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Monday, January 06, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Dejan Kovacevic and Chuck Finder, Post-Gazette Sports Writers

Steelers (11-5-1) vs. Tennessee Titans (11-5), 4:30 p.m. Saturday, The Coliseum, Nashville, Tenn. TV: KDKA. Radio: WBGG-AM (970), WDVE-FM (102.5), Steelers Radio Network.

Kendrell Bell, Steelers LB, left in the fourth quarter because of his nagging left ankle injury and did not return.

Mike Logan, Steelers FS, left in the third quarter because of a hyperextended knee and did not return.

Chidi Iwuoma, Steelers CB, left in the second quarter because of a right knee injury and did not return.

Kendall Simmons, Steelers G, left in the third quarter because of a 10-stitch cut to his right thumb and did not return.

Kimo von Oelhoffen, Steelers DT, left Heinz Field with a protective boot on his injured foot.

Hines Ward, Steelers WR, had a wrap around a new injury to his right thigh.

The Steelers deactivated CB Chad Scott (hand), OT Mathias Nkwenti, TE John Allred, LB Justin Kurpeikis, DT Chris Hoke and DT Kendrick Clancy. CB Deshea Townsend started in place of Scott. The Browns deactivated QB Tim Couch (leg), RB R.J. Bowers, C Melvin Fowler, G Chad Beasley, WR Frisman Jackson and FS Devin Bush.

Amos Zereoue got the call at halfback yesterday over Jerome Bettis, and Bettis said he was neither surprised nor disappointed. Coach Bill Cowher told the two of them early in the week and then kept it quiet. “We talked about it,” Bettis said. “I totally understood. I wasn’t healthy and Amos was running well, so you have to go with the hot hand.” Zereoue ran 13 times for 73 yards. Bettis had one carry for minus-2.

Browns QB Kelly Holcomb, starting for the first time since Sept. 15 after Couch’s leg was broken last week, was good enough in relief that he was breaking records. He completed 26 of 43 passes for 429 yards, the third-most in NFL playoff history. The most was Bernie Kosar’s 489 in against the Bills. Next was 433 by the Chargers’ Dan Fouts in 1981 against the Dolphins. Still, Holcomb blamed himself for the loss, pointing to a third-quarter interception he threw to Steelers FS Mike Logan with Cleveland ahead, 24-7. The pass was intended for WR Dennis Northcutt. “If I don’t throw the interception right there, it could have been a different outcome,” Holcomb said. “I just made a bad read. I should have hit Dennis on the inside.” Coach Butch Davis praised Holcomb: “I thought Kelly played extremely well. He played confidently and was poised. He made some unbelievable plays. The game plan through the course of the week was that they were going to make a determined effort to stop William Green. Kelly did a good job of taking advantage of that.” Green, the Browns’ running back, was robustly ineffective, rushing 25 times for 30 yards, almost all of that on one 23-yard run.

While Holcomb was setting records, the Steelers nearly set another by shutting down the Browns on the ground. Cleveland managed 38 yards rushing on 28 carries. That is seventh-fewest in postseason history for the Steelers. “We just play well against the run,” NT Casey Hampton said. “That’s our whole thing, stop the run and make the team pass the ball. Today, they hit a lot of big plays on the pass.” The Steelers held the Browns to minus-3 yards rushing in the first half.

Three times in the regular season, the Browns collapsed in the fourth quarter and lost. Steelers WR Hines Ward could hardly believe they hadn’t learned their lesson. “They found a way to lose,” Ward said. “They ought to be disgusted. They had control of the game all the way to the middle of the third quarter. You’ve got to play the full 60 minutes.” He also could hardly believe Cleveland didn’t learn its lesson after QB Tommy Maddox led a rally to a 16-13 overtime victory Sept. 29. “Cleveland should know Tommy best,” Ward said. “That’s because he’s beaten them in the spread offense. By them getting up early, maybe that hurt them a little bit, putting Tommy in the spread offense.”

Ward, who set the Steelers record with 112 catches this year, kept up his hot pace with 11 receptions for 104 yards. WR Plaxico Burress had six for 100, and WR Antwaan Randle El nearly completed a triple triple with five receptions for 85 yards. “We told our offensive line,” Ward said, “if you give Tommy time, we’re going to get open for Tommy. The receivers made plays out there.”

TE Jerame Tuman scored two touchdowns in his previous 54 NFL games, then had what amounted to a career season in one day with a touchdown and a two-point conversion catch. “Pretty close,” he said. Tuman caught three passes, his first career game with more than a single reception and a number nearly equal to his career bests: He had no receptions in each of 1999 and 2000, seven last season and four this year. Did he become the offensive focus all of the sudden? “No, not at all,” he said. His catch in the back of the end zone on the two-point conversion pass from WR Antwaan Randle El with 54 seconds left gave the Steelers their 36-33 lead. “Each week we practice a couple of two-point plays,” Tuman said. “It worked out.”

The Steelers not only had several players banged up yesterday but also still have Scott out with the broken hand. On top of that, they have one less day to get ready to play their next game. “I don’t know if it’s enough time,” Ward said of the healing process. “But trust me, everybody’s going to do what it takes to get out on the field. Do whatever we have to do. We’ve come so far. With a victory like this, I don’t think anybody will miss our next game.”

QB Tommy Maddox’s 367 yards passing set a Steelers playoff record, surpassing the 349 of Neil O’Donnell in the 1995 AFC championship game loss to the Chargers. His 30 completions were second to O’Donnell’s 32 in that same game.

Steelers WR Antwaan Randle El’s 66-yard punt return for a touchdown was a first in the franchise’s playoff history. The longest previous punt return was 58 yards by WR Will Blackwell in 1988 against the Patriots.

Browns QB Kelly Holcomb’s 83-yard pass to WR Kevin Johnson in the first quarter was the longest play from scrimmage in Cleveland’s playoff history.

The 17-point deficit the Steelers overcame to win was the largest in their playoff history. The most previously was seven in a 24-17 victory against the Broncos Dec. 30, 1984.

The Steelers are now 2-0 in the playoffs against Cleveland and have twice swept three games in one season from the Browns.

It was the first time the Steelers won this season when they trailed at halftime. They had been 0-5.

The Steelers came from behind in all three victories against the Browns this season.

Cleveland’s 33 points were the most scored against the Steelers in a playoff game since the Dolphins had 45 in the AFC championship game Jan. 6, 1985.

It was the second highest-scoring Steelers playoff game, at 69 total points, behind only the 73 in Miami’s 1985 victory, 45-28.

Hines Ward’s 11 receptions tied the team record in a playoff game. Franco Harris caught 11 against San Diego on Jan. 9, 1983.

Dennis Northcutt, Browns WR: “This is going to hurt. This burns inside. It’s going to be very hard to move on.”