Why can't Willie get it going on the road?

[AZ_Steeler]

Don't take me wrong with this post, I like Willie just as much as the next guy... but what is the deal with Willie rushing the ball on the road?

• Road Game Yardage
  
  • @ Jacksonville - 11 carries 20 yards
  • @ San Diego - 14 carries 57 yards
  • @ Atlanta - 20 carries 47 yards
  • @ Oakland - 22 carries 83 yards
  • @ Cleveland - 16 carries 46 yards

What does this all come down to... 50.6 yards per game on the road and a team record of 1-5 with their first road win today!!!

• Home Game Yardage
  
  • Miami - 29 carries 115 yards
  • Bengals - 31 carries 133 yards
  • Kansas City - 21 carries 109 yards
  • Denver - 14 carries 70 yards
  • New Orleans - 22 carries 213 yards

These numbers equate to 128 yards per game and a record of 3-2.

What this all comes down to is if the Steelers have to take to the road again the outlook doesn't look good because the Steeler can't get the running game going! The thing I don't understand though is how can a running back be so awesome at home, but when he gets on the road he is just another running back at best???? Willie has had 4 100+ yard games this year and 0 of those have come on the road!

You can almost say that if Willie goes over a 100 yards the team is undefeated because the Bengals game was really over until others on the team started fumbling the ball over in Steelers territory... like Ricardo and Haynes!!! Instead though, when Willie is over 100 yards the Steelers are 3-1. What is the problem though... why can't he get 100 yards on the road??? Especially against 2 teams that give up 140+ yards on the ground (Oakland & the Browns)!

[BlacknGold Bleeder]

It didn't seem like we were very committed to the run today,IMHO.

[House of Steel]

we threw more than anything else, but we won the game with Ben's rocket accurate arm.

[K Train]

The browns have a decent run defense, as does every other team we played on the road.

[Koopa]

because he isn't an every down back and last week wore him out, he needs to get more consistent if he ever wants to be considered a good running back, all he is right now is aight

[Steelersfan]

I think we all got use to seeing Bettis running the ball. Didn't matter where we played for the most part he always got his 4-5-6 yds a carry with the occasional one he would break for 20-30...lol With Bettis we could control the game and keep our D fresh. We don't have that now with Parker. This is not a knock on Willie at all and I'm not trying to compare him to Bettis. I think you will find people like myself who don't consider him to be an every down back feel that way because of the type of back he is more than anything else. I really think if we had a good big back and used Willie as our 3rd down and/or long yardage back our offense would be killer and it would save our D. That's just my opinion and that is what Steelers football has been about since Cowher took over. Foster, Morris, Bettis.....all big backs who ran well for us. Everytime we have tried going with speed (Z and Parker) our record and D has sucked. That should tell you something about the way this team is built.

[Koopa]

what i think we need to do is, fire cowher, and let ken run the show cause he knows how to use willie, willie is perfect for what we are turning into, but cowher is still stuck in the past and wants to fail like he did the past, if ken would just be able to take over we'd see what we saw in the playoffs on a regular basis

[Steelersfan]

But what our offense is turning into isn't the type of game our D was designed to play. So we will have to redo the D to fit the offense.

[Black@Gold Forever32]

2005 Time of Possession

Steelers-31:16
Opponents-28:44

2006 Before the Browns game
Steelers-30:46
Opponents-29:14


Not trying to start an arugement but the T.O.P. isn't that much different from last year. The defense just like the whole team just hasn't got it done on a consistent basis this year.

I'm fine with Willie Parker as the starting RB. I think his 12 total TD's prove he is a player in this league. I think thats good for 3rd in the NFL. I don't remember Amos Zereoue ever scoring 12 TD's in his whole Steelers career let alone 10 games in a season.

[BBC]

Those numbers aren't Willie's fault as much as they are Ben's fault. In all but 1 of those road games, the Steelers had to play from behind nearly the entire game. Ben throws an interception or two, and the Steelers have to pass from then on out because they are behind.

Running teams don't win, winning teams run. When you aren't winning, your running game looks weaker than it really is, just as when you are winning, your running game looks stronger than it really is.