Saturday, September 13, 2003

By Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

It started last year the minute the New England Patriots took the field for the season opener and it continued in the playoffs, when Kelly Holcomb and Steve McNair combined to throw 87 passes for 767 yards and five touchdowns.

The word was out: The way to beat the Steelers was to spread the field with five receivers and throw, throw, throw against their secondary. Tom Brady threw passes on 20 consecutive plays in the season opener. Rich Gannon followed the next week with a club-record 64 passes. PennDOT wasn't the only organization using EZPass. So was the Steelers defense.

"It was something that really bothered us last year," safety Mike Logan said. "I think what happened was the element of surprise -- they got us initially and then we started to try to do things to counter what they were doing instead of doing what we were doing."

The Steelers spent a large portion of the off-season trying to correct the problem. Tomorrow, when they play in Kansas City, they should find out if their adjustments worked.

The Chiefs (1-0) have one of the top passing offenses in the National Football League, a system patterned after the St. Louis Rams that features Kurt Warner (Trent Green) and Marshall Faulk (Priest Holmes) clones. And they will use a lot of empty-set formations (no running back) featuring five receivers -- the same formation that tortured the Steelers in 2002.

"That is coming," Coach Bill Cowher said. "It is a matter of time."

"I think it will be a good test for us to see where we're at," Logan said.

"I think we will be more prepared for it than we were last year," said outside linebacker James Farrior, who plays the middle in the Steelers dime defense. "The coaches made an emphasis in the off-season and I think we'll be more ready for it. Teams won't catch us by surprise anymore."

The Steelers didn't make wholesale changes in the secondary after last season, when they ranked 20th in the league in pass defense. The only personnel change involved Logan, who replaced Lee Flowers at strong safety.

And they didn't want to change too many things, schematically, because their run defense ranked No. 1 in the NFL.

"The bottom line is, you can't over-do everything," said defensive coordinator Tim Lewis. "We spent ample amount of time on it, but I wouldn't say exorbitant."

Lewis said he emphasized technique and understanding to his secondary in the off-season, making the players there better aware of their responsibilities when teams try to spread the defense. Also, Lewis said the addition of Darren Perry as safeties coach and the return of secondary coach Willy Robinson, who left the team in December while his wife was ill, has further solidified the unit.

The Steelers will find out just how much against the Chiefs.

They held Baltimore to 152 yards passing in Sunday's 34-15 victory at Heinz Field -- the same team that passed for 336 yards and two touchdowns in last year's regular-season finale. And, the first time the Ravens tried to throw a pass to tight end Todd Heap, who had seven catches for 146 yards last year, inside linebacker Kendrell Bell intercepted and returned it 42 yards to set up a field goal.

But the Chiefs will present a more formidable task in Arrowhead Stadium, particularly when they use Holmes and tight end Tony Gonzalez as part of a five-receiver formation.

"I expect it because that's what they run in their offense, that's what they do," said Farrior, who will play in the dime while Joey Porter recuperates from a gunshot wound. "They have a lot of different formations and they do a lot of spread. I don't think they do it just because it's us. I think they do it because it's their game plan."

The Ravens could not spread the field against the Steelers because they had only three healthy wide receivers on their roster -- Travis Taylor, Marcus Robinson and Ron Johnson. But the Chiefs will use Eddie Kennison, Johnnie Morton and Dante Hall in tandem with Gonzalez and Holmes in an attempt to create a matchup problem for the Steelers.

The Chiefs had the AFC's No. 2 rushing attack last season (148.6 yards per game), and Holmes has had three 100-yard rushing games in his past four outings against the Steelers. But, unless their defense shuts down Tommy Maddox and the passing game, the Chiefs will have to throw the ball to keep up with the Steelers.

"I would imagine they would probably go to some of those sets after watching last year's film," Logan said. "They think they can attack us in different ways. We haven't made drastic, drastic changes. Of course, we still have the same personnel, basically. But I think we're more confident now and knowing that might present itself, as opposed to last year when it was kind of a surprise.

"If they do give us this challenge, it will be good for us to measure where we're at."

NOTES -- RB Jerome Bettis practiced for the first time this week and did not appear to be bothered by the groin injury that happened against the Ravens. In all likelihood, he will play against the Chiefs. "I let it hang out ... it felt pretty good," Bettis said. "I don't make that decision [to play]. Ultimately, all I can do is let the coaches know I'm ready. They have to take it from there. From the way I practiced, I think they saw I felt pretty good." ... Gonzalez (ankle) remains questionable and CB William Bartee (ankle) doubtful on the Chiefs injury report. Bartee did not play in the opener against San Diego and was replaced by Dexter McCleon.

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