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Defense singing the blues about big plays

Monday, October 07, 2002

By Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

NEW ORLEANS -- In a span of three embarrassing hours yesterday, the Steelers’ defense discovered what millions of tourists knew.

It’s very easy to stagger and stumble along Bourbon Street.

The Big Nasty D?

More like the Big Easy D.

“We lost this game defensively, and we need to realize that and we need to take the blame for that,” Steelers safety Lee Flowers said.

	Cornerback Dewayne Washington can't catch the Saints' Deuce McAllister, who scores on a 52-yard run in the third quarter yesterday. (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette)

One week after stopping the spread offense and applying a little salve to their wounded defense, the Steelers found nobody but themselves to blame for their 32-29 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

And there are plenty of people to blame.

“I should have made the tackle,” Flowers said.

“I tried to relax to catch him and I ended up losing my composure,” said cornerback Dewayne Washington.

Those concessions were being made about the same play -- a 52-yard touchdown run by Saints running back Deuce McAllister in the third quarter.

On a day of big plays, that was the one most responsible for the Steelers not being able to catch the Saints. In a game in which McAllister rushed for 123 yards, that was the run that exposed why the Steelers miss Kendrell Bell and why they need someone -- something -- to return the nasty attitude to their once-proud defense.

“There were too many big plays,” Coach Bill Cowher said. “Right now, just looking at the game, big plays stand out in my mind.”

Cowher would have to go to Broadway to see more big plays. Cornerback Chad Scott gave up one in the second quarter -- a 64-yard pass to wide receiver Jerome Pathon that set up McAllister’s 1-yard dive and gave the Saints a 19-7 lead.

The impact of that play was nothing compared to the seismograhpic reading produced by McAllister’s sprint down the right sideline in the third quarter.

Not only did it come four plays into the third quarter; it came at a time when the Steelers had a notion they might actually go and do something foolish. Like take a lead.

“You can’t keep buying yourself out of holes,” Cowher said.

“Every time we feel like we can get back in it, it felt like they were scoring on every play,” said linebacker Joey Porter.

“It wasn’t so much that run; it’s all the big plays,” Flowers said. “It’s so uncharacteristic for us. It’s the first game I can remember where we had so many passes or runs over 50 yards.”

Actually, there were only two against the Saints. Perhaps Flowers can still see Oakland’s Charlie Garner running 36 yards for a touchdown against the Steelers. Or remembering Cleveland’s Jamel White running for 54 yards last week against the Steelers’ defense.

Flowers, though, will remember this run because he thinks he should have tackled McAllister near the line of scrimmage.

“I think I had a chance to get him and I just didn’t get there in time,” Flowers said. “I should have made the tackle. I think I was in position to make it, I was running downhill, but at the same time I should have taken one more step. Maybe I’m not giving him credit. I think I just made a sorry play there.”

Flowers, though, is not alone. The biggest culprit was rookie inside linebacker Larry Foote, who left his gap and charged toward the right side of the defensive line when McAllister took the handoff. That, though, was one of the things the Steelers wanted to avoid against McAllister, especially on misdirection plays.

When Foote went to his right, McAllister veered toward the opening on the right side and was into the secondary. It was there he avoided Flowers.

Shortly thereafter, Foote was replaced by John Fiala, who finished the game at the “mack” linebacker position.

“When you make a mistake and someone’s out of position, that’s what happens,” said inside linebacker James Farrior. “We didn’t have good contain. He found the hole and he hit it.”

Washington tried to catch McAllister from the middle of the field, and almost did. But, when he got near the 5-yard line, Washington could only try to reach McAllister with his right hand.

“I knew he had some speed,” Washington said. “But I thought I would catch him.”

“Once he gets in the open field he’s hard to catch,” said Saints Coach Jim Haslett, a former Steelers defensive coordinator.

It was enough to drive the Steelers to drink.