Ben is Back But What About the Running Game?

Big Ben back; is offense?
Ball control is key against the Colts
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Ben Roethlisberger is back, and there's something else the Steelers hope will return to the team Monday -- their running game.

If there's one way for the Steelers to upset the unbeaten Colts Monday night in Indianapolis, it would be to run the ball on long scoring drives and keep it away from Peyton Manning as much as possible.

"That's what we have to do," halfback Jerome Bettis said yesterday. "That's the type of football team we are. Nothing out of the ordinary. There's nothing going into this game saying we have to control the clock more than what we do. We don't have to change our game plan. We have to execute our game plan. We didn't execute our game plan in Baltimore. That's the frustrating part."

The Steelers managed a two-season low of 70 yards rushing against the Ravens, abandoning their vaunted ground game early, when they tried only eight rushes and netted 10 yards rushing in the first half. Bettis carried only two times for no yards, the first time in his career in which he has carried at least once in a regular-season game and came away with zero net yards.

Yesterday, coach Bill Cowher listed Roethlisberger as probable to return after missing the past three games with a knee injury, and that should help the ground game. With Roethlisberger at quarterback, defenses are not likely to gang up quite as much to stop the run because of his efficiency throwing the ball.
"I think having Ben back gives our offense a boost after not being effective last week," Bettis said.

The Steelers return to practice today and Roethlisberger is expected to be first in line behind center.

"He's probable and seems ready to go," Cowher said.

Missing three games, combined with his knee injury, could have an effect on how Roethlisberger plays, Cowher acknowledged.

"Well, yeah, the speed of the game is going to be something, hopefully, he can get acclimated to quickly. It's going to be something that time will tell."

Roethlisberger would lead the AFC with a 112.4 passer rating, except that his 130 attempts are too few to qualify. Roethlisberger, 18-1 in the regular season as a starter, has thrown 30 passes in one game, the Steelers' victory Oct. 31 against Baltimore.

Cowher likely would not want to see him eclipse that Monday night. The Steelers do not want to go toe-to-toe in the passing game the way the Bengals did in a 45-37 loss Sunday to the Colts in Cincinnati. Indianapolis leads the league with 305 points scored.

The Steelers scored 34 points in their opener against Tennessee when they passed only 11 times. They have scored more than that only once in the past four seasons -- a 40-24 victory at San Diego in 2003.

"Hopefully we'll be able to keep this game close," Cowher said. "I think if we can keep it close, get it down to a point where there's a play here, a play there, that's the most important thing in my mind -- to keep this game within striking distance."

Tommy Maddox threw 36 passes against the Ravens, the most by a Steelers quarterback since he threw 38 in a driving snowstorm at the New York Jets in 2003 and lost, 6-0. That season -- when Maddox threw more than 40 times in four games -- convinced Cowher that he had to return to his previous philosophy to run the ball and control the clock.

It's what they would like to do against the Colts.

"If we have to be in a shootout, it will be difficult for us to do that," Bettis said. "We're a smash-mouth football team. For us to score 45 points, that's tough. I don't think we're that type of offense."

(Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3878.)