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Monday, November 26, 2001

Compiled by Ed Bouchette and Dejan Kovacevic

Steelers (8-2) vs. Minnesota Vikings (4-5 before last night), 1 p.m. Sunday, Heinz Field. TV, radio: WPGH; WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970). The Steelers haven't faced the Vikings since a 44-24 loss Sept. 24, 1995, at Three Rivers Stadium. They won their only other meeting with an NFC team this season, beating the Buccaneers, 17-10, Oct. 21 in Tampa.

Marvel Smith, Steelers OT, left in the first series because of a sprained left knee and did not return.

Casey Hampton, Steelers NT, left in the fourth quarter because of an abdominal injury and did not return.

Jevon Kearse, Titans DE, did not play in the second half because of back spasms.

The Steelers deactivated TE Mark Bruener (shoulder), G Rich Tylski ( ankle), CB Jason Simmons (hamstring), C Chukky Okobi, OT Mathias Nkwenti, LB Justin Kurpeikis, DE Chris Combs and DT Chris Hoke. TE Jerame Tuman started in place of Bruener, G Oliver Ross in place of Tylski on the right side. Ross was moved to right tackle on the first series when OT Marvel Smith was injured, and G Keydrick Vincent made his first NFL appearance in Ross' place. The Titans played without WR Chris Sanders (back), WR Justin McCareins (ankle), TE Shad Meier (hand), OT Brad Hopkins (hand), FS Blaine Bishop (foot, hand), OT Barry Hall, DE Juqua Thomas. OT Jason Mathews started in place of Hopkins, FS Perry Phenix in place of Bishop.

The way Kordell Stewart is going, could the Pro Bowl be around the corner? He ran his streak to 155 passes without an interception and accounted for three touchdowns. He threw for two touchdowns, compiled a 108.8 passer rating and ran eight times for 54 yards, including a 48-yard score. The Steelers' record the past two seasons with Stewart as their starter is 15-6. He just missed having two receivers with 100-yard games yesterday. Plaxico Burress caught eight passes for 114 yards and Hines Ward had seven for 99. "The quarterback is playing with confidence," Coach Bill Cowher said. "Those guys are making some plays and that's what it's all about. The quarterback is trusting it and guys are making plays down the field. That's what those guys are out there to do." Said Ward: "Kordell's throwing the ball before we get out of our breaks, throwing it up and letting me and Plaxico go make plays."

Every week, S Lee Flowers finds another morsel of what he calls disrespect for his team and uses it in the locker room. Early in the season, he raged that players from Buffalo and Tampa Bay walked through the Steelers' warmups. The past week, he found inspiration in the odds on the game. The Titans were favored to beat the Steelers by two points. Said Flowers: "It's getting redundant to keep using the word 'respect.' I don't know how you can beat a team, 34-7, and you're still an underdog. We had something to prove today. We saw the [betting] line on Sunday night and some of the guys were upset, and that's what we preached all week."

Josh Miller had a punt deflected in the second quarter that carried 26 yards. It was the fourth Steelers kick -- three punts and a field goal try -- this season that has been deflected or disrupted by a pass rush.

RB Jerome Bettis fumbled for the second time this season, and, for the second time, did not lose the ball. He recovered it himself. He has not lost a fumble in his past 733 carries, dating to Oct. 25, 1999, when he lost one against Atlanta in Three Rivers Stadium.

The Steelers' No. 1 ranking on total defense in yards allowed (228.0) and points allowed (10.8) took a beating as the Titans piled up 405 yards in offense and 24 points, the most they have allowed this season. "I don't care if we give up 70 points," LB Jason Gildon said. "A win's a win. They didn't have 100 yards rushing, and we won. We gave up 24 points and we still won."

Titans Coach Jeff Fisher minced no words when asked how Burress was able to break free in the middle of the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown catch with 15 seconds left in the second quarter. He pointed to CB Samari Rolle. "It was not playing the right technique," Fisher said. "We put our Pro Bowl corner on a good receiver, and he didn't make the play. He didn't make many plays today. He needs to buckle down and play." Rolle explained that he was fooled by the Steelers' history of trying a fade pattern with Burress in the end zone: "I just guessed wrong. Every time we watched them in the red zone on film, they ran the fade there. He's 6 feet 5, so I just figured they were going to do it again. ... People say they can't throw the ball, but they keep doing it against us." Rolle was asked if the Titans' defense made the Steelers' receivers look good. "Could be that it was us, but I don't think we can say anything bad about them because of the way they played against us in both games this year."

Two years ago, the Titans were in the Super Bowl. Last season, they were AFC Central Division champions. Now, they're 4-6 and looking very much like a team that won't be in the playoffs. "We're not going to quit," QB Steve McNair said. "We're a team of destiny. We've still got a lot of things to prove. We've still got to go out and finish this season strong. We're going to keep fighting. And this team knows how to fight."

WR Hines Ward set career highs by reaching 66 catches and 694 yards for the season. His previous bests were 61 and 672.

WR Plaxico Burress topped his single-game high by making eight receptions. His previous best was six in the Oct. 29 meeting with the Titans at Heinz Field.

The Steelers had two sacks, by DE Aaron Smith and FS Mike Logan, but snapped their six-game string of recording three or more sacks. They have 41, two more than they had all of last season.

RB Jerome Bettis rushed 21 times for 73 yards, leaving him 9 shy of his eighth career 1,000-yard season. He hasn't had a 100-yard game in his past 10 meetings with the Titans.

After ending an 0-for-10 touchdown funk inside the 20-yard line last week, the Steelers produced two touchdowns and two field goals in four trips inside the 20 yesterday.

The Steelers are 8-2 for the first time since they started the 1983 season 9-2 under Chuck Noll.

In his past 16 games, QB Kordell Stewart has thrown 14 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.

The Steelers swept Tennessee for the first time since 1995 by outscoring them, 68-31.

The Steelers' three touchdowns yesterday were the second-most they have scored on offense this season. They scored four against Tennessee on Oct. 29.

Kevin Dyson, Titans WR: "We were able to pass the ball on the Steelers. But even if you pass for 10,000 yards in a game, it doesn't make a hill of beans if you don't win."

Titans Coach Jeff Fisher was in no mood to discuss strategy when asked how his defense allowed Steelers RB Amos Zereoue to squirt loose for a 25-yard touchdown off a screen pass in the third quarter.

"I mean, did anybody in the stadium think it wasn't going to be a screen on third-and-18?" Fisher asked. "You've got to make the tackle. We have four guys laying on the ground. We didn't make the tackle."

The Steelers' Bill Cowher, as one might guess, viewed the play a bit differently. "Amos came in and gave us a big play on third down."