83-Steelers-43
11-17-2006, 11:48 PM
Steelers Notebook: Winslow Jr. adds juice to Browns' pass attack
Saturday, November 18, 2006
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Two players whose careers were nearly ended by a motorcycle accident meet for the first time since each was a No. 1 pick in the 2004 draft.
One is having a Pro Bowl-type season and leads all NFL tight ends in catches and yards receiving. The other is trying to develop consistency in a season that has the feel of Super Bowl hangover.
Kellen Winslow Jr. and Ben Roethlisberger were separated by five picks in the NFL draft two years ago, and the Steelers are glad the Cleveland Browns opted to take the tight end from the University of Miami (Fla.) with the sixth overall selection.
That allowed the Steelers to select the quarterback who would take them to the Super Bowl with the 11th overall selection -- something on which they had not planned. The Browns passed on Roethlisberger because they had already signed former 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia to a big free-agent contract several months earlier.
After missing most of his rookie season with a broken leg and all last season with injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, Winslow has positioned himself as a candidate for comeback player of the year, if not the Pro Bowl.
He leads all NFL tight ends with 56 catches and 561 yards, a pace that would make him the first tight end in franchise history to have 100 or more catches in a season.
"He looks like a receiver," said cornerback Deshea Townsend, who returned to practice yesterday and could play as the nickel back tomorrow when the Steelers and Browns meet in Cleveland Browns Stadium.
"Sometimes they'll split him out wide to get some matchups they want. Or they'll start him in motion and send him out wide to see what kind of matchup they can get, whether a linebacker or safety or cornerback. He's been able to make plays for their offense."
Polamalu good to go
Safety Troy Polamalu has not missed a day of practice since sustaining a concussion six days ago and pronounced himself ready to play against the Browns.
Polamalu said there was never a question in his mind he would play in Cleveland.
"Not even on Monday," Polamalu said. "I feel good. Actually, I feel worse and worse every time you guys ask the question. You make it a bigger deal than it is."
Hartings likely to return
Center Jeff Hartings (knee), who has missed the past two games, practiced again yesterday and is expected to play against the Browns.
Hartings is listed as questionable on the injury report.
Porter has "trash' standards
Outside linebacker Joey Porter likes to trash-talk with the best, but he is selective about which players he will, uh, debate.
Porter usually does not like to get into a war of words with players who he thinks don't deserve the attention. Like Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards, who did not play in Cleveland's 41-0 loss to the Steelers last season, but crowed that the Browns are "coming after" them.
"I'm not even going there," Porter said. "Those guys create some hype for themselves. If I fall into that and went to war with Braylon Edwards, he's going to win because he's going to get some publicity about it.
"And then he'd be almost forced into talking that he was into it with Joey Porter. So I'm not going to aid into that until he shows me something out there for me to worry about him."
A confidence booster
It has happened at least three times to the Steelers this season, including twice against the Cincinnati Bengals: The opponent needed only one play to score a touchdown after a turnover.
Finally, though, the Steelers reversed the trend against the New Orleans Saints. One play after Tyrone Carter and Larry Foote caused a fumble by Reggie Bush in the third quarter, Roethlisberger threw a 38-yard touchdown to Cedrick Wilson that made the score 24-24.
"It's a big confidence booster," Roethlisberger said. "There are a lot of little things that people don't think about during a game that can give you confidence or make you take it away a little bit, and that's a big one.
"When we can get a turnover and we can score on that first play, it really means a lot. It kind of gets you going. It turns the tide of the momentum."
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06322/739415-66.stm
Saturday, November 18, 2006
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Two players whose careers were nearly ended by a motorcycle accident meet for the first time since each was a No. 1 pick in the 2004 draft.
One is having a Pro Bowl-type season and leads all NFL tight ends in catches and yards receiving. The other is trying to develop consistency in a season that has the feel of Super Bowl hangover.
Kellen Winslow Jr. and Ben Roethlisberger were separated by five picks in the NFL draft two years ago, and the Steelers are glad the Cleveland Browns opted to take the tight end from the University of Miami (Fla.) with the sixth overall selection.
That allowed the Steelers to select the quarterback who would take them to the Super Bowl with the 11th overall selection -- something on which they had not planned. The Browns passed on Roethlisberger because they had already signed former 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia to a big free-agent contract several months earlier.
After missing most of his rookie season with a broken leg and all last season with injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, Winslow has positioned himself as a candidate for comeback player of the year, if not the Pro Bowl.
He leads all NFL tight ends with 56 catches and 561 yards, a pace that would make him the first tight end in franchise history to have 100 or more catches in a season.
"He looks like a receiver," said cornerback Deshea Townsend, who returned to practice yesterday and could play as the nickel back tomorrow when the Steelers and Browns meet in Cleveland Browns Stadium.
"Sometimes they'll split him out wide to get some matchups they want. Or they'll start him in motion and send him out wide to see what kind of matchup they can get, whether a linebacker or safety or cornerback. He's been able to make plays for their offense."
Polamalu good to go
Safety Troy Polamalu has not missed a day of practice since sustaining a concussion six days ago and pronounced himself ready to play against the Browns.
Polamalu said there was never a question in his mind he would play in Cleveland.
"Not even on Monday," Polamalu said. "I feel good. Actually, I feel worse and worse every time you guys ask the question. You make it a bigger deal than it is."
Hartings likely to return
Center Jeff Hartings (knee), who has missed the past two games, practiced again yesterday and is expected to play against the Browns.
Hartings is listed as questionable on the injury report.
Porter has "trash' standards
Outside linebacker Joey Porter likes to trash-talk with the best, but he is selective about which players he will, uh, debate.
Porter usually does not like to get into a war of words with players who he thinks don't deserve the attention. Like Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards, who did not play in Cleveland's 41-0 loss to the Steelers last season, but crowed that the Browns are "coming after" them.
"I'm not even going there," Porter said. "Those guys create some hype for themselves. If I fall into that and went to war with Braylon Edwards, he's going to win because he's going to get some publicity about it.
"And then he'd be almost forced into talking that he was into it with Joey Porter. So I'm not going to aid into that until he shows me something out there for me to worry about him."
A confidence booster
It has happened at least three times to the Steelers this season, including twice against the Cincinnati Bengals: The opponent needed only one play to score a touchdown after a turnover.
Finally, though, the Steelers reversed the trend against the New Orleans Saints. One play after Tyrone Carter and Larry Foote caused a fumble by Reggie Bush in the third quarter, Roethlisberger threw a 38-yard touchdown to Cedrick Wilson that made the score 24-24.
"It's a big confidence booster," Roethlisberger said. "There are a lot of little things that people don't think about during a game that can give you confidence or make you take it away a little bit, and that's a big one.
"When we can get a turnover and we can score on that first play, it really means a lot. It kind of gets you going. It turns the tide of the momentum."
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06322/739415-66.stm