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Pittsburgh Steelers (official thread)

Ward plans to start on Sunday

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



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Peter Diana, Post-Gazette
Hines Ward argues a call with referee Tony Steratore against the Ravens Nov. 26. Ward has not played since getting injured in that game.
Click photo for larger image.

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Two weeks ago today, a surgeon pulled a bone fragment and loose cartilage out of Hines Ward's knee, another bump in a rocky road for the defending Super Bowl champs.
Neither that road, nor his play has come to an end, Ward said, because he plans to return to the starting lineup Sunday when the Steelers visit the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C.
And he predicted Troy Polamalu will join him.
"Troy and myself, we want to come back," Ward said. "There are three games left."
Ward and Polamalu are among the ironmen on the Steelers. It's the first time Ward has missed two consecutive games and just three total in his nine-year career. Polamalu missed the first two games of his four-year career with a second-degree MCL knee sprain.
Between them, they have been to six Pro Bowls, and Ward is the reigning Super Bowl MVP and owns the Steelers' record with 631 pass receptions.
Polamalu continues to lead the fan-balloting at strong safety and, Ward, after a slow start, was back in Pro Bowl form at flanker. He has 57 receptions and six touchdowns in his 11 games, and his 13.8-yard average per catch is the third highest since he became a starter in 1999.
Ward's knee was hyperextended at Cleveland Nov. 19. He started the following week in Baltimore and caught four passes before his new injury developed. He was taken out of the game and had surgery the next morning.
"They took out some bone fragments that broke, and cleaned up some loose particles," Ward said. "It was just an extra piece of bone that was there, it's not like I needed it. While they were in there, they cleaned it all up. I shouldn't have a problem, it feels good, and the swelling's going down."
He planned to start running over the weekend. Ward said he could have played against the Cleveland Browns if the game were yesterday rather than Thursday.
"In the long run, I need to feel a lot better now and in the next couple of years."
After he caught just nine passes for 99 yards in the first three games, Ward heard whispers that he was either hitting a wall at age 30 after eight punishing years as the most physical wide receiver in the NFL or that his success had somehow made him fat. He even dropped a couple of passes, a rarity.
But the Steelers had fewer than 200 yards passing in each of the first four games, and Ward halted further talk of his play as he hit stride in October. Over a stretch of five games, he caught 35 passes for 546 yards and five touchdowns that ended with him being helped off the field at the end of a comeback victory in Cleveland with a hyperextended knee.
No matter how coach Bill Cowher lists him on the injury report this week, Ward has no doubt he will play against the Panthers Sunday.
"It's just a pride thing," Ward said. "It stinks being on the sideline, it eats at you.
"Playing Cleveland and Tampa Bay, there was no need [to rush back], those are teams we're supposed to beat. Now we have a stretch coming down to Carolina -- a lot of people picked them to win the Super Bowl -- and then Baltimore and Cincinnati to finish out.
"We're still mathematically in this thing, and we're going to take it one game at a time. We're getting 10 whole days until we play our next game."
The Steelers would have to win all three to go 9-7 and, even then, their playoff chances look bleak with five other teams ahead of them for the two AFC wild-card playoff spots. No matter, there are games to be played, and Hines Ward wants to be part of them.
 
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Smith's prowess doesn't surprise teammates

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By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, December 13, 2006


The Steelers suspected rookie safety Anthony Smith was ready to become a force in their secondary.
His performance in his first career start last week against Cleveland confirmed it.

"That boy's a player," linebacker Larry Foote said of Smith following the Steelers' 27-7 thumping of the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 7. "I can't wait to see when he blossoms into knowing the defense because he's going to be a great player in this league.

"It's a credit to (director of football operations) Kevin (Colbert) getting Anthony Smith in this year's draft."

Smith was credited with just two tackles against the Browns, but he also registered a pair of passes defensed on bone-jarring, ball-separating, blow-up shots on wide receiver Braylon Edwards and tight end Darnell Dinkins. Smith also collected his first career interception.

His night would have been perfect had Smith not missed a tackle on Edwards on what turned into a shutout-spoiling, 45-yard touchdown reception with 5:20 remaining.

Still, Smith will take it.

"I had a pretty solid performance on special teams and on defense," said Smith, the Steelers' No. 3a selection in April. "I had a pretty solid game."

Smith and veteran Tyrone Carter replaced free safety Ryan Clark (groin) and strong safety Troy Polamalu (knee) against Cleveland.

Clark is listed as questionable and Polamalu doubtful for Sunday's game at Carolina.

"It's not different than in that past when we've had guys go down and other guys have come in; that's what we do," linebacker James Farrior said. "We're pretty much playing the same defense."

Carter started for Polamalu on Dec. 3 against Tampa Bay.

Smith replaced Clark midway through the Steelers' 20-3 victory over the Buccaneers.

Prior to that game, Smith had played almost exclusively on special teams. His only previous extended experience on defense occurred Nov. 12 against New Orleans, after the Steelers lost Polamalu to a concussion.

Smith played in six-defensive backs sets against the Saints and was shaky initially before steadying himself late in the game.

He played with confidence against Cleveland and turned into a difference-maker.

"I was comfortable," Smith said. "I went out there to make plays, not to mess up. I had a good week of practice and I went out there with confidence and played hard. After the first couple of plays, it was all good."

Except for the fourth-quarter completion Edwards turned into a TD.

"I took a bad angle and really didn't get to wrap him up like I wanted to," Smith said of the missed tackle-turned-touchdown.

"I wish I could have made it, but that's part of the game. It happens."

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Secondary shuffle
The Steelers haven't started the same combination in the defensive backfield from one week to the next since their games Nov. 5 against Denver and Nov. 12 against New Orleans. The quartet against the Saints was comprised of Ike Taylor at left cornerback, Deshea Townsend at right cornerback, Troy Polamalu at strong safety and Ryan Clark at free safety. Since then, the Steelers have changed the lineup in the secondary four times in four games due to either injuries or coaching decisions:
Date, opponent LCB RCB SS FS
Nov. 19
Cleveland Taylor McFadden Polamalu Clark
Nov. 26
Baltimore Townsend McFadden Polamalu Clark
Dec. 3
Tampa Bay McFadden Townsend Carter Clark
Dec. 7
Cleveland McFadden Townsend Carter Smith

Mike Prisuta can be reached at [email protected].

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_483887.html
 
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Porter to Browns: "I only meant to offend Winslow"

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2696023

Steelers' Porter apologizes for comments
ESPN.com news services

Steelers linebacker Joey Porter is sorry if he offended anybody with his comments last Thursday -- except Kellen Winslow, of course.

"I didn't mean to offend anybody but Kellen Winslow," Porter told reporters after Steelers practice Tuesday.

"I would just like to say it was a poor choice of words in the comment I made toward Winslow. If I offended anybody, I apologize for that," Porter said.

Porter ridiculed the Browns following Pittsburgh's win Thursday night, calling tight end Winslow a derogatory name and saying the team is too soft to be a true rival to the Super Bowl champions.

The Steelers have won six in a row and 13 of 14 from their AFC North rivals.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the slur Porter used is a derogatory term sometimes uttered to describe homosexual men.

The NFL is reviewing Porter's comments and could fine the outspoken linebacker this week.

Porter jawed with Winslow for several minutes during the pregame warmups before Pittsburgh's 24-20 victory in Cleveland on Nov. 19. Later, Winslow and Porter both said they respected each other, but Porter repeatedly made fun of Winslow and called him names following Thursday's game.

Porter appeared to be upset by what he felt was a late block by Winslow against Steelers linebacker James Farrior during the second half, which prompted Porter to get into Winslow's face and yell at him.

"He came up and tried to shake my hand before the game, but he doesn't know me," Porter said. "You're not my friend, why are you trying to talk to me? He talks too much and doesn't do anything. He's weak, he's soft. He should move to wide receiver because he doesn't want to block anybody, he doesn't want to be a tight end."

Winslow, through a Browns spokesman, declined to comment on Porter's remarks.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
 
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Cowher says big decision is pending
Thursday, December 14, 2006

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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Bill Cowher admitted for the first time yesterday that he must make a decision soon after the season whether to continue to coach the Steelers or retire to his new home in Raleigh, N.C.

Cowher, in a conference telephone call with media in Charlotte, N.C., was asked if he would be stepping aside at the end of the year.

"There will be something at the end of the year," Cowher said. "I'll sit back and put a lot of thought into it and make a decision accordingly. Right now, my focus is purely on trying to find a way to win these last three games and see where that takes us."

Cowher previously has acknowledged that he is taking things year-by-year as a coach. Speculation on his future with the Steelers began after it became public in March that he and his wife, Kaye, had purchased a $2.5 million home in Raleigh.

Kaye and their youngest daughter, Lindsay, have moved to Raleigh since then. Lindsay is a sophomore in high school. Bill Cowher visited them this past weekend after the Steelers played Thursday night. It is at least the third time he has visited Raleigh during this season -- once after the Thursday night season opener and again after the team's off weekend Oct. 1.

Cowher told his Charlotte audience that he planned on making his home in Raleigh, eventually.

"There's no question about that," said Cowher, a Pittsburgh native who attended North Carolina State. "Obviously, my wife and I both grew up in the Raleigh area. We love the Raleigh area. My daughter is going to school there now, and that's definitely from our long-term respect what our viewing was. That was the basis of that."

Asked if the Steelers' outcome this season might affect his decision, Cowher answered it would not.

"No. A lot of deep thought will be put into it. It won't be a knee-jerk reaction. It will be something that is well thought out and a decision will be made accordingly."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06348/746080-66.stm
 
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ABJ

Cowher to decide his future after the season

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH - Bill Cowher will wait until the end of the season to decide whether he'll return to coach the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"There will be something at the end of the year," Cowher said Wednesday during a conference call with reporters in Charlotte, N.C. "I'll sit back and put a lot of thought into it and make a decision accordingly.
"Right now, my focus is purely on trying to find a way to win these last three games and see where that takes us."
The defending Super Bowl champions lost six of their first eight games and have rallied to 6-7.
Cowher, who has another year left on his contract, said several times during the offseason that he prefers to work on a year-to-year basis. He adopted that stance after the Steelers went 6-10 in 2003 after winning 23 games the previous two seasons.
Cowher is in his 15th season, the longest tenure with the same club by an active NFL head coach.
Cowher's decision to not sign an extension has fanned speculation he may retire at the end of the season.
Rumors intensified last year when he and his family purchased a $2.5 million luxury home in Raleigh, N.C., where he attended North Carolina State. Cowher's wife and youngest daughter live there.
 
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Just what we need, another Cowher article...

Cowher to make decision shortly after season's end
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By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

Amid mounting speculation that he will step aside after a 15th campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, head coach Bill Cowher acknowledged Wednesday that a decision on his future plans must be made shortly after the conclusion of this season.

"There will be something at the end of the year," Cowher said. "I'll sit back and put a lot of thought into it and make a decision accordingly. Right now, my focus is purely on trying to find a way to win these last three games and see where that takes us."
Cowher

He will not, Cowher said, keep Steelers ownership waiting too long for a decision.

Cowher's remarks, among the broadest he has articulated in addressing his future, were made during a Wednesday conference call with Charlotte, N.C.-area reporters. The Steelers face the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte on Sunday, and the conference call was part of the standard NFL protocol for pregame coverage.

There has been widespread speculation, since it was revealed in March that Cowher had purchased a $2.5 million home in Raleigh, N.C., that he might retire after the 2006 season. Cowher's wife, Kaye, and the couple's youngest daughter have moved permanently into the home. Cowher has visited them in Raleigh several times during the season.

The topic of his future has been revisited numerous times during the season, and Cowher has mostly responded by saying that his focus for now is on his football team. In the last few seasons, Cowher has said that he now reviews his coaching career a year at a time, revisiting it at the end of each campaign.

Cowher, 49, is under contract through the 2007 season.

Steelers officials have typically extended Cowher's contract when it had two years remaining. There were extension discussions earlier this year but, unlike past springs, they did not culminate in a new deal for Cowher, who has coached the Steelers since 1992. It is likely the subject of an extension will again be broached after this season, but not even high-ranking team officials seem to have a good feel about which way Cowher is leaning.

Some close to the organization have suggested that Cowher has not demonstrated the same passion for his job this year as he did in previous seasons. The Steelers, who won Super Bowl XL only about 10 months ago, are 6-7 with three games remaining and at best a long shot for a wild-card spot.

When it was originally reported that Cowher had purchased the house in Raleigh, some felt that he might want to coach at North Carolina State, his alma mater. But the school, which fired Chuck Amato after a disappointing season, last week hired Boston College's Tom O'Brien as its new coach.

There has also been speculation that Cowher, who is believed to earn about $4 million per year, might take a year off, do some broadcasting and then return to the sideline with a franchise that would pay him more in line with the spiraling salaries in the league. But because he is under contract for another season and his contract will essentially be frozen, Cowher would not be free to sign on with another NFL team.

Cowher did tell the Carolina reporters that he planned to make his home in Raleigh. Asked if the results of this season will have a bearing on the decision about his future, Cowher said they will not.

"It won't be a knee-jerk reaction," Cowher said. "It will be something that is well thought-out."

Counting the playoffs, Cowher has compiled a 159-98-1 record since succeeding Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll in 1992. He has led the Steelers to eight division championships, 10 playoff berths, six AFC title games and two Super Bowl appearances.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2696865

What coach would Steeler fans like to see replace Cowher if he retires?
 
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BuckNutty;687546; said:
What coach would Steeler fans like to see replace Cowher if he retires?

thats a hard question. not many of us knew who Cowher was when he got the job and he's turned out alright. I'm not sure that i want to see a big name, but also dont want some nobody. we need another hard nosed (possibly large chinned) coach - Ken Whisenhunt seems like he could get a crack at it
 
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BuckNutty;687546; said:
What coach would Steeler fans like to see replace Cowher if he retires?
Jim Tressel... that is, of course, if he doesn't take the Browns job. :biggrin:

iambrutus;687557; said:
thats a hard question. not many of us knew who Cowher was when he got the job and he's turned out alright. I'm not sure that i want to see a big name, but also dont want some nobody. we need another hard nosed (possibly large chinned) coach - Ken Whisenhunt seems like he could get a crack at it
I wouldn't have a problem with giving Whisenhunt a chance.
 
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Bob Stoops?

Interesting thread over on SoonerFans about Stoops' potential interest in the Stillers job if Cowher were to step down. I'm not totally buying into it, but it might not be that far fetched if you really think about it. He's a NE Ohio guy, and you gotta think, as much as I hate to admit it, the Pittsburgh HC job is probably the premier HC job in the NFL. Great fans, winning tradition, great ownership. I personally think Whisenhunt will get the job if Cowher does go, but just a thought...

http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85561
 
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