Monday, September 29, 2003

By Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

For a short time, it looked like Cincinnati all over again, with the Tennessee Titans playing the role of Adrian Ross. The only thing missing was the flying helmet.

On their opening drive of the game, the Steelers were knocking bodies to the ground and pushing the Titans defense around as though they were a shopping cart. In one five-play sequence, three Titans players -- linebacker Peter Sirmon, defensive tackle James Atkins and defensive end Carlos Hall -- were helped off the field with injuries.

"If you stop the game right there at the first quarter and just look at that first quarter, we were dominating them," said Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca, who delivered the big hits against the Bengals. "I think we sent three, four or five guys off the field. I don't know if they ever came back. We were up there playing physical football and we lost it."

Then it looked like Houston all over again. Tommy Maddox had one interception returned for a touchdown, another that was nearly returned for a score, and the Steelers were the ones being flattened in a 30-13 loss to the Titans.

The Steelers had nearly 200 more yards offense (376 to 198), almost three times as many first downs (25-9) and didn't even allow a punt or kick return longer than 22 yards. In the end, it was the Steelers who were getting pushed around by the Titans, who sacked Maddox three times, once for a safety, and forced him into several bad throws.

The final blow came in the fourth quarter when Maddox tried to escape a corner blitz from safety Tank Williams and threw a pass that was intercepted and returned 60 yards for a touchdown by linebacker Rocky Boiman -- the same player who was credited with the safety in the second quarter.

"In the first half, we were able to do what we wanted to," said right tackle Todd Fordham. "We run the ball some, we pass the ball some, and when you're doing it like that, you're able to keep them on their heels and you're able to dictate. And then, when you just put it in pass mode, it's tough against those group of guys because they are good."

The Steelers had 24 of their 69 yards rushing on the first series, when they controlled the ball for 16 plays and 9 minutes, 17 seconds. After that, they never ran the ball effectively on the Titans, who rank No. 1 in rush defense in the National Football League.

The Steelers ran six times for no yards in the second half. What's more, their passing game -- the most productive in the AFC -- failed to produce a touchdown in the final 30 minutes, despite another 300-yard passing game from Maddox.

"We came out pretty strong," said left tackle Oliver Ross. "And then it was a mistake here and a mistake there. We have to iron out the wrinkles.

Ross started because Marvel Smith has what coach Bill Cowher called an inflammation on the back of his shoulder, an injury that kept Smith from practicing Friday. Ross was called for holding Hall on the first offensive series, negating a 23-yard pass from Maddox to Antwaan Randle El. And he was beaten to the inside when defensive end Jevon Kearse flushed Maddox from the pocket and allowed Boiman to sack Maddox in the end zone for a safety.

Smith's injury is not considered serious and Cowher said he might play against the Cleveland Browns.

"We were hopeful it would be better, but it was not," Cowher said. "He was touch and go and we decided to hold him. We're hopeful he can go next week."

The offensive line was not chief among the team's problems. But, in the second half, when the Steelers got behind, 23-13, on Steve McNair's 29-touchdown pass to wide receiver Justin McCareins, the line started caving like a three-legged table.

"It did not cause a whole lot [of problems] until we got behind and we had to start throwing," Maddox said. "That is a tough position to put the offensive line in. When you are going against guys who are very good pass rushers, and they know you have to throw the ball, they are just pinning their ears back and coming. But in the first half they did a great job. I don't think, in our first two or three drives, I didn't get touched."

But Maddox got touched, pushed, yanked and hammered after that. Defensive end Kevin Carter beat guard Kendall Simmons for a sack near the end of the third quarter. Then Fordham got beat when Kearse, who moves to the left side in third-down situations, sacked Maddox back to the Titans' 47 on third-and-14. That play was set up by a 10-yard holding penalty against Fordham.

"He plays hard, he runs to the ball, he's athletic and he's a great player," Fordham said of Kearse. "He's even better when he knows what you're going to do and we're down. He's playing one thing and that's what he is good at -- pass rushing."

But it wasn't just Kearse. In the base defense, he lined against Carter, another good pass rusher. And, on occasion, the Titans would slide Hall, their third-down rush specialist, to his side.

"It's tough sometimes because every guy rushes a little different," Fordham said. "You got to be able to adjust your game to whoever is in there. It seems like every two or three plays a different guy is in there that you're going against. It's tough, but, heck, that's part of the game."

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