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Pittsburgh Steelers QB Stewart being counted on to 'recapture' leadership role
Pittsburgh opens its training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., on July 19. By Jarrod Breeze, CNNSI.com Questions no longer surround the status of Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, a Steel City fixture who recently signed to a three-year contract extension. Winning four of your last five games and nine of 13 can do that. The key word in Pittsburgh this season is "recapture" as the team moves into its new stadium, Heinz Field. The Steelers can make the playoffs if ... Quarterback Kordell Stewart takes hold of the offense. Stewart has spent the past two seasons in and out of the lineup, but the seventh-year quarterback is being counted on to be one of the team's leaders. The Steelers averaged just 157.4 yards passing per game last season, second-worst in the league. Pivotal games: A four-game stretch beginning in mid-October will determine where the Steelers stand with the league's elite. After a game at Kansas City, Pittsburgh visits Tampa Bay before playing host to Tennessee and Baltimore in consecutive weeks. If the Steelers are still in contention after that, they'll be tested again in the second half of the season when they sandwich home games against the Titans and Ravens with road games at Minnesota and the New York Jets. On the hot seat: Wide receiver Plaxico Burress came in with big expectations but proceeded to drop everything in sight and was benched before his season ended after 12 games with a broken hand. Burress caught only 22 passes for 273 yards and no touchdowns, leaving many to wonder why the Steelers chose him over quarterback Chad Pennington with the eighth overall pick in the 2000 draft. Up-and-coming: Burress and second-year receiver Troy Edwards both disappointed in 2000, combining for just 40 catches and no touchdowns. The Steelers like Burress' 6-foot-6 frame, but he needs to be more consistent. Edwards, like Burress, lost his starting job midway through the season. But an impressive rookie year (61 catches for 714 yards and five TDs), can't be overlooked. Sports Illustrated's season preview will post Aug. 29.
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