Steelers notebook
Kickers brave elements to practice at Heinz Field LATROBE – Pittsburgh Steelers kickers Todd Peterson and Joe O’Donnell braved the elements to practice at Heinz Field Tuesday, and the report from special teams coach Kevin Spencer was good. But Coach Bill Cowher received even better news.
“They all showed up and didn’t go right from Heinz Field to the Pittsburgh airport, so that was good,” Cowher said. “I got some positive feedback from Kevin, so it was good. Hopefully we’ll get them down there maybe the beginning of next week one more time before Thursday night’s game.”
Peterson plans on practicing his kicking once a week at Heinz Field, a house of horrors for former kicker Kris Brown and nearly every kicker who performed there last season.
“I don’t believe in ghosts. I couldn’t see them if they were there,” said Peterson. “No, I don’t want to be na’ve or seem presumptuous, but I just try not to make a mountain out of a molehill. I’ve kicked in a lot of tough places. Can Pittsburgh be any worse than Buffalo or Chicago or Philly or Cleveland? I mean, Kansas City can be a really tough place to kick. I just have to do the best I can to get familiar with the surroundings.”
Peterson feels there’s not much to be gained by kicking there in July when the weather and field surface in December will be completely different.
“The greatest benefit I derived from going down there is I started to get a feeling for the stadium, the actual structure,” he said. “I can say, ‘Forty-four yards on the left hash, kicking into the closed end, that’s where I want to aim.’ I start to pick up little things like that.”
The two kickers worked out for about 75 minutes. Peterson estimates he kicked 50 balls.
BRUENER RETURNS: Starting tight end Mark Bruener was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list and practiced yesterday. He reported that both his latest injury (right foot) and old injury (left shoulder) checked out fine.
“I had to knock the dust off my shoulder pads,” he said. “The week before Thanksgiving is the last time I was wearing these things. It’s been quite awhile but it feels very good to be back on the practice field and very good to be hitting again. I’m feeling great. I haven’t had any side effects.”
KENDRELL BELL INJURED: It’s the worst headline Steelers fans might imagine, but reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Kendrell Bell expects to return either Wednesday morning for a practice at St. Vincent College or Wednesday night for a practice at Latrobe Stadium after straining a trapezius muscle while lifting weights Tuesday morning. Bell was replaced on run-downs by rookie Larry Foote and on pass downs by Clark Haggans.
In other injury-related news, Cowher said that rookie free agent linebacker Pernell Griffin will be activated Wednesday from the PUP list, and that Mike Logan’s injury “wasn’t as bad as we thought it was.” Both players have missed time with hamstring injuries, as has rookie wide receiver Dallas Davis.
THE JAW ON JAWING: Cowher, a.k.a. The Jaw didn’t see anything wrong with Jerome Bettis and Joey Porter hollering at each other after Porter accused Bettis of holding during a blocking drill.
“It was good. I want them jawing,” Cowher said. “They’re competitive guys and that’s the way we have to practice out there. There’s nothing unhealthy about it. We need more of it.”
ONE-MINUTE WARNING: For the second consecutive day, the Steelers finished practice with their one-minute drill. This time, Cowher had 84 seconds put on the clock.
Tee Martin directed the first-team offense against the first-team defense and the drive stalled short of midfield after R.J. Bowers was stopped short of the first-down stick by Clark Haggans on a fourth-down play.
Charlie Batch directed the second-team offense down the field, but the practice was stopped with 14 seconds left on the clock. Why?
“Because I decided to kick a field goal at that point as opposed to running another play,” Cowher said. “I learned from yesterday.”
Was the phantom field goal made?
“It’s always a made field goal,” he said. “That’s why we stretched. We won the game. We were down by two. Didn’t you know that?”