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Cowher foresaw improved season

By Alan Robinson Ap Sports Writer 3 min read

PITTSBURGH – Days after the Steelers wrapped up a 6-10 season that matched the worst record in his 12 years on the job, coach Bill Cowher said in January his team wasn’t that far away from contending again. Maybe that’s why Cowher hasn’t seemed all that surprised as the Steelers (8-1) have won their last seven games to start 8-1 for the first time since their 1978 Super Bowl championship season.

How could he possibly think a team that went through a five-game losing streak about this time a year ago could turn it around so quickly?

“I don’t think there are many teams that are that far away,” Cowher said. “Ten weeks (after the season starts), we are the best team in football with the same guys. How does that happen? I think it’s a very fine line, and I don’t know if we are that much better than the teams were are playing.”

The Steelers are No. 2 rushing and No. 1 in defense, but Cowher said their turnaround has resulted mostly from their lack of turnovers, their third-down efficiency and an ability to score once reaching the opponent’s 20-yard line.

They are No. 2 in turnover rate (plus-11) and have converted 52 of 119 third-down opportunities.

They also have converted nearly 63 percent of their possessions inside the 20 into touchdowns.

“We are doing some of the little things it takes to win football games and, if you don’t do those things, I don’t care who you are, you will not win games,” he said.

“If you turn the ball over you will not win games. If you’re not efficient on third down, if you are not efficient in the red zone, you’re not going to win football games, you’re going to lose a bunch of close games. You start losing games, and you start to question yourself.”

That’s why Cowher has constantly talked about avoiding letdowns that could lead to a bad game and, perhaps, a loss in confidence.

Maybe he was thinking about the 1983 Steelers, though Cowher was playing for the Eagles at the time.

Despite losing quarterback Terry Bradshaw to an apparent season-ending elbow injury, the Steelers won seven consecutive games at midseason behind quarterback Cliff Stoudt and were 9-2.

But a close and unexpected 17-13 loss at home to Minnesota began to unravel that confidence and, four days later, they were embarrassed 45-3 in a Thanksgiving Day game at Detroit.

They wouldn’t win again with Stoudt at quarterback, losing five of their final six, including a 38-10 playoff loss to the Raiders.

Their only victory after the seven-game run came when Bradshaw unexpectedly started a Dec. 10 game against the Jets in New York.

Bradshaw provided a huge emotional lift by passing for two touchdowns, but threw out his elbow for good on the second TD of that 34-7 victory and never threw another pass in the NFL.

Partly because of Bradshaw’s injury, there was no emotional carryover the following week and the Steelers lost 30-17 at Cleveland. They were outscored 160-88 in their final six games after the long winning streak.

No wonder Cowher wants to guard against that one unexpected loss that can undo a season’s worth of work, though wide receiver Hines Ward said the Steelers are having too much fun to let down now.

“We’re playing loose,” he said.

“When you’re a loose team like that, good things will happen.”

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