BlitzburghRockCity
12-19-2006, 01:11 AM
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_484831.html
By Scott Brown
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Bill Cowher didn't blister the punt returner that's made Steelers fans more nervous than Steelers opponents this season.
Instead, he simply said, "Tone, you're way better than that."
Given yet another vote of confidence from his coach -- not to mention a reprieve, since a penalty nullified his lost fumble against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday -- Santonio Holmes returned the next punt 65 yards for a touchdown.
His second NFL touchdown -- and his first on a return -- came early in the fourth quarter and left the Panthers looking like road kill.
After the Steelers' 37-3 victory at Bank of America Stadium, a relaxed Holmes talked about shrugging off the punt return that he botched.
That's something the rookie may not have been able to do earlier this season, which is probably as good an indicator as any of the progress Holmes has made.
The Steelers' No. 1 pick in April's draft started his second consecutive game at split end and came up just short of the end zone twice after catching Ben Roethlisberger passes.
He appeared to stretch the ball across the goal line in the second quarter, and officials initially gave him a touchdown. But the Panthers challenged the call, and it was overturned.
Holmes eventually scored that elusive touchdown in the fourth quarter, after the Panthers were called for an illegal procedure -- they had recovered his fumble on the muffed punt. And Holmes made them pay, while also atoning for his mistake.
The blocking was so well executed on the return, Holmes said, "I think if I would have caught it (on the play he fumbled), I probably would have (scored), but I took my eye off the ball."
That problem plagued Holmes early in the season, as he fumbled a handful of times on punt returns and committed a critical turnover in the Steelers' 41-38 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Cowher, perhaps keeping his eye on a bigger picture, stuck with Holmes.
And Holmes has rewarded Cowher for the faith he's shown in the former Ohio State star. Holmes has gradually become a bigger part of the offense, while also reducing the drops on special teams.
"The guys know, on this team, that I can make plays, and I have confidence in myself," said Holmes, who is second on the team in catches (40) and receiving yards (610) and is averaging 10.3 yards on punt returns.
Holmes is making the kind of plays the Steelers envisioned when they moved up in the first round of the draft to take him.
You gotta be happy for a guy like Santonio, in a year where he fumbled so many times, had poor returns when he didn't fumble, and just generally wasn't playing well, then he started coming on and making plays on offense, and stopped the fumbles on ST, and voila !!! He's going to be great for us for years to come !
By Scott Brown
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Bill Cowher didn't blister the punt returner that's made Steelers fans more nervous than Steelers opponents this season.
Instead, he simply said, "Tone, you're way better than that."
Given yet another vote of confidence from his coach -- not to mention a reprieve, since a penalty nullified his lost fumble against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday -- Santonio Holmes returned the next punt 65 yards for a touchdown.
His second NFL touchdown -- and his first on a return -- came early in the fourth quarter and left the Panthers looking like road kill.
After the Steelers' 37-3 victory at Bank of America Stadium, a relaxed Holmes talked about shrugging off the punt return that he botched.
That's something the rookie may not have been able to do earlier this season, which is probably as good an indicator as any of the progress Holmes has made.
The Steelers' No. 1 pick in April's draft started his second consecutive game at split end and came up just short of the end zone twice after catching Ben Roethlisberger passes.
He appeared to stretch the ball across the goal line in the second quarter, and officials initially gave him a touchdown. But the Panthers challenged the call, and it was overturned.
Holmes eventually scored that elusive touchdown in the fourth quarter, after the Panthers were called for an illegal procedure -- they had recovered his fumble on the muffed punt. And Holmes made them pay, while also atoning for his mistake.
The blocking was so well executed on the return, Holmes said, "I think if I would have caught it (on the play he fumbled), I probably would have (scored), but I took my eye off the ball."
That problem plagued Holmes early in the season, as he fumbled a handful of times on punt returns and committed a critical turnover in the Steelers' 41-38 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Cowher, perhaps keeping his eye on a bigger picture, stuck with Holmes.
And Holmes has rewarded Cowher for the faith he's shown in the former Ohio State star. Holmes has gradually become a bigger part of the offense, while also reducing the drops on special teams.
"The guys know, on this team, that I can make plays, and I have confidence in myself," said Holmes, who is second on the team in catches (40) and receiving yards (610) and is averaging 10.3 yards on punt returns.
Holmes is making the kind of plays the Steelers envisioned when they moved up in the first round of the draft to take him.
You gotta be happy for a guy like Santonio, in a year where he fumbled so many times, had poor returns when he didn't fumble, and just generally wasn't playing well, then he started coming on and making plays on offense, and stopped the fumbles on ST, and voila !!! He's going to be great for us for years to come !