01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, September 27, 2005

BY KEVIN McNAMARA
Journal Sports Writer

FOXBORO -- He's now in his 10th season making the Patriots winners with just seconds left in big games, and Adam Vinatieri isn't showing any signs of slowing down.

Vinatieri booted the 18th game-winning field goal of his career in Sunday's 23-20 win at Pittsburgh. That the 43-yard kick clearly would've been good from 53 yards is the latest evidence that the 32-year-old South Dakota native remains the most valuable place-kicker in the game today, if not in NFL history. He's clinched two Super Bowls, and four postseason games in all, with winning field goals.

"For a kicker, 32 is not that old just yet. Hopefully I have several good years left," Vinatieri said. "I look at Morten (Anderson) and Gary (Anderson) who kicked into their 40s, so when I look at it that way, I'm still pretty young."

Besides his penchant for making clutch kicks, Vinatieri is known in the Patriots' locker room as a kicker who doesn't act like a kicker. He's an avid weightlifter and sprinter, traits that clearly have helped his productivity over the years. He says keeping all the veterans running at high speed is just the way the Patriots go about their business.

"It's one of those situations where the guys on this team take a lot of pride and work hard in the offseason and get prepared as much as they can for the long season ahead," he said. "Everyone challenges each other in the weight room and on the field running, and we take a lot of pride in what we do. That's the neat thing about this team. We kind of keep each other in check."

After tying the game, 20-20, the Steelers committed two costly errors that gave the Patriots, and Vinatieri, too large of a window to play for the win. First, they left 1:25 on the game clock. Then Ellis Hobbs returned the kickoff 34 yards to the Pats' 38-yard line. That left Tom Brady and the offense too much time to get the game's coolest kicker into field-goal range.

"You want to score," said Steeler's coach Bill Cowher , "but we gave up a lot of yards in the kicking game, a lot of returns that gave us bad field position. It's hard enough defending (Brady) on a long field. When you have to defend him on a short field it makes it even more difficult."

Vinatieri said he felt he'd get a chance at his 18th game-winner as soon as Hobbs ripped off his strong kick return.

"Whenever Tom's got a minute and has to move the ball 30 or 40 yards, you know he's capable of doing that," he said. "Patrick Pass andKevin Faulk made some really nice plays to move the ball down the field and put us in range. I guess you'd say that whenever he's got the ball with a minute left, I feel pretty confident Tom and the fellas will move down the field."

Whatever it takes

Brady leads the AFC in passing attempts (123) and the Patriots trail only Philadelphia in passing yards (300.3) per game, but Bill Belichick doesn't seem to mind. With opposing defenses clearly stacking up Corey Dillon (160 yards, 2.7 yard per carry), Brady has taken to the air early and often this season.

Deion Branch leads the Pats with 21 receptions. Ten different players have caught passes in the first three games.

"I don't really care. What we're interested in doing is trying to win a game," Belichick said. "If the game plan or what is successful for us is running, then we're going to run it. If it's throwing, we're going to throw it. You certainly want to have some kind of balance but I think it's important in the end to move the ball and score points."

Paying the price

It may seem as if the Patriots are the NFL's most penalized team, but they're actually seventh. The Pats have been flagged 29 times for 250 yards in three games. A season-high 12 miscues played a large part in the 27-17 loss to Carolina last week, and Belichick clearly will make that a focus again this week as the Pats prepare to host San Diego Sunday.

"It's just more opportunities for your opponent and eventually you're not going to be able to overcome them," Belichick said. "They hurt us (against Pittsburgh). They'll always hurt us. We have to continue to work hard to try to bring that number down. That's not where we want to be."

Trainer ordered off field

Belichick ordered Steelers trainer John Norwig off the field when Norwig asked if medical help was needed for injured Patriots tackle Matt Light during Sunday's game.

As Light lay on the Heinz Field turf with an apparently serious right leg injury during the second quarter, Norwig came onto the field to offer help.

That prompted Belichick, who cautiously guards all injury information, to emphatically order the trainer off the field. Light later left the stadium with a cast on his leg.

NFL trainers normally treat only their own players but will offer their assistance during a serious injury.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.