Parker runs to head of class
PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh Steelers running backs are supposed to be big and strong, rugged and durable, perfect symbols like Jerome Bettis and Franco Harris of a tough-as-it-gets franchise.
Willie Parker is much different, and he finds himself in their record book because of it.
Parker, a speed back in an offense built around power, broke the Steelers’ single-game rushing record with 223 yards – a game better than either Harris or Bettis enjoyed – and Pittsburgh excelled as usual in cold weather by roughing up the Cleveland Browns 27-7 Thursday night.
Parker, the first player in Steelers history to have two 200-yard games in a season, broke John “Frenchy” Fuqua’s record of 218 yards against Philadelphia in 1970, two years before Fuqua was the intended receiver on Harris’ famous Immaculate Reception against Oakland.
“I don’t know too much about him, though Coach (Dick) Hoak has told me all about him,” said Parker, referring to the running backs coach who coached both backs. “This (record) was nice, but all those accolades come – and then they go. The best thing was the win.”
Parker, the fastest running back in Steelers history and the first since Bettis in 2000-01 with consecutive 1,000 yards, broke Fuqua’s record early in the fourth quarter and might have approached 300 yards if the game had been closer.
Parker wasn’t drafted out of North Carolina in 2004 and originally thought he’d be a special teams player with Pittsburgh.
“They’ve never had a speed back. They’ve always had power backs so I thought I’d have to make a niche on special teams,” Parker said. “Then I said, ‘Naw, I’m going to keep going at it, keep hard at it and be a running back, just be that every-down back.’ “
The Steelers ran the ball so well, tackle Marvel Smith said, Browns defensive players were yelling at each other in the huddle.
“There’s no better feeling than that, when they know you’re going to run it and they still can’t stop it,” Smith said. “We rammed it down their throats.”
The Steelers (6-7) withstood temperatures in the teens, a wind chill that was less than zero in the second half and an occasional snow flake to win their seventh in a row against their Rust Belt rival.
Pittsburgh is one of the NFL’s best clubs when the weather gets bad and the games usually are more important, going 21-6 past Dec. 1 since 2001.
For the Browns (4-9), this time of the year is a case of going from bad to worse.
Assured of their fourth consecutive losing season, they are 2-11 in December the last three seasons.
Cleveland appeared to be headed toward its second shutout loss in three weeks until Derek Anderson, making his first NFL start for the injured Charlie Frye, threw a 45-yard TD pass to Braylon Edwards with 5:20 remaining.