Steelers Update.

Morgan good catch for Steelers
Quincy Morgan has made the most of his limited opportunities.

Prisuta: Steelers need attitude adjustment

Big Ben's MRI shows no ligament damage
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger threw a career-high 31 passes in Monday night's 20-19 win over Baltimore, completing 18 for 177 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He had been the first quarterback since Terry Hanratty to have gone 18 starts into his NFL career without throwing 30 passes in a game. Hanratty had 18 career starts (1969-76) and never attempted 30 passes.

+Coach Bill Cowher did not submit an injury report yesterday because it was too soon after Monday's game. He said S Mike Logan (hamstring) is the only player who is sure to be out. Roethlisberger had an MRI yesterday on his right knee after his cleat got stuck in the turf following a first-quarter hit vs. the Ravens. He has a posterior capsule strain with no ligament damage, Cowher said.

+Rookie TE Heath Miller has 19 catches for 200 yards with a team-best six touchdowns. He has 17 catches for 184 yards with five touchdowns the past four games.

+Charlie Batch was second on the depth chart at quarterback Monday night and appears to be holding steady at that spot, Cowher confirmed yesterday. Batch leapfrogged Tommy Maddox, who turned the ball over four times in his lone start of the season (a 23-17 overtime loss to Jacksonville).

+WR Hines Ward, who had a game-high eight catches for 75 yards against the Ravens, is four catches shy of surpassing John Stallworth (534) on the Steelers' all-time receptions list. He could break Stallworth's record at storied Lambeau Field on Sunday against the Packers, though he'd have preferred to break it at Heinz Field on Monday night.

"I'm only in my eighth year, to be the all-time Steelers receptions leader, I would never have dreamed it or imagined it," said Ward, who also ranks second behind Stallworth in receiving yards (6,477 to 8,723). "It's kind of like I'm living a dream each day I go out there. That's why I'm smiling all the time. I enjoy it; I love playing football. I never would have thought that I'd be putting my name up there with the greats like Stallworth, (Lynn) Swann and (Louis) Lipps."

+The Steelers' inability to stop the Ravens on third down troubled Cowher. Baltimore went 9 of 18 on third-down conversions, including a 13-yard catch-and-run by running back Chester Taylor that went for a touchdown on a third-and-12 play. Baltimore was 4 of 9 on third downs in the second half.

"They converted some third downs in adverse situations," Cowher said. "But if you go back to the fourth quarter, they were 1-of-5. When we had to stop them, we stopped them."

+Cowher used military terminology in describing a botched snap on a punt attempt Monday. And even though the acronym can't be printed, it refers to a situation that is screwed up beyond all repair.

That was the case midway through the fourth quarter with the Steelers holding a 17-16 lead. Special teams ace Sean Morey walked behind long snapper Greg Warren and alerted his teammates that the Ravens had two dangerous returners back in Deion Sanders and B.J. Sams. While Morey told his teammates to keep focused, the rookie Warren prematurely snapped the ball and it hit off of Morey's legs. Morey quickly picked the ball up, threw back to punter Chris Gardocki, who threw incomplete to Morey. The Ravens took over at the Steelers 45 and turned the miscue into a go-ahead field goal with 3:21 remaining.

"It was loud out there," Morey said. "And when it's loud like that, sometimes a routine play can be difficult."

+Cowher said the flub was one of the few disappointing plays by his special teams Monday. Kicker Jeff Reed went 2 of 2 on field goals (42 and 37 yards), including the game-winner with 1:36 remaining. Gardocki averaged 44.5 yards on two punts. Roethlisberger pooched a punt 33 yards that landed at the Ravens 1. Quincy Morgan returned a kickoff 59 yards, and Ravens return ace Sams averaged just 18.8 yards on four kickoff returns.

+With six seconds left in the first half Monday night, Cowher called a timeout, even though the Ravens had the ball at the Steelers 37 with no timeouts remaining and the clock running. By stopping the clock, the Steelers enabled the Ravens to attempt one last play - a throw to the end zone that was intercepted by Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor. Cowher explained his decision.

"I just wanted to make sure we had the right personnel on the field."