Oct 8, 2002 4 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers couldn’t have imagined a few weeks ago that they would be 1-3, with as many losses by early October as they had all last season. Maybe that’s why they didn’t sound like a 1-3 team Monday, or one that seems all that worried that they might miss the playoffs because of their slow start.

Hines Ward is encouraged and upbeat about the way they’re playing. Aaron Smith says the early setbacks haven’t diminished their confidence or their belief that they are a good team. Tommy Maddox sees a lot to build on for the rest of the season.

Coach Bill Cowher apparently set the tone for the optimism during his weekly players’ meeting by pointing out that the Steelers are only a game out of the lead in the AFC North, where, so far, mediocrity rules.

Baltimore (2-2) leads after beating Cleveland (2-3) on Sunday night, with the Steelers (1-3) ahead of the winless Cincinnati Bengals (0-5). The Steelers, coming off a 32-29 loss at New Orleans, play Sunday at Cincinnati.

“It’s encouraging that we haven’t played our best ball yet and we’re only one game behind Baltimore,” Ward said. “There’s so much negative being put on this team, but we should think positive.

“I know 1-3 isn’t good and I would have bet we wouldn’t have been 1-3 … but everybody else in our division is struggling, too.”

With Maddox throwing three touchdown passes in his first NFL start in 10 years, the Steelers’ offense displayed a rhythm and a running game Sunday for the first time all season. The problem was a defense that statistically was the NFL’s best a year ago but now is 24th in pass defense and 20th overall.

The Saints scored on seven of their first eight possessions to become the third team in four games to score 30 or more points on Pittsburgh. The Steelers certainly miss linebacker Kendrell Bell, who has missed nearly the entire season with a sprained ankle, but safety Lee Flowers said the problems on defense go beyond Bell’s absence.

“Coach Cowher grilled us defensively today, (saying) we’re not playing with enough emotion,” Flowers said. “I don’t know if guys are thinking too much or just feel like we don’t have any room for error. But he let us know how he felt and we’re going to get it corrected this week so, hopefully, you’ll see more emotion from us.”

What the Steelers have yet to show is any panic, even if they would be in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs if they played in a stronger division.

Maybe it’s because they have recovered from slow starts three times before under Cowher. They were 3-4 nearly halfway through the 1995 season but rebounded to go to the Super Bowl. In 2000, they were 0-3 but rallied to go 9-7 and just missed the playoffs. They were 0-2 in 1993 but still made the playoffs.

“Oh, yeah, we’re not out of this,” Smith said. “There are a lot of games still on the schedule, 12 more games, and we’ve got a good chance. This is a good football team.”

Chad Scott, the cornerback consistently targeted on the Saints’ big passing plays, also wasn’t discouraged.

“We’re going to make the playoffs,” he said shortly after the game ended. “I’m saying that right now. I just have that much faith in this team.”

He didn’t back off that statement Monday, perhaps because the Steelers play three of their next four games against division opponents and thus are in position to make a move. After Sunday’s game at Cincinnati and an Oct. 21 home game against Indianapolis, they play at Baltimore and Cleveland on successive Sundays.

“We know we’re not playing good ball, but we’re close,” Ward said. “We’re not bad … every game we’ve played, we’ve taken a step forward offensively. We’ve just got to get the defense and the offense playing together.”