lamberts-lost-tooth
10-06-2007, 04:09 AM
Ward, McFadden out, Polamalu questionable
Saturday, October 06, 2007
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Steelers will be without at least one Pro Bowl player -- and perhaps as many as three -- when they play the Seattle Seahawks tomorrow at Heinz Field in a rematch of Super Bowl XL.
Coach Mike Tomlin said four-time Pro Bowl receiver Hines Ward will miss his second consecutive game with a sprained knee. He will be joined on the sidelines by No. 3 cornerback Bryant McFadden, who sustained a high-ankle sprain in this past Sunday's loss in Arizona.
Tomlin said he will list safety Troy Polamalu (torn rib cartilage) and nose tackle Casey Hampton (hamstring) -- a pair of Pro Bowl performers -- as questionable, even though neither player practiced this week and are not expected to play.
"They have a 50-50 chance of playing," Tomlin said. "We need to be smart about it, though. It's only Week 4 and we don't want these [injuries] to be an ongoing problem."
Ward will be replaced at flanker by Nate Washington, who had two catches for 18 yards against the Cardinals. But Washington also failed to make two diving catches that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said could have changed the complexion of the game.
"Nate played good; he could have played great," Arians said. "If he makes those two catches, he would have had a big SportsCenter day."
McFadden, the top backup at cornerback, will be replaced in the nickel package by rookie William Gay, a fifth-round draft choice.
Anthony Smith, a third-round pick in 2006, will start at strong safety if Polamalu does not play.
Crank it up
Tomlin brought another new dimension to practice yesterday -- playing fake crowd noise to prepare for a home game.
Former coach Bill Cowher always used crowd noise to prepare for away games, something Tomlin did not use in practice for games at Cleveland and Arizona.
But Tomlin used it yesterday whenever the Steelers defense was on the field because he said that's when the crowd noise at Heinz Field will be the loudest.
Tomlin said he wanted his defensive players to practice calling signal changes in the noise because the Seahawks like to use a lot of motion and change offensive formations at the line of scrimmage.
"You have to be able to communicate on defense," Tomlin said.
Tomlin said the Tampa Bay Buccaneers always used crowd noise to prepare for home games when he was their secondary coach.
Branching out
Wide receiver Deion Branch wasn't with the Seahawks when they faced the Steelers in Super Bowl XL. But that doesn't mean the Steelers aren't familiar with his abilities.
In three games against the Steelers, all when he was with the New England Patriots, Branch had 14 catches for 277 and two touchdowns, including a 60-yarder in the 2004 AFC Championship Game.
He also ran two reverses for 37 yards in that game, one for 23 yards and a touchdown. Branch, the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX, had seven catches for a career-high 130 yards in last week's 23-3 victory against San Francisco.
"He's their Hines Ward," cornerback Ike Taylor said. "He does everything. That's why he was a Super Bowl MVP."
Saturday, October 06, 2007
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Steelers will be without at least one Pro Bowl player -- and perhaps as many as three -- when they play the Seattle Seahawks tomorrow at Heinz Field in a rematch of Super Bowl XL.
Coach Mike Tomlin said four-time Pro Bowl receiver Hines Ward will miss his second consecutive game with a sprained knee. He will be joined on the sidelines by No. 3 cornerback Bryant McFadden, who sustained a high-ankle sprain in this past Sunday's loss in Arizona.
Tomlin said he will list safety Troy Polamalu (torn rib cartilage) and nose tackle Casey Hampton (hamstring) -- a pair of Pro Bowl performers -- as questionable, even though neither player practiced this week and are not expected to play.
"They have a 50-50 chance of playing," Tomlin said. "We need to be smart about it, though. It's only Week 4 and we don't want these [injuries] to be an ongoing problem."
Ward will be replaced at flanker by Nate Washington, who had two catches for 18 yards against the Cardinals. But Washington also failed to make two diving catches that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said could have changed the complexion of the game.
"Nate played good; he could have played great," Arians said. "If he makes those two catches, he would have had a big SportsCenter day."
McFadden, the top backup at cornerback, will be replaced in the nickel package by rookie William Gay, a fifth-round draft choice.
Anthony Smith, a third-round pick in 2006, will start at strong safety if Polamalu does not play.
Crank it up
Tomlin brought another new dimension to practice yesterday -- playing fake crowd noise to prepare for a home game.
Former coach Bill Cowher always used crowd noise to prepare for away games, something Tomlin did not use in practice for games at Cleveland and Arizona.
But Tomlin used it yesterday whenever the Steelers defense was on the field because he said that's when the crowd noise at Heinz Field will be the loudest.
Tomlin said he wanted his defensive players to practice calling signal changes in the noise because the Seahawks like to use a lot of motion and change offensive formations at the line of scrimmage.
"You have to be able to communicate on defense," Tomlin said.
Tomlin said the Tampa Bay Buccaneers always used crowd noise to prepare for home games when he was their secondary coach.
Branching out
Wide receiver Deion Branch wasn't with the Seahawks when they faced the Steelers in Super Bowl XL. But that doesn't mean the Steelers aren't familiar with his abilities.
In three games against the Steelers, all when he was with the New England Patriots, Branch had 14 catches for 277 and two touchdowns, including a 60-yarder in the 2004 AFC Championship Game.
He also ran two reverses for 37 yards in that game, one for 23 yards and a touchdown. Branch, the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX, had seven catches for a career-high 130 yards in last week's 23-3 victory against San Francisco.
"He's their Hines Ward," cornerback Ike Taylor said. "He does everything. That's why he was a Super Bowl MVP."