Home >  Sports >  Steelers

Monday, November 05, 2001

Compiled by Ed Bouchette, Dejan Kovacevic and Chuck Finder

Steelers (5-2) vs. Cleveland Browns (4-3), 1 p.m. Sunday, Cleveland Browns Stadium. TV, radio: KDKA; WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970). The Steelers are 1-1 against the new Browns in Cleveland, including a 23-20 loss last season.

The Steelers deactivated RB Amos Zereoue (shoulder), OT Wayne Gandy (hamstring), QB Tee Martin, C Chukky Okobi, G Keydrick Vincent, OT Mathias Nkwenti, LB Justin Kurpeikis, DE Chris Combs and DT Chris Hoke. Zereoue was replaced by Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, who carried three times for 3 yards and caught two passes for 8 yards. Gandy was replaced by Oliver Ross, who did an outstanding job of blocking Ravens DE Michael McCrary and had two fumble recoveries, both by teammates. The Ravens played without QB Elvis Grbac (ribs), RB Terry Allen (ankle), WR Pat Johnson (clavicle), RB Alan Ricard, C Casey Rabach, OT Erik Williams, DT Kelly Gregg and FS Gary Baxter.

Steelers RB Jerome Bettis took little comfort in coming within 9 yards of 100 yards rushing against a Baltimore defense that hasn't yielded one of those in the past 45 games. He ran 91 yards on 23 carries, including another long run, this one from 25 yards. But he was held out of the end zone, and the Steelers managed just 10 points. "We need to put touchdowns on the board when we get down there," Bettis said. "When we're playing championship-caliber football teams we have to put points on the board and we didn't." Although the Steelers still lead the division at 5-2, Bettis said they have not proven they are worthy of the AFC Central Division title after losing to the Ravens, who improved to 5-3. "No, we have to go out and prove it. We can't rest on, 'Well, we played them well.' We have to go out and win the football game. That's the bottom line." Bettis and Ravens LB Ray Lewis, someone Bettis called a friend, had a steady stream of jawing back and forth early in the game. "He tried to bet me I'd only have 50 yards," Bettis said. "I said we can bet right now. He knew that wasn't the case." Lewis was highly complimentary of Bettis: "He's a hell of a football player." No back before Bettis had gained more than 77 yards against the Ravens this season.

The Ravens entered the game ranked second in defense behind the Steelers but insisted afterward they had took no extra motivation from that. "We had nothing to prove," Lewis said. "We've been No. 1 or No. 2 in the NFL for the past three years, anyway you want to look at it. People jump up there for one year or have a couple of good games to start off, and they want to start comparing themselves to our defense. You see the consistency of greatness with the way we're still playing, the way we're still at the top." "We've got eight games left," CB Rod Woodson said. "I think the media's too quick to judge, too many knee-jerk reactions."

Steelers QB Kordell Stewart threw for more than 200 yards in his second consecutive game and came away with another high passer rating. Stewart threw for 236 yards yesterday with an 87.2 passer rating after throwing for 232 yards Monday with a 110.4 passer rating. It's one where you're pretty much speechless," he said of the outcome. Stewart also consoled PK Kris Brown, after he made just one of five field-goal tries. He told him he's been there. "I've been the lone ranger before when it seems like the world is pointing a finger at you because of mistakes," Stewart said. "Once he came off the football field, I said if anybody knows, trust me, you're all right. you won a lot of games for us. I was the guy who went through what he's going through just today. I did it for two, three years. Based on experience, he's all right. I'd have him kicking another one in that situation, maybe 5 yards deeper because he can make it."

Steelers LB Joey Porter added two sacks to boost his team-best total to seven, but he wasn't happy with the results. "We came up short," he said. "We felt a couple plays out there we could have stopped them and not given up 13 points. We felt we could stop their offense. We feel we could have shut that team out. But they got it done today and made some to get 13 points, and 13 points were good enough to win the game." Still, Porter believed the Steelers' defense played well. "We definitely showed how good our defense is. They won the game, but they know how good our defense is."

Anytime either team had a third down was a good time to leave your seat and seek out refreshments. The Steelers were 5 for 17, and the Ravens actually fared worse, going 1 for 11. "I think when you see the top defenses in the league, you're going to see that kind of game," QB Randall Cunningham said. "Both defenses played an excellent game." "They're a good football team," WR Qadry Ismail said. "People think you can just go out there and have great games."

A first-place showdown in Cleveland was averted when the Browns lost in overtime to the Bears in Chicago yesterday. Instead of tying the Steelers at 5-2, the Browns will be 4-3 when they play them in Cleveland next Sunday. "We have to take some frustration out on somebody, so next week Cleveland's going to be a big game," Porter said.

While happy that he scored his first NFL touchdown, WR Plaxico Burress wasn't thrilled that it was his final catch of the day. He had four receptions in the first half for 56 yards, his total for the game. "It felt good," he said of his 21-yard touchdown catch. "It took me 2 years to get in there." QB Kordell Stewart did not throw him a pass after that and did not look for him on the final drive that ended when Kris Brown missed a 35-yard field goal. "I was hoping for the ball the whole second half," Burress said. "The last pass I caught was the touchdown. I just kind of disappeared from the offense. There's nothing I can say about that."

WR Hines Ward led the Steelers with nine receptions for a career-high 97 yards. His previous high came Oct. 15, 2000, when he caught two passes for 91 yards against Cincinnati. Ward leads the Steelers with 42 receptions. He moved past Courtney Hawkins and Lynn Chandnois to tie Ron Shanklin for 14th place in the Steelers' record book with 166.

Steelers Coach Bill Cowher successfully challenged a ruling on the field early in the fourth quarter that Bettis fumbled. Replays showed both of Bettis' knees were on the ground before the ball popped loose.

Kordell Stewart became the Steelers' fourth QB to top 10,000 yards, joining Terry Bradshaw, Neil O'Donnell and Bubby Brister. He passed Brister for third on the team's all-time list with 10,212 career yards, but Bradshaw's record of 27,989 figures to be safe for a while. Stewart topped 10,000 with his touchdown pass to WR Plaxico Burress late in the second quarter.

Ravens TE Shannon Sharpe had three catches for 56 yards, including a clutch 26-yarder on the winning drive late in the fourth quarter, leaving him one shy of tying Ozzie Newsome's record of 662 receptions for a tight end. "That's OK," Sharpe said. "This game wasn't on TV in my grandmother's region, and the one next week is. At least she'll get to see it."

In the past six games, the Steelers' defense has allowed six offensive touchdowns and no more than 17 points.

Ravens WR Qadry Ismail, who had 13 catches for 360 yards in his final two games at Three Rivers Stadium, had five for 53 yesterday.

In his past 13 games, Steelers QB Kordell Stewart has thrown 11 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.

The Steelers lost a chance to start 6-1 for the first time since 1978.

The loss was the Steelers' first at Heinz Field after two victories.

Tony Siragusa, Ravens DT: "I hated Three Rivers. I like this one a little better because my first one here was a win. So I love Heinz Field. It's beautiful. I'm going to go home and eat some ketchup."

What if K Kris Brown's right knee was painful enough to prevent him from kicking?

"You're looking at Plan B," said P Josh Miller, who last attempted a place-kick in the 1994 Senior Bowl. "Luckily, Plan A was fine."

Despite Brown's four misses, his holder and friend maintained confidence Brown.

"If I was a betting man, I'd put my money on him."