Stewart says he’ll start against New Orleans
PITTSBURGH – So much had changed in the 24 hours since Tommy Maddox entered the field and rescued the Steelers from the probable depths of an 0-3 start. But, really, in those 24 hours, nothing had changed. Neither quarterback had been informed as to who would start Sunday’s game at New Orleans, leaving Kordell Stewart to believe the job was still his.
“Do I expect to start? Of course I do,” Stewart said Monday afternoon. “Why? Because I’m the starter on this football team. Otherwise it would be a situation where Coach (Bill) Cowher would tell us we’re going in another direction. But as far as I know right now, I’m still the starter.”
The quarterbacks reported to the South Side practice facility Monday where they watched game film and assessed performances. The Steelers, of course, beat the Cleveland Browns in overtime. Maddox was the hero, but 24 hours hadn’t turned him into a “star.”
“It’s fun,” he said. “But experience also tells me it can be short-lived as well. You don’t get too caught up in it so that it distracts you from going to work next week and doing the things you’ve got to do to prepare for the New Orleans Saints.”
Cowher said after beating the Browns that he was “leaning to starting the game with Kordell,” which would make for a happy homecoming for the New Orleans native.
“Granted, I’ll go home and see my family members and all that good stuff,” Stewart said, but he allowed that, “it’s really no different than any other time. It’s just that I have an opportunity to see my entire family and spend all my money to make sure everybody gets to come out and enjoy the game.”
Even though Maddox completed 11 of 13 passes in rallying the Steelers on Sunday, Cowher may be considering the fact that Stewart has thrived in similar situations in the past. The Steelers are underdogs to the 3-1 Saints and Stewart has quarterbacked the Steelers to seven wins in their last 11 road trips as underdogs. Last year, the Steelers were 4-1 in such scenarios.
However, Stewart is coming off of another game in which he threw a terrible interception and fumbled near the goal line. He was booed lustily by the fans at Heinz Field, and Stewart responded to the taunts by waving the fans off.
“It may have been a little frustration, nothing towards them,” he said. “I mean, they can respond the way they want to. Nothing was going well. I’d boo, too, if I was a fan.”
To his credit, Stewart didn’t pout on the sideline after being yanked. In fact, he was leading the cheers for Maddox, who came out of the game as the most-loved athlete in the city.
“The only thing that’s changed for me is it’s exciting for me to get in and get some action,” Maddox said. “If something happens down the road, you have that to fall back on. You’ve been in a game. I said yesterday that starting the Detroit (preseason) game helps us if a situation like yesterday comes up. So every opportunity you get is a positive and something you can build on when you get in there the next time.”
Maddox was drafted in the first round out of UCLA as a 20-year-old sophomore and flopped with four different NFL organizations, three of which were coached by the man who drafted him, Dan Reeves. But Maddox has said that Reeves’ deep-drop offense didn’t suit his talents. His arm, however, has become stronger over the years, according to Steelers receiver Terance Mathis, a former teammate of Maddox in Atlanta.
“I don’t know if it’s necessarily stronger,” Maddox said. “It’s a lot quicker. I think some of the things I worked on through the Arena League and having to get rid of the ball so quick, I know it’s a lot quicker. I felt like I always had a strong arm. I probably had a slower delivery with it. But in being quicker, I think it’s a little more accurate as well.”
He may receive another chance to prove it Sunday. If he doesn’t, Maddox won’t fret.
“I’ve been around long enough to know that what’s out of your control you don’t worry about,” he said. “Get ready to play, go play as hard as you can and see what happens. Again, I think Coach Cowher has the best interests of the team in his hands.”