Cowher to team: Keep cool
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher often talks about walking a fine line, usually to describe the tiny differences that separate winning from losing. This time, he is concerned his team might have stepped over that imaginary line during a taunting-filled playoff victory Sunday in Cincinnati.
Cowher on Tuesday defended defensive lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen’s hit that sidelined Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer with a badly injured left knee, and the coach said there is no basis to call the Steelers a dirty team.
“No one felt worse about it than Kimo or, really, our football team,” Cowher said. “We have a lot of respect for that football team.”
However, Cowher acknowledged some players lost their composure during the 31-17 victory, which featured several shouting matches and a visible air of tension following Palmer’s injury. Cowher said the Steelers can’t afford such lapses in judgment during Sunday’s divisional playoff game in Indianapolis.
Cowher didn’t name any names, but undoubtedly was referring to All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu, who drew a costly 15-yard unsportsmanslike conduct penalty for jamming a football in the face of Bengals center Rich Braham. The penalty came after a third-down incompletion, and the Bengals took advantage of it to score a touchdown and take a 17-7 lead they later lost.
“There’s a fine line between going in there and being emotional and allowing it to have an adverse effect, which I think happened to us last week,” Cowher said. “We settled down more in the second half of that game but we lost our composure at times. I don’t want us to lose our emotion, but we can’t lose our composure. There’s a fine line and at times we kind of crossed that, but we have to play with that same emotion, that same level of desperation or else we are not going to move on.”
No doubt aware that some players were watching his televised news conference on their day off, Cowher challenged them to play their best game of the season – something he said was a must to beat the Colts.
The Steelers lost in Indianapolis 26-7 on Nov. 28 despite limiting the Colts to one touchdown over the final three-plus quarters following an 80-yard Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison touchdown pass on the Colts’ first play from scrimmage.
“Meanwhile, Pittsburgh assistant Russ Grimm will interview for head coaching vacancies with Detroit, Green Bay and New Orleans later this week.
Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt also has one interview this week, with the St. Louis Rams – his first for a head coaching position.
Around the league
The Philadelphia Eagles have given agent Drew Rosenhaus permission to seek a trade for Terrell Owens, although it’s unlikely a team would give up players or draft picks for the star receiver. … Wisconsin tailback Brian Calhoun told his high school coach he will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft. … Jacksonville wide receiver Reggie Williams was served a notice to appear in court in Jacksonville, Fla., after police allegedly found a small amount of marijuana in his car during a routine traffic stop. … New Minnesota coach Brad Childress made his first official hire, choosing Tampa Bay defensive backs coach Mike Tomlin to be the Vikings’ defensive coordinator.