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Saturday, January 11, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

LB Kendrell Bell was the only player who did not practice yesterday morning in the Steelers' final tuneup before an AFC divisional playoff game today against the Titans in Nashville, Tenn. Bell, listed as questionable with a sprained left ankle, did not practice all week. He has said he expects to play today and will take a pain-killing injection in order to do so.

Jerome Bettis was not on the injury list this week but Amos Zereoue still will start at halfback today against the Titans. Bettis, listed as probable last week, has never not started a game in which he has been healthy, but he does expect to carry the ball more than he did Sunday when he ran once for minus-2 yards. "I hope so. Let's just hope we can keep that score under control. You get up, we run the ball more. You get down, you look to throw the ball more."

Zereoue said he is ready to do anything the Steelers ask and can do anything a feature back must. He has often been knocked as too small at 5 feet 8, 207 pounds. "I always have to overcome the doubters," Zereoue said. "High school or whatever, I was never too fast, I was never too big, I wasn't the prototype 6-2, 220 back. I always had to show a little extra and it doesn't stop now. I'm always going to have to fight. I'm fighting you guys saying I can't carry the load. I just have to go out there and perform because I know my ability. I know what I can do."

Rookie Erik Totten won't be active for the game today, but it's a windfall for him anyway. Totten signed as an undrafted rookie from Western Washington and, although he was a fierce hitter in training camp, the Steelers cut the 5-9, 194-pound safety. They signed him to their practice squad two days later, cut him six weeks later, signed him back two weeks after that, signed him to the active roster and placed him back down on the practice squad after one week. When S Mike Logan went on injured reserve Monday after he had knee surgery, Totten was put back onto the active roster. On the practice squad he was making $4,000 a week, but he will earn the same amount of money this week as Plaxico Burress, Bettis, Wayne Gandy or any of the other highly paid veterans -- a $17,000 playoff check. "That's not bad," Totten said. It goes the other way for some highly paid veterans. The big paydays the veterans earn for the 17 weeks during the season end, and while $17,000 is nothing to sneeze at, it's a large drop-off for players making in the millions. For some, it's a reduction of more than a quarter of a million dollars.

"I didn't even know that until you just said so," Burress said. "It doesn't really matter. I just want to win the game."

Rookie Antwaan Randle El has played a big part in the new Steelers offense that uses the pass and gadget plays. Today, he expects the Steelers to revert to their old style, and he does not think the Titans will come out throwing either. "It's not going to be high scoring," he said. "Blood and guts. Line up, go right at each other. I think the defenses are going to take over this game. I don't think it will be a game like last week."

Can the game today turn into a track meet with each team running up and down the field, trading touchdowns at a madcap pace? The Steelers gave up 30 points in seven games, including their playoff win against Cleveland Sunday. They also are scoring almost like never before under Coach Bill Cowher. Their 388 points this season were second only to their 1995 Super Bowl team's 407, and they scored another 36 last week.

"Who would have thought we would beat Cleveland, 36-33, in a playoff game? S Lee Flowers said. "At the same time, it's a good thing. In the past if we would have given up 30 points, game over with. I think it's a positive thing that our offense is moving the ball the way they are moving it. At the same time we cannot defensively rely on them for 30 points, especially this time of year. The Tennessee defense is pretty good. We're not depending on that. Defensively, we need to step up and worry about ourselves on the field. If we do that, then everything will be fine at nine o'clock on Saturday."

Which NFL player is the most popular alumnus of the Arena Football League? It's Tommy Maddox, according to Chris McCloskey, the Arena League's vice president of communications. McCloskey reports that requests for his video footage is the hottest thing going at AFL Images. They already have fed video to HBO, ESPN, NFL Films, ABC and local stations.