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Tuesday, September 17, 2002

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Steelers vs. Browns, 1 p.m. Sept. 29, Heinz Field. TV: KDKA. Radio: WBGG-AM (970), WDVE-FM (102.5) and the Steelers Radio Network. After a bye week, the Steelers take on their archrival.

Can a linebacker whose team falls to 0-2 by losing at home, 30-17, after allowing the opposing quarterback to throw for 403 yards be named AFC Defensive Player of the Week? Joey Porter had the most productive game of his career Sunday night. He returned two interceptions, both made near the goal line, for a total of 114 yards. He had three of the Steelers' five sacks, and led his team with 11 solo tackles and 12 total. Porter had four sacks in a game against Tampa Bay Oct. 21 last season but he had only one interception in his first three seasons in the league. Porter refused to congratulate himself. "It was a good game but it really doesn't matter, especially since we're 0-2 right now," Porter said. "It's nothing I can really get happy about. If we win the game, I could say yeah it's a great game for me. But losing a game like this makes me look in the mirror at myself, what I didn't do. I missed some tackles out there myself. Everybody has to go to the drawing board to get this thing straight."

Long snapper Mike Schneck left the game early in the third quarter with a dislocated right elbow that might keep him out of action for several games. "It could be a significant injury for a while," Coach Bill Cowher said. Schneck was injured after snapping on the first punt of the third quarter. TE John Allred replaced him to snap for punts and place-kicks and did so flawlessly. Cowher said Schneck's was the only significant injury for the Steelers from the game.

WR Hines Ward, who broke the Steelers' record with 94 receptions last season, has 15 after two games. That's a pace of 120 for the season. ... Do passer ratings lie? Kordell Stewart had a better passer rating (78.2) Sunday night than Rich Gannon (76.5). ... LB Clark Haggans, who has not started, has 2 1/2 sacks after sacking Gannon twice Sunday. ... Of 176 teams that have started the season 0-2 since the NFL went to 16-game schedules in 1978, only 17 have made the playoffs. One of those was New England last season. ... Cowher said his defense blitzed "much more" against Oakland than it did against the Patriots. ... Cowher gave the players off yesterday and today.

Hines Ward on the Steelers: "We're not a great football team. People say we're Super Bowl contenders. Right now, we're not playing that way."

CB Dewayne Washington, who played well under heavy fire Sunday night, expects opponents to continue to do on offense what New England and Oakland did so well -- spread the Steelers' defense out and throw the ball. "Yeah, probably," Washington said. "This is our bye week and we need to do some running because we're going to be out on the field. We have to get off on third down, that's the whole key." Coach Bill Cowher Sunday night expressed surprise that the Raiders threw so often and did not try to run it more. "We did not expect them to come out and throw the way they did. ... I'll admit, I did not think they'd come out just winging it. I thought they would come in and try to run the football, which they've done very well." Last week, however, defensive coordinator Tim Lewis predicted the Raiders would coming out throwing after what New England did in the opener and after Cincinnati QB Jon Kitna threw 68 times -- more than any opponent -- for 411 yards in a 26-23 Bengals victory Dec. 30. "I told our guys, expect people to come out in the spread," Lewis said last week. "I think that's the formula for the year." Lewis also said, "Against us, at least, it's going to be no-huddle and spread offense. I don't think people are going to try to pound the ball down the field on our defense."