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Thursday, January 02, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. Sunday, Heinz Field. TV: KDKA. Radio: WBGG-AM (970), WDVE-FM (102.5), Steelers Radio Network.

RB Jerome Bettis practiced yesterday for the first time on a Wednesday in a while, and Coach Bill Cowher pronounced his stable of running backs in good shape for Sunday's playoff game against Cleveland. "He looks good. It's good to have a fresh corps back there with all three of those guys." Bettis sat out the season finale while Amos Zereoue ran for 104 yards and Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala 49 on eight carries Sunday against Baltimore. "It was good to get [Bettis] that week off and Amos the work he got and Fu some work," Cowher said. "We're going to need all three of those guys."

While Bettis ran on New Year's Day, two other starters did not practice. LB Kendrell Bell (ankle) and CB Chad Scott (hand) are "day to day," according to Cowher. Scott did some running yesterday. Larry Foote will start if Bell cannot play and Mike Jones will back up both inside linebacker spots. At least one Cleveland player did not hide his delight that Bell might not play. "That'd be good," right OT Ryan Tucker said. "Bell's one hell of a player. If he's not out there that's great. If he is we still have to go do the same things. But obviously it's an advantage if he's not out there." The Browns put just one player on their injury list -- quarterback Tim Couch is out with a broken leg.

Players from both teams spoke in nothing but glowing terms about each other publicly, but former Steelers LB Earl Holmes, the starter in the middle for the Browns, was busy needling his old teammates on the telephone. Holmes left voice-mail messages with many of the Steelers this week. "He left me a message," WR Hines Ward said, grinning. "I can't tell you what he said. I can't say it on TV, let's put it that way." Flowers called, among others, Bettis, Lee Flowers and Plaxico Burress. "He just says little things, 'Y'all ain't going to beat us three times,' stuff like that," Ward said. "That's how Earl is. But he's a great guy, he's a great football player."

Cowher said it won't be a distraction to have offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey interview Saturday for the head coaching position with the Cincinnati Bengals. "Having been there myself, if anything it's motivating. If anyone knows they're being looked upon to be a potential head coach, the last thing you want to do is go out there and have a poor performance. I always thought it was motivating. It's not a distraction." Cowher was defensive coordinator in Kansas City and a candidate for the Steelers job when the Chiefs played a playoff game at Buffalo after the 1991 season. Buffalo won, 37-14, and Cowher was hired within two weeks by the Steelers. "We didn't play good in that Buffalo game," Cowher said, "but it wasn't because of that, trust me."

Two Steelers received some honors yesterday when rookie K Jeff Reed was named AFC special teams player of the month and LB Jason Gildon earned AFC defensive player of the month.

Reed started the month six for six on field goal tries at Jacksonville and made 14 of 15 in December. Gildon had 5.5 of his nine sacks the past month. "The awards are great," Reed said, "but I'm not here to get awards, I'm here to help this team win."

Reed chuckled over Browns kicker Phil Dawson's remark this week that he will prepare to kick in Heinz Field by practicing in a cow pasture. "I'll never use the field as an excuse, because I can kick here," Reed said. "I've shown I can kick here. Whether it's slick or not, you just have to go out there and your mind-set is, I have to make every kick I get because I don't get many opportunities."

Sunday likely will be the last time QB Kordell Stewart pulls on a Steelers uniform in Heinz Field. Although he has one year (at $6.3 million) left on his contract, the Steelers have no plans to bring him back for 2003. The only way this won't be his last game at Heinz is if the Steelers win two playoff games and someone upsets Oakland. Then the AFC championship game would be played here. Stewart said he won't be thinking about that on Sunday.

"No, I won't let my emotions get caught up into it because it's a game and I have to be prepared to play, because if you let your emotions get caught up into what could happen, then it causes you to lose focus of what you need to do," he said.

He's aware, though, that he probably will not be back. "I'm a realist. Sometimes the writing on the wall is about as blatant as it could come. If it happens and I'm out of here, I love you guys and it's just time to move on. But I don't anticipate this being our last game."