Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers moved quickly to replace Pro Bowl guard Duval Love, signing the Rams' Tom Newberry to a free-agent contract yesterday. Newberry, 32, was with the Rams for nine seasons. Last season, he started 14 of the 15 games he played. He played center and guard for the Rams and went to the Pro Bowl in 1988 and 1989. Love signed last week with Arizona as a free agent after three years with the Steelers. In other news: BENGALS: SAWYER CHARGED Former Florida State cornerback Corey Sawyer has been charged with perjury by Leon County (Fla.

1Keep Ben standing: The Cardinals aren't a great pass-rushing team. They got to opposing quarterbacks just 31 times this season. But the Steelers' offensive line has had its problems protecting Ben Roethlisberger. He was sacked 46 times this season. The only quarterback who got sacked more was the Patriots' Matt Cassel (47). Twenty of those 46 sacks came in the Steelers' four lossess. If his line keeps the rush off Big Ben, he should be able to do some damage to the Cardinals' defense.

"The Bus" was back, and Ben Roethlisberger thrust both fists in the air as Jeff Reed's kick won it for the Steelers. One problem: Roethlisberger was celebrating on the bench with his left leg wrapped in ice and bandages. Shortly after Roethlisberger limped off the field with an apparent knee injury, Reed kicked a 40-yard field goal with 6 seconds left to give the Steelers a 24-22 win over the Chargers last night. "I feel great, I feel fresh," Jerome Bettis said after "The Bus" scored a touchdown in his season debut.

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't reopened contract talks with five-time All-Pro left guard Alan Faneca despite being unsettled along their offensive line as the NFL season nears. Faneca, who promised during an angry outburst 3 months ago that he was done with the Steelers after this season, said yesterday there have been no discussions. "No, nothing new," Faneca said. Faneca, 30, became upset earlier this year when, he said, the Steelers' preliminary contract offer wouldn't have made him one of the league's 10 highest-paid guards.

The Super Bowl champion Steelers are losing their confidence, along with games. The Oakland Raiders? Suddenly, they are winning like they did in the old days, with remarkable comebacks and surprise finishes. Louis Murphy caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Bruce Gradkowski with 9 seconds remaining, his second score in the final 5 1/2 minutes, and the Raiders scored three late touchdowns yesterday to stun host Pittsburgh, 27-24, and deal the Steelers their fourth straight loss.

At 3-3, the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants already trail the Washington Redskins by three games in the loss column in the NFC East. So repeating as division champs might be out of the question. But have they fallen that much? "I don't know if they are a championship team this year," said Pittsburgh coach Chuck Noll, whose Steelers (3-2) host the Giants tonight (Channel 6, 9 o'clock). So much for being diplomatic. Noll's remark has made its way back to the Giants, who hope they turned things around last week with a 20-9 win over visiting Phoenix.

NEW YORK - The nation won't have to wait long to see Peyton Manning in a Broncos uniform. Manning's first game as Broncos quarterback will come in prime time as Denver hosts Pittsburgh on the opening Sunday of the NFL season. The four-time MVP was released by Indianapolis after missing the 2011 season following neck surgery. After conducting a four-city lottery for his services, Manning landed in Denver, which hasn't won a Super Bowl since his new boss, John Elway, was behind center.

The Pittsburgh Steelers might privately be seething over several calls that went against them in a 23-20 loss to the Eagles, but give them credit for holding their tongues. With the possible exception of cornerback Donnell Woolford's gripe about a pass-interference call in the fourth quarter of yesterday's game at Veterans Stadium, none of the principals involved on the Pittsburgh side gave the NFL office ammunition to levy fines for public criticism of officials. Perhaps the Steelers are aware that Eagles coach Ray Rhodes, who has had a difficult time bottling up his frustration after losses, is facing a possible $10,000 fine for comments he made after his team's 31-21 setback to the Arizona Cardinals Nov. 2 in Tempe, Ariz.

Ben Roethlisberger can take a hit. But even a 6-foot-5, 241-pound guy has a tough time dealing with the beating he's endured this year. The quarterback left Houston in a walking boot on his left foot after he was sacked five times and hurried eight more behind Pittsburgh's injury-plagued offensive line as the Steelers lost to the Texans, 17-10. Roethlisberger hurt his foot on the second-to-last series when he was tackled from behind, but remained in the game until the end. The Steelers were without two regular starters on the offensive line.

The Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday denied a report that they have settled on Minnesota Vikings assistant Mike Tomlin as the replacement for head coach Bill Cowher. Tomlin also denied the report, first posted on SI.com, Sports Illustrated's Web site, and later on ESPN.com. The Associated Press later said that not only has the job not been offered but there have been no contract negotiations. Both Steelers owner Dan Rooney and president Art Rooney III refused to comment last night.

NEW YORK - The nation won't have to wait long to see Peyton Manning in a Broncos uniform. Manning's first game as Broncos quarterback will come in prime time as Denver hosts Pittsburgh on the opening Sunday of the NFL season. The four-time MVP was released by Indianapolis after missing the 2011 season following neck surgery. After conducting a four-city lottery for his services, Manning landed in Denver, which hasn't won a Super Bowl since his new boss, John Elway, was behind center.

The Detroit Lions have reached a deal to keep linebacker Stephen Tulloch for another five years, allowing the team to cross another priority off their to-do list this offseason. The agreement reportedly calls for a five-year contract. Financial terms were not immediately known. Re-signing Tulloch was one of the Lions' goals after he helped them earn a spot in the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season. He shopped his services on the market as an unrestricted free agent, but got the long-term deal he was looking for in Detroit.

HINES WARD, a four-time Pro Bowler and the Pittsburgh Steelers' recordholder for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, will be released, the team announced. "We had a conversation today with Hines Ward and informed him that we plan to release him of his contract prior to the start of the 2012 NFL calendar year," Steelers President Art Rooney II said in a statement on the team's website yesterday. "Hines has been an integral part of our success since we drafted him in 1998, and we will forever be grateful for what he has helped us achieve.

WIDE RECEIVER Hines Ward wants to retire with the Pittsburgh Steelers, offering to restructure his contract to do it. Ward posted on his Facebook page Saturday that he's already told the Steelers he's willing to work with them on altering his deal so he can remain with the team. Ward's comments came after NFL.com reported the Steelers are planning to cut the franchise's all-time leading receiver. "I don't normally like to respond to rumors, but as I've said all along, I want to finish my career with the Pittsburgh Steelers," Ward posted.

Looking at the San Francisco 49ers record compared to last season, it's clear they're are having an epic turnaround, but you could also look at the awards their players have been racking up. Five - count 'em, five - San Francisco 49ers made the AP All-Pro team this year. Among them is an ex-Eagle who played in 188 games, more than any other player in franchise history: David Akers. Akers, who set league records this season with 44 field goals and 166 points, received 32 votes to finish first, ahead of the Raiders' Sebastian Janikowski.

SAINTS (-10) over Lions: Can anyone stop Drew Brees and New Orleans? Can anyone even hope to contain him? Short answer: No! Brees and the Saints never, ever let up. Last Sunday, they could have rested some people, but no, it was another brilliant offensive show. This season, Brees and his worker bees have blown away a plethora of records, including Dan Marino's all-time single-season passing yards (5,084). He finished with 5,476, his offense compiled a ridonkulous 7,474 yards, beating the 2002 Rams by 299 yards.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin called Ryan Clark into his office on Wednesday and told the safety he won't play in Denver's mile-high altitude. Clark carries a sickle-cell trait that becomes aggravated - and is potentially deadly - at higher elevations. He nearly died the last time he played in Denver, when the then-undiagnosed condition flared up and he ended up having his gall bladder and spleen removed in addition to losing 30 pounds.   Playoff preparations Pittsburgh (12-4)

SAN FRANCISCO - "Monday Night Football" nearly literally lived up to its name. The San Francisco 49ers (11-3) pounded the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4), 20-3, in a game delayed 20 minutes at the start by a power outage at Candlestick Park. The game was delayed again with 12 minutes, 13 seconds remaining before halftime by a second blackout that lasted 14 minutes. The power throughout the stadium went off about 25 minutes before the scheduled kickoff of 5:40 local time.

SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco 49ers-Pittsburgh Steelers Monday Night Football game started after a 20-minute delay because of a power outage at Candlestick Park. A second power outage caused the game to stop with just a few minutes gone in the second quarter. It ended well after midnight. Lights throughout the stadium first went off about 25 minutes before the scheduled kickoff. The public address system stopped working and fans were left in the dark until an emergency light came on in the far corner of the stadium.

THE NFL suspended Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison for one game following his helmet-to-facemask hit on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy last Thursday, making Harrison the first player to miss game time as a penalty under the league's revamped policy on such collisions. Harrison's agent Bill Parise said yesterday afternoon Harrison has already filed an appeal and expects it to be heard later this week by Art Shell or Ted Cottrell, jointly appointed by the NFL and the Players Association to hear such cases.