PITTSBURGH - The conservative play selection. The passive fourth-quarter defense. Preserving a tie rather than going for a win at the end of overtime - an overtime, the Pittsburgh Steelers agree, that never should have been played. <br>
<br>
Bill Cowher wanted to talk Tuesday about Sunday's game with Tennessee, but the questions kept coming back to the 34-all tie with Atlanta and the Steelers' worst fourth-quarter breakdown in his 11 seasons as coach. <br>
<br>
Still, for all the second-guessing, Cowher knows of nothing he would change about the play calling or strategy in a game in which the Steelers (5-3-1) could do no wrong for 52 minutes, then couldn't do anything right for eight minutes. <br>
<br>
``In hindsight, you would do something different,'' he said. ``Hindsight is always right.'' <br>
<br>
Going into the game, the Steelers' 71-1 record under Cowher when leading by more than 10 points was the best of any NFL team since 1970. During that time, they have repeatedly used a six-back dime defense when well ahead, which is why they stayed with it even as quarterback Michael Vick was leading Atlanta's 17-point comeback. <br>
<br>
``I don't feel like we went into any passive mode,'' Cowher said. ``I don't think it (the Steelers' approach with a big lead) has deviated.'' <br>
<br>
The Steelers also stayed mostly on the ground in the fourth quarter, even as Tommy Maddox was throwing for a club-record 473 yards and both Plaxico Burress (253 yards) and Hines Ward (139 yards) were having big days catching the ball. <br>
<br>
Amos Zereoue ran for 123 yards, but needed 37 carries, and he averaged only 2.75 yards on eight carries as the Steelers were trying to wind the clock and control the ball in the fourth quarter. Maddox threw only twice in the quarter until the final possession with less than a minute left. <br>
<br>
``We ran it twice and threw on third down (on successive drives) ... Is that conservative? I don't think so,'' Cowher said. ``If you don't make the first down, it's viewed as conservative.'' <br>
<br>
No matter what the strategy was, the lack of execution by his defense concerns Cowher. It was the fourth time in nine games the NFL's top defense of a year ago has allowed 30 or more points. <br>
<br>
What especially troubles Cowher is how Atlanta repeatedly converted on long-yardage situations in the second half: third-and-9, third-and-22, third-and-23, fourth-and-24. <br>
<br>
``It's not just this game, it's something that's been there this season,'' Cowher said. ``We've got to sit back and look at what we're doing, how we're doing it and when we're doing it.'' <br>
<br>
Cowher also isn't second-guessing his decision to not call a time-out before the Falcons tried a 56-yard field goal on fourth-and-3 in the final minute of overtime. If he had, Cowher said, the Falcons surely would have gone for it rather than kicking. <br>
<br>
``I'm looking at him (Falcons coach Dan Reeves) and he's looking at me,'' Cowher said. ``If we don't stop them on that down, we probably lose the game. That call's on him. I'm not going to make that call easy for him. <br>
<br>
As the coaches exchanged glances across the field, Cowher could tell Vick was urging Reeves to go for it. Calling a time-out, Cowher said, only would have given Atlanta time to set up the play. <br>
<br>
``That was his decision to make, not my decision,'' Cowher said. ``At that point, we had our opportunities to win the game. By calling time-out, we would have given ourselves an opportunity to lose the game.'' <br>
<br>
The Falcons let the clock run down to the final few seconds before missing, thus leaving the Steelers no time after Maddox completed a desperation 50-yard pass to Burress at the 1-yard line on the final play. <br>
<br>
``Even if we called time-out, you're probably not going to call a Hail Mary pass if you're trying to move into field-goal range. I don't question that (not calling a time-out), even if others may,'' Cowher said.
