Special teams provides strength
Antwaan Randle El gives the Steelers a punt return threat.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Kevin Spencer needed less than 30 minutes as a Pittsburgh Steelers assistant to learn how much Bill Cowher cares about special teams.
This was the first game since two New England special-teams touchdowns in the AFC championship game cost the Steelers a trip to the Super Bowl. And the kicking-game mistakes persisted in the preseason against the Jets.
Cowher approached Spencer on the sidelines. He emphasized that the breakdowns that cost former special teams coach Jay Hayes his job could not be repeated.
Improvement
Now, a year and a half later, the special teams are a strength. It's the Steelers who are regularly scoring touchdowns on special teams, not giving them up. Antwaan Randle El has punt returns for touchdowns of 52 yards against Arizona and 84 against the Rams in the last three games, tying the club record for a season.
The only area where the Steelers rank near the bottom of the league is kickoff returns, where no Pittsburgh returner is among the top 35. Otherwise, they are fourth in kickoffs, seventh in punt return defense, eighth in punt returns, 11th in punting and 15th in kickoff coverage.
Last week, Arizona's Josh Scobey, who leads the NFL in kickoff return yardage, averaged only 19 yards per return against Pittsburgh.
The kicking problems that led Kris Brown to flee Pittsburgh for expansion Houston after that 2001 season also seem to have been solved by Jeff Reed. With the help of a much-firmer Heinz Field turf than Brown kicked on, Reed is 6-of-8 at home this season, 11-of-14 overall and 28-of-33 in the calendar year since signing as a free agent last November.
Spencer credits continuity for the improvement. Most of the Steelers used on special teams also played there last season, led by wide receiver Lee Mays, defensive back Chidi Iwuoma and linebackers Larry Foote and Clark Haggans. The major addition this season was Clint Kriewaldt, a linebacker signed from Detroit mostly because of his special teams skills.
"What you find out is you can't teach experience," Spencer said. "Then you throw in a guy like Clint, who brings a lot of experience to the table, and Clark. They're playing with confidence."
Limiting mistakes
After a rough start in which the Chiefs' Dante Hall scored on a 100-yard kickoff return and had a 45-yard punt return during the second game of the season, the Steelers' most glaring special teams' mistake since was a blocked punt two weeks ago in a 23-16 loss at Seattle.
Steelers punter Josh Miller said special teams play is more important than ever because the NFL is so balanced.
"I think Kansas City kind of showed everyone how important special teams are," Miller said. "Once you have a couple of good games on special teams, it becomes contagious."