Ron Cook: Is it Too Early to Start Worrying?

Saturday, August 27, 2005
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

LANDOVER, Md. -- Maybe Fast Willie Parker will be just fine as the Steelers' savior at running back. There's no doubt he has the speed and quickness to do it. But is he tough enough to take the pounding if he has to play every down early in the season? In the power offense that the team loves so much? Here's a little secret for you: Parker had better be.

Maybe Ben Roethlisberger will find a cure for all that ails the Steelers' passing game. You still like his chances, don't you? It's not even September yet and Big Ben really is a smart guy. He knows he can't keep throwing high to Antwaan Randle El, can't keep bouncing the ball in front of Cedrick Wilson, can't keep dumping it at Verron Haynes' feet. Sure, it would be nice if the receivers bailed Roethlisberger out once in a while with a tough catch. And it really would be wonderful if Hines Ward started running his patterns deep enough again so that he doesn't keep coming up a yard shy on those critical short third-down passes. But let's be real here.

Roethlisberger has to stop playing like Kordell Stewart and start playing like, well, Big Ben. And he only has two weeks before the Sept. 11 opener against Tennessee to do it.

Who knows?

If it happens, maybe the Steelers' offense will score a touchdown before November.
OK, so that seems like a big maybe right now.

The Steelers lost last night against the Washington Redskins, 17-10, but that was the least of their troubles. Their first-team offense did score its first points of the exhibition season, but it was mere 24-yard field goal by Jeff Reed after Roethlisberger and his pals couldn't punch the ball in after a first-and-10 at the Redskins' 15 early in the second quarter. Worse, the team lost running back Jerome Bettis in the first quarter with a "strained" right calf injury. The severity wasn't known late last night, but bet the ranch on this: There's no such thing as a minor leg injury for a 33-year-old running back who carries Bettis' weight and has his mileage.

The loss of Bettis even for a long period wouldn't be nearly so worrisome if the Steelers' weren't already thin at running back at the top of their depth chart. Duce Staley is unlikely to play until late September or even into October because of a knee injury. If Bettis is out for any length of time, that means the team will go into the season without the two backs who combined for 442 carries, 1,771 yards and 14 touchdowns in their romp to 15-1 last year.

Fast Willie really had better be the real deal.

"He keeps showing up, keeps making plays," offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said.

Parker tantalized again last night with a terrific run late in the first quarter. He hit quickly into the middle and found a big hole, then made the most of it with just about the sweetest move you'll ever see. He cut to the inside to beat safety Omar Stoutmire, then turned back outside for a 51-yard gain. It was the type of home-run play that Bettis and Staley can't make. The only surprise was that cornerback Shawn Springs somehow ran Parker down even if Springs did have the angle.

Bill Cowher immediately got Parker out of the game and didn't play him again.
Can you blame Cowher for being more interested in beating Tennessee in a real game than the Redskins in a meaningless one?

"You might not see him again until Tennessee," Cowher said.

Parker's spectacular run was a continuation of what he did against the Miami Dolphins last week when he had gains of 37 and 21 yards and caught a 20-yard pass. Actually, he teased us with that fabulous speed in the final regular-season game at Buffalo last year when he ran for 102 yards, 58 on one play.

But that's about it for Parker's resume.

It's not as if he has much of a track record to convince you the Steelers' Super Bowl hopes are in safe hands.

I don't know about you, I'll sleep a lot better after I see Parker do it a few more times and stand up to the punishment.

It's nice to think Roethlisberger will ease the pressure on Parker, but he has a ways to go just to get back to being functional. Forget the interception he threw late in the first half; that was a desperation pass. But go ahead and fret about Big Ben's other numbers: 6 of 15 for 57 yards and a passer rating of 23.5.

Are those Kordell numbers or what?

"We're not where we need to be," Cowher said, speaking generally about the offense.
Said a much more optimistic and perhaps delusional Roethlisberger, "I think we're close."
And speaking of optimism, how about this gem from Randle El: "You don't want to peak too soon."

In Roethlisberger's defense, he again didn't have Ward on the field for long. Ward played just the first quarter, long enough to catch an 11-yard pass on the first play and, unfortunately, to come up that blasted yard short on a third-and-6 sideline pattern a little later. That's the second time in two weeks since Ward ended his holdout that that's happened.

Yes, it's still early and absolutely no time to panic.

But that doesn't change one of football's most recognized truisms.
You have to be able to score to win.

Right now, the Steelers can't.

(Post-Gazette sports columnist Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1525.)