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Steelers have many question marks after loss to Titans
Tennessee Tumble
Chaz Palla/Tribune-Review
Big play
Chaz Palla/Tribune-Review
Jerry DiPaola is the Tribune-Review high school sports editor. He can be reached via e-mail.
The 31-23 loss to the Tennessee Titans was among the least of the Steelers' concerns after quarterback Tommy Maddox left the game with a spinal cord contusion and concussion, suffered on the last play of the third quarter. Maddox, who has helped the Steelers recover from an 0-2 start to the season, lost feeling in his extremities and was unable to move while he lay on the field for about 20 minutes.
He regained sensation and movement later, and he is expected to return home today after spending last night in Baptist Hospital. But it was a devastated team that returned to Pittsburgh without one of its leaders.
"It was brutal," punter Josh Miller said of losing Maddox. "He brings so much to our team, his energy, his demeanor. When he was down, all the momentum went down with it."
"It was an ugly, ugly scene," center Chukky Okobi said.
The Steelers (5-4-1) are a first-place team in name only. Their division lead was reduced to a half-game over the Cleveland Browns (5-5), who defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-20.
"Certainly, we have some issues that we have to get addressed," coach Bill Cowher said.
Chief among them is a defense that has allowed 30 or more points in five games — half the season — and has been amazingly ineffective on third down. The Titans converted 12 of 19 third downs into first downs, five of them during possessions that ended in points.
"If you can't get off the field on third down, you're going to get killed," strong safety Lee Flowers said. "That's the biggest problem right now."
Answers? There didn't appear to be any immediately after the game.
"I have no idea," Flowers said. "It's the same guys you saw last year. Who knows? I can't explain the feeling. We're staying on the field too long. That's never been a problem for us."
With six games left in the season, Flowers described the situation as "crunch time."
"The leaders of this team need to step up. We need to keep the guys together, especially after something like this. We have a young team, and guys are looking for answers right now. We, as leaders, need to give these young guys some encouragement and keep going out there fighting."
Wide receiver Plaxico Burress said it was difficult to go back on the field after watching the aftermath of Maddox's injury. A 28-7 deficit at the time of the injury turned into 31-7 when Joe Nedney kicked a 43-yard field goal with 8:06 left in the game.
But backup quarterback Kordell Stewart rallied the Steelers to two touchdowns and two two-point conversions in a span of 1:57. But the Steelers failed to recover two onside kicks, and the comeback bid hit the wall with 1:28 left.
"I'm always going to fight to the end," said wide receiver Hines Ward, who caught a 72-yard touchdown pass from Maddox on the first play of the game. "I really respect Kordell a lot. He came in a did a wonderful job. It's great to see Kordell come back and respond the way he did."
Stewart completed 13 of 17 passes for 124 yards and two touchdown passes. His passer rating computed to an astronomical 135.4.
After the Steelers took the 7-0 lead, Maddox threw the first of three interceptions. Linebacker Peter Sirmon returned it 25 yards to the 1-yard line and quarterback Steve McNair hit wide receiver Kevin Dyson on the next play to tie the score.
Maddox threw another interception before the end the first quarter — after catching a throwback pass from running back Jerome Bettis — and the Steelers defense eventually allowed the Titans to take a 14-7 halftime lead.
Running back Eddie George, who averaged only 2.8 yards per carry, scored on a 4-yard run at the end of a 12-play, 92-yard drive.
The game quickly got out of hand for the Steelers in the third quarter. Burress couldn't handle a pass from Maddox that was thrown slightly behind him, and cornerback Donald Mitchell intercepted it.
Starting at the Steelers 42, the Titans eventually scored on a 9-yard pass from McNair to Dyson. A 55-yard pass from McNair to Justin McCareins set up the final Titans touchdown, a 5-yard run by George.
Meanwhile, the Steelers had no running game or kicking game to help their efforts. Starting running back Amos Zereoue carried nine times for 16 yards and was spelled only briefly by Bettis, who had missed most of the past three games with a knee injury. Bettis carried four times for 6 yards.
Kicker Todd Peterson, who injured his ribs making a tackle on a kickoff return in the first quarter, missed field-goal attempts of 31 and 37 yards. Cowher was not sympathetic.
"We've got to have a more consistent kicker," Cowher said.
But the Steelers have other problems, specifically with a defense that allowed 378 yards and a running game that managed only 45. As a result, they are clinging to a shaky lead in the division.
"It's tough, but at the same time we have to keep playing," Cowher said. "We're in a situation right now where we made it hard for ourselves."
His face was grim when he said, "We're a tired football team right now. We need to regroup. We have six games left, four of which are at Heinz Field. Everything we have is in our hands. We narrowed the margin (for error) and backed ourselves into a corner. We have six weeks to do something about it."
