By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

When Bill Cowher was putting together his first Steelers staff in 1992, his first choice for special teams coach was a young University of Pittsburgh assistant named Marvin Lewis.

That job went to John Guy, and Lewis coached linebackers for Cowher for four years.

Eleven years later, in the first meeting between Lewis and Cowher, special teams - fittingly - could be the deciding factor. The kicking game that makes fewer mistakes probably gives its team the better chance to win.

Cowher, whose first two NFL seasons -1985 and '86 - were spent as special teams coach in Cleveland, watched his special teams self-destruct at Kansas City.

The Chiefs' Dante Hall returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and a punt 45 yards to the 7-yard line, which set up another touchdown last week.

The Bengals have yet to allow a special teams touchdown. A big mistake in the kicking game Sunday could be the deciding factor in what figures to be a close game.

In last year's game at Paul Brown Stadium, Pittsburgh's Antwaan Randle El returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown - one of five touchdowns scored against the Bengals on special teams in 2002.

BE COOL: Despite Lewis' best efforts, the Steelers will have thousands of fans in attendance. The Bengals must handle the hostile element as well as they did at Oakland and give their fans plenty to cheer about.

The Steelers crowd feeds off a Steelers lead.

"I don't know if it's been that much unless we get up," Cowher said. "We expect a loud, boisterous crowd, but not one in our favor."

At the same time, the Bengals can't lose their composure and get too hyped, which is one of the reasons they looked so bad in their 30-10 loss two weeks ago to Denver.

RED-ZONE BLUES: The Bengals have had five possessions inside the other team's 20-yard line, and though they've scored every time, three of the scores were field goals.

The Bengals were inside the Raiders' 20-yard line four times last week, and they scored two touchdowns. A third touchdown probably would have won the game.

In the Steelers, the Bengals are facing a defense that has had no success stopping offenses inside the 20. Five times opponents have had the ball inside Pittsburgh's 20, and five times they've come away with touchdowns.

The Bengals are facing a team that scores 27 points a game. They'll need more than the 15 points they're averaging.

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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