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Wednesday, November 07, 2001

Compiled by Ed Bouchette and Ron Cook

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 (5-2) and the Browns (4-3) will be coming back from particularly difficult losses when they square off Sunday in Cleveland. The Steelers lost despite piling up large statistical advantages over Baltimore because Kris Brown missed four field goals. The Browns lost a 14-point lead in the final 30 seconds to Chicago, then had a pass deflected, intercepted and returned for a touchdown by the Bears in overtime. Cleveland's loss reminded some Steelers of the 10-point lead they blew against Philadelphia last season with 2 1/2 minutes left that led to an overtime loss.

"I don't think ours was quite as dramatic as what they went through," Coach Bill Cowher said. "Ours was a longer, dragged-out thing. Theirs happened so fast. You have to move on in this business, regardless of how games are won or lost. The mark of any football team is your ability to play consistently week in and week out."

The Steelers wasted a play to kill the clock on their final, desperate drive that ended with a missed field goal from 35 yards, yet they had a timeout left at the end of their game with Baltimore. Instead of using that timeout to stop the clock with about 30 seconds to go after Bobby Shaw caught a 17-yard pass to the Baltimore 17, QB Kordell Stewart was instructed to line up and spike the ball, wasting a down as the clock ticked to 22 seconds. He tried two passes that fell incomplete short of the goal-line, and then Brown came on to attempt a field goal with 14 seconds to go.

Had the Steelers called the timeout before first down, they still could have passed. If one of them was complete and the receiver not reached the end zone or gone out of bounds, then they could have spiked the ball. If the first two passes were incomplete, they could have tried a third into the end zone. Instead, they possibly cost themselves a play.

Cowher said they did not throw into the end zone because the Ravens stationed everybody back there. "They were in a single-high situation where they had everybody back with some help over the top. We took some shots and tried to move the ball as close as possible and be smart at the same time. But, we were calling some plays and utilizing the clock."

Stewart has looked over the field more in the past two games rather than locking his eyes on his receiver, an improvement in reading defenses that Cowher said has part to do with Tom Clements' coaching and part with Stewart becoming more comfortable with this offense.

"Kordell has done a good job," Cowher said. "He has done a very good job with his eyes more than anything in the last few weeks of not staring things down. I think he is becoming more confident and more comfortable with what we are doing. He is making good decisions."

Cowher said Stewart read the free safety better Sunday against Baltimore.

"When you play safety like Rod Woodson, the best thing you can do is when he is looking at you, that you look at him," Cowher said. "That tells him very little. You just keep looking at him, and, if he is looking at you, that is good."

Cowher wasn't surprised Stewart was among the first to comfort Brown after his final missed field goal. "I think Kordell has a great perspective of things right now. He has been there. He has matured tremendously." Cowher was then asked if Stewart could have done that two or three seasons ago. "I was hoping someone would initiate it with him."

OT Wayne Gandy, who said Monday he will play against the Browns Sunday in Cleveland, will be listed as questionable today because of the strained hamstring that kept him out of the game last week. RB Amos Zereoue, who also missed the game with a separated shoulder, will be listed as questionable as will CB Jason Simmons (hamstring). . . . Four players will be listed as probable: RB Jerome Bettis, who has a sore wrist that was injured when he broke a fall Sunday, WR Plaxico Burress (shoulder), LB John Fiala (groin) and PR Hank Poteat (foot).

Cowher has not been happy with his kickoff-return team, which ranks last in the NFL. "Our kickoff return has been the most disturbing element of our special teams. ... It seems like when the front line breaks down and the wedge is good, we have not gotten some great kicks at times. It just seems like we had the least amount of attempts at this point, but certainly we have to be better in that phase." Last season, it was the kickoff-coverage team that played poorly, which hasn't been the case this season.

Cowher, on how WR Troy Edwards can overcome his drops: "Just catch them."

Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Foge Fazio has noticed that the Steelers' defense ranks first in the NFL and has allowed the fewest points. He knows Steelers defensive coordinator Tim Lewis too well to be surprised. Lewis played for him at Pitt in the early 1980s. "When Tim got the coordinator's job, we talked for a long time about the approach to take. He's just been excellent. He's got a presence about him. The players respect him. They respond to him. He's definitely going to be a head coach in the NFL."