The Steelers should have their full backfield healthy and ready to play Monday night in San Diego. How their halfbacks are used is up to coach Bill Cowher.

Jerome Bettis practiced again yesterday after going through their only full practice last week. He said he's healthy after being out since he left early in the third preseason game with a pulled calf muscle. Duce Staley dressed for his first game against the Patriots but did not have a carry.

The only thing Cowher has said is that Willie Parker will start at halfback for the fourth consecutive time.

"It doesn't get complicated for me," Bettis said. "Either you play or you don't play. It's not as hard as it's made out to be. He has to make a decision. I don't think anybody's going to be upset, no matter which way it goes."

Bettis has never gone this long in a season without playing or carrying the ball, but he says it's more important for him and Staley to be healthy than to play at this point.

"It's a long season. The fear is not having the guys when you really need them. To know that we're here is the best thing. To be here and not use you, that's OK. But to not be here when you need them, I think that's the problem."

Tackling Taylor

Normally, an inside linebacker leads the team in tackles over the course of a season. After three games, it's cornerback Ike Taylor.

He leads the Steelers with 23 solo tackles and his 30 overall tackles tie inside linebacker James Farrior for the most on the team.

"It could be a good thing for me, or a bad thing," Taylor said. "I just play football. I don't keep stats."

It's a good thing, in one sense, that Taylor is making the tackles, but some of them have come after a receiver has caught a pass over him.

"I think it's an aberration," defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said. "But it does show that Ike's doing a good job of involving himself in the running scheme. And he's doing a good job of tackling the catch, for the most part."

Taylor replaced Willie Williams as the starting left cornerback to open the season. He also has a fumble recovery, two passes defensed and one tackle behind the line of scrimmage.

"We're pleased with the way he's contributing and growing, and it's going to be a learning process for him," LeBeau said. "It's his first year of starting."

Line to blame

The Steelers' offensive line has spent the past week accepting some of the blame for the offense's lack of run production and a failure to protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger against the New England Patriots.

"We deserve some of it," guard Alan Faneca said. "We didn't play our best game, and the holes weren't quite as big as they normally are, and the protection wasn't as solid as it has been."

Faneca said the way to improve is simply to work hard at it, mentally and physically.

"If you're thinking about things, not sure about things, then it's going to affect how you play on that snap. It's a little combination of both, maybe you have a mental mistake here or there and the next time you come up you might be second-guessing yourself, 'Damn, I messed it up, I can't do it again.' "

No turnover TDs

The Steelers are third in the NFL with a net differential of seven turnovers. They've lost just one fumble, recovered five and intercepted three passes. But they have not returned a turnover for a score. They returned two interceptions and a fumble for scores in their first three preseason games.

"We haven't scored yet in the regular season but we're causing turnovers," linebacker Larry Foote said. "That was an emphasis going into camp; we have to cause a lot more turnovers and get the ball back to our offense."

Quick slants

The Steelers returned to work after three days off and held a 90-minute practice. Wide receiver Hines Ward (hamstring) did not participate. ... Cornerback Ricardo Colclough left practice with an ankle injury. ... The players have off today and will resume practice tomorrow. They will leave for San Diego Sunday.