Home >  Sports >  Steelers

Tuesday, November 13, 2001

Compiled by Ed Bouchette

Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5) vs. Steelers (6-2), 4:05 p.m. Sunday, Heinz Field. TV, radio: KDKA; WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970) and Steelers Radio Network. The Steelers have lost their past two meetings at home against the Jaguars.

The fine whine was still pouring out of Cleveland one day after the Browns lost consecutive overtime games. The Browns, accused of cheap shots by at least two teams this season, continued to screech at what they called cheap tactics by the Steelers and their "immature" coach.

Safety Earl Little, knocked out Sunday after a block by WR Hines Ward, complained to Cleveland writers yesterday because Ward stood over him afterward. "I can't believe what the guy did. I heard he stood over me and pointed at me. Any high school player can do that to anybody. He acted like he did something which was pretty good. He made a block."

Cornerback Corey Fuller and Steelers Coach Bill Cowher yapped at each other during the game, and Fuller continued it afterward when he sought out Cowher. The two had an extremely unfriendly, expletive-filled conversation.

"That, to me, shows a lack of maturity," Browns linebacker Jamir Miller said yesterday of Cowher. "I don't want to judge anyone, but coming from a head coach ... coming from a player ... we're all professionals here. This is a business. We have a mutual respect for each other. For someone to go off and 'F' someone on the field and do all that -- especially from a head coach ... hey that says a lot."

It does not say the end of it, though, because Cleveland plays the rematch Jan. 6 at Heinz Field.

Jerome Bettis might have passed his former Notre Dame backfield mate, Ricky Watters, to move into 12th place on the NFL's all-time rushing list. But Bettis has never won a league rushing title in his previous nine seasons. He moved a little closer this week, though,. going from third to second in rushing in the league with 866 yards, 51 behind Curtis Martin, who has 917. Martin, a former University of Pittsburgh halfback, has played in nine games with the Jets. The Steelers have played only eight, so Bettis has a game in hand. He has 866 yards at the halfway point of the season. If he matches that in the next eight games, his 1,732 yards would be a career high and move him into 10th place on the NFL career list.

The Steelers, pending an expected official decision from the Elias Sports Bureau, have changed the credit on a sack in the game Sunday against the Browns. Cleveland statisticians awarded half a sack on a play to LB Jason Gildon and DE Aaron Smith. The Steelers gave full credit for the sack to Smith. While Gildon forced Browns QB Tim Couch out of the pocket on the play, he did not touch him. Smith hit him and LB Joey Porter came in later. The adjustment gave Gildon three sacks for the game, six this season and 56 1/2 in his career. Smith has five sacks this season.

The Steelers defense still ranks No. 1 in yards allowed per game in the NFL (227.3), No. 1 in passing yards per game (149.9), No. 1 in points allowed per game (11.25), improved to No. 2 in rushing yards per game (77.4) and their 34 sacks are No. 1 in sacks per passing play.

At their current pace, they would produce 68 sacks and obliterate the 1994 team record of 55 sacks.

"It's no surprise that we're No. 1," defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen said. "But I think the biggest surprise is how we're sustaining it, how we've responded to our success."

The Steelers are way out in front in the NFL team rushing lead. Their average of 186.4 yards a game is nearly 40 yards more than the No. 2 team, San Francisco, which averages 147.9. ... Kris Brown holds a unique trifecta lead in the NFL -- he has kicked the longest field goal, 55 yards; the most field goals in a game, five; and the most misses in a game, four. ... Josh Miller is making his way back toward the top among AFC punters. He has a 44.1-yard gross average. ... The Steelers' record on the road is 4-1 with games left at Tennessee, Baltimore and Cincinnati. Their best record on the road, under Cowher, was 5-3, accomplished three times, including last season. They were 6-2 in 1983 and 7-1 in '78, the best record on the road in franchise history. ... With eight catches Sunday, Ward has 50, a 100-catch pace that would shatter the team record of 85 that Yancey Thigpen set in 1995.