Stewart played well, but Maddox is Steelers' leader

PITTSBURGH: You have to feel for Kordell Stewart.

He has bitten his tongue, refrained from venting about how he really feels about losing his job to Tommy Maddox. He has played well when called upon in recent weeks, posting statistics Maddox would be proud to call his own. And he has remained a loyal teammate.

However, Steelers coach Bill Cowher's decision to start Maddox at quarterback today against the Houston Texans was the right one. Maddox provides the Steelers with the best opportunity to win.

Stewart's time as the Steelers quarterback has come and gone. He has proven to be a serviceable quarterback, but not one who can lead the franchise to a Super Bowl victory. Or even a win in an AFC Championship Game.

Don't let two games —against the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars —-fool you. Stewart always has managed to play well when the pressure to keep his job is all but eliminated.

Those two games were vintage Stewart.

Whether Cowher told him or Stewart simply assumed as much, the past two weeks were not an opportunity for Stewart to regain his starting job. He knew all along that once Maddox was healthy enough, he would return to the starting lineup and Stewart would return to the bench.

More than anything, the past two weeks —-and the fourth quarter of the Tennessee game —should be viewed as a tryout, an opportunity for Stewart to showcase himself to teams who might be interested in his services next season.

Cowher snapped at a reporter during his weekly news conference this week when asked whether his decision to start Maddox was indicative of Stewart's future with the franchise.

"We don't talk future," Cowher barked.

Perhaps not publicly. But Cowher and Steelers' brass are banking on Maddox making a full physical and mental recovery from his spinal cord and cerebral concussions three weeks ago. How he performs today against a Texans team that runs the same blitz-happy 3-4 defense as the Steelers will be a good barometer of Maddox's progress.

Despite Stewart's performances the past two weeks, Maddox was the only choice Cowher could have made. He was the second-rated quarterback in the AFC earlier this season and still ranks sixth in the conference with a 91.0 passer rating.

He has thrown 11 interceptions — the fourth most in the AFC —and throws interceptions 4.7 percent of the time. But his 16 touchdown passes are the most by a Steelers quarterback in five years. And four games remain in the season.

Unlike Stewart, Maddox elevates receiver Plaxico Burress' game. With Maddox, Burress becomes the impact player a 6-foot-5 receiver should be. And Hines Ward sees little, if any, decline in his production.

The Steelers tend to get away from the running game with Maddox at quarterback, but that's often because the passing game is working so well.

With Maddox starting, the Steelers have won four, lost two and tied one, not to mention the fact that he rallied them to victory against the Cleveland Browns in Week 3. The Steelers averaged 29.6 points in the six full games Maddox played. That's 8.4 points per game more than the Steelers average with Stewart.

With a suspect defense that is trying to find its way, those points could mean the difference between a win and a loss. Between a bye in the first round of the playoffs and having to play. Between home-field advantage and traveling to Denver in January.

Between a possible berth in the Super Bowl and sitting at home watching it.