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Monday, October 14, 2002

By Ed Bouchette and Bob Smizik, Post-Gazette Sports Writers

Steelers vs. Colts, 9 p.m. Oct. 21, Heinz Field. TV: WTAE. Radio: WBGG-AM (970), WDVE-FM (102.5) and the Steelers Radio Network. The Steelers make their second of three appearances on "Monday Night Football" this season.

WR Hines Ward has a list taped to the inside of his locker at the Steelers' UPMC training center. It's a copy of the Steelers' career receiving leaders. On it, Ward ranked No. 11 before the season. Yesterday, he shot up to No. 6, passing Charles Johnson after his four catches gave him 33 for the season and 251 for his career. "That's a big accomplishment," Ward said. "That was one of my goals. I think 330 is second. That's a goal I think I can achieve next year." Second actually belongs to Louis Lipps at 358. Lynn Swann caught 336 and Elbie Nickel 329. Next up for Ward would be Franco Harris with 306 and with the pace he's on, that could tumble this season. John Stallworth is the Steelers' career leader with 537 receptions. "Just considering all the great guys who have been here and being up there among the list is a big honor for me," Ward said. "I want to have my name listed among the greatest Pittsburgh Steelers receivers."

Except for the 2 minutes and 54 seconds they led Oakland, 7-3, the Steelers had not had a lead in a game this season. They beat Cleveland on Todd Peterson's kick in overtime, their only lead of that game. Yesterday, they scored on their first series and never trailed. "You don't understand how much breathing room that is when you have a lead," S Lee Flowers said. "It certainly felt good to get off to a fast start," Coach Bill Cowher said. "For the first time, we were able to have the lead, and I thought that we played well."

With 149 yards receiving, Plaxico Burress nearly matched his first four-game total of 164 yards. His eight catches tied his career high. He went deep on the second play of the game and caught a 36-yard pass from Tommy Maddox. Cowher said the play was scripted before the game. Burress said it was just a good read. "Tommy just goes out there and makes a read, that's all he does," Burress said. "Coaches didn't call anything different, we're not doing anything different. He's just going off what he sees from the defense." Burress said hitting a big play right off the bat "kind of gets everybody going a little bit. After that, you just keep gashing and keep gashing. For us, it was a big thing about staying focused."

RB Jerome Bettis had his first 100-yard game of the season and the 52nd of his 10-year career. After getting off to the slowest three-game start of his career with 100 yards, Bettis has 193 in his past two games. "It's just good to get a 100-yard game again," said Bettis, who previously did it when he ran for 163 last Nov. 11 at Cleveland. "It's tough sometimes. Last week, you play a great game but it doesn't show up on the stat sheet, but it was good to get one in and get the confidence we need."

The Steelers blew a chance to score a touchdown at the end of the first half when they mismanaged the clock. They twice had to use timeouts when they could not get a play called in, the final one after a screen pass to Ward that went to the Bengals' 14, setting up a third down. The confused Steelers allowed the clock to tick down before Maddox finally called timeout with eight seconds left. They sent Peterson in to try a field goal, but he yanked a 32-yarder wide left.

CB Deshea Townsend and CB Chad Scott flip-flopped positions in the dime defense, lining up as they did last season. Townsend was in the slot and Scott was on the outside corner. They had switched those jobs through the early part of this season.

Cowher gave his players off today. They return to work Wednesday to prepare for next Monday night's game at home against Indianapolis.

The Bengals were heralding the three-game starting streak that QB Jon Kitna brought into the game. In his three most recent starts, the final two games of last season and last week, Kitna had averaged 31 completions for 318 yards. He had no such success against the Steelers -- 23 completions for 222 yards, three interceptions and no touchdowns -- and acknowledged as much. "I've been playing football since the fifth grade and I don't think I've played a game as poorly as I played today or been more disappointed in myself as I am today," he said. "I feel like I let our coaches down and I feel like I let our fans down. I've very disappointed in myself."

Bengals CB Artrell Hawkins, a Johnstown native, was asked if the loss, which dropped Cincinnati to 0-6, was an all-time low. "I don't think it can get much lower," he said. "Collectively, I think this is as low as I can remember it being."

WR Antwaan Randle El's 99-yard kickoff return was the second-longest in Steelers history. Don McCall had a 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown Nov. 23, 1969, at Minnesota. The previous kickoff return for a score by the Steelers came in San Diego on Christmas Eve 2000, when Will Blackwell ran one back 98 yards. It was also the first NFL touchdown scored by Randle El, who added a reverse that picked up 24 yards and caught a pass for 25 yards.

DE Rodney Bailey had his first 2 1/2 sacks of the season. A second-year pro playing in the dime defense, Bailey had just two tackles through the first four games.

S Lee Flowers' two interceptions matched his career total. An eighth-year pro, he previously intercepted a pass in 2000.

QB Tommy Maddox had a 71.4 passer rating -- the lowest of the season against the Bengals. Peyton Manning's 88.4 for the Colts was the low before that.

Takeo Spikes, Bengals LB, on the plight of his team: "We'll see what we have to do to come together collectively as a team. Until that happens, the bleeding is going to continue to pour right on out. I mean, 0-6? You don't become 0-6 by accident. I know we're not that bad of a team, regardless of what people say about us from West Coast to East Coast. We're not that bad of a team. But I can't continue to go out and say that. We're 0-6 right now. I don't have anything to back that up."

With the Bengals off to an 0-6 start, and coming off a 6-10 season, Coach Dick LeBeau was asked if he expected owner Mike Brown to ask for his resignation in the immediate future. "That's something I don't have to worry about," LeBeau said. "He either will or he won't. That question will be answered for me." QB Jon Kitna offered support for LeBeau, who was a Steelers assistant for six years in the 1990s. "I hope he's back. I'm a big Coach LeBeau supporter. He was one of the reasons I came here. It's hard on him. This hasn't been easy on anyone."