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Steelers blow 20-9 lead in 4th quarterA dropped TD pass, a tactical error and a miscommunication set the stage for stunning loss Monday, September 28, 2009 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

The Steelers' Willie Parker is upended by the Bengals' Keith Rivers yesterday. Parker carried the ball 25 times for 93 yards and caught a touchdown pass.

CINCINNATI -- Mike Tomlin and his players preached it so often this year, and yesterday it hit home to the Steelers as rudely as bird droppings on their Lombardi Trophy.

If their loss in the fourth quarter in Chicago the week before did not do it, the bigger collapse yesterday in a place they have owned since they built Paul Brown Stadium might have turned the trick.

There was plenty of soul-searching in what traditionally had been a jubilant visitors' locker room for the Steelers here the past decade, and it came after the Bengals stunned them with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter for a 23-20 victory.

The loss snapped the Steelers' eight-game winning streak here, and it was the second time they had lost here in the 10-year history of the stadium.

"It's just a numbing feeling right now," offensive tackle Willie Colon said, speaking for virtually all in his locker room.

This is not last season. Last season, they won a Super Bowl; last season, they won games in the fourth quarter; last season, they did not blow big leads in the final minutes.

No, this season looks nothing like their last one as they tumbled to 1-2, smacking the Bengals all over the ring only to look up and find themselves on the floor at the end, knocked out by a team they had beaten in 15 of their past 19 meetings.

"We don't need what transpired out there to let us know it's a new season," Tomlin said.

"I don't want to make this a habit, but it appears to be for the second week. We've got some work to do. We have to finish games better."

If the Steelers fail to win the AFC North Division -- and they now trail Baltimore (3-0) by two games and Cincinnati (2-1) by one -- they can look back at this one with regret. They not only blew a 20-9 lead, they failed to extend it when they not only had the Bengals on the ropes but had them tied around their necks.

Cincinnati won it with two touchdowns in the final 10 minutes. Cedric Benson ran 23 yards for a touchdown with 9:14 to go to cut the lead to 20-15 and Carson Palmer tossed a 4-yard pass to Andre Caldwell with 14 seconds left to win it.

But the seeds for this loss came much earlier. Tomlin blamed "the details" on their loss. He could have described them as blunders. Consider:

PG graphic:

Tough start for Steelers

Page 1 of 2Steelers blow 20-9 lead in 4th quarter

9/28/2009http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09271/1001384-66.stm

• Instead of punting late in the second quarter with a 13-0 lead, Tomlin opted to go for it on fourth-and-4 at Cincinnati's 35. A pass failed and, with 1:06 to go, the Bengals had enough time to set up Shayne Graham's 34-yard field goal to crack the ice.

At the time, the Steelers had 258 yards to the Bengals' 91.

• On the first drive of the second half, Santonio Holmes ran the wrong way and Ben Roethlisberger threw the right way, but cornerback Johnathan Joseph was there and not Holmes and he intercepted and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown. Suddenly, the down-and-out Bengals were back in it at 20-15, even if they did botch the extra point.

"A miscommunication," both Tomlin and Roethlisberger described it, not wanting to put the finger on their wide receiver.

• Limas Sweed, who caught his first pass of the season earlier, dropped a 34-yard touchdown pass, all alone in the end zone. Jeff Reed followed by missing a 52-yard field-goal attempt wide to the left.

"You saw what I saw," Tomlin said. "He dropped it."

• Those dirty details apparently surfaced long before kickoff. Rashard Mendenhall did not play on offense. He was punished by Tomlin, who explained that "Rashard wasn't on his details this week, so I chose not to play him on offense."

If they keep paying attention to detail like that, they could make their 2006 Super Bowl hangover look like a party.

"I'm at critical red, state of red," Colon said, when asked what the state of urgency is for this team. "We have to get going now.

"We have to finish games. We're not doing the little things, and it's catching up to us. If we don't change, it's going to be a rotten season."

The strange part is they were beginning to do the things they had not done in the first two games. Willie Parker ran 25 times for 93 yards and caught a 27-yard pass for a touchdown. Roethlisberger, who completed 22 of 31 for 276 yards, was sacked just once and scored another touchdown on a 1-yard sneak.

Reed, who missed both field-goal tries in a three-point defeat in Chicago, made his first two, although from only 19 and 24 yards when the offense stalled again.

After one quarter and change, it looked ridiculously easy with the Steelers on top, 13-0. They outgained the Bengals, 152 yards to minus-10 and never punted until the fourth quarter.

But the field goal at the end of the half and the pick-six touchdown at the beginning of the next one breathed life into the Bengals, and the more details the Steelers let go, the more Palmer and Cincinnati got into a groove.

"Hanging in there was obviously a test for the guys," said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, embracing one of his bigger regular-season victories. "We didn't get off to a good start. ... We kind of dug ourselves in a hole."

That turned out OK on a day in which men dressed in black and gold extended their hands and helped rescue the Bengals.

For more on the Steelers, read the new blog, Ed Bouchette On the Steelers at www.post-gazette.com/plus. Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected].

Ed Bouchette's blog on the Steelers and Gerry Dulac's Steelers chats are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.

First published on September 28, 2009 at 12:00 am

Page 2 of 2Steelers blow 20-9 lead in 4th quarter



Gerry Dulac's Two-Minute Drill: Game 3 vs. Cincinnati Bengals Game ball goes to: WR Mike Wallace Monday, September 28, 2009 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


The Steelers' Mike Wallace makes catch against the Bengals' Johnathan Joseph. Wallace had seven catches for 102 yards.

Nobody has to wonder which player is the team's No. 3 receiver now. Rookie Mike Wallace had seven catches for 102 yards, becoming the first rookie to have a 100-yard receiving game since Santonio Holmes did it in Cincinnati in the 2006 season. Wallace's biggest catch was a 51-yarder in which he used his speed to run past CB Johnathan Joseph to set up a field goal. But he also had a 16-yard catch on a third-and-13 conversion in the third quarter that led to the Steelers' final touchdown.

The countdown

A quick look at the top performances from the yesterday's game:

1. THE BENGALS CONVERT ON FOURTH-AND-10: With 36 seconds remaining and the ball at the Steelers' 15, quarterback Carson Palmer converted a fourth-and-10 when he hit running back Brian Leonard for an 11-yard gain on a crossing route in front of ILB James Farrior. Two plays later, the Bengals scored the winning touchdown with 14 seconds remaining. "You make the plays in critical situations, you win; if you don't, you lose," Farrior said. "I blame myself for that. I got caught looking at the quarterback too much."

2. CEDRIC BENSON'S 23-YARD TOUCHDOWN: After rushing for just 18 yards on eight carries in the first half, Benson (pictured above) scored on a 23-yard run off the left side when he ran between Farrior and OLB James Harrison to make it 20-15 with 9:14 remaining.

3. SWEED'S DROPPED TOUCHDOWN: This was nearly as bad as the dropped TD in the AFC championship game. If Sweed had held on to what would have been a 34-yard touchdown, the Steelers would have taken a 20-9 lead. Instead, Reed missed a 52-yard field goal on the next play.

4. ROETHLISBERGER FINALLY SACKED: It took the Bengals 151/2 quarters, but they finally sacked the Steelers quarterback. And it was a big one. DE Robert Geathers and DT Pat Sims dropped him on third down at the Bengals' 42 with 5:26 remaining, setting the stage for the final drive.

5. PARKER'S 27-YARD TOUCHDOWN CATCH: On what amounted to a busted play, Roethlisberger made a deft move to avoid pressure from Geathers and threw a pass on the sideline to Parker, who caught the pass at the 13 and ran into the endzone for a 10-0 lead.

Inside the numbers ... 9

That's the number of first downs the Bengals got on the final two drives in the fourth quarter, including five on the 16-play, 71-yard winning drive. Prior to that, the Bengals had managed only 10 -- with four on the final drive of the first half.

What was he thinking?

Page 1 of 2Gerry Dulac's Two-Minute Drill: Game 3 vs. Cincinnati Bengals


The Steelers were leading, 13-0, and facing fourth-and-4 at the Bengals' 35 with 1:15 remaining -- a situation that screamed for a pooch punt that would pin the Bengals, who had just 45 yards offense and three first downs, deep in their own territory. Instead, coach Mike Tomlin decided to go for the first down, a plan that went awry and began the Steelers' implosion. The Bengals quickly earned a late field goal and some much-needed momentum. "We thought we had an opportunity to get a first down and potentially a TD," Tomlin said.

Overheard

"You can't think in a million years that on fourth-and-10 we won't get off the field. We're up 20-9 in the fourth quarter and we can't hold the lead. That's like a stab in the back ... a slap in the face." -- Safety Tyrone Carter on blowing another late lead

Up next: VS. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS, 8:20 P.M. SUNDAY The Steelers (1-2) beat the Chargers (3-0) twice at home last season, including 35-24 in an AFC divisional playoff game, and have won the past five meetings in Pittsburgh. X's and O's

The Steelers looked as though they had rediscovered their running game in the first half when Willie Parker rushed for 72 yards on 14 carries and had a 24-yard run to set up a field goal. But, after giving up a late field goal in the first half, the Steelers started the second half with three consecutive pass plays. The final one was picked by Joseph when Santonio Holmes, who was supposed to run a slant route, ran a go-pattern. Ben Roethlisberger's pass went right to Joseph, who ran 30 yards for an easy score to make it 13-9.

Gerry Dulac can be reached at [email protected].



Page 2 of 2Gerry Dulac's Two-Minute Drill: Game 3 vs. Cincinnati Bengals



Steelers Report Card: Game Three vs. Cincinnati Bengals GERRY DULAC grades the Steelers' effort in a 23-20 loss against the Bengals yesterday: Monday, September 28, 2009 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Quarterback

Ben Roethlisberger made only one ill-timed throw, and it wasn't his fault -- a 30-yard interception return for touchdown to start the second half, in which Santonio Holmes ran the wrong route. Until then, he had made a number of big plays, throwing for 180 of his 276 yards in the first half and scoring on a 1-yard sneak. He also made a nice play on a 27-yard touchdown by Willie Parker.

Running backs

Willie Parker had his best outing of the season, rushing for 93 yards on 25 carries and scoring on a 27-yard catch-and-run. He had 72 yards rushing in the first half, including a season-long 24-yarder on the first series. After that, Parker was held to 21 yards on 11 carries in the second half, though he had a 10-yard run to the Bengals' 4 that set up Roethlisberger's 1-yard score for a 20-9 lead.

Wide Receivers

Rookie Mike Wallace finished with seven catches for 102 yards and ran by CB Johnathan Joseph on a 51-yard catch to set up a field goal. He also had a big catch on third-and-13 to keep alive a scoring drive. But Limas Sweed did it again, getting behind a defender and dropping what would have been a 34-yard touchdown. And Holmes ran the wrong way on Roethlisberger's interception return.

Offensive line

The first half was a clinic for the offensive line when the Steelers rushed for 78 yards on 15 carries and Roethlisberger had plenty of time to throw. What's more, DE Antwan Odom, who came in with a league-best seven sacks, was never a factor. But the running game disappeared in the second half -- 24 yards on 13 carries -- part of that was because TE David Johnson was out with a leg injury.

Defensive line

The Steelers did a good job to disrupt Carson Palmer's passing lanes, deflecting four of his passes at the line -- two by DE Brett Keisel. And NT Casey Hampton had one of the two sacks. But, Cedric Benson rushed for 58 of his 76 yards in the second half, including a 23-yard touchdown run around the left side. The Bengals finished with 100 yards on 19 carries, but 21 came on a fake-punt run.

Linebackers

For the second game, the linebackers did not make enough plays to get off the field. James Farrior, who got caught outside on Benson's 23-yard TD, failed to cover RB Brian Leonard on the fourth-and-10 conversion that led to the winning score. OLB James Harrison got his first sack of the year and dropped Benson for a 2-yard loss to help stall a drive. But where is the outside pressure?

Defensive backs

Carson Palmer completed only 7 of 16 passes for 81 yards in the first half, but he made the plays he needed in the fourth quarter to overcome a 20-9 deficit. He completed 11 of his final 16 passes and produced nine first downs on the two fourth-quarter scoring drives. CB Ike Taylor was near-heroic on the final drive, making three pass breakups -- two that could have been touchdowns.

Special teams

The Steelers wasted a 56-yard kick return by Stefan Logan to the Bengals' 40 after an interception return for TD. And they got snookered on a 21-yard run by safety Chris Crocker on a fake punt in the third quarter. But Jeff Reed converted two field goals after his Chicago disaster, Keyaron Fox had a big hit on kick coverage and Dan Sepulveda didn't

PG graphic: Steelers' grade point average

Page 1 of 2Steelers Report Card: Game Three vs. Cincinnati Bengals


have to punt until the fourth quarter.

Coaching

The game started to turn when coach Mike Tomlin decided against a punt and the Steelers were stopped on fourth-and-4 at the Bengals' 35 with 1:15 remaining, leading to a Bengals field goal. After having success with the run in the first half, the Steelers opened the second half with three passes, the last of which was returned for a touchdown. Just like that, the

Bengals were interested again.

Gerry Dulac can be reached at [email protected].



Page 2 of 2Steelers Report Card: Game Three vs. Cincinnati Bengals



Steelers Notebook: Ward's milestone dampened by lossWallace likely wins spot as No. 3 WR with impact game Monday, September 28, 2009 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Bengals' Chris Henry celebrates with quarterback Carson Palmer after winning Sunday's game against the Steelers.

The problem for Hines Ward is that his career milestone came with a millstone yesterday. He became the first Steelers receiver to catch 10,000 yards worth of passes and he had to hit that mark in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Needing 60 yards coming in to hit 10,000, Ward caught four passes for 82 yards. He has 10,022 yards.

"It means nothing to me now," Ward said. "It's a great milestone but starting the season off 1-2, all the milestones and records, I can't even think about that right now."

Wallace the one

Mike Wallace likely has won the No. 3 receiving spot yesterday for two very big reasons. He became the first rookie since Santonio Holmes in 2006 to have a 100-yard game.

Wallace, a third-round draft choice fromMississippi, caught seven passes for 102 yards. Those included a 51-yarder in which he would have scored a touchdown except he stepped out of bounds at the Cincinnati 10.

The Steelers had to settle for a 24-yard Jeff Reed field goal on that.

Combined with another drop by Limas Sweed in the end zone and Wallace has outpaced Sweed, the team's second-round pick in 2008, for the No. 3 job behind Holmes and Ward.

Fullback unsettled

Another rookie, tight end David Johnson, made his first start at fullback but that did not last long, leaving the game with a lower leg injury on the second series.

Johnson became the second rookie to start at fullback in two games. Frank Summers started against Chicago but Summers, apparently not blocking up to the coaches' standards, was inactive yesterday.

After Johnson left, the Steelers used another rookie, guard/tackle Ramon Foster, as a third tight end, but he was not used in the backfield as a fullback. The Steelers went mostly with a one-back after that, although tight ends Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth did line up as fullbacks a few times.

Replacement player

Maybe it was because safety Tyrone Carter was injured, or maybe it was because they wanted better pass coverage. But, for most of the game, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau would replace Carter with cornerback Deshea Townsend in the base defense whenever the Bengals would use three wide receivers.

"When they got in passing situations we did that," said Carter, who wore a protective pad over his left thigh contusion -- an

Page 1 of 3Steelers Notebook: Ward's milestone dampened by loss


injury he suffered a week ago in Chicago. "I don't know if it was [because I was injured.] Maybe he felt that. I just went with it."

Taylor-made plays

Cornerback Ike Taylor was credited with four passes defensed, three of which came on the final series when he made several big plays to deprive Chad Ochocinco of a touchdown.

He got his right hand up to deflect a pass to Ochocinco on a third-and-2 play from the Steelers' 20, then two plays later made a diving deflection on a crossing route to the former Chad Johnson.

"We have to do something to finish these games," Taylor said. "These teams aren't going to walk in and let us win the game. We have to learn to finish."

First time sweetest

The Bengals' victory was the first against the Steelers in Cincinnati for coach Marvin Lewis and quarterback Carson Palmer. The Steelers won the past eight games at Paul Brown Stadium.

Lewis downplayed ending the streak, but Palmer didn't even try. You might remember it was just a few years ago that he said he "hated" the Steelers, in large part, because they were so much more successful than the Bengals.

"It's huge. It's a big home victory against a good team," Palmer said. "They're the defending champs. The locker room was ecstatic after the game."

Bengals look to Palmer

The Bengals look at Palmer the way the Steelers do quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. They never feel as if they're out of a game with him in the huddle. Palmer didn't let them down in this game, leading them on 85- and 71-yard touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to bring them back from a 20-9 deficit.

"He feels no pressure," said running back Brian Leonard, who caught a key fourth-down pass from Palmer on the winning drive. Added Lewis, "[Palmer] feels comfortable, and he's very collected at those points in the game. It just speaks to his maturity, his leadership abilities and his command of what we're doing."

Searching for turnovers

For a second consecutive week, the Steelers defense failed to force a turnover. Last year, what is virtually the same defense forced eight turnovers in the first three games and had only four games when it failed to get one.

"We didn't hold up our end of the bargain," said Carter, making his second start in lieu of injured All Pro Troy Polamalu, said. "We're finding ways to lose games instead of finding ways to win games. We have to find ways to make winning plays."

Offense missing late

The Steelers outgained the Bengals 152 to minus-10 in the first period, but were outgained, 283-221, from that point and, 139-19, in the fourth quarter.

"It's frustrating because I felt like all game we were in control," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "Even when they made the big pick, we were playing tough, then things shifted on us. They made a great drive at the end."

Interception was huge

As important as the two fourth-quarter drives were, the Bengals said cornerback Johnathan Joseph's interception of a Roethlisberger pass and 30-yard return for a touchdown early in the third quarter was just as significant. That pulled the Bengals to within 13-9.

"You get a chance to get back in the football game without having to drive the field for a touchdown," Lewis said. "They don't give up many big plays on defense, so any time you score against them, you probably have to drive the field. That was a quick strike, similar to having an explosive play on offense."

Extra points



Linebacker James Harrison, who set the Steelers record with 16 sacks last season, broke the ice and got his first. LaMarr Woodley remains shut out there. Casey Hampton got the other Steelers sack yesterday, his first as well. ... Ward was whistled for two offensive pass interference penalties, a rare call. One came on what looked like a pick play. ... Roethlisberger had won his previous 12 starts against AFC North Division teams. ... Cedric Benson's 23-yard touchdown run it the fourth-quarter was the season's first rushing touchdown against the Steelers. ... The Bengals didn't force a Steelers punt until the fourth quarter.

Gerry Dulac, Gene Collier and Ron Cook of the Post-Gazette contributed to this notebook.





Defense careens after another blow Monday, September 28, 2009 By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ron Cook

CINCINNATI -- It seemed impossible for any defense to play worse than the Pitt defense did Saturday in a loss at North Carolina State when it gave up 38 points and 530 yards. But the Steelers' defense might have been worse yesterday. For the second week in a row and the third game in the past four going back to Super Bowl XLIII, it collapsed in the fourth quarter. Only one word describes its late play: Terrible.

I mean, really, put the blame for the 23-20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals exactly where it belongs.

Sure, it's easy to finger quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown in the third quarter, and wide receiver Limas Sweed, who dropped a touchdown pass a few plays later, just as it was easy to blame Jeff Reed a week ago for missing two field goals in a 17-14 loss to the Chicago Bears. It's especially easy to finger Sweed. He looks like a bust as a No. 2 draft pick in 2008. Too bad coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians didn't "forget" about him yesterday the way they did in the opening-game win against the Tennessee Titans.

But the Steelers still led, 20-9, in the fourth quarter. That should have been plenty for its defense, which was the best in the NFL last season ...

Doesn't last season seem like a lifetime ago about now?

The Bengals put together two long touchdown drives to win, just as the Bears had two long scoring drives to win that game and just as the Arizona Cardinals had two touchdown drives to take a late lead in the Super Bowl only to be trumped by a wondrous winning drive led by Roethlisberger.

Once is a bad day at the office. That's what the dependable Reed had in Chicago. But two in a row and three in four games? That's a rotten trend.

"Walking off the field today, I couldn't believe it," defensive end Brett Keisel said.

Who could?

Who could have predicted the Steelers' defense would melt down again?

"It's surprising because we're so used to someone -- anyone -- making a play for us," defensive back Deshea Townsend said.

A better question:

Why is this happening?

"It's usually a myriad of reasons, quite frankly," Tomlin said. "Tighter coverage, better pressure -- they go hand-in-hand. The bottom line is that we need significant players -- and we have quite a few of those -- to make significant plays in significant moments."

All of it is enough to make you at least wonder if the defense has aged before our very eyes. You know, gone from a veteran, experienced defense to an old defense.

Townsend, 34, was late on a few coverages. Defensive end Aaron Smith, 33, had his hand -- two hands, actually -- on Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer when he completed an 11-yard pass to running back Brian Leonard on a fourth-and-10 play on the winning drive. "I wish I would have had one more step on him," Smith said. Linebacker James Farrior, 34, couldn't quite keep up with Leonard on that play or tackle him short of the first down.

Safety Tyrone Carter is 33, nose tackle Casey Hampton 32, Keisel 31 ...

"No, I don't think we're too old," Townsend said. "We're just not finishing games right now."

Page 1 of 2Defense careens after another blow


"I don't believe that has anything to do with it," Smith added. "There were plays five or six years ago when I wished I had one more step."

What?

You expected the fellas to say they should be put out to pasture?

The Steelers also didn't want to play the Troy Polamalu card as an excuse even though the All-Pro safety missed his second consecutive game with a knee injury.

"If we can stop a team for 3 1/2 quarters, we can stop them for four," safety Ryan Clark said. "I think Troy is our best player and our most talented player. We all miss him. But the guys we have out there should be able to make the plays."

So if it's not age and not the Polamalu factor, then what it is?

"It's about executing in situational football," Farrior said. "We're not doing that right now. I'm not doing that.

"I feel like I cost us this game. That dude [Leonard] was my man. He just beat me. If I tackle him, we win the game."

Farrior hardly was the lone villain. When the defense gives up a 6-play, 85-yard touchdown drive and a 16-play, 71-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, there's plenty of blame to go around. Twice on the winning drive, the Bengals converted fourth-down plays.

"Point blank, put it on us -- on the secondary," Clark said. "You don't have to write about anything else. Just talk about us -- the defensive backs. Something's got to be fixed. Carson Palmer is a great quarterback and he has a lot of weapons. We've got to get closer to those guys ...

"[Cornerback] Ike [Taylor] made all the plays he can make. I think he had three or four [passes broken up]. But the rest of ushave got to help him out. He can't do it by himself."

It's admirable that the Steelers' defensive players line up to take blame. But it would be even more admirable if they got things "fixed" -- to use Clark's word -- and started making the plays to close out games.

"We've just got to go to the lab and work on some things," Townsend said. "Don't press and stick together. The plays are going to come."

Or as Keisel put it, "We've got to take the punches and move on."

What an interesting choice of words.

The Steelers' defense took two huge blows on the past two Sundays.

As a result, the champion is staggering.

Many more days like this and the champion will be knocked out.

Ron Cook can be reached at [email protected]. More articles by this author


Page 2 of 2Defense careens after another blow


Steelers lose battle of bunglers Monday, September 28, 2009 By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Gene Collier

Steelers kick returner Stefan Logan is dragged out of bounds by the Bengals' Roy Williams. View all related images

CINCINNATI -- This should have been the introduction to a common football tale, a simple story of three base elements:

Emergence -- the blossoming of Steelers receiver Mike Wallace into a viable weapon.

Re-emergence -- the spectacle of Willie Parker taking his rightful place at the core of the Steelers' offense.

And finally ...

Submergence -- the retreat to the backwaters of the depth chart by Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed, or draft choices Nos. 1 and 2 from 2008.

Sweed dropped a touchdown pass yesterday, which just happened to stand up as the arithmetic difference between victory and defeat, and Mendenhall helped run out the clock on the Steelers with a direction-less kickoff return in the game's final seconds, but the Steelers probably didn't need either of those youngsters to lose to the Cincinnati Bengals.

There were plenty of decorated veterans working hard at it for most of the second half and all of the fourth quarter. In a game when the Bengals nearly were booed off the field for repeated bursts of gross incompetence, Mike Tomlin's team stopped what it was doing with a 13-point lead and decided to see if it could out-pratfall one of the league's great slapstick acts.

Mission accomplished.

"We've got to make critical plays at critical moments," Tomlin said 10 minutes after the Steelers' first loss in the AFC North Division since 2007. "We have people whose resumes are filled with those type of plays. We just have to get it out of them."

Losses have been remarkably few in the burgeoning Tomlin era, but this was easily the worst. It wasn't the thorough whipping endured a year ago at Tennessee or at New England the year before, and it had none of the import of a home playoff loss to Jacksonville, but for raw goal-line to goal-line ineptitude, it was the topper.

Or bottomer.

"All losses are the worst, whether they're 35-0 or 16-15," said defensive back Deshea Townsend, as tenured a Steelers player as you could find yesterday in the locker room. "A lot of things went wrong out there, but we still were winning. We made a lot of mistakes but we had the opportunities to overcome them. You have to overcome those things, and we came up short."

Mistake 1 came from the coaching staff, which considered several options for fourth-and-4 at the Cincinnati 35 with the

Page 1 of 2Steelers lose battle of bunglers


Steelers leading, 13-0. Too distant for a field-goal try, to near for a punt, the pass play called took just long enough for Ben Roethlisberger to get pressured into a desperate, harmless throw. Operating out of the shotgun, Roethlisberger easily could have dropped a pooch punt inside the Bengals' 15 or better. He has executed that very play previously. That would have pinned Carson Palmer's bumbling offense down until the second half, when the Steelers were going to receive the kickoff, but instead the Bengals took over at the 35 and, just as Chad Ochocinco probably had begun to consider tweeting "Palmer stinks," the quarterback moved the Bengals 49 yards in 66 seconds to a field goal.

From that point, the Bengals outscored the Steelers, 20-7.

Tomlin surely thought there was no point in pinning the Bengals back there, since it looked as though Palmer could be set upat the Steelers' 1 and not threaten anyone. He had four passes batted down, misdirected about 14 others, and even a winning touchdown pass capping a 71-yard drive with 14 seconds left could lift his passer rating only to a lukewarm 76.7.

Bengals mistakes extended not only to the defense, but to their special teams, where center Brad St. Louis' snap for an extra point sailed halfway to the other St. Louis. I guess they don't call him the long snapper for nothing.

But for all of this, there was simply no amount of Cincinnati incompetence the Steelers couldn't overcome.

Or undercome.

On their first possession after intermission, Roethlisberger threw with perfect imperfection to Cincinnati corner Johnathan Joseph, who returned it 30 yards for a touchdown. Clearly a miscommunication, because otherwise you would have thought Roethlisberger was channeling his inner Neil O'Donnell.

"We won't point fingers," Roethlisberger said.

Translation: "Wasn't me."

Santonio Holmes was headed upfield in that general area, not to point fingers, but Holmes had a second consecutive miserable game, catching only one of five balls thrown to him.

Along with his historic 10,000th receiving yard, Hines Ward collected twin interference penalties to help keep the offense, as Tomlin might say, mistake capable.

Finally, for a second consecutive week, the revered Steelers defense allowed a fourth-quarter scoring drive, not to mention 139 yards of Bengals offense in that final 15 minutes.

"We have to learn to finish, man," said cornerback Ike Taylor, who nearly won the game himself with three spectacular pass breakups on the Bengals' final drive, one against Ochocinco in the end zone. "At the end of halves, at the end of games, we've got to get off the field."

You knew the Bengals eventually would win one of these affairs, but you would never have guessed it would be by getting outbungled.

Gene Collier can be reached [email protected]. More articles by this author

Gene Collier's "Two-Minute Warning" videos are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.


Page 2 of 2Steelers lose battle of bunglers


Bengals stun Steelers with last-minute TD

By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Monday, September 28, 2009

CINCINNATI — During a first half that the Steelers dominated, Bengals fans cheered sarcastically after a couple of plays in which Cincinnati gained yardage.

By the end of an AFC North game that left the defending Super Bowl champions in third place in their division — and searching for answers following another come-from-ahead loss — those same fans were raucously chanting "Who dey?" as they filed out of Paul Brown Stadium.

Carson Palmer threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell with 14 seconds left Sunday, and that propelled the Bengals past the Steelers, 23-20.

The Bengals overcame 13-0 and 20-9 deficits in snapping an eight-game home losing streak to the Steelers in front of 64,538. Cincinnati never led until after Palmer had Roethlisbergered the Steelers by marching the Bengals 72 yards on 16 plays for the winning touchdown.

The Bengals (2-1) twice converted on fourth down during the drive, including on fourth- and-10 from the Steelers' 15 with 36 seconds left. Running back Brian Leonard, who had to battle just to make Cincinnati's team, got enough of a step on Steelers linebacker James Farrior to pick up 11 yards after hauling in a short pass.

Two plays later, Caldwell corralled the pass that sealed the Steelers' fate.

The Steelers (1-2), who are under .500 for the first time since Mike Tomlin took over as coach, will try to rebound Sunday when they host the San Diego Chargers in an 8:20 p.m. game.

"I feel like the game's my fault," said Farrior, who is a defensive captain. "I stop the guy on fourth down, and the game's over, and we're not even talking about this. I can take responsibility for this."

Alas, for the Steelers, there was plenty of blame to go around.

An offense that came out of the locker room humming twice had to settle for short-field Jeff Reed field goals in the first half after it had driven inside Cincinnati's 5-yard line.

It also let the Bengals back in the game when a miscommunication between

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quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes early in the third quarter resulted in an easy interception by cornerback Johnathan Joseph and a 30-yard return for a touchdown.

The Steelers outgained the Bengals by 100 yards, dominated the time of possession and led comfortably for most of the game. Yet, after the game, players such as outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley and right tackle Willie Colon sat on stools in front of their lockers wearing blank stares as they tried to process what had happened to a team that had owned Cincinnati.

"That's two games we should have won," said Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, also alluding to a 17-14 loss to the Bears on Sept. 20. "It was more about what we didn't do than what the other team did. We're just not finding ways to finish teams off."

A dropped touchdown pass by Limas Sweed in the third quarter helped keep the Bengals in the game. And just as the Bears had done the previous week, the Bengals had their way with the Steelers' defense in the fourth quarter.

Palmer led two touchdown drives in the final 15 minutes, leading to questions of whether a veteran defense wore down in the fourth quarter.

"That will never be an excuse," Tomlin said. "The reality is, we better be fresh relative to our opponents. We just have to make critical plays at critical moments. We have people who are capable of doing that."

Scott Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.

Images and text copyright © 2009 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.

Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from Trib Total Media

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Harris: Steelers' season feels like dejà vu

By John Harris TRIBUNE-REVIEW Monday, September 28, 2009

CINCINNATI — Will this be 2006 all over again? Will history repeat itself for the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers?

The Steelers don't normally blow 11-point leads in the fourth quarter.

They never lose to the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium — at least they didn't until this year.

You know the Bengals. They wear big, red noses and dress up in clown suits whenever the Steelers visit.

That is, until Cincinnati's stunning, 23-20 comeback win against the Steelers on Sunday — when up was down, right was wrong and the Bengals finally turned the tables on their AFC North rivals.

Clutch fourth-quarter comebacks are usually reserved for the Steelers, not the Bengals.

Cincinnati ended an eight-game home losing streak against the Steelers along with a five-game overall losing streak to the Steelers going back to Sept. 24, 2006 — three years and three days to the date.

"Is that right? Now, we have to start over," defensive end Aaron Smith said.

There's something about the Steelers playing in the month of September the season after winning the Super Bowl that's worth noting.

Just as they were in 2006, the Steelers are 1-2.

If it happens once, it's a coincidence. If it happens twice, that usually signals a trend.

"Correlation? Nah. That's two different years,'' Smith said. "The fact is, we had plenty of chances to put this game way and didn't do it. This was a division game; it had nothing to do with anything else."

Added cornerback Ike Taylor: "I don't remember that far back. I don't even care right now. It's 2009."

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Uncharacteristic defensive breakdowns and squandered scoring opportunities against Cincinnati leave the Steelers in third place in the division behind first-place Baltimore and the Bengals.

"The Super Bowl champions (being) 1-2 is not how we envisioned our season starting out," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "We left a lot of plays on the field. If we score touchdowns in the first half, that's not even a ballgame. That's 24-0 or 24-3 (instead of 13-3).''

In the third quarter, crossed signals between quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Santonio Holmes resulted in Johnathan Joseph's 30-yard interception return for a touchdown that cut the Steelers' lead to 13-9.

"It was a miscommunication," Roethlisberger said. "We won't point fingers or put blame on anything.

"It's adversity that we have to face, but we've faced similar situations before."

Defensively, inside linebacker James Farrior blamed himself for Cincinnati's winning touchdown. Two plays before Carson Palmer's 4-yard scoring toss to Andre Caldwell, Farrior said he didn't stop Brian Leonard's 11-yard reception on fourth-and-10.

The last time the Steelers opened 1-2 the year after winning the Super Bowl, they missed the playoffs.

Ironically, the Steelers faced San Diego in their fourth game in 2006 — the same opponent they'll play host to next week at Heinz Field. The Steelers lost to the Chargers three years ago and fell into a 1-3 hole they couldn't climb out of.

"It's a matter of making plays and not making plays," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "If we don't start making them, it's going to be a long year."

John Harris can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.





Harris: Steelers' season feels like dejà vu

By John Harris TRIBUNE-REVIEW Monday, September 28, 2009

CINCINNATI — Will this be 2006 all over again? Will history repeat itself for the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers?

The Steelers don't normally blow 11-point leads in the fourth quarter.

They never lose to the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium — at least they didn't until this year.

You know the Bengals. They wear big, red noses and dress up in clown suits whenever the Steelers visit.

That is, until Cincinnati's stunning, 23-20 comeback win against the Steelers on Sunday — when up was down, right was wrong and the Bengals finally turned the tables on their AFC North rivals.

Clutch fourth-quarter comebacks are usually reserved for the Steelers, not the Bengals.

Cincinnati ended an eight-game home losing streak against the Steelers along with a five-game overall losing streak to the Steelers going back to Sept. 24, 2006 — three years and three days to the date.

"Is that right? Now, we have to start over," defensive end Aaron Smith said.

There's something about the Steelers playing in the month of September the season after winning the Super Bowl that's worth noting.

Just as they were in 2006, the Steelers are 1-2.

If it happens once, it's a coincidence. If it happens twice, that usually signals a trend.

"Correlation? Nah. That's two different years,'' Smith said. "The fact is, we had plenty of chances to put this game way and didn't do it. This was a division game; it had nothing to do with anything else."

Added cornerback Ike Taylor: "I don't remember that far back. I don't even care right now. It's 2009."



Uncharacteristic defensive breakdowns and squandered scoring opportunities against Cincinnati leave the Steelers in third place in the division behind first-place Baltimore and the Bengals.

"The Super Bowl champions (being) 1-2 is not how we envisioned our season starting out," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "We left a lot of plays on the field. If we score touchdowns in the first half, that's not even a ballgame. That's 24-0 or 24-3 (instead of 13-3).''

In the third quarter, crossed signals between quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Santonio Holmes resulted in Johnathan Joseph's 30-yard interception return for a touchdown that cut the Steelers' lead to 13-9.

"It was a miscommunication," Roethlisberger said. "We won't point fingers or put blame on anything.

"It's adversity that we have to face, but we've faced similar situations before."

Defensively, inside linebacker James Farrior blamed himself for Cincinnati's winning touchdown. Two plays before Carson Palmer's 4-yard scoring toss to Andre Caldwell, Farrior said he didn't stop Brian Leonard's 11-yard reception on fourth-and-10.

The last time the Steelers opened 1-2 the year after winning the Super Bowl, they missed the playoffs.

Ironically, the Steelers faced San Diego in their fourth game in 2006 — the same opponent they'll play host to next week at Heinz Field. The Steelers lost to the Chargers three years ago and fell into a 1-3 hole they couldn't climb out of.

"It's a matter of making plays and not making plays," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "If we don't start making them, it's going to be a long year."

John Harris can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.





Bad practices cut down Mendenhall's time

By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Monday, September 28, 2009

Willie Parker rushed for 53 of his game-high 93 yards in the first quarter Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium. But a fast start by Parker wasn't the reason why backup Rashard Mendenhall played only on special teams in the Steelers' 23-20 loss to the Bengals.

Coach Mike Tomlin said Mendenhall didn't have a good week of practice.

"Rashard wasn't on the detail (last) week," Tomlin said, "so I chose not to play him on offense."

Mendenhall, the Steelers' first-round pick in the 2008 draft, had a career-long run of 39 yards against the Bears on Sept. 20. The bad practice week allowed Parker to establish season highs in carries (25) and yards.

"The offensive line did a great job," Parker said. "They played with attitude all game. It feels kind of sour that we didn't come out of it with a win."

• Hines Wardbecame the first Steelers player to go over 10,000 receiving yards in his career. Mike Wallace, meanwhile, became the first rookie to have a 100-yard receiving game since 2006, when Santonio Holmes did it in the regular-season finale at Cincinnati. Neither were celebrating in a quiet Steelers locker room after they had accomplished their respective feats.

"Right now, the individual goal is nothing to me," Ward said. "Finishing (as) Super Bowl champions and starting 1-2 is not how we envisioned starting."

• Missed opportunities contributed to the Steelers' first loss in Cincinnati since 2001, and a 51-yard catch by Wallace in the second quarter could have gone for a touchdown. But Wallace, who had badly beaten cornerback Johnathan Joseph on a fly pattern, let his momentum carry him too far toward the right sideline. He went out of bounds at the Bengals' 10-yard line. The Steelers settled for a 24-yard field goal by Jeff Reed.

"I was looking up at the ball and my body was kind of taking me to the side," Wallace said. "I've got to know where I'm at on the field."

• The Bengals didn't score until the end of the first half, and their initial scoring drive may have been aided by the Steelers. With his team leading, 13-0, and 1:15 left in the second quarter, Tomlin opted to go for it on fourth-and-4 from the Bengals' 35-yard line. The Steelers didn't convert, and Carson Palmer put

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together a seven-play drive that Shayne Graham capped with a 34-yard field goal.

"We thought we had an opportunity to get a first down and potentially a touchdown," Tomlin said. "We were on the outermost edge of what was comfortable field-goal range."

• Steelers tight end David Johnson, who also lines up at fullback, left yesterday's game in the first quarter and did not return. The Steelers used Johnson in the backfield in place of rookie fullback Frank Summers, who did not dress for the game.

• Joining Summers on the inactive list were strong safety Troy Polamalu (knee injury), cornerback Keenan Lewis, defensive end Nick Eason, wide receiver Shaun McDonald, guard Kraig Urbik, offensive tackle Tony Hills and Dennis Dixon (third quarterback).

• Tyrone Carter started his second consecutive game for the injured Polamalu and recorded three tackles.

Scott Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.



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Monday September 28, 2009

Bungle in the jungle: Bengals bite Steelers 23-20 By: Mike Bires Beaver County Times

AP photo by ED REINKE Cincinnati running back Cedric Benson (32) gets a lift from offensive lineman Anthony Collins (73) after scoring on a 23-yard run in the second half of Sunday’s game at Paul Brown Stadium.

CINCINNATI - In their long history, the Steelers have suffered their share of unfathomable losses. But the one Sunday may trump them all.

In botching what should have been an easy win, the Steelers self-destructed in too many ways to count. And because they did, they are a team in trouble.

Throughout the preseason, the Steelers promised they would not have a Super Bowl hangover. Well, after three games, this is one hung-over football team.

This looks like 2006 all over again.

In their last Super Bowl defense, the Steelers got off to a 1-2 start en route to missing the playoffs. Well, here they are again, 1-2 after a crushing 23-20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

How could they blow a 13-0 lead after racking up a whopping 207-to-minus-10 advantage in total yards after the game's first three possessions?

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By collapsing in the second half, that's how.

A miscommunication between Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes allowed Cincinnati cornerback Jonathan Joseph to return an interception 30 yards for a TD early in the third quarter.

On the Steelers' next possession, Limas Sweed dropped what should have been a 34-yard TD pass. On the next snap, Jeff Reed, the goat last week in Chicago when he missed two field goals, missed a 52-yarder.

Then in the fourth quarter, the once-proud Steelers' defense just broke down.

When it mattered most, the defense allowed the Bengals to score touchdowns on their last two possessions. The first of those two drives went 85 yards. The second was a 71-yard march in which Carson Palmer kept the drive alive with two fourth-down completions. Palmer then won it with a TD pass with 14 seconds left.

The 2009 defense is light years away from last year's top-ranked defense.

"That was bad, wasn't it?" free safety Ryan Clark said dejectedly. "Yes, that was bad football."

It was pathetic football for a team that supposedly was stacked to make another serious run deep into the postseason tournament.

After losing in Cincinnati for the first time since 2001, the Steelers offered up all kinds of reasons and excuses for their meltdown. They all sounded so hollow.

"It's always the little things," cornerback Deshea Townsend said.

"It's not mental mistakes, it's physical mistakes," linebacker James Farrior.

"We didn't have everybody on the same page," wide receiver Hines Ward said.

"We shot ourselves in the foot," Roethlisberger said.

"Everybody has to hold themselves accountable," running back Willie Parker said.

It's all of the above and more.

The bottom line is that right now, the Steelers are not a very good team.

Mike Bires can be reached online at [email protected]

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Defense not taking the lead 9/28/2009 6:56 AM CINCINNATI - Somebody should call a doctor because if the Steelers don't find a cure for their Super Bowl hangover, it's going to be a long, cold January with no postseason in Pittsburgh.

And that would be a shame.

The Steelers have historically found ways to win games when they held fourth-quarter leads, such as the 14-7 edge they had in Chicago last week, and the 20-9 advantage they had against the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday.

Under former head coach Bill Cowher, the Steelers were 111-1-1 in games they held a lead of 10 or more points in the fourth quarter.

Those are games you should win when you're a good team, particularly one with as many defensive stars as the Steelers.

"History is not going to make the plays," said linebacker James Farrior, one of those stars. "We established ourselves in the first half. We've got to come out in the second half and not let teams hang around."

That killer instinct is something that helped the Steelers win close games in previous seasons.

But it's time to acknowledge that this once-great defense - without its top playmaker, Troy Polamalu - isn't where it was a year ago at this time.

How else can one explain the Steelers allowing 27 fourth quarter points this season, compared to 23 in the first three quarters?

"It's not just Troy; there are 11 guys out there," said safety Ryan Clark. "Troy's a great player, the best at his position in the league and probably our best defensive player - at least in my opinion. But we've got other playmakers out there."

Right now, they're not making any plays.

Since Polamalu went down with a sprained knee in the second quarter of the opener against Tennessee, the Steelers have been outscored 50-40.

On Sunday, Cincinnati looked dead in the water. The Bengals had negative yardage in the first quarter and didn't pick up their first first down until 11:27 remained in the second quarter.

The Bengals had 117 yards on their first seven possessions. Yet, there they were in the fourth quarter moving the ball up and down the field against the Steelers, gaining 156 yards and scoring two touchdowns.

"It's disappointing," said Farrior. "We just kept making mistakes, not being in the right spot, missing tackles. In critical situations, you can't have that kind of stuff come up."

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But this defense looks a step slow, as if age is finally starting to catch up with it. Six defensive starters in Sunday's game were over 30-years old. In two weeks, they'll be joined by Clark.

"I've never called them a veteran defense or an old defense. It's our defense," said head coach Mike Tomlin.

But it's a defense that needs to find a way to play without its best player, though Polamalu could be back in two weeks when the Steelers play Detroit.

By then, this team may have already matched its 1-3 start from 2006, the season after it won a Super Bowl.

It's Tomlin's job to make sure that doesn't happen.

"We've got to make critical plays at critical moments and we have people capable of doing it," Tomlin said. "We have people who's resumes are full of those kind of plays. We've just got to find a way to get it out of them."

F. Dale Lolley can be reached at [email protected]

Copyright Observer Publishing Co.

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Steelers collapse in loss to Bengals 9/28/2009 6:56 AM CINCINNATI - With the game on the line for a second consecutive week and the league's top-rated defense in 2008 on the field, the Pittsburgh Steelers seemed poised to win for the ninth season in a row in Cincinnati.

For the second consecutive week, the defense faltered, this time allowing Cincinnati to rally from a 20-9 deficit to beat the Steelers, 23-20, here at Paul Brown Stadium.

The loss was reminiscent of the team's failure to hold a 14-7 fourth quarter lead in a 17-14 loss to Chicago last week. Cincinnati scored on a 23-yard Cedric Benson run with 9:14 remaining, then added a 4-yard Carson Palmer-to-Andre Caldwell touchdown pass with 14 seconds left to pull out the victory.

"We strive to be a great defense and make those plays," Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel said. "If we don't start making them, it's going to be a long year."

The final possession was particularly bad, as the Steelers (1-2) permitted the Bengals (2-1) to convert two fourth-down plays deep in Pittsburgh territory to keep the drive alive.

The first was a five-yard pass to Laveraneus Coles on fourth-and-two from the Pittsburgh 20 with one minute remaining. The second came on fourth-and-10 at the 15 with 36 seconds left in the game when Palmer tossed the ball short of the marker to running back Brian Leonard, who dove out of the tackle of linebacker James Farrior to get the first down.

"To have a lead and blow it like that two weeks in a row is very frustrating," said Farrior. "We've got to find a way to make a play when we need one."

The Steelers did whatever they wanted on offense in the first half - except score touchdowns.

Ben Roethlisberger, who threw for 276 yards, tossed a 27-yard touchdown pass to running back Willie Parker after avoiding a tackle attempt by Robert Geathers and pulling linebacker Rey Maualuga off coverage on Parker when he came up to the line of scrimmage. But two other long drives ended with Jeff Reed field goals of 19 and 24 yards as the Steelers built a 13-0 lead.

It could have been much more.

Parker, who had 93 yards rushing on 25 carries, was stopped on third-and-goal from the one to force the first field goal. Rookie Mike Wallace stepped out of bounds at the Cincinnati 10 following a 51-yard catch prior to the second field goal.

Wallace finished with seven receptions for 102 yards, both career highs.

Following the second Reed field goal, the Steelers held a 207 to minus 10-yard advantage in total yards with 12:44 remaining in the second quarter.

"If we score touchdowns in the first half, it's not even a game," Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said. "It's 24-0 or 24-3. It's not very good. You've got to put up seven points instead of threes. That's how you

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finish a team off."

Cincinnati finally gained some yards and picked up a first down on its next possession, but was forced to punt from the Pittsburgh 43.

The Steelers again mounted a drive, moving from their 14 to the Cincinnati 35. But head coach Mike Tomlin elected to go for a first down rather than punt on fourth-and-five with 1:15 left in the half. The Steelers turned the ball over on downs when Roethlisberger threw incomplete to Santonio Holmes.

"We felt like we were moving the ball well and could score a touchdown there," said Tomlin.

Instead, it gave the Bengals the life they needed, as they took the ball to the Pittsburgh 16 before settling for a 34-yard Shayne Graham field goal on the final play of the half to cut the Steelers' lead to 13-3.

Cincinnati carried that momentum over to the second half, as cornerback Johnathan Joseph intercepted a Roethlisberger pass intended for Holmes and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown on Pittsburgh's first possession. The snap on the point after attempt sailed over holder Kevin Huber's head, however, and the Bengals were forced to settle for six points instead of seven, cutting the Steelers' lead to 13-9.

Roethlisberger quickly made up for the mistake, ending a 75-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown on a quarterback sneak to give the Steelers a 20-9 lead with three minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Odds and end zones

Ward had four receptions for 82 yards that moved him past the 10,000-yard receiving mark for his career. He's the first Steelers player to accomplish the feat. ... Rookie tight end David Johnson started at fullback for the Steelers, because Tank Summer, the Steelers' fullback in their first two games, was inactive. ... Johnson suffered a sprained ankle in the first quarter and did not return. ... Roethlisberger's third quarter touchdown run was the 12th of his career, the most of any quarterback since 2004. ... Washington's Gene Steratore was the umpire in the game.

Copyright Observer Publishing Co.

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CINCINNATI (AP) — Sam Cook's song A Change is Gonna Come played on a continuous loop in the Cincinnati Bengals' locker room, providing the musical score for a groundbreaking win.

In five frenetic minutes, the Bengals earned some legitimacy and won back their town.

PHOTOS: Week 3 highlights

Carson Palmer's 4-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell with 14 seconds left provided a 23-20 win Sunday that ended the Pittsburgh Steelers' nearly decade-long domination in Cincinnati, one that appeared set to go on indefinitely until the final drive.

BOX SCORE: Bengals 23, Steelers 20

"Priceless," offensive lineman Bobbie Williams said. "The past is the past. This is a new team and a new day."

For once, it was their day.

Pittsburgh (1-2) had won its last eight games on Cincinnati's home field. The last time the Bengals beat them at Paul Brown Stadium was 2001, when Chad Ochocinco was a rookie who rarely started and still went by the name of Johnson.

Ochocinco doesn't remember much from that long-ago game. The Bengals (2-1) won't soon forget this one.

The defending Super Bowl champs dominated most of the game but wasted chances to put the Bengals away. Jeff Reed missed another field goal, and Limas Sweed dropped a pass in the end zone, keeping it close to the end.

"If we score touchdowns in the first half, it's not even a game," Steelers receiver Hines Ward said. "It's 24-0 or 24-3. It's not very good. You've got to put up seven points instead of 3s. That's how you finish a team off."

Instead, the Bengals finished them off.

Palmer led the Bengals on a 16-play, 71-yard drive against one of the league's best defenses, repeatedly converting there-or-else throws. His 11-yarder to running back Brian Leonard on fourth-and-10 moved the ball to the 4. After a spike to stop the clock, Palmer found Caldwell open in the middle of the end zone.

"We've got a quarterback who's comfortable at those points in the game," coach Marvin Lewis said. "He's got a calm about him."

It was reminiscent of Palmer's long touchdown drive at the end of the season opener against Denver, which the Broncos then salvaged with a tipped, 87-yard touchdown catch. This time, there would be no weirdness.

Ben Roethlisberger's final, frantic heave was knocked down, giving the Bengals a game they viewed as a chance to prove that they can contend in the AFC North.

"It's huge," defensive lineman Tank Johnson said. "This team is a very good football team. If we eliminate the immature mistakes, the sky is the limit."

Beating the Steelers at home was no small thing. Thousands of Steelers fans were sprinkled throughout the crowd of 64,538, waving their yellow towels almost nonstop as Pittsburgh dominated but repeatedly failed to take advantage of scoring chances.

And, in the end, the defense failed to make a play to finish off the Bengals, reminiscent of the way Pittsburgh missed two second-half field goals in Chicago, then let the Bears pull out a 17-14 win on a field goal with 15 seconds left.

"We strive to be a great defense and make those plays," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "If we don't start making them, it's going to be a long year."

When Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes had a miscommunication on the third play of the second half — the quarterback made a quick throw, the receiver kept going — cornerback Johnathan Joseph intercepted and ran 30 yards for a touchdown that made it a game.

Roethlisberger was 22 of 31 for 276 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown pass to Willie Parker and a 1-yard scoring sneak. He was sacked near midfield on a third-down play as

Steelers shocked: Bengals top Super Bowl champions 23-20

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Pittsburgh tried to protect a 20-15 lead, giving the Bengals one last chance with 5:14 to play.

All they needed.

"Indescribable," said Palmer, who was 20 of 37 for 183 yards. "The fans wanted it as much as we did, and it felt great to see those hands go up signaling a touchdown and hear them roar."

The Steelers hadn't started 1-2 since 2006, the last time they were coming off a Super Bowl win. They opened 1-3 that season and finished 8-8, missing out on the playoffs. With two straight last-minute losses, the Steelers are again finding out how tough it is to be a defending champ.

"We feel like we beat ourselves," Roethlisberger said.

Notes: It was Roethlisberger's first loss as a Steelers QB in his native state of Ohio. He had been 11-0 in Cleveland and Cincinnati. ... Ward became the first Steeler to have 10,000 yards in catches during his career. ... Steelers rookie WR Mike Wallace had seven catches for a career-high 102 yards. ... Bengals rookie LB Rey Maualuga was carted off the field with a left knee injury in the second half, but returned to the field a series later.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Chargers story archive > September 2009

Chargers air it out to pull away from Dolphins Aerial attack leads Bolts to 23-13 victory after 3-3 half

By Chris Jenkins Union-Tribune Staff Writer

4:29 p.m. September 27, 2009

Photo gallery: Dolphins at Chargers

SAN DIEGO – Much as the Chargers said they have to move the chains on a steady basis, that you have to be methodical and time-consuming to beat a team like the churn-it-out Miami Dolphins, sometimes you just have to go with your nature.

And go deep.

For fully half a century now, the Chargers have been winning games by flinging the ball up the field, and they reverted to those roots with Philip Rivers passing San Diego to victory over Miami at Qualcomm Stadium. The final score of 23-13 doesn’t exactly scream “shootout,” but deep balls to Malcom Floyd and Vincent Jackson seemed to turn everything around for the Chargers in the second half.

Conversely, the loss of quarterback Chad Pennington also was critical to the Dolphins, who were not the same after he left a tie game in the third quarter with a shoulder

Eric Weddle essentially put the game on ice for the Chargers with a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown. - K.C. Alfred / Union-Tribune

Page 1 of 3Chargers air it out to pull away from Dolphins - SignOnSanDiego.com

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injury. With a grand total of seven completions in his NFL career, backup quarterback Chad Henne was nowhere near the threat that Pennington brought with his 4-0 record against San Diego.

With their first victory over Miami in the last eight regular-season matchups of the two, the Chargers now are 2-1 overall after two games of a three-game stretch against teams that played in last year’s postseason. Next stop, Pittsburgh, home of the defending NFL champions.

After an unproductive first half, Rivers ended up with 303 yards passing, hitting 18 of 33 attempts.

Obviously, the Chargers have to come up with lots more offense to compete with a defense like the Steelers, especially when you consider how hostile Pittsburgh is with a 1-2 record. The methodical approach clearly wasn’t working Sunday for the Chargers, who had 19 yards rushing in the first half, 29 after three quarters.

Trailing 6-3, the Chargers began shaking things up with a deep pass and some razzle-dazzle. On the first play after Miami’s go-ahead field goal, Rivers unleashed a throw way downfield to Floyd, who used both his leaping ability and sure hands for a 47-yard gain to the Dolphins 28.

With the ensuing snap, Rivers flipped the ball to running back Darren Sproles, who tossed it back to Rivers for a 19-yard pass to Antonio Gates. On third-and-goal from the 5, Rivers dropped back, but saw a huge alley open up before him and ran untouched to the end zone, giving the Chargers a 10-6 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter.

Not long into the fourth period, too, Rivers opened a series by airing out a 55-yard pass to Jackson, setting up Nate Kaeding’s field goal for a one-touchdown lead. Kaeding later connected for a third field goal to make it 16-6 and, with Henne showing his inexperience, safety Eric Weddle stepped in front of a pass for a 31-yard TD return.

Miami managed a touchdown, a 14-year burst by Patrick Henry High product Ricky Williams, but too late to put San Diego’s triumph in jeopardy.

Starting with an inactive list that included LaDainian Tomlinson and Pro Bowl center Nick Hardwick and starting guard Louis Vasquez, the Chargers tried to match the Dolphins in ball control, but with little success.

As if just tweaking the Chargers, the Dolphins began with a deep ball to Ted Ginn that was overthrown by Pennington, whereupon Miami immediately went with the ball-control game that everybody expected all week. Amazingly, the Dolphins ran off 17 plays and covered 96 yards, but came away empty-handed.

Having already carried the ball six times, Ronnie Brown got the call again on first-and-goal at the Chargers 1-yard line, a dive play up the middle. Brown never got a grip on the handoff from Pennington, though, and the loose ball skittered through the end zone for a touchback.

Spreading the ball around to Vincent Jackson, Legedu Naanee and Floyd, Rivers drove San Diego from the 20 to within seven yards of the endzone, but things went awry. Sproles was dropped for a yard loss, then let a Rivers pass skip off his hands, and the quarterback’s third-down pass was tipped away at the line.

Nate Kaeding’s 25-yard field goal did give the Chargers the game’s first score. It was also a reminder of the previous week’s home loss to the Baltimore Ravens, too, wherein San Diego had four first-and-goals



© Copyright 2007 Union-Tribune Publishing Co. • A Copley Newspaper Site

and wound up with four three-pointers from Kaeding.

Continuing their own inability to make the most of their opportunities, the Dolphins managed only to tie the game on Dan Carpenter’s chip-shot field goal with 3:26 remaining in the half. Miami had gotten the ball at the Chargers’ 17 on a sack by Joey Porter that led to Cameron Wake’s fumble recovery. Brown pounded the Chargers defense on two carries to the 11, but was dropped for a three-yard loss and stuffed by Ogemdi Nwagbuo for a two-yard loss on third-and-goal at the 4.

Again in position to score a touchdown before the half, the Chargers couldn’t even come away with a Kaeding field goal. Passes to Jackson, Sproles and Gates combined for 49 yards, putting San Diego at the 8. On the latter play, however, guard Kris Dielman was called for unnecessary roughness when caught dealing a forearm shiver to prone defensive end Phillip Merling.

Kaeding’s 40-yard attempt just seconds before intermission went wide. It was his first miss of the season.

Not only did the Dolphins go nowhere with the first drive of the second half, but it ended with Pennington getting pulled to the ground hard by Kevin Burnett and injuring his shoulder, not to return to play. He was replaced by Henne, who began the game as the designated third quarterback and had a grand total of 12 passes worth of NFL experience.

Actually, that just gave the Dolphins more reason to run the “Wildcat” offense they first employed last year, and the direct snaps to Brown helped set up Miami with a third-and-2 at the 5, whereupon Henne’s pass was batted away by Chargers newcomer Alfonso Boone. Carpenter’s 23-yarder put Miami back ahead, 6-3. Find this article at: http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/sep/27/bn27bolts-chargers-air-it-out/?chargers

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September 27, 2009

N.F.L. Quality-Control Coaches Learn It All

By GREG BISHOP

The modern N.F.L. quality-control coach was born in 1990 in San Francisco, where an offensive guru named

Mike Holmgren solved two problems with one hire.

Holmgren wanted to transfer the 49ers’ playbook, a series of sketches copied and stapled together, onto a

computer. To do this, he hired Jon Gruden, a young coach he wanted on the staff. But before Gruden could

celebrate, he called his father.

“What the heck is a quality-control coach?” Gruden said his father asked.

He found out soon enough. Gruden made $500 a month, slept most nights at the office and drew plays on the

computer using the program Super Paint 1.0. He fetched coffee, played gofer during practice and studied old

tapes of Coach Bill Walsh installing his famous West Coast offense.

Learning an N.F.L. system from the ground level prepared Gruden for his own rise to head coach with

Oakland and Tampa Bay. Same as it did for nine head coaches hired in the past four years, including five this

season.

These coaches received no recognition for long hours and little pay. But each understood the importance of

the position. Because for all the pageantry and complexity of an N.F.L. game, head coaches make decisions

based on information provided by their quality-control coaches.

“We worked quadruple everybody else, but we got to feel like a coach,” said Todd Haley, now the coach in

Kansas City, who worked in quality control with the Jets. “We had responsibility. It’s the greatest job in

football as far as learning.”

Ben Kotwica wanted to coach in the N.F.L. but wondered where his experience would fit. Kotwica served as a

captain and played linebacker at Army before beginning a military career in which he guided Apache attack

helicopters in Iraq, earned a Bronze Star and flew convoy-security operations escorts for President George W.

Bush.

In quality control, where Kotwica worked with the Jets the past two seasons, he found duties tailored to his

military training. The job required multitasking, breaking down film up to five weeks in advance, coaching

and analyzing data. It required following orders, and producing reports that ran 50 to 200 pages for coaches.

Better than anyone, Kotwica knows that football is not war. But he found a correlation in the preparation,

most evident in the information and technology.

This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers here or use the "Reprints" tool that appears next to any article. Visit www.nytreprints.com for samples and additional information. Order a reprint of this article now.

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“The computer work and the data analysis that go into it, you’d think you were planning a deep attack

mission in Baghdad,” Kotwica said.

The concepts of quality control date to Tom Landry, an engineer by training who built the Dallas Cowboys

into a dynasty by using statistical analysis far ahead of its time. Advances in technology, in the systems and

analysis available to teams, have led to an evolution in quality control. Gruden estimated the amount of

information teams can generate is 20 times as great as when he worked for the 49ers.

Like the sons of company presidents, quality-control coaches start in football’s equivalent of the mail room.

Most teams, including the Jets, have at least two quality-control coaches — one offense, one defense. The Jets

had four last season under Eric Mangini, a quality-control veteran who is now the head coach in Cleveland.

Before games, head coaches who once worked on the bottom rung sometimes share their stories. Like Steve

Spagnuolo, the coach in St. Louis who often slept in what he called a haunted dungeon at the old Veterans

Stadium in Philadelphia. Or Brad Childress, the Minnesota coach who returned to the same offices one night

to find a dead rat on the floor.

Haley shared a 6-by-6-foot office with the wide-bodied Charlie Weis and a cot. He ran penalty laps with

Mangini whenever they messed up the practice schedule made by Bill Parcells. Even Kotwica performed

duties unique to quality control, like picking up the cane of the special-teams coordinator Mike Westhoff

when he threw it in anger.

Miami Coach Tony Sparano drew 400 pages of notes into a computer while working quality control in

Cleveland in 1999. After 15 years spent coaching at the college level, Sparano wanted to capitalize on his first

N.F.L. coaching job. So he worked on the assignment at all hours, in hotel lobbies, on airplanes, as nights

faded into mornings.

When he finished, Sparano said he felt as if he had won the lottery. And as he climbed the coaching ranks, he

took the notebook with him, a reminder of where he started.

“That job was the most valuable experience I had,” Sparano said. “That was my first piece of work in this

league. Quality control rounded me, made me a better coach.”

For all the odd jobs, the full days and the minuscule paychecks, quality-control coaches can see their effect on

the field. It happens when an opponent gains 6 yards on first down and the coaches respond by sending in an

extra linebacker because the numbers indicate what will probably happen next.

Quality-control coaches also learn N.F.L. systems long before they install their own. From the hundreds of

hours they spend watching film, they learn the intricacies of football, the subtle differences between victories

and losses. They learn how teams organize practices, run their off-season programs and incorporate weight

training. They are exposed to the scouting, video and personnel departments, and the front office.

They are immersed in football 18 hours each day, and when they interview for head coaching jobs 10 or 15

years later, they draw on that experience.

“Every time a new approach is introduced or a new way to use technology is discovered, every quality-control



coach in the country cringes,” said Raheem Morris, the head coach for Tampa Bay. “I feel their pain.”

Morris also feels their pride, and like most who went from the bottom to the top, he fills those positions with

coaches who remind him of himself — hungry, computer savvy, perfect for grooming in his system.

These days, Gruden says he has noticed two trends about these detail-oriented positions: special-teams

coordinators ask for their own quality-control coaches, and quality-control coaches now have agents.

But before any of them can take over their own teams, they must do the work of the men who came before. So

when Gruden once needed to transfer thousands of pages onto his computer, he knew exactly where to turn.

He handed them to the quality-control coach.

Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company

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The Huddle: The latest word on NFL news, notes and buzz

Michael Vick reveals prison altercation to Fox; QB says friend diffused nasty ending

Rex Ryan: He and Bill Belichick talked after 'quick handshake' in Week 2

Sep 27, 2009

Week 3 Bests & Worsts: Wild weekend for comebacks, led by Brett Favre's thriller 08:57 PM 6 Comments 3 Recommend

USA TODAY's Sean Leahy whips around the NFL to highlight the best and worst moments of Week 3:

Best play: Brett Favre's game-winning 32-yard TD pass to Greg Lewis with 2 seconds left could hold up as the best play of the entire season. The Vikings

were in desperation mode when Favre unleashed for the end zone. Lewis artistically planted his feet in the back of the end zone as he caught the ball. (See

the video.)

-- Worst time for a blackout: Only 40,896 watched the Lions end their 19-game losing streak against the Redskins. The Lions' first win since 2007 was

blacked out in Detroit. Euphoric Lions coach Jim Schwartz brought his team back out of the locker room to celebrate with fans inside Ford Field.

-- Most costly three-and-out: The 49ers seemed to have sewed up a 24-20 win in Minnesota when they forced a Vikings turnover on downs with 1:55

left. With Frank Gore sidelined with an injury, three rushes by Glen Coffee yielded just 6 yards and San Francisco had to give the ball back to Minnesota for

its 80-yard game-winning drive.

-- Most humbling comeback: The Steelers fell to 1-2 when Bengals QB Carson Palmer threw a 4-yard TD pass to Andre Caldwell with 11 seconds left.

The score capped off a 71-yard drive that handed Pittsburgh its second consecutive loss.

-- Best comeback many people missed: After the Seahawks had rallied behind fill-in QB Seneca Wallace for a 19-17 lead with 5:17 to play, Bears QB

Jay Cutler led his team on a 71-yard game-winning drive that culminated in a 36-yard TD pass to Devin Hester. The score gave the Bears a 25-19 win.

-- Biggest surprises: After three games, the preseason projections have been thrown right out the window. The Super Bowl champion Steelers are 1-2.

The 0-3 Titans have already matched their loss total from last year. The team with the rockiest offseason, Denver, has won its first three games.

-- Worst offensive ineptitude: The Browns, losing their ninth consecutive game, failed to score an offensive TD for the eighth time during that streak.

Coach Eric Mangini also benched QB Brady Quinn in favor of Derek Anderson, a move he said in training camp he wouldn't make.

-- Best start ever for a rookie QB: Jets signal caller Mark Sanchez became the first rookie QB ever to lead his team to a 3-0 start. Sanchez also scored

his first TD in the 24-17 win against Tennessee.

-- Worst NFL state: Florida, by far. The Jaguars' victory against Houston on Sunday finally gave one of the state's three teams a victory. Tampa Bay,

Miami and Jacksonville are a combined 1-8.

-- Worst uniforms: The Seahawks unveiled a lime green alternate jersey in their contest against the Bears. They wore the lime green top (although their

sleeves retained the dark-green hue of the normal uniforms), with their standard dark green pants. They weren't pretty.

-- Worst play-call: Down to one last chance on fourth-and-10 from the 36, the Redskins eschewed a deep pass to the end zone. QB Jason Campbell

dumped a short pass to Santana Moss, who began a string of laterals that ended with the Redskins advancing the ball just 13 yards. Where was the urgency

to reach the end zone?

-- Least impact from high-profile receiver: Bills wideout Terrell Owens failed to catch a pass for the first time since his rookie season in 1996.

-- Worst way to back up a prediction: Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco had vowed he would make Steelers CBs Ike Taylor and William Gay "kiss the

baby" on Sunday. But Ochocinco was foiled twice by Steelers CBs on passes that would have clinched a Bengals win in the final minute. Gay deflected a pass

to Ochocinco in the corner of the end zone, and did the same two plays later in the middle of the end zone. The Bengals came back and won, but Ochocinco

was held scoreless.

-- Best run defense: After limiting the Browns to 71 yards rushing, the Ravens continued their NFL-best pace of run suppression. Through their 3-0 start

(through which they've outscored opponents 103-53), the Ravens have surrendered just 153 yards rushing.

-- Best catch: Packers WR Donald Driver, with a step on Rams CB Bradley Fletcher, extended his left arm to haul in a 46-yard pass in stride with one

hand. Driver balanced the catch against his shoulder and fought off an interference flag that Fletcher drew. The catch set up a Packers touchdown. (See the

video.)

-- Sharpest drop: After throwing nine TD passes in the first two weeks, Saints QB Drew Brees failed to throw a TD pass in a 27-7 win at Buffalo. That

slowed his pace for TD passes this season to 48, two fewer than the NFL record.

-- Luckiest TD: Jets QB Mark Sanchez just extended the ball across the goal line at the end of a 14-yard scramble for a first-quarter TD. Sanchez collided

with safety Michael Griffin but his second effort pushed the ball across the goal line ... just before Tennessee's Vincent Fuller knocked it loose. (See the

video.)

-- Longest wait for a first down: Tampa Bay did not record a first down until there was 4:58 left to play in the third quarter. They registered just five

first downs all day, to the Giants' 28, in the 24-0 loss.

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-- Worst fumble: Texans RB Chris Brown coughed up the ball at the goal line with Houston driving for a game-tying score with 2 minutes left. Brown lost

control of the ball, and the Jaguars recovered it for a touchback that iced their 31-24 win. The fumble was controversial, but replays did not show evidence

that Brown was down. (See the video.)

-- Surest bet for a comeback: New England's 26-10 defeat of the Falcons continued the Patriots' streak of not losing back-to-back games. Bill Belichick's

team hasn't lost consecutive contests since weeks 9-10 in 2006.

-- Biggest current losers: After the Lions won for the first time since 2007, the Rams took possession of the longest active losing streak. St. Louis has

been defeated in 13 consecutive games. They last won on Oct. 19, 2008.

-- Clearest path to the end zone: Chargers safety Eric Weddle picked off a pass in front of Dolphins WR Davone Bess at the Miami 31-yard line and had

an unabated lane to the end zone to ice the Chargers' 23-10 win.

-- Worst way to make a coach's analysis ring true: Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell had a miserable game, just days after Raiders assistant Ted Tollner

said the former No. 1 overall pick was getting worse. Russell was 12-for-21 for 61 yards with two interceptions in Oakland's 23-3 loss to Denver.

-- Worst-ever game in Ohio for Ben Roethlisberger: Big Ben lost for the first time in his native state since becoming the Steelers QB in 2004.

Roethlisberger had won his first 11 games in the state as a pro.

-- Best fake: Bills punter Brian Moorman threw a TD pass to defensive lineman Ryan Denney on a fake field goal that briefly tied the contest with the

Saints at 7. After kicker Rian Lindell simulated a field goal, Moorman ran left and found Denney wide open along the sideline for a 25-yard score. (See the

video.)

Tags:NFL PreviousMichael Vick reveals prison altercation to Fox; QB says friend diffused nasty ending

NextRex Ryan: He and Bill Belichick talked after 'quick handshake' in Week 2

To report corrections and clarifications, contact Reader Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to [email protected]. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more. You must be logged in to leave a comment. Log in | Register

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c007 (16 friends, send message) wrote: 5m ago I hate the stupid throw back uniforms. It's not like watching your own team. Just another money scam for the NFL so they can then sell them.

Recommend | Report Abuse

lpmgosaintsgo (0 friends, send message) wrote: 1h 10m ago I think Russell could be a great QB, but he needs a great QB coach to school him on the technical part of being a QB. At his best, he reminds me a lot of Steve McNair. He's got a cannon arm, he's so big that it's extremely difficult to get him on the ground. Not a great scrambler. I think if they coach him up, he'll be ok.


RAIDERGIL (0 friends, send message) wrote: 6h 32m ago JaMarcus Russell is a bust, POS quarterback. My Beloved Raiders are toast with him with the ball. I am OK with it. There is always next season! Can only hope for the best. 1 Recommend | Report Abuse

Bob from WA (24 friends, send message) wrote: 7h 43m ago My Dolphins are doomed.


JIM BILLOW (0 friends, send message) wrote: 9h 38m ago BRET IS A ONE IN A MILLION PLAYER. 1 Recommend | Report Abuse

Phillip (0 friends, send message) wrote: 9h 50m ago JaMarcus Russell IS getting worse and the Raider Nation is in BIG trouble again this season. I'm most shocked by the success of the Broncos, but the Chargers could easily have been right there if not for the amazing stop by Ray Lewis in week #2. Now,,,,,will the Raider fans PLEASE take it down a notch and stop with the "over the

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top" costumes? Save it for Halloween...that may be the only treat they'll get! 4 Recommend | Report Abuse



Sunday, September 27, 2009

Source: No moves expected with Zorn

By Adam Schefter ESPN For now, Washington Redskins head coach Jim Zorn appears to be safe.

NFC East blog

ESPN.com's Matt Mosley writes about all things NFC East in his division blog.

• Blog network: NFL Nation

Even with the vultures circling, the Redskins are not expected to make any moves with Zorn, a team source said Sunday night, hours after Washington suffered a historic loss to the Detroit Lions.

To make a move with Zorn now would present more complications than it is worth. Zorn is the head coach, the play caller, works closely with quarterback Jason Campbell. To lose him at this point would be too much for the team to overcome, the Redskins believe.

Calls certainly will mount for Zorn's job now that the Redskins have started this season 1-2 and are 3-8 in their last 11 games.

Few teams have been any more unstable than the Redskins, who have had five different head coaches, and one additional interim coach, in the past 10 years.

Adam Schefter is an NFL reporter for ESPN Insider.

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