SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL - prod.static.steelers.clubs.nfl…prod.static.steelers.clubs.nfl.com/assets/images/imported/Media... · SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL Facing a tall order with Fitzgerald

SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL

Facing a tall order with Fitzgerald & Co.Friday, January 23, 2009 By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

David J. Phillip /Associated Press

Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald reacts after a teammate caught a touchdown pass during the second half of the NFL NFC championship football game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Nose tackles don't notice much in the middle of the line. The snap of the ball, the center's face mask, the way the center may attempt to block, perhaps. For sure, nose tackles know what the quarterback is doing and where the running back is going.

Nose tackles don't often get involved in what is going on outside the circle in which they operate. They don't see much other than the grabbing, holding, clawing and in-fighting that occurs along the line of scrimmage.

But even the Steelers' Casey Hampton said he can't help but be aware of Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

"How can you not notice him?" Hampton said. "You can't help but notice him."

Such is the impact Fitzgerald already has made on the Steelers, an indelible impression that goes well beyond their meeting with him in the 2007 regular season, when Fitzgerald caught 11 passes for 123 yards in the Cardinals' 21-14 victory.

"When all else fails, you can throw it up to No. 11," Hampton said. "It's going to be tough stopping him. When that ball goes in the air, even if there are two or three guys on him, it doesn't matter. He jumps so high, it's hard to get as high as him and get him down.

"I've never seen anybody jump like that, maybe a young Randy Moss. That's what he reminds me of."

And Hampton doesn't have to cover Fitzgerald.

That responsibility will fall to cornerback Ike Taylor, usually the Steelers' hired gun for such OK Corral showdowns. And cornerbacks Bryant McFadden, Deshea Townsend and William Gay. And safeties Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu.

And just about anyone else Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau might try to recruit to stop the former Pitt wide receiver, who already has left his historical imprint on the NFL postseason.

"He's probably the best I've ever seen with ball skills and extension at the ball," said LeBeau. "You know how they say basketball players play taller than they are? This guy is like 7-feet tall at the ball."

After a regular season in which he caught 96 passes for 1,431 yards and 12 touchdowns, Fitzgerald has taken his game to grander heights in the postseason.

In three games playoff games, he has 23 catches for an NFL postseason-record 419 yards and five touchdowns, a performance made more spectacular by the style and manner of some of his catches. He

Pep rally set for today

The Steelers will have a Super Bowl Pep Rally today at Heinz Field in anticipation of the team's trip to Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa. Admission is free. Gates A&B will open at 5 p.m. Hosted by KDKA-TV's Bob Pompeani and Ken Rice, along with Steelers Radio Network talent Tunch Ilkin and Craig Wolfley the event will include Steelers players and local dignitaries, season highlights on the Jumbotron and performances by the Pittsburgh Poison All-Stars Dance Team, the South Fayette Marching Band, rock group The Clarks, and country performer

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has the size of a tight end and the body control of a gymnast.

"You look at the playoff games, not even including the regular season, he's been making outstanding catches downfield and, most of the time, the defensive backs are in good position," McFadden said. "Sometimes, there are two of them, and he's still making outstanding catches. That tells you what kind of guy he is."

"The guy has amazing hands," Taylor said. "He can high-point the ball. And he has great body control. Right now, that guy, he's in a zone. He has the [yardage] record for the postseason already, and we haven't even finished the postseason. What else you want the guy to do?"

That's a question for which the Steelers hope to provide a suitable answer.

Since Baltimore's Derrick Mason caught eight passes for 137 yards in the fourth game of the regular season, the Steelers have allowed two 100-yard receivers -- Indianapolis' Reggie Wayne, who had six catches for 114 yards in Week 9, and Tennessee's Justin Gage, who had five for 104 yards in Week 15.

Wayne, though, caught a 65-yard touchdown on a pass that deflected off Taylor's hands and also had a 16-yard reception on another pass that ricocheted off Taylor's hand.

Whenever the Steelers have gone into a game where their No. 1 priority is to stop some of the league's big-play receivers -- Chad Johnson, Plaxico Burress, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens -- they have done it. The longest reception by any of those players this season was 27 yards by Moss.

But, with the Cardinals, part of the problem is that Anquan Boldin was nearly as productive as Fitzgerald in the regular season, catching 89 passes for 1,038 yards and 11 touchdowns. They also have a third receiver, former Woodland Hills High School standout Steve Breaston, who had 77 catches for 1,008 yards.

"It seems like they both have vacuums on the end of their wrists," said McFadden, referring to Fitzpatrick and Boldin, who played with McFadden at Florida State. "Whenever the ball comes in that area, no matter how difficult the catch might look, they make it."

First published on January 23, 2009 at 12:00 am

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Page 2 of 2Facing a tall order with Fitzgerald & Co.


SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL

Steelers Notebook: Friendships will be put asideFriday, January 23, 2009 By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Lake Fong/Post-Gazette

Hines Ward and head coach Mike Tomlin share a laugh with a group of wide receivers at practice yesterday at the team's South Side facility.

Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt is such an accomplished golfer that he once qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateurafter his playing days as an NFL tight end.

When he was an assistant coach and offensive coordinator for the Steelers, one of the people he always tried to beat on the golf course was his friend,Dick LeBeau.

The same competitiveness will exist in Super Bowl XLIII when LeBeau's defense will try to slow Whisenhunt's offense.

"They're my friends, and you want your friends to be successful," LeBeau said of Whisenhunt and Cardinals offensive line coach Russ Grimm. "But this is one game I would prefer they're not successful."

Whisenhunt is not the Cardinals offensive coordinator. That title belongs to Todd Haley. But much of their offense is based on what Whisenhunt had done in three years as the Steelers' offensive coordinator.

Because of that, LeBeau joked yesterday that he has had Whisenhunt's playbook for a long, long time.

"Anything I would know about Coach Whis, he would know about me," LeBeau said, dismissing any advantage. "We'll be trying like heck to get one up on each other, just like we were on the golf course."

Celebratory dousing exposed

Coach Mike Tomlin was not pleased with the Gatorade shower he received after the game ("I am not a proponent," he said) and quickly turned after being doused to see which players were part of the prank. He said he made a mental note to remember the culprits.

Yesterday, one of them stepped forward -- defensive end Nick Eason. And he ratted out his partner, linebacker Arnold Harrison, who is on injured reserve.

"I'm pretty sure [Coach Tomlin will] have something for me at some point in time, if he remembers," Eason said. "You can kind of tell he was kind of looking for [the shower]. His face was facing the sideline, watching everybody. But, as soon as he turned his back, we got him."

Is that all there is?

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Even though the core of their team remains intact, the Steelers have only 11 starters on offense and defense who started in Super Bowl XL just three years ago. That does not include kicker Jeff Reed.

That surprised several of the players, including linebacker James Harrison and cornerback Bryant McFadden, a pair of starters who were reserves in the 2005 season.

"I thought it would be more," said McFadden, a rookie in 2005. "The key guys are still pretty much here. We lost some valuable guys, but, for the most part, we do have a lot of core guys here."

Said Harrison: "We may not have a lot of starters, but we still have a lot of guys who were on that team, who played in that game."

Injury update

Left tackle Max Starks (sprained knee), the only member of the offensive line to play in a Super Bowl, did not practice again yesterday.

Also, inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons did not practice for the second consecutive day because of illness. Tomlin said he kept Timmons away from the team because he did not want the other players to become ill.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who did not practice Wednesday because of soreness in his back, returned to practice yesterday.

Same with center Justin Hartwig, who has been bothered by a sprained knee since the first half of the playoff game against the San Diego Chargers.

Elite QB company

Roethlisberger and Arizona's Kurt Warner have a chance to become the 10th quarterback to win more than one Super Bowl.

No quarterback has won more than the Steelers' Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers, each of whom has four Super Bowl victories.

"Someone will be No. 10 on that list after this game," Roethlisberger said. "If it is me, it's an awesome category and group to be with."


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Page 2 of 2Steelers Notebook: Friendships will be put aside


A&E / MUSIC

Kid rockers tackle Steelers songFriday, January 23, 2009 By Scott Mervis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pop Rocks, from left: Elektra Davis, Connor McCandless, Drew Santa, Elijah Davis, Courtney Brown, Sara Santa.

It's not the kind of tune people are going to be singing at the game -- like "Here We Go" or "The Steelers Polka" -- but there's never been a Steelers fan song quite like "Heartbreakers."

Played and sung to the tune of Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker," it's a rocker performed by pre-teen band The Pop Rocks from the Davis School of Guitar Performance in Harmony, Butler County.

The Pop Rocks recorded a video of the song last Friday night and put it on YouTube the next day. Since then, it's had more than 60,000 hits, the band has appeared on local TV news and were scheduled to perform last night at Diesel on the South Side at the WDVE Steelers send-off, which will air this morning on 102.5 FM.

What's remarkable about "Heartbreakers" is, well, just how good it is. The band, which formed this summer as part of instructor Duane Davis' summer rock workshop, already had the Benatar cover, not an easy song to play, down pat. Davis' wife, Marian, and sister-in-law, Maggie Cobal, Steeler-ized the song with lyrics like a chorus that goes, "We're the Raven-haters/ring takers/shame makers/don't you mess with Steeler D."

Courtney Brown, 12, of Slippery Rock, sings it almost flawlessly, hitting a lot of the high notes reached by the classically trained Benatar.

Davis said Courtney came in and auditioned for the summer workshop singing an Avril Lavigne song with a karaoke machine, he pulled the mike away from her because her voice was so strong, she didn't even need it.

"That level at her age is just a lot of raw talent," he says, "but she studies vocals and sings in church weekly and does the national anthem at ball games."

Davis, who's been teaching privately for 15 years, has played guitar in such bands as Winter's Bane (with Tim "Ripper" Owens, who went on to Judas Priest) and Shadowplay and has played locally with the Sweaty Betty Blues Band.

He says, "I told my wife, 'I've been in some pretty popular bands,' but this is just exploding."

To see the video, go to The Pop Rocks Steelers Song

Scott Mervis can be reached at [email protected] or 412-263-2576.


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Page 1 of 1Kid rockers tackle Steelers song


Making splash his own way Friday, January 23, 2009 By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ron Cook

If you're ranking players in terms of importance to the Steelers' stout defense, you start with linebacker James Harrison or safety Troy Polamalu and work your way down. Someone has to be No. 11 among the starters.

Larry Foote?

Hey, that's OK with him if that's the public perception, erroneous as it might be. Being No. 11 on the NFL's best defense, which is getting ready to show its stuff against the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, isn't such a bad thing.

"I know I'm not one of the marquee guys," Foote said. "But it's like [former Michigan coach] Lloyd Carr used to say: 'When you win, there's plenty of success and glory to go around.'

"It's like [linebacker] Teddy Bruschi in New England. Everybody knows who he is because New England wins. Everybody becomes a household name when you win Super Bowls. It's like that here. Everybody knows the Steelers. They even know me. I know I'm very fortunate to be a part of this team.

"At the same time, though, I can hold my own."

Don't underestimate that last point.

Foote was huge in the run defense that contributed so much to the Steelers' success this season. He played such a big part that he was able to fight off Lawrence Timmons -- the team's No. 1 draft choice in 2007 -- and hold on to his starting inside linebacker job. "And Timmons is having a great year, too," Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said.

That's why it's an injustice to Foote to think of him as No. 11 of 11. On my list, he's tied for fourth with all the others after Harrison, Polamalu and linebacker James Farrior, who made the Pro Bowl.

"He's just so smart," LeBeau said of Foote.

We're talking football instincts.

Foote's cup runneth over.

"It makes up for a lack of size and speed," he said. "I'm plenty quick enough, but you probably think I'm quicker than I am because I'm moving before the other guys. It's just having a feeling for what the offense is going to do."

That's the edge Foote still has on Timmons, who looks as if he's going to be a terrific player. This is Timmons' second season. He has come a long way in a hurry, but he's still a baby, still learning the many intricacies of LeBeau's complicated schemes.

Maybe next year â€¦

Then again, the way Foote is playing, maybe not.

"This game is 85 percent mental and 15 percent physical," Foote said. "When you get to this level, everyone can run and hit. But late in the fourth quarter, do you want a blown assignment? I don't think so."

Foote's dependability is invaluable. But he provides so much more. He has started every game the past five seasons, a streak that has reached 89 games, counting the postseason. No other Steelers defensive player comes close to that number.

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Maybe the fact that Foote always is there for his teammates contributes to him being taken for granted. Certainly, the nature of his position is a factor in his relative anonymity. He is paid to stick his nose into the likes of running backs Edgerrin James, Willis McGahee and Darren Sproles, not make splash plays.

"Hopefully, I'll get me one of those Troy Polamalu plays and score a touchdown," Foote said, fairly giggling.

Maybe you shouldn't be shocked if it happens in the Super Bowl.

Foote has just three regular-season interceptions in seven years, but he has two in his past five postseason games, including one against the San Diego Chargers a few weeks ago.

You might remember Foote provided one of the more comical moments during the Steelers' run to Super Bowl XL after the '05 season when he picked off a Jake Plummer pass against Denver in the AFC championship game and ducked to the ground rather than risk a fumble. Moments later, NFL Films captured him on the sideline telling teammates, "I get nervous when I have the ball. Why do I get so nervous when I have the ball? I've gotta work on that."

Said Foote this week:

"Ah, c'mon, I was just clowning around. I returned that interception 15 yards. That's when my left foot gave out, and I slipped â€¦

"That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

"It's hard for one of us to score a touchdown anyway because, as soon as you catch the ball, there are five DBs in your ear, screaming, 'Pitch it! Pitch it! Pitch it!' " he said. "Nobody blocks for us. It's not like when Troy intercepts one. Everyone figures he's going to score, so they block."

Not that Foote is greedy.

"I'll be happy with an interception -- period -- in the Super Bowl."

Actually, Foote will be thrilled if the Steelers get to hoist the Lombardi Trophy again even if he does nothing special in the game.

When you win, there's plenty of success and glory to go around â€¦

"Two Super Bowls separate you from the pack a little," Foote said. "Two puts you in a different category."

Foote couldn't help himself; he had to remind a couple of former teammates of just that Sunday in the warm afterglow of the Steelers' win against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game. Jerome Bettis, who retired after Super Bowl XL, was in the locker room, working for NBC Sports. Antwaan Randle El also was there, working for the NFL Network. He played on that '05 team before leaving as a free agent for the Washington Redskins.

"I was clowning around, rubbing it in to 'em," Foote said. "I told 'em I'm going after No. 2. They'd love to have that chance. Getting two is special."

For everybody.

From the best guy on the defense to No. 11.

Ron Cook can be reached at [email protected]. More articles by this author


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Super Bowl rentals super pricey in Tampa By Craig Smith TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, January 23, 2009

An offer by Mark Hollister and his Tampa neighbors isn't likely to attract Steelers fans who like to paint themselves black and gold and stand in the cold all day without shirts.

They're hoping corporate fans or high rollers might be interested in renting their homes in a private, gated community during Super Bowl week.

"There's a price for everything," said Hollister, one of four homeowners offering their houses for $27,000 to $41,000 each.

But some Pittsburgh corporations aren't biting.

H.J. Heinz, a key Steelers sponsor in Pittsburgh, isn't interested in Hollister's home.

"Given the current economy, Heinz would not consider renting such a home because we are directing all discretionary funds toward driving consumer value," said spokesman Michael Mullen.

For people who do intend to go and want a rental, it's costly. But the good news is, homes are expected to be available up until the last minute, said Jessica Carlson, owner of AJHomeRentals, which has 170 Tampa Bay homes available for Steelers fans. Most cost $7,000 to $10,000 for a five-night stay.

"Many people will move out of their homes for the week," Carlson said.

Prefer something in town?

A Tampa penthouse, four tickets to the game, reservations at Bern's Steakhouse and a foursome at Avila Country Club, a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, are a $25,000 package.

Hollister knows the economy might have an impact, even on the Super Bowl.

"We've had a few hits. One former NFL player wanted to stay three days. That wouldn't pay for us to move out," he said.

High-end rentals can include Super Bowl tickets, car rentals, golf trips, fishing charters and dinner reservations. Some homeowners are throwing in the use of

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their cars.

"Snoop Dogg's people called," Carlson said, but the inquiry hasn't produced a booking. Some wealthy New Yorkers who apparently don't care which teams are playing and just want to escape the cold also have called, she said.

Carlson, a University of Pittsburgh graduate and devoted Steelers fan, has rented several homes to Arizona Cardinals fans. No Steelers fans have come forward yet, she said.

The prices might be a little high, said Connie Rusek, a real estate broker with Bechman Realty in Springdale, who handled the rental of homes in Oakmont during the 2007 U.S. Open.

"The average Steelers fan isn't going to spend $7,000 to $10,000. But they will spend $3,000 to $5,000," said Rusek, who rented one Oakmont home to an out-of-towner for $30,000.

Amenities could cause fans to pry open their wallets.

"If they are close to the stadium and offer amenities ... people have the bucks out there and they'll spend it," said Susie Nicholas, an agent for Howard Hanna, who rented a couple of Oakmont homes "in the 20s."

During Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville on Feb. 6, 2005, residents rented homes for just $2,000 a week, the Internet real estate news site Realty Times reported.

But the appeal of renting homes for the Super Bowl and other big events has grown, in part because of popular Web sites, such as craigslist, and a lack of available hotel rooms, Carlson said.

If you can't afford those high-end prices, Edward Stockhausen is offering his home for $1,000 for the week. But Stockhausen, formerly of Bellevue, also wants something else: his guests to bring him some chipped ham.

"It's been 20 years since I've had some chipped ham from Isaly's," he said.

Camp sites in the $30-$45-a-night range are filling up fast.

"We're kind of shoehorning people in right now," said Sandy Knapp, manager of the Happy Traveler RV Park in Thonotosassa, about 11 miles from Tampa.

Hollister said he'll be pulling for the Steelers to win their sixth Super Bowl.

"Everybody is a Steelers fan at some point in their careers," he said.

Craig Smith can be reached at [email protected] or 412-380-5646.



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Steelers' tight ends could mean success vs. Cardinals By Mike Prisuta TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, January 23, 2009

Steelers tight end Heath Miller has seen some video from the NFC Championship Game, but not the part where his Eagles counterpart reached double figures in receptions against the Arizona Cardinals.

"I don't think we got that far," Miller said. "I did see he had a lot of catches, though."

Philadelphia tight end Brent Celek had 10 catches, two of which went for touchdowns, in the Eagles' 32-25 loss to the Cards. The second-year pro and former fifth-round pick from Cincinnati had only caught 27 passes all season, and only one had gone for a touchdown.

Did Celek suddenly morph into Mike Ditka?

Or has the Cardinals' defense suddenly become a little too user-friendly for tight ends?

If it's the latter, Miller might be in line for a monster game in Super Bowl XLIII, not that he's thought that far ahead.

"A lot of times, that's (a result of) what the other team is doing," Miller said. "You never know how they're going to play us as a defense. And our game plan can dictate the ball going different places sometimes.

"I don't get my hopes up too much, but I'll be ready when called upon."

How often Miller gets the call against the Cardinals won't necessarily be predicated on how Philadelphia tight ends fared against Arizona, but recent performance is always taken into account during the preparation process.

"The game is and always will be matchup oriented," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "I want to pit our strengths vs. their potential weakness. I would like to minimize our weaknesses and play to our strengths.

"All of that's the chess match that's involved in formulating a game plan and getting your guys ready to play."

The Steelers, likewise, won't necessarily build their defensive game plan solely on stopping field-stretching receivers such as Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald,

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despite his record-setting success this postseason (419 receiving yards, an all-time NFL playoffs high).

"I know that when you get to January football, and now we're talking about February football, teams that play in these games are balanced," Tomlin said. "We've talked quite a bit about what Fitzgerald is capable of, what (wide receiver) Anquan Boldin is capable of, what (quarterback) Kurt Warner is capable of.

"We're also aware of what (running back) Edgerrin James is capable of. You have to respect all their weapons. There's a reason they're in this game. We understand that their weapon of choice may be different than it's been."

Miller caught a career-high 48 passes in the regular season, despite missing two games because of an ankle injury, but his touchdown receptions fell to a career-low three.

A first-round pick from Virginia in 2005, Miller caught 18 TD passes over his first three seasons.

He found the end zone again in the Steelers' 35-24 playoff victory over San Diego on Jan. 11 and caught three passes and averaged 20.7 yards per catch in the Steelers' AFC Championship Game victory over Baltimore.

"I think we have guys in this locker room who are all capable of making plays when called upon," Miller said. "We just try to take advantage of what the defense is giving us."

Mike Prisuta can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7923.

Images and text copyright © 2009 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.

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Ward working overtime to get healthy By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, January 23, 2009

More than just mints on the pillows will be waiting for Hines Ward when he walks into his hotel room early next week.

The Steelers wide receiver had the hyperbaric oxygen chamber he owns shipped from his house to the team's hotel in Tampa yesterday in the hopes that it will aid in his recovery prior to Super Bowl XLIII.

"They'll have it in my hotel room when I get there Monday," Ward said. "Like I said, I'm overtime for treatment."

Ward has been getting treatment around the clock on the right knee he sprained in the AFC Championship game last Sunday. He has vowed that the injury won't prevent him from playing against the Arizona Cardinals Feb 1.

Ward said he has been icing his knee regularly and twice a day doing the rehabilitation regimen the Steelers put together for him. Ward regularly uses a hyperbaric chamber during the season to help his body recover from the hits he absorbs during games.

Ward said he sits in the chamber for an hour to an hour and 20 minutes at a time. The sessions, he added, promote the production of red blood cells and accelerate the healing process.

"Hines is who he is because he thinks outside the box," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

Ward, who will not practice today, said he won't test his knee until after the Steelers arrive in Tampa. He was hurt in the first quarter of the Steelers' 23-14 win over the Ravens, and the offense struggled in his absence.

"I can't say what went through my mind because that's not printable," Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said of Ward limping off the field last Sunday. "He's the heartbeat, the guy that makes a lot of things happen in big games."

Ward did just that in Super Bowl XL three years ago, when he caught five passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, earning game MVP honors.

The maniacal approach Ward has taken toward rehabilitating his knee has raised the question of whether he will overdo it.

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"What's right for Hines is not necessarily right for us normal people," Tomlin said with a smile. "I'll see him at the stadium."

Scott Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.



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Prisuta: Offense must produce for Steelers to become Super By Mike Prisuta TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, January 23, 2009

By now, it's something of a laughing matter on the South Side, and one the Steelers have good-naturedly broached at wide receiver Limas Sweed's expense.

"Little, friendly jokes," Sweed said, "something about 'Stickum.'

"You gotta expect that, especially in the NFL."

Sweed appeared to be in dire need of the long-since outlawed substance made famous by the likes of Fred Biletnikoff and Lester Hayes after dropping a Ben Roethlisberger pass that should have gone for a 50-yard touchdown in the second quarter of last Sunday's AFC Championship Game.

It was a memorable gaffe, and it helped the Ravens hang around long enough to a point where they had the ball and were still within a field goal of winning the game with less than five minutes remaining.

But that was far from the only time the Steelers' offense dropped the ball.

Wide receiver Santonio Holmes lost possession trying to stretch what should have been a 23-yard gain to the Baltimore 1-yard line into a touchdown, and the play was ultimately replay-reviewed into an incompletion. The Steelers settled for a field goal rather than a touchdown.

None of that would have mattered had running back Willie Parker not dropped another perfectly placed Roethlisberger pass that probably would have found the end zone on the first snap of the same first-quarter series.

And the Steelers would have had at least three in the wake of Sweed's misplay had they done something other than what they did on second-and-10 from the Baltimore 16 with 16 seconds left until halftime, which was complete an underneath pass to running back Mewelde Moore, who didn't get to the ground in time for the Steelers to prevent the clock from running out.

That's a lot of points to leave out on the field with so much at stake.

A week from Sunday in Tampa, Fla., the stakes will be even greater.

And it'll be incumbent upon the Steelers' offense not to leave so much potential

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value lying around the Raymond James Stadium turf.

It's Kurt Warner the Steelers will be trying to pressure in Super Bowl XLIII, not Joe Flacco.

And it's Larry Fitzgerald they'll be trying to cover, not Derrick Mason.

The Cardinals are going to score some points.

To win the game, the Steelers are going to have to outscore them.

The offense met its minimum standard against Baltimore by kicking field goals and avoiding hideous turnovers that wound up in the Steelers' end zone.

But against Arizona, one offensive touchdown isn't going to cut it.

They'll need more from Parker, especially on the ground and potentially through the air.

They'll need more from Holmes, who, with the exception of the play that got away against the Ravens, has been delivering in the playoffs at a higher level than he did all season.

They'll need more from tight end Heath Miller, who remains a reliable if somewhat under-utilized weapon on the receiving end of passes.

If they get all of the above, Roethlisberger may well emerge as the 10th QB to win at least two Super Bowls.

All of that can happen, as long as they don't drop the ball.

Mike Prisuta can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7923.



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Steelers don't need a look at Cards' 'book' By Kevin Gorman TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, January 23, 2009

It might be a good book, but the Steelers aren't treating the one Ken Whisenhunt called plays from as if it's the Bible.

The Arizona Cardinals coach spent six seasons with the Steelers, including three as their offensive coordinator. So, Steelers coordinators Bruce Arians (offense) and Dick LeBeau (defense) are familiar with Whisenhunt's playbook and aware of his tendencies when calling a game.

Not that they believe it will matter much in Super Bowl XLIII.

"I think you can hand the playbook to the guys, and it wouldn't do them any good," Arians said. "I have all those playbooks. Coach LeBeau didn't ask for any of them. It's the guy and at the moment. You know they're going to have some things that break tendencies. It still comes down to the players. They're going to make the plays or not make the plays. We try to put them in position best we can, but it's still up to them."

Added LeBeau: "Oh, I've had Kenny's playbook for a long, long time."

LeBeau counts Whisenhunt among his good friends. The two matched wits in practice, as well as on the golf course, as they always played on opposite sides because they were evenly skilled. LeBeau admitted that he has "ambivalent" feelings about facing his friend-turned-foe.

"I think it's a wash," LeBeau said, "because anything that I would know about coach Whisenhunt, he would know about me - and vice versa. I think it's going to come down to how our players play. We'll be trying to get one-up on each other, just like we were on the golf course, but it's going to come down to how our players play. I know he'll have some good stuff for us."

Likewise, Arians worked with Cardinals defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast in 2003 when both were assistants with the Cleveland Browns.

Where his coordinators are familiar with their opponent, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is not as concerned about the Cardinals' playbook or tendencies as he is making sure his team is prepared to play.

"Playbooks won't make a play -- players will," Tomlin said. "I like to keep that in perspective in preparing for this game."

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BACKYARD BRAWL

That Arizona has four former Steelers on its roster only adds to the intrigue of a game involving so many people with Pittsburgh ties.

Steelers-turned-Cardinals include third-string quarterback Brian St. Pierre, special teams star Sean Morey, tight end/long snapper Jerame Tuman and linebacker Clark Haggans, who is on injured reserve.

Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith thinks it will add to the intensity.

"It'll be interesting," he said. "I told somebody, 'I've got a special (place in my) heart for those guys.' We all had good relationships when they were here. It's like playing your brothers in the backyard. Some of the most competitive times I've had in my life (were) when I was playing in the backyard with my brothers."

INJURY REPORT

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (back) and backup running back Mewelde Moore (ankle) returned to practice Thursday after missing Wednesday's workouts, as did running back Willie Parker, Smith and cornerback Deshea Townsend.

All three were excused from Wednesday's workout.

Linebacker Patrick Bailey (hamstring), center Justin Hartwig (knee), left tackle Max Starks (knee), linebacker Lawrence Timmons (illness) and wide receiver Hines Ward (knee) did not practice. Tomlin said Timmons picked up a cold from his child but was not concerned about Timmons' status.

For the Cardinals, running back J.J. Arrington (knee) did not practice for the second consecutive day. Defensive end Travis LaBoy (biceps) returned to practice after missing Wednesday but was limited in participation. The same goes for punter Ben Graham (groin) and defensive end Antonio Smith (knee).

Kevin Gorman can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7812.



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Boldin laughs off reaction to run-in with Haley By The Associated Press Friday, January 23, 2009

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin laughed off the negative reaction to his nationally televised run-in with offensive coordinator Todd Haley, calling it "hilarious."

Boldin's shouting match with the coach on the sideline came as Arizona drove for the winning touchdown in Sunday's 32-25 victory over Philadelphia in the NFC championship game.

Boldin didn't stay on the field in the postgame celebration, making a quick exit through the locker room. He said that he did congratulate his teammates and left quickly only to avoid questions about the Haley incident.

Instead, he acknowledged after Thursday's practice, his abrupt departure "made it worse."

"For me it's hilarious," Boldin said of the criticism he's received. "I mean, I don't want to sit here and dwell on it because for me it's in the past, but that's something that goes on every week in the NFL whether people know it or not.

"Every week, somebody on the sidelines gets into an argument, but it's in the heat of the moment, it's part of football and once it's done, it's dead on all sides."

Team leaders Adrian Wilson and Kurt Warner strongly defended Boldin.

"I think people are making a lot out of nothing," Wilson said. "That stuff happens all the time. Q is very dedicated to this team, very dedicated to the players. I think it's a non-issue."

Warner said it was "crazy" for people to define Boldin's personality by this one incident after "everything that guy's done all year and the character he's displayed all year long."

Boldin acknowledged it was a lesson in how things are magnified when a team reaches this point.

"The attention has grown," Boldin said. "Do you have to be careful? I guess so, but at the same time you can't alter who you are. You can only be you and let the rest take care of itself."

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He added: "Guys in the locker room know what kind of guy I am and they know exactly what went on."

Boldin said he was upset that Haley had gone to a personnel group that didn't include him.

"I was mad because they took me out of the game," Boldin said. "I mean, I think any competitor would have had the same reaction. A game of that magnitude, how close the game was, potentially driving to score a touchdown, I wanted to be in there. That's just the type of guy I am."

He was back on the field for the winning touchdown, serving as a decoy when Warner faked an outside screen, then threw up the middle to Tim Hightower on an 8-yard scoring play.

Haley also has downplayed the run-in as a "heat of the moment" thing. The offensive coordinator has a fiery temperament and shouting matches are not uncommon for him. He had one with Warner in the first quarter against the Eagles.

"Like I said, it's normal," Boldin said. "He gets into it with Kurt, he gets into it with defensive players, he gets into it with tight ends, other coaches. It's common around here. ... Everybody blowing it up and making a big deal about it, it was funny to me."

Boldin has long been considered a leader of the team and was a co-captain in the 2007 season. However, at the start of this season's training camp he accused Cardinals management of lying to him by failing to follow through on what he said was a promise for a new contract in the offseason.

Teammate Larry Fitzgerald, on the other hand, got a four-year, $40 million contract with $30 million guaranteed.

Boldin, who has two years left on his contract, said then he would never re-sign with Arizona.

He brought the subject up again once during the season, but has vowed it would not affect his attitude in the locker room or play on the field.

Boldin injured his face on a brutal hit from Eric Smith of the New York Jets. Smith was suspended a game and fined $50,000 although Boldin said the hit was "just football."

Boldin had seven plates and more than 40 screws inserted to repair multiple facial fractures. But he missed only two weeks. In all during the regular season, he caught 89 passes for 1,038 yards and 11 touchdowns despite missing four games with injuries.

He sat out Arizona's 33-13 divisional playoff victory at Carolina with a strained left hamstring, but returned for the NFC championship. He said his hamstring



felt fine and he was able to go through a full practice Thursday.

When asked immediately after Sunday's game if he had changed his mind about staying with the Cardinals, Boldin said, "Next question."

On Thursday, he said that reaction came because he felt it was an improper time for such a question.

"We just won the NFC. I mean, we're going to the Super Bowl, and a guy brings up that question 'Are you coming back next year?"' Boldin said. "First of all, that's out of my control. I'm playing in the Super Bowl."

The Associated Press can be reached at or .





FRIDAY JANUARY 23, 2009 :: Last modified: Friday, January 23, 2009 7:34 AM EST

Are you experienced? By Mike Bires Times Sports Staff

If Super Bowl experience means anything, the Arizona Cardinals are in trouble. Only two of their starters have played in a previous Super Bowl, but none with the Cardinals.

By comparison, the Steelers return 11 starters plus nine other players who played in their 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL. “It’s always an advantage,” Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend said. “The Super Bowl is an overwhelming game. It’s the biggest game you can ever play in. And to have played in a past Super Bowl and to feel what it’s like, I think it helps you relax and allow you to just play football.” “I hope it’s an advantage,” linebacker Larry Foote added. “Half our team has been there and done that.” The only two Arizona starters who’ve been through the Super Bowl routine before are quarterback Kurt Warner and cornerback Rod Hood. Warner, an 11th-year pro, played in two Super Bowls with St. Louis. He was the Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl XXXIV when the Rams edged Tennessee 23-16. Two years later, he and the Rams lost to New England, 20-17. Hood has experience as a backup in Super Bowl XXXIX when Philadelphia lost to the Patriots. “You could take scenarios where (previous Super Bowl experience) is a factor,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “The reality is that our team is very different from last year’s team. This team is definitely very different than the team that won the Super Bowl a few years ago. “Individually, the experiences can be helpful to people. But collectively, this team’s body of work stands alone and speaks for itself, as does Arizona’s. What has happened in the past will really be kind of irrelevant to determine the outcome of the game. It is going to be about how the players execute in Raymond James Stadium on February 1.” Still, coaches who lead their teams to the Super Bowl always talk about trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy under conditions that are anything but normal. There’s so much media attention at the Super Bowl, and once the game starts, the pressure of playing in the game can be intense. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says he’s never been as nervous before a game as he was three years ago for Super Bowl XL in Detroit. “It is overwhelming,” Roethlisberger said. “But I don’t think (past Super Bowl experience) matters.

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Professionals come to play.” Kurt Warner has been there before. He drives that ship and he will make it happen.” Still, in Roethlisberger’s first Super Bowl appearance, he didn’t play well. He threw two interceptions and posted a 22.6 passer rating, the second-worst of his career. “That was my second year (as a pro) and everything was still kind of a big whirlwind,” he said. “Hopefully, being five years in and more of a veteran will help.” “It is crazy at the Super Bowl. It definitely can be a distraction,” defensive end Brett Keisel said. “But a lot of guys in this locker room have been there and done it. We know what to expect. We’re relying on that leadership to propel us to a win.” NOT FIRST RODEO Current Steelers starters who started on 2005 Super Bowl team OFFENSE QB Ben Roethlisberger RB Willie Parker WR Hines Ward TE Heath Miller T Max Starks DEFENSE DE Aaron Smith NT Casey Hampton LB James Farrior LB Larry Foote CB Ike Taylor S Troy Polamalu Current Steelers who also played in Super Bowl XL K Jeff Reed, WR Nate Washington, * CB Deshea Townsend, CB Bryant McFadden, NT Chris Hoke, DE Travis Kirschke, DE Brett Keisel, LB James Harrison, S Tyrone Carter * Played as a starter

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Steelers: Clark is having an impact in secondary By F. Dale Lolley, Staff writer

[email protected]

PITTSBURGH - If there were a vote on the five biggest hits delivered during this NFL season, Steelers safety Ryan Clark would have at least two of them.

In a 33-10 win at New England, Clark's decleating shot on wide receiver Wes Welker coming across the middle knocked the Pro Bowl wide receiver out of the game with a concussion and punctuated the Steelers' dominance that day.

In Pittsburgh's 23-14 win over Baltimore in the AFC Championship, Clark's shot on running back Willis McGahee in the fourth quarter forced a fumble and sent McGahee to the hospital.

While those two hits will be the most remembered by the 5-11, 205-pound Clark from this season, he's delivered a number of others. In addition to firing up the rest of the Pittsburgh defense, the big hits have another, perhaps more important, purpose.

"Those hits are on tape," said Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley. "When he hit Willis McGahee, when he hit (Welker). That's on tape. Whenever offenses see that, they twice about coming across the middle and catching the ball because you've got No. 25, who's been doing a lot of hitting."

You can bet the Arizona Cardinals have seen Clark's big hits and will be keeping an eye out for him in Super Bowl XLIII. Clark, however, wonders if receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, both of whom weigh in the 220-pound range, will be all that concerned about him.

"I'm a little dude. All of their receivers are way bigger than I am," Clark said. "I'm more than sure they're more worried about catching that ball than they are me hitting them."

The big hits have taken their toll on Clark. He suffered two shoulder dislocations, the first of which forced him to miss a game at Washington. The second came against Tennessee on a fourth-quarter tackle of running back LenDale White. That one kept Clark out of the regular-season finale against Cleveland.

The fourth-quarter hit on McGahee was also a knockout blow for Clark, who left the game and did not return.

"They've just been running into me really hard this year," said Clark. "I just stand there and they just run into me. I've never been scared to hit. In situations like that when a guy is running full speed and you're running full speed, it's going to be a big collision. You hope everybody gets up."

The McGahee hit led to some concussion concerns but Clark hasn't missed practice time this week. The Steelers gave him three words to remember on the sidelines to check his cognitive skills, something his wife continued throughout the night.

"She asked me those three words all night and then told me the next morning, 'You do know that I never remembered the words.' If I was wrong, she would have never known," Clark said. "I could have made

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some words up. I could have said 'Batman.' I could have said anything. She kept asking me my name. Of course, I remember that."

Opponents and their fans are getting to know Clark very well, too. Some have even labeled him a dirty player - though the league did not levy fines for his hits on Welker or McGahee.

"I always turn. That's probably why I have shoulder problems," Clark said. "I don't want to hit nobody with my head. I don't want to knock myself out. I think I'm mildly attractive and slightly intelligent. I try to keep that.

"So many people ... say I should be fined or suspended. It wasn't a defenseless receiver - it was somebody running with the ball. It doesn't matter which way you hit him. People have to stop looking at the viciousness of the hit or the consequences of the hit and know the rules."

Odds and end zones

After sitting out practice Wednesday with a stiff back, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger practiced Thursday. Running back Mewelde Moore (ankle) also practiced after sitting out Wednesday. ... Missing practice for the second consecutive day were linebacker Patrick Bailey (hamstring), center Justin Hartwig (knee), offensive tackle Max Starks (knee), linebacker Lawrence Timmons (illness) and wide Hines Ward (knee).

Copyright Observer Publishing Co.

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01/23/2009

Holmes becoming Steelers' big threat By Mike Bires , Calkins Media

PITTSBURGH - It's taken him awhile, but Santonio Holmes has finally emerged as the Steelers' go-to guy. Several months ago in the heat of training camp, he predicted that he'd be Ben Roethlisberger's No. 1 target. Now, in the midst of a cold winter, Holmes may not always be Roethlisberger's primary target. But he has definitely developed into the Steelers' most lethal weapon. In their last seven games, two playoff wins included, no Steeler has scored more touchdowns than Holmes. He's caught four touchdown passes and returned a punt for a score. At the mid-season point of the season in early November, Holmes was the Steelers' most disappointing player after eight games. But since then, he's been on fire. Holmes is a major reason why the Steelers will play in Super Bowl XLIII. His touchdown catch with 43 seconds left in Baltimore on Dec. 14, 2008, was the game-winner as the Steelers clinched the AFC North Division title. His 67-yard first-quarter punt return for a score jumpstarted the Steelers in a playoff win over San Diego. His 65-yard TD catch in the second quarter of the AFC Championship Game was the Steelers' only offensive touchdown. "(Holmes) has a personality that he always wants to deliver a splash play," coach Mike Tomlin said. "He loves that. He's a guy who wants to be the reason why we win not through drudgery. He wants to kill you with a bullet." Holmes' big-play potential is what brought him to Pittsburgh. After the Steelers won Super Bowl XL, a void had been created by the free-agent defection of Antwaan Randle El, a wide receiver who was also a threat as a kick returner. So, with the 25th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft, the Steelers chose Holmes, a speed burner who scored 25 touchdowns in 28 starts during his career at Ohio State. Compared to the NFL's most prolific wide receivers, Holmes hasn't posted huge numbers when it comes to regular-season receptions: 49 catches as a rookie, 52 last year, 55 this year. Hines Ward, the wily 11th-year pro, remains the team leader in catches (74, 71 and 81) the past three years). But when it comes to touchdowns, playoff games included, Ward and Holmes are nip and tuck. Ward has 20 since Holmes' arrival, all on receptions. Holmes has 19, 17 by pass and two on punt returns. Holmes, though, has scored more dramatically. Five of his 19 touchdowns have come on plays of 59 yards or longer. Six others came on plays between 30 and 43 yards. "I love that mentality in him," Tomlin said of Holmes' big-play ability. "That's why we try to find new and different ways to put the ball in his hands, whether it's passes over the top or punt returns or (running) reverses. "With guys who have that personality, you want to give them the ball and allow them to do what it is they love to do." More than anything, Holmes loves to use his speed to produce dazzling long-distance touchdowns. He's doing that extremely well right now.

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01/23/2009

Roethlisberger ready to face former coach By Alan Robinson , AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH - Ben Roethlisberger didn't consider Ken Whisenhunt to be a whiz when the two worked together on the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense. They won a Super Bowl together three years ago, Roethlisberger as the still-inexperienced quarterback and Whisenhunt as the offensive coordinator who mentored him. But their relationship was about as smooth as Heinz Field's bumpy playing field. That became evident after Whisenhunt left in January 2007 to become the Arizona Cardinals' coach, not waiting to see if he would succeed Bill Cowher as Pittsburgh's coach. What is uncertain as their paths cross again in the Super Bowl, this time on opposing sides, is whether Roethlisberger's feelings influenced the Steelers not to hire Whisenhunt as Cowher's replacement. Or if Whisenhunt preferred going to a less-successful team to prove himself as a head coach, escaping the better-win-now mentality of Pittsburgh and a quarterback who wanted to work with another. So far, Roethlisberger isn't saying anything that might stir up the Steelers' Super Bowl opponent, or its boss. "It just makes it fun to play them and see them across the field," Roethlisberger said of Whisenhunt, assistant coach Russ Grimm and the other former Steelers coaches on Arizona's staff. "Coach Whis is a great coach." Roethlisberger wasn't that complimentary two years ago, when Whisenhunt said the quarterback's June 2006 motorcycle crash may have contributed to his down season that year. Partly because of Roethlisberger's struggles, the Steelers started 2-6 after winning the Super Bowl and missed the playoffs despite winning six of their final eight.

Whisenhunt's comments seemed innocuous - it was evident Roethlisberger wasn't the player in 2006 he was during the Super Bowl year - but they apparently touched a nerve with a player known for his competitiveness. "I don't agree with Whis. There were a lot of things I didn't agree with Whis about, and that's another one," Roethlisberger said at the time. "I had a bad year. I'm sure Whis had a bad year once in his career." Before the Steelers and Cardinals played early in the 2007 season, Roethlisberger said he felt restrained in a Whisenhunt-coached offense that he felt limited his passing attempts, especially his downfield throwing. If Roethlisberger wants to get back at a former coach he believes held him back, here's his chance. Roethlisberger didn't have nearly the season statistically as he did in 2007 - 32 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions then, compared to 17 TDs and 15 interceptions now - yet he could join Tom Brady as one of only two quarterbacks to win two Super Bowls by the age of 26.

The 26-year-old Roethlisberger doesn't win with big passing numbers or 60-yard throws as much as he does with his improvisational skills and confidence. He has led 18 game-winning scoring drives in the fourth quarter or overtime during his career, an impressive resume for one so young. "That's what I tell people all the time - he's a good quarterback, but he's one heck of a football player," wide receiver Nate Washington

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger spins a football on his finger during practice Thursday at team’s practice facility in Pittsburgh. Associated Press

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said. "Ben, he prides himself on making plays." Much of what Roethlisberger does looks to be off a dusty playground - throwing off his back foot, scrambling to elude pressure, adjusting to a receiver's broken pattern. The 65-yard Roethlisberger-to-Santonio Holmes touchdown pass play in the AFC Championship game against Baltimore on Sunday was exactly such a play. "He's very calm, he knows he wants to get the ball to his playmakers," Holmes said. "When he has to scramble and make plays with his feet, he does that also." Roethlisberger wasn't all that good when the Steelers beat Seattle 21-10 in the Super Bowl three years ago, going 9-of-21 for 123 yards and two interceptions. Wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, not Roethlisberger, threw the key touchdown pass to Hines Ward in the fourth quarter. Roethlisberger doesn't expect to play so poorly in this game and, with Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald on the other sideline ready to make plays, he almost certainly can't if the Steelers are to win a record sixth Super Bowl. "I hope my nerves won't be as crazy as they were the last time," Roethlisberger said. "Just being calmer, older, more mature in the process will make the whole thing easier." Usually, he said, the pregame tension melts once a game starts. It never did in his first Super Bowl. "You get the butterflies and feel weak. It's hard to explain," he said. "It never went away." Maybe the familiar faces standing on the Arizona sideline will help motivate him to play better, too. "That was my second year and everything was still kind of a whirlwind," he said. "Hopefully being five years in and more of a veteran will help." Copyright Associated Press 2009

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Big Ben a big challenge for Cards

by Richard Obert - Jan. 22, 2009 11:07 PM The Arizona Republic

It's not just Ben Roethlisberger the Cardinals worry about. It's his receivers. It's Willie Parker running at full throttle.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' blue-collar image extends to offense. Roethlisberger is big and strong, shakes off defenders, runs out of the pocket and never quits.

He takes a beating and comes back with big plays, as he did in last week's AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens, leaving briefly with an injury before returning and throwing a touchdown pass in the victory.

"He can read coverages and whenever you have a quarterback who can make the right reads and get the ball in the right areas, it's hard to contain a guy like that," Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson said.

Last week, in the Cardinals' 32-25 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles that clinched Arizona's first trip to the Super Bowl, Wilson sacked Donovan McNabb twice, including one that forced a fumble.

Wilson said it won't be so easy getting to Roethlisberger, who is bigger and maybe more mobile than McNabb.

"It's hard for us, or any defender, to bring him down," Wilson said. "He does a great job of looking off the safety.

"He's been in that offense for quite a long time now, so we're going to have our hands full. Luckily for us, we've got enough time to try and prepare. Hopefully, we'll have a good game plan going into the game."

The Cardinals are using third-string quarterback Brian St. Pierre to simulate Roethlisberger in practices.

St. Pierre is 6 feet 3, 230 pounds, the closest thing to Roethlisberger (6-5, 241).

St. Pierre was with the Steelers long enough to get an idea of how Roethlisberger works.

"I'm not saying that physically he can do the things that Ben can do," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "But as far as scrambling and moving around in the pocket and those kind of things, extending the play, we are trying to give them a picture for that."

But it's not just Roethlisberger, Whisenhunt said.

The Cardinals expect receiver Hines Ward to play, despite the sprained MCL in his knee that he suffered in the first quarter against the Ravens.

Santonio Holmes is a big-play threat, and tight end Heath Miller catches everything and blocks as well as anybody.

They all know how to find openings when Roethlisberger moves out of the pocket.

"You are trying to give (the defense) that look, but it is not always easy," Whisenhunt said.

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By Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY

PITTSBURGH — On his list of most egregious gaffes on a football field, Limas Sweed insists there is a moment worse than his blunder in the AFC title game.

Sweed, the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie receiver, dropped a perfect pass that would have resulted in a 50-yard touchdown late in the first half against the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday when he suddenly took his eyes off the floating football.

Call it the Immaculate Incompletion.

SUPER BOWL MATCHUPS: Who has edge? Steelers or Cardinals?

"It's not the worst drop I've had," said Sweed, tapping his memory bank.

Playing for his first football team in seventh grade, the Brenham (Texas) Cubs, Sweed caught a pass near his 5-yard line and raced in the direction of 90-plus pay dirt.

"Before I got to the end zone, boom — the ball just popped out," Sweed remembers. "The other team recovered. That was the worst."

The stakes were just a bit higher last weekend. Add more than 40 million viewers, and it's conceivable that Sweed was floored more by embarrassment after his muff than by having his wind escape him. He lay on the turf until trainers arrived.

In any event, Sweed — who didn't hit the oxygen tank after returning to the bench — cost the Steelers their final timeout when he was treated on the field. Then poor time-management cost the Steelers a chance for a short field goal in a tight game, as the clock expired with the ball on 12-yard line as the half ended.

Here's to rookie lessons. The instant Sweed returned to the sideline, he received an earful from his heated coach, Mike Tomlin.

"He basically said, 'Try to get up and save the team a timeout when you fall down,' " Sweed said. "I guess I knew that was coming."

Sweed, a second-round pick from Texas who played extensively Sunday after go-to veteran Hines Ward was sidelined by a sprained knee, bounced back from his mistake with two attention-grabbing plays in the second half. He floored Corey Ivy with a punishing block at the end of a 30-yard catch by Heath Miller. Then he moved the chains with a 14-yard catch on a third-and-8 to dig out of a field-position hole.

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"Obviously, I would've liked to have caught that pass," Sweed, still seeking his first NFL touchdown, said of the drop. "I'm coming in for Hines. AFC Championship Game. Rookie. Jacked-up. Things happen. People drop balls. It's not always what happened, but how you respond. If I had my head in the tank and stayed down on myself, maybe I don't get that block or make that catch. It's just growing pains."

Asked if he was impressed that Sweed responded well after the drop, Tomlin said, "I wish he would just catch the ball so that he doesn't have to respond … Hats off to the guys for sticking with him and allowing him to be a part of this."

Although Ward has pledged to be ready for Super Bowl XLIII, Sweed realizes that circumstances could put him on the spot again against the Arizona Cardinals — on the biggest stage in football. It is a long way from Brenham.

"You can look at it two ways," said Sweed, who played sparingly and caught just six passes during the regular season. "I'm out there running by dudes, getting open. I've just got to finish the plays. I'm glad I'm on a team like the Steelers, a great team, that can roll with my growing pains. Because I'll definitely be worth it … My time is coming." Find this article at: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/steelers/2009-01-22-limas-sweed_N.htm

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Tomlin and Farrior share unique history

January 22, 2009 12:44 PM

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Not many players and coaches have actually squared off against one another on the football field as Mike Tomlin and James Farrior have.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

PITTSBURGH -- The first time Steelers coach Mike Tomlin met his defensive captain, James Farrior, the two were trying to pound each other into submission.

The pair, who are just two years apart in age, were on opposing sidelines on Oct. 1, 1994, when Farrior was a stud linebacker and future first-round pick from the University of Virginia. Tomlin was a small-school receiver for an undermanned William & Mary team traveling to Charlottesville for Virginia's homecoming.

"They were always our warm-up game,” a smiling Farrior said of his coach's former team. "So we really didn't need to spend too much time game planning for them, because it was always a blowout.”

"That would be fair,” Tomlin shot back. "But tell him to check the highlights, though. I did OK.”

Indeed Tomlin, who set a school record with 20 touchdown catches as a three-year starter, did well against elite competition. He had four receptions for 58 yards, but Virginia took an easy 37-3 victory.

Yet, despite the loss, what sticks out most for Tomlin that day was putting a good shot on his future linebacker.

"I do remember a play where [Farrior] picked a ball off that was intended for me about 18 yards down the middle of the field,” Tomlin said with pride. "He went back the other way and I jumped in the side of his helmet and got a tackle on him.”

Box Score: Farrior vs. Tomlin On Oct. 1, 1994, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin played against linebacker James Farrior in college. Here is how each player fared: Player Pos. Team Stats Outcome Mike Tomlin WR William & Mary 4 catches, 58 yards L, 3-37 James Farrior LB Virginia 2 tackles, INT, pass def. W, 37-3 Source: William & Mary Athletic Department

Farrior finished that game with two tackles, an interception and, most important, a victory. At the time, the two former combatants had no idea they would be integral cogs in leading the Steelers to their second Super Bowl appearance in four seasons. Pittsburgh will play the Arizona Cardinals Feb. 1 at Raymond James Stadium.

Tomlin, 36, has been stellar in two years as Pittsburgh's coach. So far, Tomlin has a better career winning percentage (.688) than his two legendary predecessors, Bill Cowher (.623) and Chuck Noll (.566). Tomlin also is 2-1 in the postseason.

Farrior, 34, is the leading tackler on the Steelers' top-rated defense with 133 and is like a coach on the field for Tomlin and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.

In retrospect, Farrior wishes he would've thumped his future boss when he had the opportunity.

"Oh, I would have crushed him,” Farrior said. "I would have tried to take his head off if I would have known this back in the day.”

This is part of the good-natured ribbing that goes on between Farrior and Tomlin. The coach and his defensive captain share a unique history not often seen in the NFL, as they occasionally reflect on their playing days together.

Farrior arrived in Pittsburgh in 2002 under Cowher and didn't know much about the team's new coach when Tomlin was hired two years ago, other than their one encounter in college. Farrior also can't recall being coached by someone so close to him in age.

"I thought it was going to be kind of weird when he first got here,” Farrior said. "I knew the age difference. So I thought it was kind of funny to just think of my head coach being a year or two older. But once he got here and I saw what type of guy he was, I knew he was the boss. It was pretty easy.”

Tomlin's presence commanded respect in the locker room right away. He made it a point to do things his way and quickly won over a team that had been led by Cowher for the past 15 years.

Farrior said his rapport with Tomlin is great. He signed a five-year, $18.25 million extension in August to stay in Pittsburgh, in part because he wanted to remain under Tomlin.

"Him being a head coach here made it that much easier for me to decide,” Farrior said.

A dozen players, including Farrior, on Pittsburgh's roster are within five years of Tomlin. Some notables include leading receiver Hines Ward (32), veteran cornerback Deshea Townsend (33) and defensive linemen Aaron Smith (32) and Casey Hampton (31). Two players -- punter Mitch Berger (36) and defensive end Orpheus Roye (36) -- are the same age as Tomlin.

"It's nothing new for me. It really isn't,” Tomlin said. "When I first got into coaching, I coached at [Virginia Military Institute] and coached three seniors who were my age. When I got my first Division I job, I was 24 or 25 and I had a 23-year-old. I got in the NFL and coached defensive backs, and John Lynch is older than me. It is what it is.”

Longtime William & Mary football coach Jimmye Laycock is proud of his former pupil's transition from small-school receiver to coaching in the Super Bowl. He said Tomlin was always a fiery player who was able to get his teammates ready for practice and games, and that has translated well in preparing the Steelers.

Laycock keeps in frequent contact with Tomlin and isn't surprised by his success on football's biggest stage.

"When he became a coordinator in the National Football League, I told people it's just a matter of time now before he becomes a head coach,” Laycock said. "His presence, his personality, his intelligence and the way he gets along with people are terrific. And with his leadership, he has a great way of being confident but without being cocky in the way he does things.”

Close Calls

Here is a look at Pittsburgh's players around the same age as Steelers coach Mike Tomlin (36).

Player Age Pos. Casey Hampton 31 DT Fernando Bryant 31 CB Hines Ward 32 WR Aaron Smith 32 DE Chris Hoke 32 DT Deshea Townsend 33 CB James Farrior 34 LB Charlie Batch 34 QB Travis Kirschke 34 DE Tyrone Carter 32 SMitch Berger 36 P

Orpheus Roye 36 DE

Wednesday, January 21, 2009 Updated: January 22, 8:28 PM ET

The lessons of Chuck Noll By Elizabeth Merrill ESPN.com LATROBE, Pa. -- There is nothing fancy about where the name went. At least it's spelled right. The words "Chuck Noll Field" hang neatly over a brick press box, two stories above the grass at Saint Vincent College. Noll would be happy about its simplicity. Twenty-three years in one job, and people in Pittsburgh still spell Noll's name with a "K." Maybe he never noticed. Chances are he didn't care.

Sometimes late in the summer, when the newbies arrive at Saint Vincent for the start of practice, coach Bob Colbert will ask them: Who is the guy with the name on the field? If a kid isn't from Allegheny County or points nearby, chances are he'll stare at Colbert with a blank look. "It's unfortunate," Colbert says, "that he didn't get his due.

"The younger kids, they're not into the history. History is yesterday."

History, at least in these parts, is consistent. Snow falls; Steelers flags flutter in preparation for another Super Bowl; and Chuck Noll, black-and-gold legend, is somewhere far away. He will not give an oral dissertation this week on how these Pittsburgh Steelers remind him of his Steel Curtain defenses in the 1970s. Noll doesn't even watch a whole game of football anymore. It is believed that he talked to Pittsburgh's front office about his thoughts on the Steelers once this season.

"Your team is doing well," he told chairman Dan Rooney.

He won't be on TV, unless it's a grainy old video of one of his unprecedented four Super Bowl titles, won't be mentioned among the all-time NFL coaching greats. His friends will say the snub is borne out of his desire for privacy. Noll didn't put himself out there, didn't parlay his success into a broadcasting career, and hence, the world carried on without him.

Who is Chuck Noll? A generation of football fans doesn't, really, know.

HE'S HARDLY EVER SEEN AROUND SEWICKLEY

The first stop to find Noll is his last known Pennsylvania address, up Highway 65 and along the Ohio River. Sewickley is a maple-lined borough with fewer than 4,000 people, but it's loaded with local celebs. Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby live here, and so do former Steelers legends Franco Harris and Lynn Swann.

Noll's apartment doesn't really compete. It is in a modest three-story building with a rooftop view and a sign planted in the frozen earth that reads, "No trespassing, solicitors or loiterers."

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Chuck Noll, pictured in the 1983 Pro Football Hall of Fame preseason game in Canton, Ohio, is the only NFL coach to win four Super Bowls -- IX, X, XIII and XIV.

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He's not there.

He spends about half the year in Pittsburgh, with his devoted wife, Marianne, who takes his calls. They've been married for roughly two-thirds of their lives. Former players, regardless of their Hall of Fame status, have a tough time getting past Marianne and through to Noll. It makes them wonder about his health.

Marianne says the back problems that might have ultimately helped nudge him to retirement in 1991 have gotten much worse. He gets around with two canes, and doesn't get anywhere very well. His nerves are exposed, and just about any movement is painful. He just turned 77.

They are spending the winter in their second home in Florida, a more comfortable patch roughly two hours away from the site of Super Bowl XLIII. They'll keep the home in Pittsburgh. "Always," says Marianne.

Reached by phone Thursday, Marianne is asked if they'll be in Tampa, and she says no.

"I just don't see how we can," she says. "We will watch it here.

"He did it, and it was wonderful. And now it's [Mike Tomlin's] turn."

HE DOESN'T HAVE A TASTE FOR CHOCOLATE

Life, post-football, could have been more comfortable had he caved once in a while. Maybe if he flashed a few smiles, stopped for a camera, Noll would be rich. Sometime in the mid-1970s, after another Super Bowl, Nestle offered to pay him big bucks to use his photo on a candy bar. It took less than a minute for Noll to say no.

"See if one of the assistants wants to do it," Noll usually said.

Joe Gordon, who served as the Steelers' public relations director under Noll, figures the coach turned down what would amount to maybe a million dollars in endorsements today. He did just one ad in 23 years, for a local bank run by a friend. When Noll saw his face plastered on a billboard for the bank -- an ad that hung near a road that took the team to training camp -- he became annoyed.

"He decided to never do it again," Gordon says. "He's a very private person, and his sole interest was coaching football. He wasn't interested in extraneous stuff. If Chuck had his way, after the game on Sundays he would've just packed his briefcase, taken a shower and gone home without doing any interviews."

HE'S NOT INTO SPEECHES

If you want to know about Noll, you go to "Mean Joe" Greene. He is living in Texas now, but thinks about Noll at least three times a week. An old saying will usually conjure up memories of his coach. "Never make a major decision based solely on money," Noll would tell his players. All money ain't good money. In 1969, when Noll was hired, one of his first moves was to draft the intense-to-a-fault defensive tackle from North Texas State. Greene was dejected when his name



was called with the fourth overall pick, because it meant he was headed to a moribund franchise with no hope of winning. He spent the first couple of seasons angry and let his temper get the best of him.

"I didn't buy into it early on," Greene says. "It was hard to believe what he was saying."

But back to the speech … Noll, as a practice, never gave them. He'd tell his players that if he needed to motivate them, they probably deserved to be fired.

But something got to him in late December 1974. The Raiders had just beaten the Dolphins in an AFC divisional playoff game that was far more interesting than Pittsburgh's win against Buffalo. Ken Stabler made a falling throw, and the epic that would later be known as the "Sea of Hands" game was getting far more play. It featured supposedly the best two teams in football. The Super Bowl, to many, seemed like a formality.

Noll gathered his team in that Monday, and, like always, broke down the pluses and minuses of their previous game. Then he launched into a lecture and slammed a chalkboard.

"He said, 'Guys, the people in Oakland think the Super Bowl was played yesterday and the best team was in that game,'" Greene says. "'I want you guys to know the Super Bowl will be played two weeks from now, and the best team in the National Football League is sitting right here.'

"From that moment on, regardless of what went on at the start of the game, I knew the Raiders weren't going to win it. I've never had that feeling before or after that [the other] team had no chance."

HE WAS REALLY PLAN B

Here's a mind-bender: In 1969, the Steelers wanted to go with a coach who was a little more well-known and a little older. That coach was Penn State's Joe Paterno, who turned them down.

HE HAD TICKETS TO THE SYMPHONY

As much as that surprised Pittsburghers, to see their hard-nosed coach listening to classical music, they didn't know half of it. Noll also has an affinity for fine wine, roses, flying and sailing. Anything that Noll was interested in, he eventually became an expert in by studying meticulously. He didn't necessarily like talking about football outside of work. He had far too many other interests.

"He was an unusual guy," says Ed Kiely, a longtime Steelers employee who was an assistant to Art Rooney Sr. "One week he'd be taking lessons for golf, and the next week he'd be learning how to buy a boat and take it down South. He was a man for all seasons."

Every morning, the Steelers coaches gathered in the kitchen at Three Rivers Stadium for coffee. Often times, Kiely and Noll got into arguments about politics. Kiely was a Democrat; Noll, he says, leaned to the right.

"He never got mad," Kiely says. "He would just walk away and go, 'Aw, you don't know what you're

"I knew no one like him before him and have never met anybody like him since," says former defensive lineman "Mean Joe" Greene, seen here in 1979.



talking about.'"

HE PLAYED THE UKULELE

To his players, Noll often seemed detached. He had to be this way, they figured, to protect himself in case he had to cut somebody. One Christmas in the late 1970s, Swann had some teammates over for a tree-decorating party. They decided to go caroling, and stopped by Dan Rooney's house and a few others along the chain of power. Swann suggested they go to Noll's. His buddies hesitated.

But it was before 11:00 p.m. -- their curfew -- so they knocked on the door and sang to Chuck and Marianne. He invited them in. Noll showed them some pictures he had taken, then grabbed his ukulele and started playing.

It was a side they had never seen before.

"I thought we were breaking the ice," Swann says. "We're getting to the core of this man, this is great. Wonderful. A breakthrough.

"The next morning, we walk in there, and I thought we were going to have a new relationship. He looked at us, and nodded his head. It was like we were never in his home for a second. He never acknowledged it. But that was Chuck."

HE HAD NO FILTER

It has been reported over the years that Noll turned to his players on that first team in 1969 and said they weren't winning because they weren't very good. Noll later disputed that he was that harsh.

But only five survived from that team to play in a Super Bowl for Pittsburgh. Linebacker Andy Russell was one of them. He had done two stints in Pittsburgh, leaving the team for two seasons to serve in the Army. When Noll called him into his office for their first meeting in 1969, it was almost as if Russell was back in Germany.

"I've been watching game film, Russell," Noll told him. "I don't like the way you play.

"You're too aggressive. You're too out of control. You're too impatient, trying to be a hero. I'm going to change the way you play. You're going to be a lot different in your 30s than your 20s."

Russell became a 10-year captain and went to seven Pro Bowls.

HE DIDN'T COIN THE 20-HOUR WORKDAY

Noll wanted complete separation between work and family. He was home at 8:00 p.m. on Monday nights, 10:00 on Tuesday and 7:00 the rest of the week.

"He was so different from most head football coaches during that era," Gordon says. "He was not a

Former receiver Lynn Swann helped Noll and the Steelers win those four Super Bowls in 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979.



workaholic. He did not put in crazy hours. There was no such thing as sleeping in offices."

IF HE HADN'T BECOME A COACH, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN A TEACHER

That's what Noll liked to do the most -- get down in a stance and teach. He spent the first 30 minutes of every practice working on tackling and blocking, things many of his players learned in high school. He was the college professor with the 20-page syllabus. Noll made his players study each opponent's tendencies from the past five years. He had a rare eye for talent, and his 1974 draft class had four future Hall of Famers. But the image many players have is of Noll staying after practice, working with confused rookies who had little chance of making the roster.

"He would teach new draft choices who were All-American guards how to get in a stance," Russell says. "He'd have them start all over. He told me I should move my foot back two inches and maybe an inch wider. He was into an enormous amount of detail.

"In his first year, we won our first game and lost 13 in a row. But he never lost us because he never said things that didn't make any sense. He'd say, 'We will get worse before we get better. Because I'm going to force you to play the right way.'"

AND HIS SON IS JUST LIKE HIM

The closest glimmer of Chuck Noll is buried in a Web site at a private school in Connecticut. Chris Noll is a teacher, and he's hesitant to talk. Like his dad, Chris is very private. He played a year of football in high school, and Chuck rarely went to his games.

"He didn't want it to be about him," Chris says softly. "He wanted it to be about me."

The younger Noll switched to soccer, and coached the team at Miss Porter's for a while before he got too busy.

"What motivated him was the desire to teach, to learn," Chris says. "He was almost depressed after a Super Bowl win because it was over. It was the process that was exciting, that stimulated him."

And when Chris' dad retired in 1991, he never looked back. He threw himself into his other interests, his wine and his books and his sailing. He did fundraising until his back wouldn't allow it.

There have been opportunities to return to football, but, much like the endorsement requests, Noll never really considered them.

"He doesn't watch a whole lot of [football]," Chris says. "He still cares about the Steelers, but that's kind of his past. Once that was done, he moved on."

HE RARELY HUGGED HIS PLAYERS

An early member of Pittsburgh's "Steel Curtain" defense, linebacker Andy Russell once heard Noll tell him, "I don't like the way you play."



Or patted them on the back. Greene used to watch him on the sideline when the offense had the ball, and no matter what spectacular play unfolded, the corners of Noll's mouth rarely cracked.

"I remember one time," Greene says, "I was watching him, and John Stallworth made one of these fantastic one-handed catches, and I was looking at him and he was smiling. He wasn't smiling with his mouth; he was smiling with his eyes."

Noll showed up for a game in Pittsburgh early this season, and sat in a luxury box, far away from the crowd and the microphones and the attention. Greene spotted him at halftime and thanked him. For the sayings, the teaching sessions and the one speech.

Had he thought about it for a second, Greene would have just shaken Noll's hand as he said goodbye. Instead, Greene gave him a hug. Nobody noticed. Chances are, they wouldn't care.

"I knew no one like him before him and have never met anybody like him since," Greene says. "There is no hyperbole about him. None at all."

Elizabeth Merrill is a senior writer for ESPN.com. She can be reached at [email protected].

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January 22, 2009

Talk With Favre Tops New Coach’s Agenda

By GREG BISHOP

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Among Rex Ryan’s first tasks as the Jets’ coach will be speaking with Brett Favre.

At his news conference Wednesday, Ryan spoke of Favre in reverential tones. He said Favre gave him whiplash when

he played for Green Bay, moving the Packers up and down the field against the Baltimore defense that Ryan coached.

“I know the kind of talent he has and the type of competitor he is,” Ryan said. “I would think anybody would want him

as their quarterback.”

Ryan gave no timetable for a decision by Favre, who has spoken of the Jets in the past tense since the season ended.

Ryan also said that he would call the defensive plays, at least initially, next season, and that General Manager Mike

Tannenbaum would still have the final say on personnel.

Ryan confirmed that Mike Westhoff, the Jets’ special-teams coach, and Bill Callahan, the assistant head coach in

charge of the running game, would be retained, and that Mike Pettine, another Baltimore assistant, would be the

defensive coordinator. Other Baltimore assistants who could follow Ryan include Hue Jackson, the quarterbacks

coach; Clarence Brooks, the defensive line coach; and Mark Carrier, the defensive backs coach.

Also, Ryan wants to meet with Brian Schottenheimer, the Jets’ offensive coordinator, who was a candidate for Ryan’s

job. Ryan can understand being passed over, having been interviewed for the Ravens’ head-coaching job that went to

John Harbaugh last year. Ryan ranked Schottenheimer as one of the top coordinators in football.

Several players were at the news conference. One notable attendee was linebacker David Harris, who was on crutches,

with a boot running from his left foot to his knee.

Charley Casserly, an analyst for CBS and a former general manager, said in a telephone interview that Ryan’s

aggressive, blitzing scheme fit the Jets’ personnel “for the most part.” Casserly added: “His defenses have multiple

pressure packages. You need good man-to-man corners to be effective. They’re going to be on an island.”

Casserly said the key would be getting another cornerback opposite Darrelle Revis, whom Ryan on Wednesday called

the best cornerback in the game.

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By Jim Corbett, USA TODAY

TEMPE, Ariz. — Tears welled up as Arizona Cardinals general manager Rod Graves drove home from the team's complex Monday night.

Graves, 49, thought of his late father, Jackie, a highly-respected, longtime NFL scout and former player personnel executive with the Philadelphia Eagles until his 1989 death.

Graves says he was overcome by a sense of "angels" entwined with Ken Whisenhunt's coaching, offensive coordinator Todd Haley's aggressive play-calling, Kurt Warner's 66.3% postseason completion percentage, Larry Fitzgerald's breathtaking catches and Clancy Pendergast's take- away defense.

SUPER BOWL MATCHUPS: Who has edge? Steelers or Cardinals? BALANCED ATTACK: Cards offense reinvented since regular season

The previous night, Graves stood on the NFC Championship Game trophy platform inside raucous University of Phoenix Stadium after Arizona's 32-25 win sent the team to the Super Bowl.

Graves received an emotional embrace from fullback Terrelle Smith, whose dying mother envisioned the moment in April.

Sheryll Smith's breast cancer metastasized and spread to her brain. She lost her sight before her Dec. 10 death, but her vision for her son's team has come to fruition.

"She said I'd be part of the biggest game in Arizona Cardinals history, part of a bowl game," Smith says.

Graves understood.

THE HUDDLE: LeBeau says Fitzgerald is best he's ever seen

"Terrelle hugged me as tight as anyone did that night and said with tears, 'Rod, my mother told me this day would come,' " Graves says. "That's when I was thinking about my dad.

"We've had a lot of angels looking after us.

"It couldn't have been any other way."

Graves choked up speaking of his father, whose reputation opened doors for his son with the USFL's Philadelphia Stars, the Chicago Bears from 1984 to 1996 to his present position as architect of this Cardinals team.

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Graves drafted Pro Bowlers Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Adrian Wilson and Darnell Dockett, then tapped dynamic rookie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and running back Tim Hightower in last April's draft.

He paid homage to his father's heart-and-soul sacrifice by calling each Cardinals scout individually to thank them Sunday.

"I think about the character my parents gave me," he says. "If you have a situation where you feel like you have one hand tied behind your back, you fight like hell with the free arm.

"After all the negativity … that's really been the nature of my approach: 'We're going to fight like hell with the free arm to get to where we are.' "

When Graves and team president Michael BidwIll identified what they wanted in a head coach after Dennis Green was fired in 2006, former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Whisenhunt's calm, firm vision fit their profile.

"Ken has a great presence as a leader," Graves says. "Here's a guy who spent years under Bill Cowher, Joe Gibbs and Dan Henning, Rod Dowhower, Bill Curry and Ted Marchibroda."

After the Super Bowl, financial reality sets in. Warner's contract is up.

"We'd like for him to end his career a Cardinal," Graves says. "In my career, I can only put one person next to the qualities I saw in (late Hall of Fame Bears back) Walter Payton. That's Kurt Warner.

"He's a Hall of Famer. Walter was extraordinary in terms of his talent on the field and extraordinary in how he dealt with the public … Kurt has always shown an appreciation for fans and for where he came from."

Will the team satisfy Boldin, who said in training camp he wanted to be traded because an under-market contract with two years remaining wasn't redone?

"We're going to sit down and revisit his situation," Graves says. "We have to take a look at where he is and try to balance all the other challenges we're going to have during the offseason and do exactly what we feel is best for our team."

Did last Sunday's sideline blowup with Haley change things?

'No, no," Graves says. "That kind of passion, that's who Anquan is. Those guys have great respect for one another. We want that kind of passion in our locker room."

As for Haley, Graves says league rules "prohibit any contact with our coordinators while we're involved with the Super Bowl. Obviously teams are following the rules."

Graves chases another ring Feb. 1, one few believed the Cardinals would be one win from.

"I gave my Super Bowl (XX) ring to my dad," Graves says. "My father was so proud of that ring. He put it on display in our home and showed it to everybody.

"What we've got to do now is go and finish."

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Thursday, January 22, 2009

Cards' Arrington sits out practice

Associated Press TEMPE, Ariz. -- Cardinals running back J.J. Arrington was sidelined with a knee injury Thursday as Arizona practiced for the first time since winning the NFC championship.

Arrington, who became an increasingly important part of Arizona's offense, was injured in Arizona's 32-25 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt was hopeful the extra time off would allow Arrington to be ready to play against Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.

"It's hard to rule anybody out for the Super Bowl," Whisenhunt said. "I would hope that he will progress rapidly as the week goes and get some good work in next week. I think the most important thing is that we don't rush it too much this week to make sure that we can push it next week to counterbalance."

Linebacker Travis LaBoy (biceps), defensive end Antonio Smith (knee) and punter Ben Graham (left groin) were limited in practice. LaBoy missed the NFC championship game.

Wide receiver Anquan Boldin went through a full practice and said his left hamstring didn't bother him at all. He sat out Arizona's divisional playoff victory at Carolina with a strained hamstring, but played in the Philadelphia game.

The Cardinals have practices scheduled Friday and Saturday, then take Sunday off before flying to Tampa on Monday.

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