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Wednesday, January 01, 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.

The news on the ankle injury to Kendrell Bell wasn't as rosey as Steelers Coach Bill Cowher first thought. Bell will be listed as questionable after his left ankle, twice previously sprained, was injured again Sunday against Baltimore. After the injury, Bell's ankle was X-rayed and no breaks were found. Cowher then said he should be OK for the first-round playoff game, but Bell's ankle did not respond well during the past two days and Cowher acknowledged that it was worse.

CB Chad Scott, held out of the past game because of a broken right hand, also is listed as questionable. Cowher said Scott will have a minimal cast on the hand that should not restrict him too much. "He's going to run around [today] and hopefully try to practice Thursday," Cowher said, "but it's a very small, uninhibited cast on his thumb. He'll be able to see his thumb and it won't be too limiting on his wrist."

The only other players on the Steelers' injury list were RB Jerome Bettis (knee) and LB James Farrior (shoulder), both as probable.

While it has been assumed that Bettis will start at halfback Sunday, Cowher would not publicly commit to that or anything else about his three backs, including Amos Zereoue and Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala. " We'll see how they do. We'll see how Jerome is by the end of the week. We'll use them both. [Zereoue's] running the ball very well, so I'm not going to sit in here and say how I'm going to use them, but I will say all three will be utilized."

LB Earl Holmes, who left the Steelers as a free agent after last season when they did not offer him the kind of contract he wanted, said he would enjoy coming back and knocking them out of the playoffs in the first round. "You know what that would mean to me," he told writers here in a conference call yesterday. Holmes, who led the Steelers in tackles the past three seasons, led the Browns in tackles as their starting middle linebacker in a 4-3 defense. They included two game-saving tackles at the 1, most recently Sunday when he stopped Warrick Dunn of Atlanta.

FB Dan Kreider, primarily a blocking back, has become more involved in touching the ball on offense recently. Of his 18 receptions, 13 have come in the past six games, not counting one he bobbled Sunday against Baltimore that wound up being an interception. Of his six rushing attempts, four have come in the past four games.

Browns Quote I: PK Phil Dawson, who ripped the Heinz Field grass as the worst in the league when the Browns played there Sept. 29, was asked by Cleveland writers how he would prepare to kick on it again. Said Dawson: "I'm just going to get on I-71 and find some good pasture land and kick with the cows and I'll be ready for Sunday."

Browns Quote II: DL Gerard Warren: "I feel one of these two teams will win the Super Bowl. Because I know we're determined and I know the Steelers are still hungry. I can see it in their eyes. It's going to be a high intensity game, a high energy level game and will pretty much give us an indication of how the playoffs will run in the AFC."