Friday, September 3, 2004
Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher was unhappy with his team's execution.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
PITTSBURGH -- Inconsistent play by the starters combined with costly mistakes by inexperienced players to equal defeat in the Pittsburgh Steelers' final preseason game.
"The only good news about tonight is that we made it through pretty much injury free," Steelers (2-2) coach Bill Cowher said after the Carolina Panthers (4-0) edged them, 16-13, at Heinz Field.
"I'm not talking about the effort -- I'm talking about the execution," Cowher said. "The execution was very sloppy in the first half.
"And in the start of the second half, we turned it over and gave up some big plays," Cowher said. "It just wasn't very efficient football."
If Carolina's first offensive series was any indication, the Steelers are in for a roller-coaster season.
After Chris Gardocki's punt pinned them at the 9, the Panthers ran 18 plays to set up John Kasay's 29-yard field goal with 3 minutes, 5 seconds to go in the first quarter.
Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme completed seven of his first 10 passes for 61 yards against Pittsburgh's starters. Two false-start penalties helped limit Carolina to a field goal.
"I don't think we did so well," Steelers linebacker James Farrior said of the starters. "We were out there on that first series for [18] plays and that's totally unacceptable."
During the drive, tailback Stephen Davis rushed seven times for 29 yards.
"The positive side of it is we were able to hold them to a field goal even though they converted the third downs," Cowher said.
Coming alive
After Carolina began substituting, the Steelers' offense clicked. Verron Haynes capped a seven-play, 69-yard drive led by starting quarterback Tommy Maddox with a 6-yard touchdown run for a 7-3 lead.
Maddox completed two passes on the drive, for 20 yards to tight end Jay Riemersma and 19 yards to wide receiver Antwaan Randle El.
"I was really not pleased with the effort of our first units on both sides of the ball," Cowher said. "Overall, it was not up to the standards that we had set in the previous two weeks."
Midway through the third quarter, kicker Rob Bironas' 20-yard field goal put the Steelers ahead, 10-3. The score was set up by a 38-yard pass from rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to wide receiver Lee Mays.
Moments later, the score was tied as Panthers quarterback Chris Weinke burned the Steelers secondary. Wide receiver Keary Colbert raced past safety Russell Stuvaints, the former Youngstown State standout, for a touchdown, covering 87 yards.
Back and forth
Bironas kicked a 48-yard field goal for the Steelers' final lead, 13-10.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, rookie Ricardo Colclough fumbled a punt that set up Kasay's game-tying 34-yard field goal.
That set the stage for former University of Pittsburgh quarterback Rod Rutherford, who's trying to make the Panthers as an undrafted free agent.
Rutherford's 57-yard completion to wide receiver Eugene Baker to the 8 set up Kasay's winning 24-yard field goal.
In the final seconds, the Steelers drove to the Carolina 6, but rookie running back Willie Parker fumbled to end the threat.
"Third down and [14], we let a guy split us in a zone," Cowher said of Colbert's touchdown. "A guy runs by [cornerback] Ike [Taylor] in the second half and we had two dropped interceptions in the first series. Those are things that need to be corrected, big time."
williams@vindy.com