Steelers continue to surprise

When you're wrong, you're wrong, and man, was I wrong.
Last spring, after Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress skipped minicamp, outraged feelings demanded his release. Let him become another team's headache.
The four-year receiver has had one tremendous season (2002), one decent one (2001) and could bolt via free agency after this year ends.
Oops.
The Steelers could have taken his salary and applied it to any salary cap dilemma of their choosing. But Bill Cowher, the Steelers coach and personnel director, swallowed his pride (no small task) and worked out his differences with his disgruntled wide receiver.
And it's paid off.
Man, has it paid off.
Low expectations,big surprises
The feeling here was that the Steelers, 6-10 in 2003, would be lucky to go 7-9 this fall, and that was before guard Kendall Simmons went down with a knee injury.
The starting cornerbacks are Chad Scott and Deshea Townsend, and the league's new rules against holding by defensive backs inspired no confidence.
Injury-prone linebacker Kendrell Bell looks nothing like the 2001 defensive rookie of the year.
Duce Staley was added to the backfield, but Jerome Bettis wasn't released (meaning there is an awful lot of salary cap being devoted to one position).
And the top draft pick, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, was only expected to play if the season went south.
Fortunes turnedafter QB injury
With Tommy Maddox and backup Charlie Batch hurt, Roethlisberger became the starter in Week 3. His favorite home-run target is Burress. The Steelers (6-1) haven't lost since and are tied with the New England Patriots and the New York Jets atop the AFC standings.
Who foresaw this much success after last season's disappointment? Not me.
Roethlisberger's success has been triggered by Staley's running between the 10s and Bettis' magic near the goal line. Credit goes to the unheralded linemen.
Count San Francisco 49ers coach Dennis Erickson as one of Roethlisberger's believers.
"He's physically got so much talent," Erickson said. "I thought he was best of the quarterbacks coming out in the draft because he physically can handle running and throwing the ball."
Better than Eli Manning, who's sitting on the New York Giants bench. Better than Philip Rivers, who's on the San Diego Chargers bench.
Sunday, the Steelers hit the halfway point of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles (7-0), the last unbeaten team in the league.
After pounding the Patriots last Sunday, the Steelers no longer have the advantage of surprise.
"We are no longer under the radar," Cowher said. "We have one of those big circles on our chest with a big black dot in the middle of it. It is called a bull's-eye, and we have to be able to handle that responsibility."
That means shutting down Eagles receiver Terrell Owens, the former 49er who has become quarterback Donovan McNabb's favorite target.
Surprise! Ray Lewisshows restraint
And what's up with Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, the most feared man in the NFL? How could he let TO celebrate a touchdown last Sunday by imitating Lewis' pregame dance and not get in his face? Or clobber him?
"Ray's too classy to do something about it during the game," said Erickson, who coached Owens last year and recruited and coached Lewis a decade ago at the University of Miami. "Nothing surprises me about either -- both are very volatile. I've seen Ray dance a lot.
"To me, TO's dance is no big deal. It seems like that's what the NFL is becoming these days."
What's surprising is how none of the Ravens did anything to stop the dance.
It's hard to believe that Lewis, who once stared down the judicial system on a double-murder charge could be afraid of a lousy 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Ray Lewis classy? Ray Lewis showing maturity and discipline? What in the name of all that Ray Nitschke holds sacred is going on with today's NFL?
XTom Williams is a sportswriter with The Vindicator. Write him at williams@vindy.com.