Contributions Needed
Time For Recent Draft Picks To Make Impact
By Jerry DiPaola

Antwaan Randle El is no greater a weapon than Chris Doering.

The brute force that made Jeff Hartings and Kendall Simmons first-round draft picks and feared road graders has surfaced only sporadically in the early days of the Steelers' season.

Everyone knows why the Steelers moved heaven and earth and two draft choices to select safety Troy Polamalu, but no one has seen tangible evidence.

There is no doubting the Steelers' legitimacy as a playoff contender in the competitive AFC, but they won't stand out among the heavyweights the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins until those players start making bigger contributions.

It could happen starting with a relatively soft three-game stretch in October that may set up the Steelers for a run at the postseason. Other than a trip to Denver Oct. 12 for a mile-high pile of trouble, the Steelers are home against the Cleveland Browns and St. Louis Rams, both of whom lost two of their first three games.

The game against the Browns a Sunday night party on ESPN Oct. 5 is the Steelers' first of three prime-time games this season. The Steelers have lost two of their past three games on Sunday nights, allowing 34 and 30 points, respectively, in losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2000 and Oakland Raiders in 2002. Their overall Sunday night record is 8-9.

But, hey, it's the Browns. Hartings and Simmons and the rest of the Steelers' offensive line should be eager to attack the soft underbelly of a Browns team that has the potential to make Cleveland fans sick to their stomachs. Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis ran for 295 yards against the Browns. Amos Zereoue and Jerome Bettis aren't in Lewis' class, but both players, especially Bettis, know where to find the opponent's jugular.

'We have to get the running game going,' Hartings said, 'and that will wear those guys out.'

The Browns were 30th in the NFL in run defense after three games, and that's every bit as awful as it seems. After all, there are only 32 teams in the league.

The Steelers need to continue their persistence in re-establishing their running game. They can't play the Cincinnati Bengals every week, but maybe the Steelers don't need to wipe off their cleats on only the Bengals. With young linebackers learning their trade on the run and coach Butch Davis trying to convince his skeptical players that his way is the only way, the Browns are every bit as bad as the Bengals.

The same holds true for the St. Louis Rams, who come to Heinz Field

Oct. 26 in what should be an opportunity for a Steelers' victory. The Rams no longer swing on the arm of quarterback Kurt Warner and the legs of Marshall Faulk. Warner was replaced earlier this season by Central Catholic High School and West Virginia University product Marc Bulger. Faulk broke his hand Sept. 21, and will either miss the Steelers game or use it to knock off rust after a month of inactivity.

Putting the Rams' offensive troubles aside, the St. Louis defense is bad. It is ranked 26th in overall defense, 25th against the run and 19th against the pass. Can Tommy Maddox take advantage of it? Certainly, if he starts using Randle El more often than Doering and nearly as often as premier pass catchers Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress.

Randle El had only six catches for 47 yards and no touchdowns after the first three games of the season. Doering, slower and not nearly as elusive as Randle El, had six for 46.

'It's early,' Randle El said. 'I just have to be patient. My time will come and when it comes I have to seize the moment.'

Polamalu, the Steelers' No. 1 draft choice, has been slow to seize a prominent spot in the team's starting lineup. He has given the Steelers a stronger presence against unexpected running plays on passing downs, but he's not getting his hands on balls in the air.

There is no better test for Polamalu than the Steelers' stretch of games in October. Starting with the Browns, the secondary will have several weapons to defuse. Browns quarterback Kelly Holcomb threw for 429 yards against the Steelers in the playoffs last season, but he won't have Lee Flowers and Hank Poteat to pick on this time. Still, Polamalu must stand up to wide receivers Kevin Johnson, Andre Davis and Quincy Morgan.

The Broncos will test Polamalu and the other Steelers defenders with running back Clinton Portis and reborn quarterback Jake Plummer, who throws accurate darts to wide receivers Ashley Lelie, Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey.

After a week off and a needed opportunity to catch their breath, the Steelers meet the Rams. Warner may be nothing more than the head cheerleader and counselor for Bulger, but wide receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce are still running around creating havoc. The Rams were tied for sixth in passing offense through the first three games of the season.

For the Steelers to survive the Browns, Broncos and Rams, Polamalu's speed and toughness must surface.

'I'm pretty disappointed in my own personal performance,' he said after he admitted to allowing a touchdown pass to Peter Warrick in Cincinnati. 'I want to gain these guys' trust and I'm not doing a very good job of it. I just have to work hard. God put me in this position to persevere and that's all I can do.

'I just got beat. There are no excuses I could make up for myself. Hopefully, I'll start making those plays.'

There is no better time than now.

October is an important month for the Steelers. They need to build a cushion and, perhaps, a lead on the Ravens in the AFC North to widen the margin for error in November and December.

Starting Nov. 2 in Seattle, the Steelers play three of four games on the road, including a Monday night visit to San Francisco and a trip to Cleveland only four days after returning from the West Coast.

The Seahawks are no longer anyone's patsy. The 49ers still can be dangerous. Here's a possibility to consider, though: The Browns may be disinterested by gametime on Nov. 23.

The rest of the season looks favorable. The Steelers play three of their final five games at Heinz Field against the Bengals, Raiders and San Diego Chargers. In a total of nine games to start the season, the Raiders (1-2) were the only team of the three with a victory, and they followed that up with a 31-10 loss to the Broncos.

The Steelers also meet the New York Jets and Ravens on the road in December. Next to the Chargers and Browns, the Jets were the lowest-scoring team in the AFC after three games. The Ravens never have defeated the Steelers at their new stadium.

Looks like a successful October could set up the Steelers for even greater deeds by Christmas.

Jerry DiPaola covers the Steelers and NFL for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.