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Maddox hospitalized in Steelers' loss Posted: Sunday November 17, 2002 4:51 PM
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers went home looking for answers, relieved that quarterback Tommy Maddox could move his arms and legs Sunday after being taken off the field in an ambulance. In a 31-23 loss to Tennessee, Maddox was tripped up by safety Lance Schulters and tossed the ball to Antwaan Randle El as he fell forward. Linebacker Keith Bulluck hit Maddox's shoulder with his forearm, and Maddox rolled onto his head and did not move. Maddox had no sensations, but was conscious and talking as he was strapped to a backboard. Trainers and doctors worked on him for at least 15 minutes, then Maddox was lifted onto a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance on the field and taken to Baptist Hospital's trauma unit. Steelers spokesman Ron Wahl said Maddox had a bruised spinal cord and a concussion. Wahl said Maddox was awake and alert, had talked with his family and was able to move all of his extremities. An update is due Monday. Safety Lee Flowers said it was tough to keep playing after Maddox was hurt. "You know sometimes we are fans, too. You look at a guy who has busted his tail for 10 years to get into this position for him to get hurt, it is tough," Flowers said. Maddox's injury overshadowed the best performance by the Titans in nearly two seasons. Steve McNair threw two touchdown passes to Kevin Dyson and Eddie George ran for two more as the Titans earned their fifth consecutive victory. "I told our club five weeks ago when we were 1-4 we're going to be 6-4 if we keep playing and believing in ourselves, and here we are," Titans head coach Jeff Fisher said. Tennessee snapped a five-game unbeaten streak for the Steelers (5-4-1) by making them look like the team that started the season 1-3. "Nobody thought we could hang on with big, old, bad Pittsburgh, but we expected to win and this is gratifying," Titans cornerback Samari Rolle said. Maddox came in as the AFC's second-rated passer fresh off a 473-yard passing performance. He was heading up a Pittsburgh offense averaging 374.3 yards per game. But the Steelers, who had scored at least 17 points by halftime during their streak, never got going. Maddox was intercepted a season-high three times before he was hurt on the final play of the third quarter. The Titans, tied for first place in the AFC South with Indianapolis, had the game well in control before Maddox was hurt. They led 14-7 at halftime and put away the game in the third quarter, when they held the ball for more than 11 minutes and rolled up 159 of their 378 yards. The defense held Pittsburgh without a first down and to just 8 yards. Kordell Stewart, pulled for Maddox on Sept. 29 in a victory against Cleveland, replaced Maddox on Sunday, but the Titans had padded their lead to 31-7 with a 34-yard field goal by Joe Nedney. Stewart tried. He threw for two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions and pulled the Steelers within 31-23 with 1:26 left. Pittsburgh's chance at the improbable rally fell short when a gimmick on the onside kick didn't fool the Titans. Drew Bennett recovered and the Titans ran out the clock. Steelers head coach Bill Cowher was very upset about how his team played, especially with kicker Todd Peterson missing wide right from 31 and 37 yards. "We're a tired football team right now. We need to regroup. We've got six games left, four of which are at Heinz Field. We have narrowed the margin and kind of backed ourselves in a corner, and we need to do something about it," Cowher said. Maddox found Hines Ward wide open down the left sideline on a 72-yard catch and run touchdown 15 seconds into the game. But Titans linebacker Peter Sirmon intercepted Maddox's third pass at the Pittsburgh 26, and McNair tossed a 1-yard TD to Dyson less than three minutes into the game. Pittsburgh's Joey Porter recovered a bobbled handoff by McNair, then the Steelers tried a gadget play that went all wrong. Jerome Bettis, who hadn't carried in three games, took a handoff and threw back across the field to Maddox, but Schulters intercepted in the end zone. Tennessee took a 14-7 lead as George capped a 12-play, 92-yard drive with a 4-yard TD run with 2:55 left in the second in which McNair threw for 60 yards and ran for 12 more.
Notes: Titans TE Frank Wycheck, inactive because of a concussion suffered last week, snapped a streak of 121 consecutive games. ... The Titans held Pittsburgh to 45 yards rushing, extending their home streak to 19 games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. That is the second-longest streak in the NFL to Denver. ... Titans WR Justin McCareins set a career high in the third quarter with a 55-yard reception. ... Pittsburgh C Jeff Hartings and LB James Farrior both hurt knees.
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