Friday, September 26, 2003

By Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

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

One week after returning to the lineup, OLB Joey Porter will have his duties expanded against the Titans. Porter, who missed two games because of a gunshot wound, will return to the middle linebacker spot in the dime defense, replacing James Farrior. "It was fun while it lasted," Farrior said. Porter played occasionally in the dime defense against the Bengals, but it was at the right rush end when ILB Kendrell Bell needed a breather. Porter, a Pro Bowl selection in 2002, will return to the middle when the team goes to six defensive backs.

At the start of last season, only Giants DE Michael Strahan (37.5) had more sacks since 1999 than Titans DE Jevon Kearse (36). But Kearse, who appeared in only four games last season because of a toe injury, has not fattened his stats on Steelers quarterbacks. Kearse does not have a sack in his past five games against the Steelers and has just two in his career (Kordell Stewart in 1999, Mike Tomczak in 2000). "I don't worry about what we did in the past," said LT Marvel Smith, who lines against Kearse in the Titans' base defense. "I just focus on this week and going out and working hard and playing the best game I can. He never stops. Every single play he goes to the whistle. He's one of the best defensive ends in the league." Kearse, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, has just 1.5 sacks in the Titans' first three games. When the Titans get in third-down situations, Kearse moves to left end and Carlos Hall, a seventh-round pick in 2002, comes in at right end. Hall had eight sacks as a rookie, including three on Eagles QB Donovan McNabb in the season opener. "Both of them are pretty good," Smith said. "They're similar in that they get off the line well and they use their hands real well. It's not a letup when he comes in and Kearse goes to the other side."

Apparently, K Joe Nedney isn't the only actor for the Titans. Coach Jeff Fisher pretended to be yelling at RB Robert Holcombe on the sideline last week merely as a way of deflecting attention from a trick play the Titans were about to run. WR Drew Bennett ran onto the field late on a key third-and-10 play against the Saints, forcing the Titans to call timeout. So Fisher called Holcomb from the huddle to the sideline and began yelling at him. "I wanted to deflect attention to [Holcombe] rather than [Bennett] because Drew wasn't in there and the play was designed for Drew to throw the ball," Fisher said. "So I called Robert over and told him, 'It is going to appear I'm awfully mad at you, but I'm not doing it on purpose.' " Fisher's act apparently worked because the Saints were caught off guard when Bennett, a former college quarterback, took a lateral and threw a 14-yard pass to WR Derrick Mason for a first down. That wasn't the Titans' only attempt at trickery. Three plays before Bennett's pass, P Craig Hentrich threw a 15-yard pass to WR Justin McCareins on a fake punt from the Titans' 47 -- the second game in a row Hentrich has completed a pass from punt formation. "Used to be, teams wouldn't do it from beyond the 40, but nowadays you never know," said Steelers special teams coach Kevin Spencer. "I guess they're saying they'll throw it no matter what."

WR Hines Ward said he voted for the entire offensive line to receive a game ball after the way the unit performed against the Bengals. G Alan Faneca, who delivered two crushing blocks on Bengals LB Adrian Ross, received one of the game balls. "They had eight guys in the box and for us to run the way we ran, our line had a dominant game," Ward said. "When you're running the ball, you become a physical team. When you're passing the ball 30 to 40 times a game, it's kind of hard to be a physical team. I'm out there running routes, not hitting on anyone. I'm trying to get open and catch balls."

TE Jay Riemersma, who was already on the injury report with a chest bruise, did not practice yesterday because of an injury to his Achilles' tendon. Riemersma remains probable and is expected to play against the Titans. ... RB Verron Haynes, who missed the Bengals game with a sprain of the medial collateral ligament, returned to practice, as did C Jeff Hartings. Haynes wore a knee brace and is expected to play against the Titans.

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