Heavens to Franco! Steelers shunning the run

PITTSBURGH (AP)—Franco Dok Harris, the son of Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris, took part in a different form of running as an independent candidate in Pittsburgh’s mayoral race. At least someone linked to the Steelers mounted a ground game this fall.

From Byron “Whizzer” White to Bill Dudley, John Henry Johnson to Harris, Jerome Bettis to Willie Parker(notes), the Steelers and a strong running game have been synonymous. Two of the top 12 rushers in NFL history played for them (Harris and Bettis), as did the Super Bowl career rushing leader (Harris) and the player with the longest run in Super Bowl history (Parker).

Since the present-day NFL emerged from the 1970 merger, the Steelers have rushed for 4,845 yards more than any other team—or about as many yards as Parker has gained during his career. Only the Cowboys and Broncos are within 7,000 yards of them.

But as fast as someone can say “Big Ben,” the Steelers are shunning the run. They’re altering seven decades of tradition behind Ben Roethlisberger’s(notes) strong throwing arm, a talented group of receivers and the mindset that winning football doesn’t always translate into running off tackle 20 times a game.

Not even during Terry Bradshaw’s best seasons in 1978 and 1979 did the Steelers throw as much, and as effectively, as they are now. Or run so little. They are averaging only 26.4 rushing attempts per game, the second-fewest in team history to the 24.6 attempts in 1991, Chuck Noll’s final season as coach.

It’s not that they can’t run the ball—Rashard Mendenhall(notes) ran for 165 yards against San Diego on Oct. 4—but Roethlisberger is throwing so accurately, the Steelers are staying and staying with the pass. Roethlisberger’s 70.4 completion percentage would easily be a team record, and he has 11 touchdown passes and only six interceptions.

Twice this season, the Steelers (5-2) have rushed for fewer than 100 yards and won (36 yards against Tennessee, 82 against the Lions), something they once did infrequently.

“It’s really how the season has unfolded,” coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday. “We’re trying to do what’s required for us to win. At the same time, we’re interested in maintaining some semblance of balance so people can respect all the elements of our game, the ways we can attack them.”

With Parker in the final year of his contract and Mendenhall in his first season as a starter, the Steelers’ running game is going through a transition as it averages 106.9 yards rushing per game, or nearly 30 yards fewer than in 2005. That’s put a greater burden on Roethlisberger to carry the offense and he’s done it, helped by the deepest receiving corps he’s had during his six seasons in Pittsburgh.

Hines Ward(notes), at 33, is having one of his best seasons with 42 catches, or only two more than tight end Heath Miller(notes). Rookie Mike Wallace(notes) (17.5 yards per catch average) is providing a downfield threat to go with Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes(notes) (30 catches, 16.6 average).

“I think it’s just having everybody healthy,” offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said. “The continuity, knock on wood, has been good and if we can maintain it, we’ll sustain being good.”

Roethlisberger is third in the league with 2,062 yards passing even though the Steelers were off last weekend—no Pittsburgh quarterback has led the NFL— and is second to Peyton Manning(notes) in completion percentage. Roethlisberger also is tied for the lead in yards per attempt (8.8) and tied for second with eight completions of 40 yards or longer.

He is on pace to break Bradshaw’s 1979 team record of 3,724 yards passing by nearly 1,000 yards.

“I think it’s sort of been in the works the last year or two,” Roethlisberger said. “We’ve really worked on becoming more balanced, being able to spread the ball around. … We needed to be more balanced, and that’s what we’re doing.”

Arians also is allowing Roethlisberger to work more often out of the no-huddle system the quarterback has long lobbied to use. The Steelers’ only touchdown during their 27-17 victory over the Vikings on Oct. 25 resulted from Roethlisberger driving them 91 yards in barely a minute’s time late in the first half.

“It’s 100 percent up to me,” what to call out of the no-huddle, Roethlisberger said.

Coincidentally or not, the no-huddle often is a no-run offense with Roethlisberger in charge. Obviously, this isn’t the Steelers offense from the days of the Bus (Bettis) or Ground Chuck (Harris running the ball for Noll).

“We’re not the Steelers of the ’70s,” Roethlisberger said.