Monday, December 31, 2001
Steelers take step backward
By JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer
Suddenly, the Pittsburgh Steelers don't look so dominating.
In one unnerving afternoon, their defense gave 544 yards, their special teams gave up a touchdown and their quarterback threw four interceptions, helping the Bengals rally for a 26-23 overtime victory on Sunday.
The Steelers (12-3) clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs when Oakland lost later in the day, but it was small consolation. With the playoffs at hand, new problems have emerged.
“It's not time to panic, but it's time to have a sense of urgency,” safety Lee Flowers said. “We turned the ball over, we couldn't stop the pass, we couldn't stop the run — we couldn't stop anything.”
“We did not deserve to win this game,” coach Bill Cowher said. “I hope this is a wake-up call for us.”
The Steelers hadn't played so poorly since a season-opening 21-3 loss at Jacksonville. They won 12 of their next 13 games with an emerging defense and a resurgent Kordell Stewart.
Stewart threw three touchdown passes Sunday as the Steelers got ahead 23-10 late in the third quarter. Then, things unraveled fast.
Stewart had thrown only one interception in the last nine games. He threw four once Pittsburgh got comfortably ahead, helping the Bengals (5-10) rally in front of a pro-Pittsburgh crowd.
“He was doing some stuff that was kind of the Kordell of old,” said Bengals linebacker Brian Simmons, who scored on a 66-yard fumble return in the first half. “He was getting pressured, he was throwing on his back foot, he was giving us opportunities to make plays.”
A tipped interception set up Kitna's 6-yard touchdown pass to Ron Dugans with 2:46 left. By then, most of the Bengals' fans had left, allowing tens of thousands of Steelers fans to take over the stadium, wave their yellow towels and root for the NFL's top-ranked defense to hold on.
It sounded like a home game for the Steelers.
“There was a lot of yellow out there,” Bengals receiver Danny Farmer said. “When they came out, it was really loud.”
The Bengals silenced them by getting the onside kick, then scoring the tying touchdown on Kitna's 18-yard pass to Farmer with 37 seconds to play. They could have won it there, but Rackers — who missed two field goal attempts — was wide right on the extra-point try.
Rackers won it with a 31-yard field goal with 4:08 left in overtime, forcing the Steelers fans to go silent for the first time all day.
“Who cares about them?” Bengals running back Corey Dillon said. “They have a long drive home.”
They had a lot to think about during the drive. Kitna, the NFL's lowest rated passer, became the first to throw for 400 yards against the Steelers since 1988, when Doug Williams had 430 yards.
Cincinnati's 544 yards represented its biggest game since 1990, its 22 passing first downs matched the franchise record, and its 99 offensive plays set a team record.
The Steelers will be thinking about those numbers all week as they get ready to finish the regular season at home against Cleveland, then head into the playoffs. If they play anything like this again, the home-field advantage won't matter.
“We need to get our momentum back,” Stewart said.
Steelers Notes: Steelers fans made up roughly half of the crowd of 63,751. ... Jerome Bettis missed his fourth straight game with a strained groin. ... Plaxico Burress had TD catches of 42 and 28 yards. He caught six passes in for 102 yards, his fourth career 100-yard game.
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Steelers take step backward