Willie Parker returned to practice yesterday. Now can he return to form?

Parker revealed after practice that the injury to his left knee Sept. 21 was a sprained medial collateral ligament.

"That's what bothered me, my lateral movement and stuff," Parker said.

As most anyone knows who has seen Fast Willie run, he needs lateral movement the way a rocket needs a booster. The injury occurred near the end of the Steelers' 15-6 loss in Philadelphia, where Parker carried 13 times for 20 yards. Before that, he was the NFL's third-leading rusher after two games and has 263 yards and a 4.0 average. He has the team's only three rushing touchdowns, all in the opener.

"I'm ready to play, man," Parker declared. "I went out there and my main focus was to get my timing down, just practicing so I can help the team out the best way I can Sunday.

"I can pick it right back up, that ain't no problem. I have enough motivation and self-pride, that's not a problem."

The Steelers entered the season hoping to have one of their more dynamic one-two punches at halfback in years with Parker and rookie Rashard Mendenhall. But Mendenhall was knocked out for the season with a broken shoulder in his first pro start, against Baltimore Sept. 29.

With their top two halfbacks out and fullback Carey Davis joining them with a sprained ankle, the Steelers won their past two games. Mewelde Moore, who had no carries through three games, led them with 99 yards rushing in their most-recent victory, at Jacksonville Oct. 5.

"We won both games, that was a plus, so we have to keep it going," Parker said. "It's real good just to get back on track. We're 4-1 but we had a bye this week and you know how teams play when they come off that bye. Some of them are sluggish in the first half of the game and then they pick it up the second half, so we just have to start fast."

On paper, that does not appear to be a looming problem as the Steelers prepare to play at winless Cincinnati (0-6), where they have won their past seven visits. Four of Parker's 23 100-yard rushing games have come against the Bengals.

"As an offensive unit we always ran the ball on them, no matter what," Parker said. "Even when they stopped us, we come back the next series and just run and run and run. That's been our M.O. against them and they'll just have to stop it."

Parker has injured his right and left leg in two of his past four games. His right fibula was broken in the 15th game of last season. He has not felt sorry for himself, though.

"I don't really say that. Last season I was injured, it was a season-ending injury. [Now] it's just a little stumble in the road. Now I'm back at it."

One thing he's trying to develop this week in practice is to regain confidence in his left leg because the tendency is not to want to push off it.

"I felt good out there, but you know how it is. Practicing and stuff, I have to get all that back. Just practice and confidence pushing off my leg and stuff like that. I feel good for the most part."

His teammates were happy to see him return.

"It definitely brings a different pace of running back," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "He's definitely a game-breaker. He's one of those guys who can take the ball and score on any given play. And he's fresh, he's had a few weeks off.

"It's always great to have your starter out there. He means a lot to this team."

As Davis said, "For him to come back and go out there and make plays for us is always a good thing."