Archives for December 2004

‘So there is definitely something to be said for momentum. And that clearly makes teams such as Buffalo, Carolina and New Orleans dangerous first-round playoff foes. None of the three might even qualify for the 2004 playoff pool, since each needs a win on Sunday, coupled with some outside assistance. Teams that have already received their postseason invitations, though, don’t want to see the Bills, Saints or Panthers on their opening-round dance cards, that’s for sure.’

‘Anybody have any questions after watching the last six games?’

You couldn’t have scripted a better story in Hollywood. The Bills end the regular season at home against the Steelers in a game filled with possibilities and a reunion of many coaches and front office people. It’s there for the taking, the Bills have won six straight and a win against the best team in the league will give the Bills a shot at the playoffs if the Jets or Broncos lose. Mike Mularkey, Tom Clements, Tom Donahoe, and Tom Modrak will be renewing acquaintances.

‘Former Pitt quarterback Alex Van Pelt has enjoyed working as a color analyst on Buffalo Bills radio broadcasts, but he has a coaching itch he said needs scratching.’

Cowher: Approach is same as it always is (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

Scott may replace Townsend (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

Steelers fans can rock to this band’s fight song (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

Roethlisberger won’t play Sunday (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

Van Pelt contacts Wannstedt about possible job (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

Cowher not interested in getting Bettis to 1,000 yards (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

Steelers salute man’s charitable work (Beaver County Times)

Steelers will have new faces in lineup (Washington Observer Reporter)

With or without Big Ben, Cowher taking game seriously (McKeesport Daily News)

Roethlisberger questionable for Sunday’s regular-season finale (AP)

Roethlisberger questionable for regular-season finale (The Sports Network)

Head Coach Bill Cowher’s Press Conference (Steelers.com)

Vote for Ben for Rookie of the Week (Steelers.com)

Steelers Pre-Game Notes (Steelers.com)

Bills Pre-Game Notes (Steelers.com)

‘Undrafted rookie safety Rashad Baker came off the bench Sunday as the Bills rolled to a 41-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers – Buffalo’s sixth straight win and eighth in the last nine games. Baker, a Woodrow Wilson High School graduate, had one assisted tackle and one pass deflection on defense. The University of Tennessee product also contributed an assisted tackle on special teams.’

‘What Jerry Gray and his players are doing is special. My only question is: When do we start to acknowledge it?’

”’At certain times you just feel like it’s just you, and everything’s against you,” Evans said. ”It’s certainly been a 180-degree turn.”’

‘In September, Buffalo was 0-4, and playoff chatter would have elicited a one-word response that is the same as its coach’s last name. After six wins in a row, however, it has become the team no one wants to play.’

‘I don’t think the NFL should take any action to make teams play their starters in what are usually meaningless games. If you’re good enough to wrap things up early on, then you should have the luxury of doing what you believe is best for your team.’

‘Cowher said his plans for the game would not change even if another playoff berth were not dependent on the outcome. “This is not about what we owe anybody. It’s what we owe ourselves. This is how you play the game,” he said. “We’ve got to play the game the way we know how to play the game. Those aren’t things you can turn on and off, and if you think you can turn it on and off you’re going to be mistaken and be led down a road that’s going to be very disappointing.”’

‘Let me just say this in regard to this football game, certainly we are looking at the playoffs and we will certainly keep that in mind as it relates to the health of our players. But we are not going to approach this game any differently than we have approached the other 15 games. I am a firm believer that you are who you are. We are a football team that we when we step on that field, we are going to play our way. It is for no other reason than that. I think the last thing you can do is try to go into any football game and diminish the importance of it. Certainly, you are going to keep the big picture in mind, but we are going to go out there, and we are preparing this week as we always have to go up there and win this football game. It is going to be a big challenge for us because certainly Buffalo, with all the things that they have at stake, they are the winners of six games in a row, eight of the last nine games, they are a very formidable opponent and they can be an opponent that we see somewhere else down the line. We are not going to diminish that. We will get our week off. This to me is a little bit different that if we were playing in six or seven days. If you are playing that first week, then maybe you would approach it differently. But I look at the fact that we have a bye week. We are going to get our time off. We have to go up and play football. That is what we are planning on doing.’

‘Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher announced at his Tuesday press conference that rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is questionable for Sunday’s regular-season finale against Buffalo because of bruised rib cartilage.’

‘”We waited down in the hotel lobby for them, but they never showed up. They didn’t even call,” Cousineau said. “I didn’t need to have my rear end kissed by the Bills, but the way they treated me was about as rude as it gets. For whatever reason, the Bills were playing hardball with me right out of the gate. Barber had played with the Bills, and I found out later that he didn’t treat any players very well. This was at a time when a lot of players were leaving Buffalo.”‘

49ers report card (Contra Costa Times)

Fans not in mood to appreciate (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

49ers report card (Oakland Tribune)

Strategy and personnel (CBS Sportsline)