, the Steelers had 43 individual 100-yard rushing performances, including 22 by RB Jerome Bettis, who had 104 yards yesterday.

The interceptions by CB Dewayne Washington and CB Chad Scott yesterday kept them tied for the team lead with five each.

Steelers RB Jerome Bettis rushed for 104 yards, giving him 1,290 for the year. His total is fourth-highest in club history, passing the 1,246 gained by Franco Harris in 1975. Bettis has three of the top four rushing seasons, all trailing Barry Foster's 1,690 in 1992.

Dan Wilkinson, Redskins DT: "This team is in disarray. It's sad, very sad. It's like an avalanche, and it keeps piling on and getting bigger and bigger."

Yoi and double-yoi!

Analyst Myron Cope said he was muzzled by the Redskins during the radio broadcast of the Steelers' game yesterday.

Cope had been referring to the team as the "Redfaces." Early in the fourth quarter, Cope said on the air that Washington's public relations department had asked him to desist with the nickname.

He said it was the first time an opposing team had objected to something he said in 31 seasons on the broadcasts, noting that Bengals President Mike Brown is friendly to him even though he has called Brown's team the "Bungles" for two decades.

Cope dropped the "Redfaces" references, but he called the protest "preposterous."