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Burress, Ward burn Falcons secondary
Joe Starkey can be reached via e-mail or at 412-320-7810.
“Those are the types of games you dream about, but, being that we came up short, it really doesn’t mean much,” Burress said. “That’s the way I look at it. I go out to play hard to win, not for draws and not to lose.”
Burress caught nine passes for a team-record 253 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-34 tie with the Atlanta Falcons. His running mate, Hines Ward, added a touchdown and set career highs with 11 catches and 139 yards. No two Steelers receivers — not even those named Swann and Stallworth — had ever combined for a game like this: 20 catches, 392 yards and three touchdowns.
“I think Hines and Plax showed how good they are,” said Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox, who wasn’t bad himself, passing for a team-record 473 yards.
On the final play of the game, Burress made a leaping catch of a 50-yard, Hail Mary pass at the Falcons 1-yard line to break Buddy Dial’s 41-year-old team record for receiving yardage. Dial had 235 yards Oct. 22, 1961, in a 30-28 loss at Cleveland. The only other receivers in Steelers’ history with a 200-yard game were Jimmy Orr (205 in 1958) and Elbie Nickel (202 in 1952).
Falcons cornerback Ashley Ambrose came into the game confident he could cover Burress one-on-one. He left with Burress’ cleat marks stamped onto his chest.
“I think he’s one of those players, from what I’ve seen, who sometimes doesn’t come to play,” Ambrose said. “But today he came to play. He got the ball early, and that got him going.”
The 6-foot-5 Burress burned Ambrose (5-10) for a 62-yard touchdown catch — the longest of his career — early in the third quarter to put the Steelers ahead 24-14.
“What makes a big difference is his size,” Ambrose said. “When he comes to play, he can be up there with the likes of Terrell Owens, but he has to do it every week. I was very surprised with how he played. He did a great job of concentrating and catching the ball and running pretty good routes.”
Ambrose was victimized on Burress’ first touchdown, too, but only because teammate Keion Carpenter failed to come up with an interception. Maddox threw an ill-advised pass that hit Carpenter in the hands. Burress then tipped the ball to himself and dived for it in the end zone.
“I pushed him and played the tip,” Burress said.
Another funny bounce nearly ended the game in overtime, when Burress just missed a deflection near midfield. He had nothing but open field in front of him. He said the only reason he didn’t catch the ball was because Falcons cornerback Ray Buchanan, who was flagged for illegal contact, made a desperation move.
“I beat him so bad, he just put me in a bear hug,” Burress said.
The Burress Show wasn’t confined to catches and near-catches. Midway through the second quarter, he spun the ball like a top after a 32-yard reception. Problem was, he’d never been tackled. The whistle hadn’t blown when Burress fell to the turf. It appeared that nobody had touched him. The Falcons recovered the ball expected to take possession.
But, after a lengthy discussion, the referees invoked Rule 7, Section 4, Article 1-A. It states that the ball is dead when a runner “declares himself down by falling to the ground and makes no effort to advance.” Referee Terry McAulay explained that Burress had “given himself up” and thus declared himself down.
Burress thought Buchanan had touched him. He was hoping Steelers coach Bill Cowher wouldn’t do the same.
“Coach Cowher told me, ‘Don’t spin the ball anymore, unless someone touches you.”
Falcons coach Dan Reeves was predictably upset.
“I’ve never heard of giving yourself up,” he said. “And they didn’t blow the whistle.”
Ambrose and Buchanan would have been wise to give themselves up at that point. Burress and Ward would victimize them — and others — several more times before the game ended. Last season, they became the only receivers in Steelers history to each gain 1,000 yards. Both are on pace for encore performance.
Burress has a goal in mind.
“I always tell myself each Sunday, and I tell Tommy the same thing: Don’t be afraid to be great.”
| Big gainers |
Top five games for receiving yards in Steelers’ history:
11/10/02: Plaxico Burress, 253
10/22/61: Buddy Dial, 235
12/13/58: Jimmy Orr, 205
12/14/52: Elbie Nickel, 202
11/3/68: Roy Jefferson, 199
