Monday, October 13, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

LOOKING AHEAD

Steelers vs. Rams, 1 p.m. Oct. 26, Heinz Field. TV: WPGH. Radio: WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970) and Steelers Radio Network. ... Steelers return to action against St. Louis after a bye week.

WHO'S HURTING

Starting weakside LB Ian Gold of the Broncos will miss the rest of the season after the ACL in his right knee was torn during the first quarter.

Steelers backup LB Clint Kriewaldt has a pulled hamstring.

NEWS & NOTES

Dan Rooney was less than happy with the work of the officials in yesterday's game. "I was impressed with our team," the Steelers' chairman said. "The coaches did a good job. But the penalites were bad for both teams. With us, the spots were bad and those last calls -- that gave them the game." One call came when referee Mike Carey announced the Steelers' "right defensive tackle" was penalized for illegal use of the hands to the face. The Steelers did not have a right defensive tackle on the field. Television replays seemed to indicate it was LB Kendrell Bell, although the official play-by-play listed Kendrick Clancy. The officials were calling the wrong numbers all game, numbers that weren't even on the rosters. The Steelers were penalized nine times for 85 yards and Denver six times for 37.

Two-time All-Pro G Alan Faneca started at left tackle, the first time he has played the position since high school. Faneca started at guard at LSU and was the backup left tackle but never got into a game on the outside. With Marvel Smith out with a pinched nerve in his shoulder, the Steelers were unsatisfied with their play at either tackle position. Thus, the move of Faneca. Keydrick Vincent took Faneca's place at left guard. Vincent started one game for an injured Faneca in 2001 and also started one game at right guard for an injured Kendall Simmons last year. Oliver Ross replaced Todd Fordham as the starting right tackle. In obvious passing downs, the Steelers sent in Mathias Nkwenti to play left tackle and Faneca moved back to guard. Nkwenti also played some at right tackle and Fordham took one snap there in the first half. On the first play of the fourth quarter, they pulled Simmons out of the game, moved Jeff Hartings to right guard, Vincent to left guard and sent Chukky Okobi in to play center. Nkwenti played right tackle and Faneca at left tackle on that play.

All the line moves did not dissuade the Broncos from their appointed rounds. They sacked QB Tommy Maddox seven times and held the Steelers to 85 yards rushing on 30 carries. "They're bringing new tackles in, new guards in and we're licking our chops," Denver DE Reggie Hayward said. "These guys aren't even stretched." Said Vincent: "I'm very discouraged. I know I can play better than that." Denver LB Al Wilson said Maddox got antsy in the pocket. "He kind of got happy feet back there as the game went along. We got some good pressure on him early, and that's what we wanted to do, and we kept it going." Maddox has been sacked 20 times in five games.

Denver coach Mike Shanahan decided to start 38-year-old Steve Beuerlein at quarterback even though he said Jake Plummer could have played. Plummer had a separated shoulder that was reinjured last week. He was the No. 2 quarterback yesterday. "If Steve had gone down, he would have went in there," Shanahan said. "Saturday, he just didn't feel as good. ... If he gets hit again, then it could set him back two or three weeks if he got a direct hit on that shoulder. So it was nice to get a win and not play him."

The Steelers weren't surprised by the change in quarterbacks, but they did alter the kind of pass rush they might have taken if the more mobile Plummer had played. "It changed a couple of things," said S Brent Alexander. "We put pressure up the middle, where we probably wouldn't on Plummer because you don't want to flush him out. [Beuerlein's] been in the league a long time. As long as he gets his feet set, he's smart. You don't look for him to make bad decisions, but he made a few today." Said Beuerlein: "I wasn't in a rhythm at all, for whatever reason that was. This defense [of the Steelers], they're really good. They put it on me to make the plays and make the right reads."

His 47-yard field goal at the end was the 13th time Jason Elam kicked a winning or saving field goal in his career. He had made 17 consecutive kicks before missing a 53-yarder against Kansas City last week in the fourth quarter. "I don't think I'm the man of the hour right now, because all of our guys played really hard today," Elam said. "I think anybody is a little nervous when that type of situation comes up. Heck, I still get nervous on extra points in the preseason. But it's fun to be put in that situation, and that's why we play the game."

Unhappy with Pro Bowl CB Deltha O'Neal's play of late, Shannahan benched him and started Kelly Herndon at right corner instead. Lenny Walls, a 6-foot-4 cornerback, shadowed Plaxico Burress. Burress caught five passes for 60 yards and Ward, tied for the NFL receptions lead, caught eight for 81 yards. The two had combined for only three catches in a 33-13 loss to Cleveland the previous game.

Bill Cowher lost a coaches challenge through instant replay in the first quarter. On third-and-17, Maddox dropped back to pass and the ball slipped out of his hands. The officials ruled it a fumble that Verron Haynes recovered for a 17-yard loss back to the 19, and they did not overturn it after reviewing the play, costing the Steelers a timeout.

Denver's Daryl Gardener, who signed as a free agent from Miami, played in his first game with the Broncos. He has had a wrist injury and an abscessed tooth.

INACTIVE LISTS

Steelers: CB Chidi Iwuoma, RB Dante Brown, TE Matt Cushing, DT Chris Hoke, OT Marvel Smith, WR Freddie Milons, LB Alonzo Jackson, QB Brian St. Pierre.

Broncos: S Kenoy Kennedy, LB Terry Pierce, OT George Foster, OG Steve Herndon, WR Adrian Madise, TE Jeb Putzier, DE Bryant McNeal, QB Danny Kanell.

NUMBERS

The Steelers entered the game second-from bottom in the AFC on offense inside the 20 with a 31.6 percent touchdown rate. Yesterday, they went 1 for 3. The Steelers had bigger troubles once they crossed the 50. They ran 21 plays in Denver territory for only 19 yards. Denver, on the other hand, ran 16 plays for 104 yards once in Steelers territory.

Plaxico Burress went over 3,000 career receiving yards, the 12th player in Steelers history to surpass that mark.

Antwaan Randle El threw his first pass of the season, a 4-yard completion to Hines Ward in the fourth quarter. Randle El completed 7 of 8 passes last season.

The Steelers are off to a 2-4 start for the first time under Cowher. It's their worst six-game start since 1988, when they were 0-6. They have their first three-game losing streak since 2000.

Denver did not score in the first quarter for the first time this season.

The Steelers had two sacks, both by defensive ends Aaron Smith and Kimo von Oelhoffen, who leads the Steelers with a career-high four.

E-mail this story   Print this story