WaPo: Cowher Set to Roll With Bettis

[Penndems]

By Mark Maske
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 19, 2005; 3:21 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Bill Cowher didn't give Jerome Bettis a single start at tailback during the regular season when Duce Staley was healthy and available to play. But Bettis nevertheless finished as the club's leading rusher, and Cowher is prepared to give him his second straight start in the playoffs.

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Bettis lost a fourth-quarter fumble against the Jets but ran for 101 yards on 27 carries. It was his seventh 100-yard rushing performance in seven starts this season, the first six of which came when Staley was nursing a hamstring injury during the regular season. Staley didn't get a carry against the Jets until late in the third quarter. But he provided a boost by rushing for 54 yards on 11 carries, including 28 yards on six attempts during the Steelers' overtime drive to kicker Jeff Reed's winning field goal.

The Pittsburgh offense provides a far different sort of test for the New England defense than the revved-up passing game of the Indianapolis Colts did last weekend. The Patriots provided a remarkable show of defensive dominance by limiting the Colts to a field goal even while playing without their two starting cornerbacks (Ty Law and Tyrone Poole) and top defensive lineman (Richard Seymour) because of the injuries, and with the sport's rules having been tilted in favor of Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning and his receivers based in large part on their defeat at New England in last season's AFC championship game.

But this game won't be a chess match for Patriots Coach Bill Belichick, a matter of maneuvering all the Xs and Os into the right spots to befuddle a fancy passing offense yet again. This will be a test of strength and willpower. The Steelers' offensive approach is to use their running game to trample an opponent if possible, and mix in some throwing by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Only if that doesn't work does Pittsburgh put the game into Roethlisberger's hands.

Link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20601-2005Jan19.html

[blue neen]

1. Jerome deserves to start...

and he really wants to get to that Super Bowl.

[Darknyte7]

2. I'm fine with that decision...

Romey has earned... Duce will still get work on Sunday.