Greg Pearson/The Shreveport Times HOMETOWN HERO -- Terry Bradshaw, surrounded by Woodlawn High School team paraphernalia, waits to be introduced at his alma mater Wednesday in Shreveport, La. Bradshaw, a 1966 graduate of the school, was not only feted by the school on his visit, but by the city as well, which added his name to its Walk of Stars and renamed a section of state highway in his honor. Click photo for larger image. More Coverage: Ed Bouchette's Short Snaps: 11/13/05

The Miami Dolphins want to transform the pro game by turning back the clock. They use two backs at the same time in their offense, and each one can actually run the ball.

The days of the two-back offense -- two runners and not a blocking back -- were thought to be as dead in the NFL as the drop kick. There are no more systems that can feature such pairings Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, who shared the same backfield and blocked for each other.

Today, most every team either runs with just one back or provides their tailback with a blocking back such as the Steelers do for their halfbacks with fullback Dan Kreider, who rarely gets the ball.

Dolphins coach Nick Saban, though, has paired Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown in the same backfield for 40 snaps over four games. He's had no large measure of success with it, and they've thrown 28 times in those formations.

Dick Hoak, who has used both styles as the backfield coach for the Steelers for more than three decades, said it can work "if one of them wants to block. I know Ricky Williams doesn't want to block."

The problems with having a Harris/Bleier-like backfield (or Merril Hoge/Tim Worley) in the NFL these days are many, starting with what's going on in the feeder system.

"The college game has changed," Hoak said. "They run spread offenses with only one back. He's a featured back, he runs, he doesn't ever block. You don't see two backs running the ball. One's a featured back."

Today's linemen are too big to trap block, and that was a feature of Chuck Noll's offense that helped the two-back system. With the increased quickness of defensive linemen and linebackers, backs would have less success running from one side of the backfield into the line on the other side.

Since featured backs from college rarely block, they won't be asked to do it in the pros. And coaches want to give the ball to their best runners, another reason Kreider, halfway through the season, has just one carry.

"If a guy isn't getting the ball, what else will he do if he's not blocking somebody or going out in a route?" asked Ron Hill, longtime NFL personnel man. "Now you're playing 10 on 11 if one guy's not blocking. If he's not carrying the ball, what should you be doing? Blocking."

Not so Jolley story

The New York Jets were one team the Steelers thought might draft tight end Heath Miller before them in April. They had the 27th pick, three ahead of the Steelers, and needed a tight end.

The Jets got him with their first pick -- trading it to Oakland for veteran tight end Doug Jolley and a second-round pick. That opened the way for the Steelers to draft Miller.

Jolley is only now getting into the starting lineup in New York because tight end Chris Baker has a broken leg. Jolley has eight catches for 91 yards. Miller has 21 catches for 211 yards, and his six touchdowns lead the Steelers, lead all rookies and he's tied for the lead among tight ends.

From TopCats to bad cats

First, the Love Boat in Minnesota, now the Love Stall shared by two Carolina Panthers cheerleaders in a bathroom in a place called Banana Joe's in Tampa. It's a new NFL reality show: Playmakers.

Renee Thomas and Angela Keahtley were arrested and variously charged with battery, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and using a fake I.D., but not for having sex in a public place, as many witnesses claim. The Panthers fired them from their cheerleading group, TopCats.

After the story broke, the team's website was so overwhelmed it wasn't available for much of Monday. The photos and information on the two cheerleaders were removed from the site. You should have no trouble finding them soon -- and more of them. Penthouse magazine wants them to pose nude, and Howard Stern said he would like to hire them for his new Sirius radio show that starts in January.

And people wonder why the Steelers don't have cheerleaders?

The Bear facts

Suddenly, that game against the Chicago Bears ticketed for Heinz Field Dec. 11 does not look like such a dance for the Steelers.

The Bears are 5-3 and riding a four-game winning streak, their longest since they went 13-3 in 2001. Chicago is running away from the pack in the NFC North. Safety Mike Brown thinks these Bears are better than those from '01.

"We have a team that I think is better overall on both sides of the ball," Brown said. "We're making our own breaks instead of getting them. We still get our fair share of calls. To win in this league, you need to get some breaks ... I hope they keep coming our way. But we also have more depth."

Chicago ranks third in the league in yards allowed and second in points allowed.

Houston, we have a problem

The Houston Texans gave Jacksonville a scare last week right up until David Carr's long pass on fourth down was dropped by receiver Corey Bradford, and they lost 21-14.

Joe Pendry, promoted to offensive coordinator after the Texans lost to the Steelers, 27-7, in the second game of the season, was upset. But he did not criticize Bradford for dropping the ball, he got on Carr for throwing it. Pendry told Carr he should have thrown over the middle to Andre Johnson instead.

"Did you see that pass?" Carr yelled at Pendry.

Defensive lineman Gary Walker heard that comment and got on his quarterback.

"You've got to do a better job of taking coaching," Walker said to him.

That prompted a shouting match between the two before they were separated.

Would Pendry have reprimanded Carr had Bradford not dropped the ball? It's like the time Kordell Stewart ran for a touchdown in Jacksonville and was greeted on the sideline by former Steelers coordinator Kevin Gilbride, who ripped his quarterback for not throwing a pass instead.

Bills have QB dilemma

Coach Mike Mularkey has a problem on his hands in Buffalo. The Bills want to mold J.P. Losman, in his second season, into the kind of quarterback who can take them to a Super Bowl. They aren't going there with Kelly Holcomb.

But as it stands today, Holcomb gives them the best chance to win this season, and the AFC East can be won. The Bills, at 3-5, are one game behind the first-place New England Patriots.

The more success the Bills have this season, the longer Losman's development is delayed.