HEAD COACH BILL COWHER
AUGUST 29, 2006

 

Coach Cowher:  Let me just say in regards to the game on Thursday, there are only four players that will not play due to injury, they are:  Hines Ward, Jerame Tuman, and Anthony Madison.  All three of those guys have hamstrings.  Max Starks kind of got a knee in the game the other day.  He should be fine, but he will not play nor dress.  So that is where they are.  Everybody else will be available based on health, but how much and if they play will be decided upon once we get through these next two days and obviously take into consideration that we are playing one week later.  Given that statement, I will open it up to questions.

 

Any major developments since yesterday's press conference?

 

No major developments since yesterday, about 13 hours ago.

 

Will the scheduling of the opener be a factor in how much starters play?

 

The scheduling will play a factor.  I think in the past when we played this game, we have had close to 10 days of rest.  This will leave us with basically seven days, and that will play a major factor in some of the decisions we make. 

 

Does that mean maybe less time for some of the starters?

 

It will play a big factor in the decisions that we make in regards to who is playing and how much, and if they play.

 

Probably less?

 

How much and if they play will be factored based on the fact that we are playing a game seven days later.

 

Will Ben Roethlisberger start?

 

The fact that we are playing seven days later will play a major part in some of the decisions that we make in regards to this game.

 

Philosophically, how do you feel about playing the fourth preseason game before the regular season?

 

I like the four preseason games.  Since they went to this Thursday format of opening up, which is for all the right reasons being that we are playing this at home, it has definitely altered the thinking of the fourth preseason game as it relates to your starters.

 

Can you talk about the importance of getting a preseason win?

 

You never play any game not to win.  I don't like losing at anything, regardless of what the circumstances are or what the ground rules are.  As I stated even after the game the other night, when you go into the preseason, you have a plan for how you play players. Certainly with that plan, you want to win within that structure, but you aren't going to alter that plan just to win a game.  I'm not worried about this team from a confidence standpoint, even if we go 0-4. I think certainly if you are coming off a losing season or a couple of losing seasons, the culture that you are trying to establish or change, it may play a factor. But I'm not concerned with that with this football team at this point. We've made some progress, but I'd like to see us further ahead in some areas. But we aren't—we are where we are. I think the focus of this team, as of yesterday's practice, was strictly dedicated to Miami and we'll start to get to Carolina today and tomorrow. We're gearing ourselves up for the first game and recognizing that we have a tough schedule ahead of us. I think we have a veteran football team for the most part, that understands what the long haul entails and the purpose of the preseason.

 

Will practice, not the fourth preseason game, determine who starts at Safety?

 

That's not necessarily true. Anytime you step on the field and play a game, you have the opportunity to represent and show what kind of player you are. Again that doesn't mean that what you are doing isn't important to me, but it's how you do it. All of those things we'll take into consideration. We'll have roles for players as they come in on Sunday for their first practice. I will tell the players and they understand, particularly the guys that have been around before, the role that you have going into the season is one that I'm asking you embrace and accept, but understanding also that within those roles that they can change. They can change based on injury, they can be change based on circumstance. My approach is to use and exhaust every resource we have to make sure that we can win a game that particular week. It's a week-to-week affair as it relates to that approach. I think players understand that. It requires them to take a very unselfish approach to the game and to this team. Some guys might not be active on game day just because of who we are playing, injury, or the make-up of that team. That doesn't mean that's how it's going to be all year. Players have to understand that and except that and prepare accordingly, recognizing that they can change week to week.

 

Is today's practice gearing up for Miami?

 

No, it is not.

 

Who is going to start at right tackle?

 

We haven't really sat down, I want to get through today's practice. Obviously, either Trai (Essex) or Willie (Colon).

 

How does Brett Keisel look?

 

He looks fine. It's not like he's new to the system. You don't see him on the kicking team anymore and he's playing 3-downs. I think he's done well. Can he do this week-in and week-out and do this over 16-weeks? Those are some of the questions you have to ask. There's no question that he's earned this and I feel very good about where he's at right now.

 

How concerned are you about the offensive line?

 

I don't know about concerned. We've been a little bit inconsistent there, but I'm not concerned. Those guys have worked with one another and I know what they can do. I would like to think that we'll be fine there.

 

 

Do you feel like you have an advantage over a lot of other teams by having a veteran quarterback like Charlie Batch?

 

There's no question. For Charlie, this has been the best training camp that he's had since he's been here and I feel very comfortable with him.  It was good last year to get him in [the game] and let him lead this team for a couple games and get the win. Certainly the win at Green Bay was big, at that time of the year. We're very comfortable with Charlie Batch. He's had a very good preseason.

 

Did you see Carson Palmer play last night?

 

Yeah, I saw that. I really wanted to watch Andre Agassi play, so I watched the U.S. Open. He looked pretty good.

 

Agassi or Palmer?

 

I guess Agassi looked better after I went to bed because it was a good match. I'm glad he won. But Palmer looked really good.

 

Is losing two starters on defense significant?

 

I guess time will tell. I think in this system it's unique to continue to bring back the same 11 guys. Year-in and year-out, you are going to have turnover because that's the way the system is set up.  I think we've been fortunate when you look at the two starters we lost.  Kimo (von Oelhoffen) will be missed. But Brett (Keisel) had earned this opportunity and has had a good preseason. When you look at the free safety position, we've had Ty (Carter), Ryan (Clark) and Anthony (Smith), and there's going to be a little bit of transition. But I feel really comfortable with those guys.

 

How far has the medical technology come since you played?

 

Injuries used to take a year [to recover]. And you never really got back to being healthy until the second year when you get your equilibrium back and get acclimated to that new joint. There's no question that the medical advances that are out there today. To think that Carson (Palmer) was in a playoff game and then was out there last night and look as comfortable as he did before he got hurt. I think it is amazing. The same thing with Dante (Culpepper). It's a credit to them and their staffs and to the advance medical technology that exists today.

 

Is it fair to say that Carson Palmer and Ben Roethlisberger faced the same psychological concerns during their first game?

I think it's a little bit different. Ben's legs weren't involved in his injury. It's probably a little bit different when you look at other quarterbacks as it relates to their knees or lower extremities. I'm sure there's a little bit of a difference.

  

 

Is Thursday's game used for information or conformation on players' roles?

 

It's probably more about gathering information about some of the guys that will be playing a majority of the games—it's about game experience. I'm still for the four games. I always have been and always will be because you can establish those roles. This game might be the last game where they are under-fire, with game-like situations and it's also the last time for you, as a coach, to feel good about the next guy that needs to set up when somebody goes down.  It's still about both. You are confirming some of those things that you thought up to this point and you're still gathering information.

 

Does the last impression stick?

 

When you talk about being a consistent football team and wanting consistent players, you have to be careful about making too big of a last impression or first impression. That's the thing that you're looking for, what you see is what you get, play-in and play-out and week-in and week-out. You have to be very careful about gaining too much from a first impression and gaining too much from a last impression. It could have been just that game or the match-up that existed that particular night. It's more about the whole process than any one incident.

 

Do you see the final cut as the most difficult for you in your years as a Head Coach?

 

It's going to be, certainly in some positions more than others. Once you get through this, you'll see where you are with injuries. Playing seven days later will have some affect on the final roster.

 

Will Jerame Tuman's injury factor in who you keep at tight end?

 

Yeah, it's a concern with him and Hines (Ward). Both those guys haven't been on the field in an extended period of time. To sit there and say you feel good about it, that's not true. I think it will have an affect. We'll have to see where they are and it will have some kind of affect on the final make-up. Injuries will play (a role) and anything else that may develop in this game.

 

Are you going to make cuts Friday?

 

Friday or Saturday. We have until 6:00 PM Saturday, so we're going to use some of that time. There's so hurry.  We're going to use whatever time we have to make the right decisions.