Nov 13, 2005 By Jim Wexell For The 3 min read

PITTSBURGH – Last year, as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ No. 3 wide receiver, Antwaan Randle El caught 43 passes for 591 yards and 3 touchdowns. This year, after being promoted to No. 2 receiver, Randle El is on pace to catch 32 passes for 656 yards and 2 touchdowns. Why the decline?

“We’re not throwing it much,” he said. “At Cincinnati, I had one attempt. The next week, against Baltimore, I caught a couple balls, then last week nothing.”

Randle El opened the season with a downfield bang. He averaged 27 yards per each of his 10 catches in the first four games. But in the last four games, he caught only 6 passes for 58 yards.

Of course, two of those games were quarterbacked by back-ups Tommy Maddox and Charlie Batch.

“Exactly,” Randle El said. “But, hey, that was the first eight weeks. That’s the way I look it. We have another eight weeks left, so let’s see if we can change the tide.”

One problem though: In the last four games, the quarterbacks have found a new target. Rookie tight end Heath Miller, after catching 6 passes in the first four games, caught 15 passes in the last four. What will Miller do to Randle El’s game?

“He’ll open it up,” Randle El said with a laugh. “Let him catch the balls because it’ll just open it up. It’s already starting to happen. This past game he was double-covered a bunch. He had one where he was wide open that Charlie missed, but other than that they pretty much covered him up.”

The Wright Time

Jason Wright was an unlikely candidate to score the Browns’ first rushing touchdown, but the street free agent was helped by injuries last week and ran six yards for a score. He carried eight times for 19 yards. It was his most significant action since leaving Northwestern as the school’s fourth all-time leading rusher. He wasn’t drafted in 2004.

“The myth has it that he’s not fast enough,” said Steelers rookie lineman and Northwestern teammate Trai Essex. “I guess he didn’t have track speed but game speed is totally different. You won’t find a runner that breaks as many tackles and runs as hard as he does. I’ve never seen him get caught from behind. He had a really good run to score the touchdown. He broke some tackles. I think people will realize he can play in this league.”

They certainly will – if he runs on the Steelers.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” said Essex. “That’s my buddy and everything. He has potential, a lot of it. But the best running backs can’t run on this defense. You saw what they did to L.T.”

The Steelers, who haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in since Oct. 3, 2004, held LaDainian Tomlinson to 62 yards on 18 carries.

Quotable

Steelers wide receiver Quincy Morgan on playing with Hines Ward:

“It’s been fun. He’s totally different than I thought he was. He’s a down-to-earth humble guy. He helps you all the time. That’s unlike all the superstars that I’ve been around. In Dallas, those guys showed up and practiced on their own. They never really helped the young guys, but Hines is always talking to the younger guys, even me, just letting me get acclimated to what’s going on on the practice field and in this system. He’s been a great help. He’s welcomed me with open arms and I can’t ask for any more.”