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Tuesday, November 12, 2002

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Steelers vs. Titans, 1 p.m. Sunday, Coliseum, Nashville, Tenn. TV: KDKA. Radio: WBGG-AM (970), WDVE-FM (102.5), Steelers Radio Network.

While no decision was rendered in the game Sunday between the Steelers and Falcons, one thing was made clear -- neither team likely will have to worry about playoff tiebreakers this season. The NFL has a system to break ties for playoff berths and seeds. With the only tie game in the past five years, it's unlikely the Steelers in the AFC or Atlanta in the NFC will finish with the same record as another team in their conference. That might disappoint those who would want to figure out playoff scenarios for the Falcons and Steelers. The previous NFL game that ended in a tie occurred in 1997 and it wound up knocking the Washington Redskins out of the playoffs. They tied the New York Giants, 7-7, and finished with an 8-7-1 record when 9-7 would have earned the Redskins a wild-card playoff berth.

QB Tommy Maddox shot to the top of the AFC with a 97.9 passer rating, which is third in the NFL. Marc Bulger, a Central Catholic graduate who played at West Virginia University, leads the league with a 107.4 passer rating. Maddox leads the NFL with a 7.3 percent touchdown-pass ratio and leads the AFC with an average gain of 8.15 yards per pass.

One Steelers player is tied for second in the AFC with three fumble recoveries. Joey Porter? Chad Scott? Kimo von Oelhoffen? No. Maddox.

Another game like Sunday and WR Plaxico Burress will top 1,000 yards. He has 769 yards to lead the team (fourth in the AFC) on 45 catches. That's 21 fewer catches and 23 more yards than Hines Ward, who ranks second in the AFC with 66 receptions.

Rookie Antwaan Randle El ranks third on the team with 109 yards rushing. He's the only wide receiver in the league with at least 100 yards rushing. Randle El's 36-yard pass reception in the first quarter was his longest.

LB Joey Porter remains tied for the AFC lead in sacks with seven and in interceptions with four.

TE Jerame Tuman's 18-yard touchdown catch was the second of his career but the first from a quarterback. He caught one last season from RB Jerome Bettis.

Joey Porter, on why the Falcons were able to overcome a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter: "I can't really put my thumb on it."

Steelers President Dan Rooney did not remember much about the Steelers previous tie, 35-35 in Denver in 1974, but he remembers what he didn't like. "I wasn't thrilled, you can say, in both games. But we went to the Super Bowl. It's a great omen."

Partly because of poor punt coverage, Josh Miller is tied for the lowest net average in the AFC at 32.3 yards. However, he ranks sixth in gross with a 43.3 average.