AFC

Steelers Fans Are

Singing Different Tune

It was the same old song for the Pittsburgh Steelers -- until that same old song didn’t make sense anymore.

The creator and performer of “Here We Go,” the team’s unofficial anthem, was faced with updating the following lyric:

... Cowher Power will get the job done,

This is the year we’ll get that one for the thumb ...

Well, the Steelers did get that one for the thumb -- a fifth championship ring -- with a victory over Seattle last February in Super Bowl XL. So, the website for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette conducted a poll to come up with a different verse for the song. The newspaper’s contest drew 14,653 responses.

The winner:

... The Steelers Nation has the best fans.

We’re from Pittsburgh, the five-time Super Bowl champs ...

The new version will be available in mid-October at Steelersfightsong.com.

Around the D’Brick Wall

Jets rookie tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson will draw his toughest assignment today when New York plays host to Indianapolis. He’ll be going against defensive end Dwight Freeney, a sack specialist who’s especially eager to get to the quarterback, having been shut out so far this season.

“He’s a rookie,” Freeney said. “I like to see that type of thing -- a young guy who’s trying to establish himself in the league. ... I get to go out there and show him a little bit about how to play football a little bit on the NFL level.”

Ferguson has yet to be cleanly beaten for a sack, and he got praise this week from Colts Coach Tony Dungy, who said the rookie “kind of reminds me of Lomas Brown more than anyone I’ve seen recently. ... He’s done a really good job so far.”

Just Call Him ‘So-So’

At least one Bay Area newspaper is speculating that Tampa Bay might be targeting Raiders quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo in the wake of Chris Simms’ apparently season-ending spleen injury. That move would reunite Tuiasosopo with former Raiders coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen, the men who drafted him.

The Cleveland Browns reportedly made a run at Tuiasosopo this past off-season but weren’t offering enough for him.

Turnover in Tennessee

Quarterback Vince Young will get his first pro start today, against the Cowboys in Nashville. Young, the No. 3 pick who led Texas to the national championship last season, replaces Kerry Collins, who had six interceptions and only one touchdown pass for the 0-3 Titans.

That ‘70s Show

First-year starting quarterback Philip Rivers is doing everything the Chargers have asked of him, and then some. He’s only the third quarterback since 1970 to complete at least 70% of his passes in each of his first two starts, according to STATS LLC. The others were Green Bay’s Brett Favre in 1992 and the Jets’ Chad Pennington in 2002.

Breaking the Silence

Bill Belichick is known for being guarded with the media and being careful not to give opponents a shred of extra incentive. So it was way out of character this week when the New England coach poked a little fun at Cincinnati receiver Chad Johnson, whom the Patriots will face today.

Earlier, Johnson had made a playful plea to “Mr. Belichick” to let cornerback Asante Samuel cover him one-on-one. “I won’t score,” Johnson vowed. “I’ll stop at the one and go out of bounds or something.”

Surprisingly, Belichick played along, and did a little needling of his own.

“Tell him we’d cover him one-on-one all the time, but he pushes off more than any receiver in the league,” the coach said with a grin. “He must be paying off the officials not to call it, so we’re going to have to double-cover him some. Not that he can get open.”

Good Grab

A lot of people thought Buffalo reached in using the No. 8 pick in last spring’s draft on Ohio State safety Donte Whitner, but the move has paid off so far. Whitner this week was named the NFL’s defensive rookie of the month.

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-- Sam Farmer