Friendly Fire From Steel Tank
The Steelers suddenly find themselves in a state of flux. Some changes are fairly obvious and long over due while others are definitely more subtle:
� Bill Cowher and Jason Gildon � Could this relationship be on its way out? Could be� During Bill�s press conference Tuesday, Cowher mentioned the pressure being put on Holcombe, but did not give Jason his usual endorsement. Indeed, Cowher�s comment was one of indifference:
�We were around him a lot even a couple of times at the end of the first half with a three-man rush. Jason Gildon and Joey Porter I know they did not get many sacks, but I know Joey was around him a lot. We hit him a lot of times, too.�
This is not a slight toward Gildon, but it does indicate that Cowher is aware of who was getting to the QB, who causes pressure and who does not. Cowher is not the type of coach to publicly air his displeasure with a player and he would never betray Jason this way, but it is interesting to note that Porter got the praises of his coach while Gildon didn�t. Also, Jason�s playing time might be starting to dwindle slightly as he is being spelled on occasion by Clark Haggans. It will be interesting to see if this continues.
� Secondary � The young players on the DB squad are slowly taking over. Even Hope is getting some PT. Again, while Cowher continues his mantra concerning personnel changes, �Not at this time,� every week, it is hard for him to ignore what speed and youth have done for the secondary. He even went as far as to try to give Tim Lewis credit for their good play� Still, when asked specifically about the Young Guns Cowher was very positive and indicated that they would be receiving more playing time in the future. The jury is still out and the Bengal WRs will be a good test, but the long-term changes so desperately needed in the secondary are well underway.
� Maddox and Burress � When Tommy first entered the league, he got passed around from team to team never getting his chance to prove his worth. Then again, there were also serious doubts about Maddox� ability to throw deep with accuracy. It seems like those doubts are resurfacing these days. Tommy is always too long on the deep throws and that might be his eventual bane. The man to whom he throws deep, Burress, will never be a Randy Moss type player even though he does get open deep once in a while. Maddox can�t get him the ball and when he does, it usually clangs of his upper arms or chest. Don�t think the Cowher hasn�t noticed. When asked in two questions about the passing game, Cowher used the phrase �We had some opportunities� nine(9) times. The coach is clearly talking about Burress and Maddox in this instance. The Steeler brain trust is aware of the limitations that have been exposed this season and explaining it away by saying that �We just aren�t in synch� is another attempt by Cowher to shield his players.
� Kimo Speaks Out � The words of the big DE were great to here. It�s good to know that he supports his coach and that other players in the locker room do too. Still, his adulation towards Cowher was not without purpose. Kimo certainly wants to keep his job next year, but Cowher�s job is far more in jeopardy than most people think. Kimo was speaking more for his coach not to get fired after the season rather than himself. Cowher has run interference for a lot of players over the years and Kimo was simply returning the favor to a player�s coach. There are obviously many rumors and talk about Cowher�s demise in Steeler Country these days.
� Famous Amos � Gone after this year? He certainly doesn�t play the kind of football Cowher admires most and lost his starting job to an aged RB still very much overweight. His playing time has almost disappeared and he is back to getting a few token carries a game. Not much more to say.
This is a mere wisp of wind or a slowly rising tide that will soon give way to a flood of changes. Indeed, the Steelers are in a state of flux and it seems that those reverberations are beginning to have a voice of their own. Every player in the Steeler locker room must realize this by now and this should translate into better play and a better team heading down the stretch � if not, then those waves of change could come crashing down much sooner.