Tuesday, September 30, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Not every Sunday will turn out like the one he had against Tennessee, cornerback Chad Scott predicted. One of these days the officials might call all the pushing off that Scott said the Titans receivers were doing, and look for him to score more touchdowns of his own.

"I'm going to make a couple more touchdowns with interceptions this year and they can criticize all they want," said Scott, under as much heat from critics these days as he is from opposing quarterbacks.

"I know I'm good. I can play against any receiver -- anybody, anywhere in the league. Yesterday, they made some plays and that's it."

Tennessee made three, to be precise, against Scott.

Wide receiver Justin McCareins caught a 25-yard underthrown pass from Steve McNair along the right sideline in the second quarter. Scott ran step for step with McCareins but did not see the ball until McCareins stopped and caught it.

Several minutes later, Drew Bennett, standing in front of Scott, outjumped Scott for a high pass down the middle and a 42-yard reception.

"The ball floated a little bit and he jumped earlier, trying to make sure I didn't get any contact," Scott said. "I was making sure I was going for the ball. He made a good play. But the other two, there was definitely contact initiated by the receiver and there was no flag. That's just the way it goes."

In the third quarter, McCareins clearly pushed off on Scott to catch a 29-yard scoring pass down the right sideline to put Tennessee ahead, 23-13, in a game it would win, 30-13.

Those three receptions accounted for 96 of Tennessee's 158 passing yards, or 61 percent.

"It's over with," Scott declared. "This is the NFL. These are the best athletes in the world. Everybody's good. Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you.

"It was a bad day because we lost. It's a team sport, a team game and all that matters is wins and losses. We lost. It was a bad day."

Scott claims McCareins pushed off on him on both receptions and that he and his teammates saw the evidence when they watched tape of the game yesterday. No flags were thrown either time, as there was none on quarterback Steve McNair's only incomplete pass of the game, when it appeared Scott ran into Derrick Mason long before the ball arrived.

"The only thing that's a little frustrating to me as a defensive back is anytime there's contact up the field, if the receiver catches the ball, it's not a problem," Scott said. "But if the receiver doesn't catch the ball, then there's a flag on the defense."

Scott said McCarein "grabbed me with both hands" on the touchdown catch in which he put a swim move on Scott.

"If I would have touched him with two hands, there would have been a flag. That's just the nature of the game."

Safety Mike Logan backed up his teammate, at least on that touchdown pass.

"When you look at the film it's very obvious that he was swimming over with both hands and pushed off," Logan said of McCarein. "But that's the nature of the game and we have to go out, despite what's being called or not called. We have to make plays and it just didn't happen for us."

Scott made a play on the first pass thrown in Kansas City by Chiefs quarterback Trent Green. He intercepted it and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown to stake the Steelers to a quick 7-0 lead in a game they would lose, 41-20.

That was Scott's fourth interception return for a touchdown in the past three seasons and he vowed there would be more.

"How many corners got interceptions for touchdowns in the league?" Scott asked. "Not many."

Scott and cornerback Dewayne Washington had five pass interference penalties called between them in the first two games and none since. Scott also made a point about the pass defense. Has it gotten better?

"You tell me," Scott said. "You talk about the stats, look at them."

The Steelers' pass defense leads the AFC and is second in the NFL, based on the 137.3 yards passing per game it has allowed. They ranked No. 20 in the NFL last season when they allowed 216.3 yards passing per game.

The Steelers signed Scott to a contract extension before the 2001 season that lasts through 2006 and will pay him $3.66 million this year, including a workout bonus. They have to stay with him and hope he plays better than he has in the first four games.

"Such is life. There are good days and bad days," Scott said. "You know, take the good with the bad. Just like I said, keep on moving. ... There's not a person in the world or a corner in the league who's perfect. Anybody can get beat. On any given day anything can happen."

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