Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Steelers have Heinz faithful in playoff anticipation

Sal DeFilippo

Friday, Nov. 2, 2001 | 11:23 a.m.

Sal DeFilippo's pro football column appears Friday. Reach him at sal@lasvegassun.com or 259-4076.

Forget green, purple, and other goofy tints and shades. The Heinz folks should focus on two colors for a while: Black and gold.

The company that's attached to the new home stadium of the Pittsburgh Steelers must be enjoying the franchise's recent revival. What's interesting is the method that the Steelers have used en route to a 5-1 record and the AFC Central division lead.

Pittsburgh is cutting its games in half. More precisely, into two quarters.

The Steelers remarkably have not allowed a point in either the first or third quarter all season. Not one.

Yeah, maybe it's a little misleading -- for example, Tennessee scored on the first play of the second quarter on Monday night. But it indicates that coach Bill Cowher and his staff are preparing well for opponents, as well as making strong halftime adjustments.

In Monday's win, the Steelers showed a side rarely seen in recent years -- some respectable offense. Particularly encouraging was a breakout game from a last year's top pick, wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who caught six passes for a career-high 151 yards.

Coupled with the traditionally strong Pittsburgh running game (Jerome Bettis is averaging 102 yards per game rushing, third-best in the NFL), and the suddely consistent play of much-maligned quarterback Kordell Stewart, the black and gold have produced a balanced scoring attack, resulting in 57 second-half points -- not an outlandish total in six games, but at least it's a number the Heinz folks can appreciate.

Lance Burton apparently had a few picks up his sleeve. He's connected on six straight games against the point spread, and moved a half-game ahead of KLAS Channel 8 meteorlogist Kevin Janison in my celebrity selectors contest. Impressionist Danny Gans is in third, two games behind Burton as we near the halfway mark.