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Monday, September 30, 2002

By Ed Bouchette, Dejan Kovacevic and Chuck Finder, Post-Gazette Sports Writers

Steelers vs. Saints, 1 p.m. Sunday, Louisiana Superdome. TV: KDKA. Radio: WBGG-AM (970), WDVE-FM (102.5) and the Steelers Radio Network. The Steelers haven’t played in New Orleans since 1990.

Chris Fuamatu-Ma’Afala, Steelers RB, had to leave in the fourth quarter because of a rib injury and did not return. It is not known how much, if any, time he will miss.

Corey Fuller, Browns CB, left in the third quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return. He said he “felt something pop” but wasn’t certain about the precise nature of the injury.

Daylon McCutcheon, Browns CB, left in the third quarter with a right eye injury and did not return.

The Steelers deactivated LB Kendrell Bell (ankle), LS Mike Schneck (elbow), DT Kendrick Clancy (hamstring), OT Mathias Nkwenti, G Keydrick Vincent, DE Brett Keisel and CB Chidi Iwuoma. The Browns deactivated S Chris Akins (hamstring), OL Melvin Fowler, OL Joaquin Gonzalez, WR Andre King, WR Frisman Jackson, TE Darnell Sanders and DT Mark Smith.

More than a few place-kickers have gritted their teeth when asked to discuss Heinz Field’s playing surface. But no one tore into it quite like the Browns’ Phil Dawson did. “Horrible,” he said. “Worst field I’ve ever played on. ... And I’ve played in Cincinnati.” Dawson was 2 of 3 on field-goal attempts, but his miss was costly, a 45-yard try in overtime that deflected off Steelers NT Kimo von Oelhoffen’s helmet, then clanged off the cross bar. “I heard a double-thud,” he said. “I’ve never heard a double-thud and had it go in.” Neither, he said, had he played in worse conditions. “We heard stories and rumors about it,” he said, referring to Saturday night. “But it wasn’t until we got out here in the morning that we saw how bad it was. It was terrible. It’s sandy, and there were holes everywhere. Not divots. Holes. Sometimes when we were punting, we were setting up at 13 yards instead of 15 just to stay out of one of the holes.” He pointed out that the Pitt-Toledo game Saturday must have been primarily responsible, as the weather was clear and warm all weekend. “If it’s late December you expect this, but not this early in the year.” Heinz Field staff frequently ran onto the grass to patch up holes during the game.

Von Oelhoffen pulled the helmet off the ledge of his locker-room stall and showed the mark to a questioner. There it was, to the right of the gold stripe that splits the helmet’s forehead: a smudge with detectable marks where the football’s laces brushed past. “There’s the ball,” he said, pointing to the mark. “It just came right between my arms. It was a low kick. It was on target, too. If it hadn’t hit me ...”

LB Joey Porter had one interception in his previous two seasons as a starter -- at Tennessee in 2000. He has three in the past two games, including one yesterday that he returned 27 yards and set up a 27-yard field goal by Peterson. Porter has three interceptions for 141 yards in returns. That’s more yards than Plaxico Burress has (105) on nine receptions. Part of the reason Porter has become a pick-off artist is the fact he was moved to middle linebacker in the dime defense from right rush end. “I have to capitalize on those plays when I have the opportunity,” Porter said.

S Lee Flowers did not start the game as the Steelers opened with three cornerbacks to try to counter-attack the Browns three wide receivers. Deshea Townsend started instead and the two players frequently replaced each other in the base defense. “We run a couple of different things when they put three wide receivers on first down,” S Brent Alexander said. “We’re trying to use our base package and teams were spreading us out and trying to get us out of the three-four. What it’s doing is allowing us to run the 3-4 and give them a couple of different looks.” Something worked because after New England and Oakland averaged 403.4 yards passing against them, Cleveland managed only 122 net yards passing. Tim Couch had a passer rating of 40.0 as he completed 16 of 29 for 144 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions (the other by Chad Scott). Couch also was sacked three times, with Aaron Smith and Flowers getting their first and Clark Haggans and Kimo von Oelhoffen sharing the other. “We were real solid today,” Alexander said.

No one’s hotter after three games than WR Hines Ward. He led the Steelers again yesterday with nine receptions for 104 yards. That pushed his total to 24 catches after three games or a pace of 128 for the season. He set the team record last year with 94 catches. “Of course, we wanted to go out and run the ball,” Ward said, “but today we fell behind and went to our passing game.”

Dan O’Leary had a trying day in his debut as the Steelers’ long snapper. substituting for Schneck. For one, he is a native Clevelander, so “I believe I knew half the people in the stands. There was a little bit of pressure.” Also, he last snapped in a game more than four weeks ago, in preseason play. He got through the first four punts and two field-goal attempts without a hitch. Then came a Josh Miller punt with three minutes left in the third quarter. Browns LB Kevin Bentley blew through an opening at O’Leary’s left shoulder and blocked Miller’s punt, which was downed at the Steelers’ 41 and soon after turned into the Browns’ only touchdown. “They brought one-fourth of the team on me,” O’Leary joked later. Kevin Spencer, the Steelers’ special teams coach, told O’Leary he was not to blame. “Six-man protection,” O’Leary said. “It was a fluke. I think there was just a breakdown in protection. We were trying to figure it out on the sideline.” In the end, an O’Leary snap lead to the winning points. “I knew it was going to come down to a field goal. I was ready. Afterward, everybody came up to me and said it wasn’t going to get any tougher than this. I hope not.”

Todd Peterson, Steelers K, after recovering his own blocked field-goal attempt in overtime, trying to run with it and gaining 3 yards before fumbling. “As you know, I have faith, but I don’t know that I thought I was going to score.”

Steelers WR Hines Ward had nine catches, giving him 242 for his career and moving him into seventh on the Steelers’ all-time list. His 104 yards were a season high.

The Steelers and Browns had their 100th meeting, and Cleveland maintains a 54-46 edge. The Browns have been less fortunate in Pittsburgh, going 5-25 in their past 30 trips dating to 1970.

The victory was Steelers Coach Bill Cowher’s 100th. He is one of three active NFL coaches to hit that milestone.

LB Clark Haggans, filling in for injured Kendrell Bell, had a sack yesterday to give him three for the season.

After committing 10 turnovers in their first two games, the Steelers had two yesterday, both on interceptions. They also had three fumbles but recovered each time.

P Josh Miller’s 62-yard punt in the third quarter was his longest of the season.

Before the game, the Steelers asked the crowd to observe a moment of silence for Hall of Fame C Mike Webster, who died Tuesday. His son, Garrett, a lineman for Moon High School’s football team, was on the field for the ceremony and waved to the fans when it was done. He and other family members were greeted by Coach Bill Cowher and other Steelers in the team’s locker room after the game.