Tuesday, January 29, 2002
Steeler rips unit as not so special
Flowers: Lack of commitment
The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH — Lee Flowers blamed the Pittsburgh Steelers' failure to make the Super Bowl on his teammates' inability to take special teams seriously enough.
The strong safety also said Monday that some younger players — he didn't name names — lack the desire to be good and probably should be cut. He also said the Steelers should begin using starters on special teams.
Two special teams' breakdowns — a punt return touchdown and a blocked field goal return for a score — allowed the New England Patriots to upset the heavily favored Steelers 24-17 Sunday in the AFC title game.
It was the Steelers' third loss at home in the AFC championship game in eight years, and the second as a big favorite. They also were almost double-digit favorites when San Diego upset them 17-13 in 1994.
Flowers, still upset, said the Steelers would be in New Orleans if they had made more of a commitment to special teams.
“We're not taking it seriously enough to be a domi-
nating team,” Flowers said. “We dominated most teams on defense and offense, but to have the game before you go to the Super Bowl come down to two returns on special teams is very disappointing.”
Troy Brown scored untouched on a 55-yard punt return in the first quarter. Later, with New England up 14-3, Brown scooped up a blocked Kris Brown field goal attempt and tossed it to Antwan Harris for a 49-yard touchdown return.
It was the second time in a month the Steelers have lined up for a field goal, only to have the opponent score. A snap eluded holder Josh Miller on Dec.30 in Cincinnati, resulting in a 56-yard touchdown return by the Bengals' Brian Simmons.
No wonder special teams coach Jay Hayes said Monday, “I didn't sleep last night.”
Brown's punt return touchdown was the second against Pittsburgh in as many weeks. Until Jermaine Lewis' NFL playoff record 88-yarder last week, the Steelers had gone 55 years without allowing a punt return touchdown in the postseason.
“All you have to do was stop the guy,” Flowers said. “Trust me, it's not that difficult. We have people on special teams who don't have the desire and don't want to.
“At some point, players need to buckle down and stop being babies and blaming stuff on the coaches. They give us a plan and they're paying us all this money, it's our job to get it done.”
Other Steelers special teams problems included Brown's league-high 14 missed field goals, plus two more in the playoffs; three missed extra points and three punts that were blocked or altered.
“Special teams to me is desire,” Flowers said.
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Steeler rips unit as not so special
