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Friday, October 18, 2002

By Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The Carolina Panthers lead the National Football League with 25 sacks. Of those, 21 have come from their defensive line.

	Clark Hagans sacks Oakland QB Rich Gannon, one of his 31/2 this season. (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette)

The Indianapolis Colts, who come to Heinz Field Monday night to face the Steelers, get 80 percent of their sacks (8 of 10) from their defensive line.

Not the Steelers. They play a 3-4 defense, and the majority of their sacks are designed to come from outside linebackers Jason Gildon and Joey Porter.

Gildon, though, has just one sack in five games. So does defensive end Aaron Smith, who plays next to Gildon on the left side of the defense. Both were signed to lucrative contract extensions in the off-season; both have been targeted by the opposing team to slow at all cost.

"It's one of those things that goes with having some success," said Gildon, a two-time Pro Bowl selection who has registered 25 1/2 sacks the past two seasons. "People are going to account for that, try to do what they feel will take away that ability of having success."

Nonetheless, the Steelers have 17 1/2 sacks in five games -- third in the American Football Conference -- and are on pace to break the club-record 55 they had last season.

That's because they have been getting production from other areas, most notably, the right side of the defense.

Porter, the right outside linebacker, is tied for the AFC lead with six sacks. Outside linebacker Clark Haggans, who plays as the right rush end in the dime defense when Porter moves to the middle, has 3 1/2. And defensive end Rodney Bailey, who comes into the game in pass situations, has 2 1/2 -- all in the 34-7 victory Sunday in Cincinnati.

Throw in two sacks from defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen, and that's 14 sacks from the right side of the 3-4 defense.

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"I guarantee we're definitely accounted for a lot more than last year," said Smith, who had eight sacks in 2001, the most among the team's defensive linemen. "I ain't coming free too often anymore."

Smith came free once -- he was not blocked when he registered his only sack against the Cleveland Browns. Otherwise, he and Gildon have spent most of the first five games receiving more attention than a Britney Spears video.

After combining for 20 sacks last season and 37 1/2 the past two, Gildon and Smith have accounted for just two sacks in five games. Gildon, in particular, keeps finding other players assigned to him, usually a tight end or running back. If he beats the right tackle, one of those players is usually there to "chip" him just enough to keep him from getting to the quarterback.

"We just haven't had the opportunity," Smith said. "A lot of times we've had [Gildon] dropping, and I just haven't had the opportunity to get there. It seems when I do get there, balls are just getting out of [the quarterback's] hands. It seems to me they're not holding the ball the way they used to. It's just about opportunities."

"It can get frustrating at times, but it's not as frustrating as sitting here at 2-3," Gildon said. "You feel you're definitely better than a 2-3 team. But it's one of those deals that comes with the season.

"It's all going to play out. The other guys are coming in and picking up the slack and having success. I feel it will all play out at the end."

That's why defensive coordinator Tim Lewis has been looking for players to pick up the slack. Factor in the absence of inside linebacker Kendrell Bell, who had nine sacks in 2001, and the defense has needed to find a new power source.

Haggans, a converted defensive end, has been a pleasant surprise as Bell's replacement in the dime defense. And Bailey, after an impassioned talk with Lewis, sacked Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna three times in Paul Brown Stadium, sharing one with Haggans.

"We talked," said Bailey, a sixth-round pick in 2001. "And I got the message loud and clear."

"I made it very aware that I needed to see him play better," Lewis said. "He did what he did last year, which is why he made this team. He showed a good knack for the pass rush, he showed a good feel for the quarterback, where he was, how to beat people, using his size, speed and quickness to make plays.

"He's a very powerful kid and he's very agile. He's got a nice hump move, he's got a nice spin move and he can bull-rush. He's got the tools to win."

Bailey likely bought himself more playing time with his performance against the Bengals. It might be necessary, too, especially if opposing teams keep managing to blanket Gildon and Smith.

"The only thing I can do is what I did," Bailey said. "If it's one play or 20 plays, just play each play individually and play it as hard as I can. That's all I can ask for."

That, and maybe a couple more sacks.