STEELERS HEAD COACH BILL COWHER
AUGUST 23, 2006

 

Let me give you the medical update. Yesterday Deshea Townsend got a slight fracture on his thumb in practice. He will not play this week. We'll take it week-to-week. It will not require surgery, which is a good thing. We'll assess that on a weekly basis. Ulish Booker is out for this game and will be placed on injured-reserved with a torn ACL. He did that two days ago in practice. Chukky Okobi will not play with his neck and we'll assess him next week. There is a good chance he'll come back and participate in practice, but we'll give you the update next week. Jerame Tuman and Hines Ward will not play in this game. They will be out. We'll assess where Jerame is next week. With Hines, we're going to err with a side of caution. We were hopeful to get him prepared for this week, but he's just not ready to go out there. We're still encouraged by his progress, even if it's going slow. That's the truth. Yesterday things were very hard to assess on a long term basis. I think we've just got to be patient and we're trying to do so. Isaac West will also not play with his knee injury. Those players are the only ones who are definitely not playing in this game due to injury.

 

This being the third game, we'll play these guys a little bit longer. Some of them we'll assess on snaps, some on quality of play, and it'll go from there.

 

Will Bryan McFadden start for Deshea Townsend?

 

We're not sure. Him or Ricardo (Colclough). We'll probably split it. They'll both be over there on the right side.

 

Nate (Washington) will play for Hines?

 

Correct.

 

Has Jerame Tuman had any minor setbacks similar to Hines'?

 

If a guy's not out there you call it a setback. Your assessment of it and my assessment of it are two different ones. Just because a guy is out there at practices and then he doesn't practice the next day, you call it a setback. It's just more a gauge of where they are and that's what we're trying to do. We're not setting them back, we're trying to gauge where they are. They go to a certain point, see how they feel. The next day they may be off, they may go out and practice the day after. It's hard to assess that. We're not doing anything with Jerame that isn't to strengthen it. We're continuing to do some of the things on the side to make sure that we are progressing and not pushing him back before he's ready to handle a full practice and/or a game.

 

How long will the starters play?

 

It's hard to say. I base it a lot more on snaps than on quarters and on the quality at which we're playing. They will not go into the third quarter, but I will not rule out a whole half. So somewhere between the first and second quarter.

 

Are there any guys that you want to see with the first team?

 

We'll certainly look at different combinations. I think that will certainly be the case. It's pretty much those units looking for consistency of play and more efficiency on both sides of the ball. That's hopefully what we're getting to at this point. 

 

Will Kendall Simmons take some snaps at center?

 

Yes, you can expect to see Kendall taking some snaps.

 

Will all four quarterbacks play?

 

Probably. I know the first two will. I'm not sure about the last two.

 

Will Ben (Roethlisberger) play as long as the rest of the starters?

 

There's not just Ben. There's Ben and Willie (Parker) and certain other guys that we may not play as long. I think the line will play a little bit longer, particularly when Charlie's in there. It's more a mix-match. It's hard for me to specifically tell you who's going to play when. There are different combinations of people we want to see on both sides of the ball. We're getting down to that point when we need to make some assessments of some people. As we start a season, we're going to have some players who are initially going to have certain roles. That's how you start a year. You have to be able to do that, but that doesn't mean roles won't change, whether it be due to performance or be due to injury or any circumstance that may come up.

 

Will you rotate the free safety position?

 

We'll be taking a look at different combinations.

 

Is it Tyrone Carter's turn to start this week?

 

It is.

 

Is it working toward a conclusion?

 

I'm not ready to name a winner I guess, or name a starter at this point. It's working itself out. We're gathering information every day at practice and certainly in the game. As soon as we make a definitive decision, we'll let you guys know.

 

Is Anthony Smith a possibility there?

 

He's going to be a good football player. Certainly at this point, I would say that it's highly unlikely but I can't rule anything out. There are a lot of circumstances that could come up. He's a good football player. We've got him in some different roles. We've thrown a lot at him, kind of like we did with Troy (Polamalu) that first year. We've got him playing the down, we've got him playing the safety, the subpackage and the regular positions.  A lot of that can be overwhelming at times, but he's a bright kid and he's working at it. He is going to be a good football player, he is a good football player, and he'll have a role on this team.

 

Are the roles for Verron Haynes and Duce Staley up for debate?

 

I don't know if debate is the right word, but we're looking at them. Verron has had a very good camp and Duce is working himself back into running shape. Verron has proven to be a very, very good third-down back. With Willie being a starter and having those other two guys, you can never have enough good running backs, particularly with the way we play the game.

 

Is it possible you won't have that defined 'Jerome Bettis' role?

 

Yeah, I think that's a very distinct possibility. With where we are right now going into the season, its hard for me to say that when we get into the short yardage or we get into the goal line, that we're going to make any kind of change. I think that's going to have to be something that plays itself out. If somebody certainly starts to surface, and becomes 'that guy' as the season goes on, I won't rule that out. I can't say right now that there's been one person like Jerome. I don't think that's a bad thing, its just where we were last year. This year is a different year. This is the way we're going to head into it, and we'll go from there.

 

Was your frustration at practice yesterday an indicator that you're not satisfied with what got done at camp?

 

That doesn't mean that you didn't get things done. You're always evaluating. That's part of camp. I did like their focus and the way that they responded. You don't hear a lot of reflections back to a year ago outside of recognizing what it takes to get there. There's been good leadership from that perspective. From my standpoint in getting through camp, we really haven't had any major injuries. That's been a good thing. We've gotten a lot of quality work done out here on these fields. I think everyone's kind of looking forward to getting out of here and breaking camp, which is a very natural thing at this time in the year.  It's hard for me to assess where we are, but I do like the demeanor with which they've approached the work. At this point, that's where we are and I think we've gotten some things done from that perspective.

 

Did you ever come out of camp disappointed and have a good year or vice versa?

 

I honestly think the first five or six years, its like trying to gauge a locker room before a game. I used to think 'Man, these guys are ready to play, and we'll go out there and lay an egg'; We'd go out there and it seemed like no one's saying a word. Then we'd go out there and play a great game so I quit gauging that. It's the same thing with a camp. You can assess some things. A couple years ago we were having a hard time finding a field to work on. We were working on the field, they had lined it yellow. You had to have 3-D glasses on just to know where you were. From that perspective, we've gotten quality work done out here. We really have. Where we are, it's hard to say right now who we're going to be. That's all too hard to assess. It's a different football team than in years past. Every year is different and as long as we understand that. This is where the foundation starts and the identity will be something that will work itself out in the first four or five weeks.

 

How did Deshea Townsend break his thumb?

 

He made an interception down in the red zone.  I don't know if he hit his thumb on a player when he broke in front. (It was) kind of a little freakish thing.

 

Was it his left or his right?

 

Right.

 

How does the team's identity work itself out?

 

When you start a season you ask what are your strengths? What are your weaknesses that you have to cover up? That's hard to assess every year. It's a new year. It doesn't mean you have to lose games to find out about yourself. The more you play you can see the levels at which they're playing out. Certain players step up. There are still some unknowns even with guys who have been here. Players that played in the Pro Bowl last year need to stay at that level. Other players you'd like to think that they'll progress with another year of experience. Then you'll need young players to step in and make contributions and you're still not sure where they are. As the season goes on you will see how people respond to that level. The speed of the game becomes faster and everything becomes a little more intense. Some people thrive on that and other people take longer to adjust.

 

Has the light gone on for Ricardo Colclough like it did last year for Ike Taylor?

 

(Colclough) has had as good a camp as he has had since I've been here. I told after the first week that he was playing well. I said, 'You've done this in the past and then you hit a wall.' Can he sustain it? He has sustained it to this point. I'm not ready to say that he's there after playing two preseason games but I do like the manner with which he's playing. He's a focused player. He's been a consistent player day-in and day-out on that practice field and he's been able to take that into the games. Now can he sustain that? Time will tell but I do like where he's at right now.

 

Could Willie Parker be the guy in goal-line situations?

 

Yes, at this point. I don't have any real plans at this point.

 

Is your decision on a punter judged on more than just their average?

 

There's no question. There are a lot of things that go into that. Chris Gardocki is still a very solid player with all the things that he does. He's an outstanding holder for Jeff Reed. He's just the consummate pro. I have a lot of respect for that man. You know he'll be there. It doesn't just come down to how a guy punts in the preseason. Sometimes those are tough calls to make. I have a lot of respect for him.

 

Cap-wise, do you have flexibility to keep any players you want?

 

Yes.

 

Will you use the no-huddle offense in the Philadelphia game?

 

We'll see.

 

Can you assess Charles Davis' blocking?

 

 It's not something he was asked to do a lot in college. At the same time a lot of these guys go through the transition of coming to the National Football League. You're being asked to do some things that you might not have done before. He's getting an opportunity because that's what we're looking for. He has all the tools but now it's being able to show that he can do it on a consistent basis.

 

Who among the three young TEs has impressed you?

 

I like all three of them. They all have their own niche. They're all different. (Jon) Dekker's done some good things. (Isaac) Smolko is a tough kid. You can never rule him out. I like all three of those guys. They each have their own identity.

 

Are you confident that Townsend will play against Miami?

 

I'm optimistic.

 

How is James Harrison?

 

He got his foot stepped on, his toe. He said it really hurt. He went in x-rayed it and came back. He played with a steel plate on top of his toe.

 

So he does feel pain?

 

Yes he does. I questioned him and he said, 'Let me step on you like I got stepped on.' I said, 'No, that's okay.'

 

Who stepped on him?

 

I don't know. He didn't know either so that's a good thing.

 

Will you keep two or three QBs?

 

Both are possibilities.

 

If you keep two, will the third guy be an emergency QB?

 

That's the truth. That's an accurate statement.

 

Will you keep four QBs?

 

You can absolutely rule out four. That's not going to happen.

 

Can anyone else be an emergency QB like Antwaan Randle El was?

 

That's a good question. I would say Cedrick (Wilson) at this point. That's something that we'll certainly look at.

 

Are there other candidates?

 

Maybe Hines, but let's get his hamstring healed. We'll worry about that first and foremost at receiver. We can look at that as an option.

 

Can Heath Miller play? He was a QB in high school

 

That's what I hear. That's why I throw the ball out there on the pat-and-go. I'm checking guys out. Santonio (Holmes) looks like he can throw pretty good. I don't know if he's played quarterback. He needs to worry about playing receiver.

 

Can Townsend play QB?

 

He played quarterback in high school. He's a bad option though.