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Published: Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Steelers get nod for TV

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Because CBS is sending its top production crew to Pittsburgh Sunday for the Steelers game against the Cincinnati Bengals at 1 p.m., the game will be shown in as many markets as possible, including Mahoning County.

Sunday is a FOX doubleheader day for NFL coverage, which means CBS affiliates only will be able to show one game.

WKBN Channel 27, Youngstown's CBS affiliate, will be showing the Bengals-Steelers game at 1 p.m.

Channel 27 won't be showing the Browns game against the Baltimore Ravens at 4 p.m., but Cleveland's WOIO Channel 19 will.

In Mahoning County, cable-TV companies offer one CBS station — Channel 27. Thus, Mahoning County cable-TV subscribers will not have access to CBS coverage of the Ravens-Browns game.

John Amann, WKBN's director of promotion and production, says CBS decided that WKBN would get the Steelers-Bengals game.

"If CBS gives us a choice, we will always opt for the Browns," said Amann, acknowledging that the station can't win when the NFL schedule has both teams playing at the same time or when CBS gets just one game.

"It's a no-win situation, we make 50 percent of [viewers] mad every time this happens," said Amann, who anticipates that 27 will show the rest of the Browns games carried by CBS this season.

Holmes looks nothing
like a top draft pick

Of all the mistakes that the Steelers made Monday night in Jacksonville in their 9-0 loss to the Jaguars, the biggest one had to be quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's decision to throw to rookie wide receiver Santonio Holmes on first down with 5:02 remaining.

With Holmes' back to the ball, cornerback Rashean Mathis intercepted the pass near midfield and returned the ball to the Pittsburgh 29, setting up Josh Scobee's third and essentially game-clinching field goal.

One day, Holmes may live up to his first-round draft selection (25th overall, first wide receiver taken). For now, the former Ohio State split end is — to be kind — struggling. The next key play he makes in the NFL will be his first. Throwing to him when you're trailing 6-0 late in the game is unwise.

As a punt returner, Holmes has fielded punts inside the 10 yard line in each of the Steelers games and gained little yardage. To be fair, if Holmes had let the punt bounce into the end zone, it's not likely that the Steelers (1-1) would have scored if they had started at the 20. But still.

Healing quarterback
accepts responsibility

To his credit, Roethlisberger, playing just 15 days after an emergency appendectomy, admitted he was rusty.

"I was a little under the weather, but I felt OK," said Roethlisberger who had been running a temperature of 100.4 degrees earlier on Monday. "I just wasn't making plays I should have been making.

"No excuses," Roethlisberger said. "The ammo of this team is running the ball and a lot of mistakes were made tonight on my part. I couldn't get the offense going."

He wasn't alone. The Steelers live and die by the run. The Jaguars defense, one of the NFL's best and perhaps the most underrated, limited tailback Willie Parker to 20 yards on 11 carries. Clearly, the Jaguars won the line-of-scrimmage battle.

Asked if he thought Roethlisberger suffered from rustiness (he took just 37 snaps in three preseason games), Steelers coach Bill Cowher said, "I think there is a degree of truth to that.

"At the same time like I said I thought he started the game and was throwing the ball very accurately and I felt like he was making some good throws," Cowher said. "I thought we dropped some balls where if we catch them it gives us a little rhythm on offense."

Batch never considered
in a relief role

Tuesday, Cowher said he did not consider lifting Roethlisberger for backup Charlie Batch who played in the Steelers' 28-17 victory over the Dolphins Sept. 7.

Cowher said the only way that Roethlisberger can catch up with the rest of the league is to be on the field.

There's no substitute for playing time," Cowher said. "And we have [now] gotten Ben that."

Defensively, the Steelers kept the Jaguars out of the end zone. But when they needed key plays in the second half, few were produced. (And when your offense scores zero points, any play that allows a score is a game killer).

"The only thing good we can take from this is that of all the bad positions we were in, we kept them out of the end zone and held them to three field goals," linebacker Joey Porter said. "It's not a good feeling.

"That's what the long season is all about. Each week, you have a chance to redeem yourself," Porter said. "It's a tough loss. We look forward to putting our focus to Cincinnati."

Two weeks into the regular season, the Steelers' upcoming schedule suddenly looks a lot more imposing. The Bengals are 2-0 and tied with the Ravens for first place in the AFC North Division.

A loss by the Steelers will put them two games down in the standings, with a road trip to San Diego to face the Chargers (2-0) awaiting them after their open weekend (Oct. 1).

Tom Williams is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at williams@vindy.com.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006