Wednesday, October 08, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Steelers vs. Broncos, 4:15 p.m. Sunday, Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium, Denver. TV: KDKA. Radio: WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970) and Steelers Radio Network.

The Steelers are looking for better play from their offensive tackles but they won't get it Sunday from Marvel Smith in Denver. Coach Bill Cowher declared his starting left tackle out for the game against the Broncos because he's still bothered by a pinched nerve in a shoulder. Smith started Sunday night's game against Cleveland but left after three plays and did not return. He missed the Sept. 28 game against Tennessee because of the injury. Oliver Ross will replace him, Cowher said. Cowher also listed TE Jay Riemersma as questionable for the second consecutive week. Listed as probable are S Chris Hope (groin) and LB Clint Kriewaldt (knee).

How does Cowher cope with the mile-high altitude in Denver? "I just breathe deeper." He said he plans nothing special to help his players in the thin mountain air Sunday. "I know we tried when I was in Cleveland. We went out there and practiced in Albuquerque for a week to try and get acclimated to it, and we were still sucking air in the fourth quarter. I don't think there is anything you can do; a lot of it is what people make of it. A lot of it is a mind-set, that is what I have sensed. Even with Kansas City going out there it was never really an issue."

SS Lee Flowers, released Monday by Denver, called Cowher, but they did not talk about a job here. Flowers played his first eight seasons with the Steelers before signing with Denver as a free agent. He was suspended the first four games of the season for testing positive for ephedra and never played for the Broncos. Cowher said he thinks someone will sign him. "He just called me. I figured I would talk to him because I did not know if he talked to you yet, and gave me the news that he was released. It was tough on him, not being in that position before. I wish him nothing but the best."

Cowher expects the NFL "leaping" rule on place-kicks to be altered after the season because of the way it was interpreted on an overtime kick in Tampa Bay Monday night. The Colts' Mike Vanderjagt missed a 40-yard field goal, but Buccaneers DE Simeon Rice was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for leaping on the play. Rule 12, Section 3, Article 2 of the 2003 Official Playing Rules of the National Football League defines the unsportsmanlike conduct/leaping penalty as follows: "Clearly running forward and leaping in an obvious attempt to block a field goal, or try-kick after touchdown and landing on players, unless the leaping player was originally lined up within one yard of the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped."

The officials judged that Rice lined up 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage, ran forward, leaped in an attempt to block the kick and illegally landed on a teammate. Given new life, Vanderjagt made a 29-yard field goal to give Indianapolis a 38-35 victory. Cowher said the rule was put in the books for safety reasons because players were leaping and getting hit in midair. He said the problem arises because it does not clearly define what "landing on players" means. Rice landed on the ground with both feet but his hands then touched some teammates. "I don't know how to interpret landing on one of your players," Cowher said. "Does landing mean any part of your body hitting a player? I have a feeling that there is going to be a little bit more of a definitive rule on that this off-season."

The Steelers lost by 20 to the Browns, but they did beat Cleveland and everybody else in the television ratings the past week. The Sunday night game at Heinz Field had a 44.9 rating in the Pittsburgh market, more than any other game in any other market in the country. The second-highest rating was the Packers-Bears Monday night game in Milwaukee. Buffalo drew a 40.9 for the Bills-Bengals game Sunday, and Cleveland fans ranked fourth with a 39.1 rating for the Browns game against the Steelers. The figures were provided by the NFL and Nielsen Media Research.

No. 3 CB Deshea Townsend played more in the nickel defense Sunday, replacing Mike Logan, and he might even see more playing time. Townsend normally plays in the dime defense but not the base or nickel. "Yes, he has been playing well," Cowher said. "It is who we are playing and what the matchup is. A lot is based on matchups, but he has been playing very well."

The Steelers' three losses have come by a combined 104-46 score, and they've yielded 30 points or more in all three, putting them on pace to set another dubious team record. The Card-Pitt team of 1944 that went 0-10 allowed seven opponents to score at least 30 points, the franchise record. That team combined the rosters of the Chicago Cardinals with the Steelers and played home games in both towns. Last season, the Steelers permitted six opponents to score at least 30, a pure Steelers record that has been done seven times, but the first time under Cowher. The Steelers are on pace to have nine or 10 opponents score at least 30 in a game. Cowher blamed three interception returns for touchdowns, another returned to the 1 and one kickoff return against them for reasons they fell so far behind in their losses. "The three losses that we have, we already documented five returns for touchdowns," Cowher said. "I don't know if we would win those games if we don't have those returns. But, at least you have a chance. We really have not had a chance, when you look at the three losses; we have not really put ourselves in an opportunity to win those games."

Cowher said he gained some knowledge from watching the Colts' comeback victory in Tampa Bay Monday night after they trailed by 21 with four minutes left. "I was getting ready to turn it off, because I was a tired man. Peyton Manning threw the interception with four minutes to go, they go up to 21 points, and the only reason I did not turn it off, was because I wanted to see how their quarterback would come back after throwing an interception for a return. I have been seeing those myself. I said this might be a great lesson right here to see how he handles it. That is the only reason I kept it on. The ensuing kickoff goes 90 yards and the next thing I know, I think I saw one of the great endings to one of the great football games that I think I have seen since I have been in this game. He just kept playing. To me, the bottom line is that you never quit, just keep playing. It was a very, very impressive performance. He was the one player that was not drained, he just kept playing. There is a lot to be said about that. There is a lot to be said for watching games around the league. I try to watch as much as I can, because you never quit learning. You never quit seeing things that sometimes amaze you and you can learn as individuals. I think players can learn as individuals watching how other guys handle circumstances that, you never know, you may find yourself in. That was a great game last night."

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