Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Urgent big-picture questions concerning the exact direction of the Steelers -- can they run the table now that they've tabled the run? -- and those kinds of things, didn't get much of an airing at Bill Cowher's weekly media rubdown yesterday.
It's just as well.
There's no point in trying to gauge whether the combination of persistent Steelers lethargy and the random mood swings of the Jaguars, Chiefs, Chargers and their scheduled foils will somehow result in a football season that extends past New Year's Day around here.
Far more elemental questions are just so much more confounding.
Like how come six Steelers can't block three Bengals.
You missed that Sunday?
Oh, you were already in the car when the Steelers took possession for the final time, down by one touchdown with 2:24 to play, plenty of time to do plenty of things, particularly with two timeouts in Cowher's pocket and the two-minute warning looming to stop the clock a third time.
Someday, there ought to be a news conference to explain the need to get to the car in that situation, but, you know, whatever.
On first-and-10 from the 24, Ben Roethlisberger thumbed a 6-yard completion to Hines Ward, and then the fun began. On second-and-4, right tackle Max Starks and right guard Kendall Simmons executed that rare and wholly unappreciated maneuver, the simultaneous false start, probably because they couldn't hear the snap count with all the car engines starting, and that made it second-and-9. While Ben was finding Cedrick Wilson free for an apparent first down at the 41, rookie left tackle Trai Essex was holding on to someone in a white shirt like grim death. That penalty made it second-and-19 from the 15, which is where the real curious stuff went down.
Blitzing rookie David Pollack sacked Big Ben to force third-and-24, on which Roethlisberger flipped an 11-yarder to Willie Parker. But on fourth-and-13, with 1:34 still on the clock, the Bengals deployed three pass rushers against six alleged blockers (five offensive linemen including two All-Pros and a tight end or blocking back). Defensive end Justin Smith, undeterred, wound up on top of Roethlisberger for a 2-yard loss and a Cincinnati victory.
"Inefficiency," Cowher said yesterday. "Probably lack of technique."
In the minutes after a third consecutive loss, Cowher had been careful to praise his club's effort, and gave no indication yesterday that he'd seen anything on tape to suggest otherwise. At least he wasn't biting on the notion that six guys unable to block three on the game's final offensive play is symptomatic of something beyond inattention to detail.
"It's just inefficient play; I don't think those players went out there and said, 'Well, the game's over.' I would never question that," he said. "Give some credit to [the Bengals]. They were able to create some pressure. Is it our inefficiencies or their good play? You judge it."
You wouldn't think a head football coach in the post-modern NFL, with his 15 assistants and his 15,000 quality control techniques, would lose sight of the importance of micromanaging, so it was no surprise to hear Cowher suggest that an even tighter focus would do his fellas a world of good.
"It's about each guy not getting too caught up in what's going on around him," Cowher said. "Just worry about yourself."
Uh-huh. And maybe that guy returning the kickoff. Maybe give him the once-over now and again, unless you don't mind having someone named Tab Perry (or as I like to call him, 2005 NFL draft pick No. 190) pile up more than twice the yardage of Chad Johnson or Rudi Johnson or T.J. Houshmandzadeh and almost as many yards on five kickoff returns (197) as Carson Palmer netted throwing 38 passes (227).
Cowher didn't finger anyone on coverage for that disastrous subplot yesterday but said contemplated changes to his special teams included "anything and everything."
"I don't want to overreact and overanalyze," he said evenly.
And why should he? He's got us for that.
As a former Oversimplifier of the Year in the knee-jerk reaction division, I can tell you it will take all of this team's concentration to scare up enough efficiency to beat Chicago, which Sunday becomes its third consecutive division-leading opponent. You don't have to score 30 to subdue these Bears, but when six Steelers can't block three Bengals, every challenge is monstrous.
(Gene Collier can be reached at gcollier@post-gazette or 412-263-1283.)
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