Tuesday, October 14, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Linebacker Joey Porter wasn't sure whether he wanted this weekend off or have a chance to take out his frustrations on someone.

	The Steelers have two weeks to figure out how to better protect quarterback Tommy Maddox, who was sacked seven times Sunday in Denver. (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette) Click photo for larger image.

"I don't know when's a good time or bad time for a bye, to tell you the truth," Porter said amid the smoldering emotional debris of the Steelers' locker room in Denver Sunday.

Here's a rule of thumb:

On a three-game losing streak? It's a good time for a bye.

Offensive line's hurt and playing so poorly it prompts six different combinations in one game? Good time for a bye.

Lost your identity on offense? Good time for a bye.

Can't run, can't protect the passer, can't score touchdowns, can't pressure the quarterback? Real good time for a bye.

"It is what it is," Porter said moments after the Steelers slipped to 2-4 with a 17-14 loss to Denver. "All we can do now is go back, look at film and try to regroup."

Most of the retooling, if not regrouping, over the next two weeks will occur in the offensive line. When the Steelers next play Oct. 26 against the St. Louis Rams in Heinz Field, All-Pro guard Alan Faneca may be a tackle. Faneca played well enough at left tackle Sunday in Denver to make the coaching staff consider moving him there for the rest of the season.

That could happen even if Marvel Smith recovers completely from the pinched nerve in his shoulder that has kept him out of the past three games except for three plays. Upon his return, Smith could return to right tackle, where he played before moving to the left side this season.

More changes also are in order in the line with possibly Chukky Okobi becoming the starting center and center Jeff Hartings moving back to guard, where he played in Detroit before the Steelers switched him to center in 2001.

Coach Bill Cowher wants to play his best five linemen and if that means blowing it up and starting over, he'll take the plunger.

"We said going into this game, what gives us the best chance to be successful this week?" Cowher said. "And that's going to be the approach we take every week.

"We have to sit back and look at who we are right now at the bye. We have to play with that same sense of urgency every week from here on out. That's the way we have to approach every game."

The Steelers, among the preseason favorites in the AFC, are off to their worst six-game start since 1988, when they lost five of their first six and finished 5-11. They are 1 1/2 games behind Baltimore (3-2) in the AFC North Division and behind second-place Cleveland (3-3). With 10 games left, plenty can happen. The Steelers no longer appear to be candidates for one of the two playoff byes in the conference, but the division winner gets a ticket to the postseason.

"The season's not over for us," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "We're not going to throw everything into the garbage. There's really a sense of urgency now."

Cowher and his staff must find a way to get their offense back to where it was last season when the team scored 390 points, third-most in club history. They need to find a way to unharness a running game that is on pace to rank as the franchise's worst since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. The Steelers rank 27th in the NFL in rushing with an 83.3 average.

Defenses practically are daring them to run by keeping two safeties back in the classic cover-2 defense that is hampering the Steelers' ability to throw deep.

"If teams play cover-2 we have to be able to run the ball," Ward said. "That's how they're taking [Plaxico Burress] out of the ballgame. It's kind of hard for us to get into a rhythm when teams are playing that. I remember, when I first got here, teams were scared to play that. They were putting eight guys in a box. Now teams are playing cover-2 and stopping the run out of cover-2. We have to find a way to rectify that."

Everyone knows the solution. The offensive line needs to play better. There is no bigger job ahead for Cowher, his staff and players the next two weeks.

"This bye week is coming at a great time for us," Ward said. "Two years ago, we went into the bye week and the [Sept. 11] tragedy happened and we got refocused and went out and put on a nice streak. I'm hoping that will happen. A lot of guys will step away and look back, reflect on the first six games and see what they can do better.

"The season's not over. I just hope guys will not give up. I'm not going to give up."

NOTES -- The Steelers have off today, practice Wednesday and Thursday and then have a three-day weekend off before reporting back to work Monday. ... There will be no Cowher news conference today. ... The Steelers' overall defense (243.2) and pass defense (152.3) continues to lead the NFL in fewest yards permitted per game. ... Ward and the Colts' Marvin Harrison share the NFL lead with 41 pass receptions. ... Jerome Bettis is tied for fifth in the AFC with three touchdowns rushing. ... The Steelers' defense inside the 20 ranks last in the NFL by allowing 81.3 percent touchdowns (13 on 16 possessions).

Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3878.

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