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Steelers offense still a mystery to Ravens
Jerry DiPaola is the Tribune-Review high school sports editor. He can be reached via e-mail.
"We won a lot of ball games against (the Ravens)," Ward said, "because they really didn't know what we were running next. Were we running the ball? Were we passing the ball? Were we doing gadget plays? We had them totally off guard."
There is a definite change surrounding the Steelers this season, dating back to last season when Tommy Maddox led a resurgence of the passing game that shoved Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress past 1,000 aerial yards for the second consecutive year.
Now, with the new season two days away, Jerome Bettis, the featured running back since 1996, is a backup who isn't sure when he'll get in the game. Amos Zereoue, who is a better pass catcher than Bettis, is the starter.
All of that points to an emphasis on the pass when offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey begins speaking into his headset Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Still, some Ravens players aren't buying it.
"Call it what you want to. They're still Pittsburgh, they still like to run the ball," cornerback Chris McAlister said. "That's the base of their offense. That's the base of any offense, because if you can't run, you can't pass."
"I still think, deep down inside, they want to run the ball," defensive end Anthony Weaver said.
Linebacker Peter Boulware scoffed when asked if the formerly smash-mouth Steelers have become a finesse team.
"I don't know what you've been watching -- finesse?" he said.
If the Ravens aren't trying to hide their actual game plan, it appears they will start the game respecting the Steelers' ground game. That's just what Burress wants to see.
"I want teams to think we are running team," Burress said. "I want teams to drop that extra guy in the box. It's one of those things that teams don't know what we are going to do. They keep telling themselves we are a run team, but we can hurt you with either or. When they are both going, the game actually gets fun. You can smile and have fun and laugh."
Burress hopes Ravens safeties Ed Reed and Gary Baxter are so worried about Zereoue and Bettis that cornerbacks McAlister and Corey Fuller will be forced into one-on-one coverage with Steelers wide receivers.
"That's my favorite coverage," Burress said. "Put a guy in your face and say, 'Let's do it.' That's what this league is all about. It's all about competing. The better man wins. I love it."
McAlister feels the same way.
"I live for the one on one," he said. "Otherwise, I would be somewhere else playing lacrosse or something. Without the one on one out there on the island, there is no football for me."
With matching mindsets, the Burress/McAlister matchup will be great North Side theatre Sunday.
There's nothing that Burress likes better than competing against McAlister and the Ravens. He also doesn't mind offering some unsolicited advice. He said McAlister tries too hard to shut down the passing game, and can become his own worst enemy.
"I think as a player he takes this game a little too personal," Burress said. "He doesn't want anybody to catch a ball against him. He wants to knock down every ball and intercept every ball.
"As a corner, you are not going to knock down every ball. You are going to get a ball caught on you. That's just the nature of the game.
"I guess he just wants to hold a guy to no catches every game. That's not going to happen.
"You have to know when to gamble. He insists on shutting down every pass and I haven't seen a cornerback do it yet in -- what is it? -- 100 years of football."
