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Wednesday, October 24, 2001

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Steelers (4-1) vs. Titans (2-3), 9 p.m. Monday, Heinz Field. TV: WTAE. Radio: WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970).

Those who find it surprising that Jerome Bettis is off to the best start of his nine-year career have not studied history. Some of the NFL's greatest running backs had some of their best seasons late in their careers. Barry Sanders had his best in his ninth season, racing for 2,053 yards, the second most in NFL history. Others have had outstanding seasons in their ninth years, including Jim Brown with 1,544 yards, Walter Payton 1,421, Emmitt Smith 1,322, Eric Dickerson 1,311 and Tony Dorsett 1,307.

Bettis, third in the NFL with 550 yards rushing, is on pace for 1,760, which would set a Steelers record. "Jerome is running the ball as well as I have seen him run the ball in a long time," Coach Bill Cowher said. "We were watching practice in the indoor facility, he made a couple cuts, and I told Dick [Hoak] I have not seen him do that since ... he first came in 1996. He really does look good, even in practice."

Cowher believes a healthier Bettis is a quicker Bettis. "He was able to go through the entire training camp. He missed just a few practices. I think he is just a lot healthier than he has been in years past."

Bettis has runs of 48, 46, 30, 30 and 29 yards this season. Last year, his longest run was 30 yards and he did not get that until the 13th game. Cowher credits some of that to the change in offensive style. "We are probably doing more in the running game than we ever had. We have a little more misdirection, we have a little more of the pitch and pass stuff than we have done in the past. There is probably a wider variety of things that we are doing in the running game, and he is hitting some creases and the line is doing a good job."

Since coming to the Steelers in 1996, Bettis has been the league's top rusher with 7,263 yards. The No. 2 rusher in that span also will be in Heinz Field Monday night. Tennessee's Eddie George has 7,164 yards. Bettis has eight 100-yard games in nine tries playing on Monday night. Only Smith has more with 12 in 25 Monday games. Bettis needs 163 yards to surpass former Notre Dame teammate Ricky Watters for 12th place on the NFL's all-time list. Seattle's Watters, in his 10th season, is out for several more weeks with an injury. If Bettis keeps up his 110-yard per-game pace, he would skip past two Hall of Famers, O.J. Simpson and John Riggins, into 10th place all time this season.

There will be big doings in town next week. Besides the Monday night game, the NFL owners will have their fall meetings Monday through Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Nothing of importance is expected to come out of the meetings, but Dan Rooney believes it's a chance for the city to strut its stuff. "With the Monday night game and all these people, I think it's going to be a great thing for the city," said Rooney, the Steelers president.

Among the items to be discussed are the tentative deal extending the labor agreement two years through 2006 and NFL Europe. Some players have expressed concerns about playing in that league this year because of the terrorist attacks, but the NFL plans to continue it. "That's a big thing for us," Rooney said. "The players benefit from that. How many quarterbacks go over there and learn how to play?" He believes the league will have no problems filling rosters for NFL Europe.

CB Jason Simmons will be listed as questionable this week with a hamstring injury, the most seriously injured player heading into the game Monday night. "Hopefully, the extra day will allow him to play," Cowher said. Six other players will be listed as probable: FS Brent Alexander (hip pointer), SS Lee Flowers (groin), DE Kimo von Oelhoffen (groin), WR Hines Ward (ankle), SS Myron Bell (hamstring) and OT Marvel Smith (knee).

Cowher put the blame on QB Kordell Stewart and WR Plaxico Burress for the deep pass in the first quarter that was intercepted Sunday in Tampa Bay. "I would have liked to have seen him throw the ball deeper because he did have him by a couple of steps," Cowher said. "But at the same time, when the ball is in the air, I would have liked to see Plaxico go up and knock the ball down. Plaxico, if he does not get it thrown to him, come on back and go up and get the ball or come in and knock it away. I put it on both of them."