Six carries and 5 yards.
No team has had fewer rushing attempts in the history of the NFL, and you have to go back some 70 years to find a team that rushed for 5 or fewer yards.
Yet that was the main reason why the Steelers had no problem halting the New England Patriots' 21-game winning streak when the teams met on Oct. 31.
But nobody expects a repeat of the paltry rushing performance when the Patriots and Steelers meet in Sunday's AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field.
"For one, they have Corey Dillon," Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend said.
Dillon missed the first meeting with a thigh injury and it resulted in New England's most lopsided defeat since falling 31-0 to Buffalo in the 2003 opener.
But Dillon is back and healthy this time around.
"He's going to be a big difference-maker," linebacker James Farrior said. "He's one of the best running backs in the league and he adds another dimension to their offense that is already so good. With him back in the backfield it's going to be a lot tougher this time."
Future Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis knows what a healthy running games does for an offense.
"It's going to make a significant difference for that football team because they were pretty much relegated to throwing the football the whole game," Bettis said. "We all know that when you have to throw the football the whole game, nine times out of 10, bad things are going to happen. This gives them an opportunity to run their game and gives us something we didn't see in the first game."
The Colts didn't account for Dillon last week and it
proved costly. Dillon carried 23 times for 144 yards in his playoff debut as the Patriots rolled to a 20-3 win.
"You have to account for him," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. "He is a great back that we know so well from playing against him during his years in Cincinnati. We have a lot of respect for him. He just gives them another weapon."
"This is the playoffs," Dillon said. "Whatever happened in the regular season is left in the regular season."
Dillon played the first seven years of his career with the woeful Bengals, racking up big yards with little to show for it. He admitted the years of losing affected his attitude. Before the Patriots traded a second-round draft pick for him in April, Dillon had to convince them that he wasn't a malcontent.
"There's not a day goes by I don't grab those guys and say, 'Thank you,'" Dillon said. "I'm serious. They'll tell you, too. They're probably a little annoyed by me doing it."
Dillon ran for 1,635 yards during the regular season - a career high, a franchise record and the third-most in the NFL. His 12 rushing touchdowns were a personal best, as were his nine games with 100 yards or more.
He's been a model citizen since joining the defending Super Bowl champions and given New England the steady running game they lacked even as they won two titles in three seasons.
"He's a great addition to their offense," Townsend said. "Without (Dillon), (quarterback Tom Brady) had to kind of put it on his shoulders and do it himself. Any time you become one-dimensional against us it is pretty tough, especially with coach (Dick) LeBeau and some of the packages we can throw at you. With Corey Dillon it is a total different ballgame."
The Steelers have had success stopping Dillon in the past.
In 12 starts against Pittsburgh, Dillon has rushed 212 times for 885 yards and five touchdowns. The Bengals lost eight of those games, however.
"I would say the big thing is just how consistent he is," New England coach Bill Belichick said. "He is a very consistent player. Every day in practice, weekly, all year long, he is the same guy now as he has been pretty much every day that he has been here since he got here."
Dillon has had a few great games against the Steelers - he ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-28 loss in November 2000 - but none lately.
Over the past six meetings, Dillon has just 346 yards on 93 carries and no touchdowns.
"He's going to carry the ball," Townsend said. "If he gets the ball 25 to 30 times a game he is going to get stronger as he goes along. Any time he touches it over 20 times a game it's tough on a defense because at the point he's running over your defense. It will be important to keep him off the field."
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No team has had fewer rushing attempts in the history of the NFL, and you have to go back some 70 years to find a team that rushed for 5 or fewer yards.
Yet that was the main reason why the Steelers had no problem halting the New England Patriots' 21-game winning streak when the teams met on Oct. 31.
But nobody expects a repeat of the paltry rushing performance when the Patriots and Steelers meet in Sunday's AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field.
"For one, they have Corey Dillon," Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend said.
Dillon missed the first meeting with a thigh injury and it resulted in New England's most lopsided defeat since falling 31-0 to Buffalo in the 2003 opener.
But Dillon is back and healthy this time around.
"He's going to be a big difference-maker," linebacker James Farrior said. "He's one of the best running backs in the league and he adds another dimension to their offense that is already so good. With him back in the backfield it's going to be a lot tougher this time."
Future Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis knows what a healthy running games does for an offense.
"It's going to make a significant difference for that football team because they were pretty much relegated to throwing the football the whole game," Bettis said. "We all know that when you have to throw the football the whole game, nine times out of 10, bad things are going to happen. This gives them an opportunity to run their game and gives us something we didn't see in the first game."
The Colts didn't account for Dillon last week and it
proved costly. Dillon carried 23 times for 144 yards in his playoff debut as the Patriots rolled to a 20-3 win.
"You have to account for him," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. "He is a great back that we know so well from playing against him during his years in Cincinnati. We have a lot of respect for him. He just gives them another weapon."
"This is the playoffs," Dillon said. "Whatever happened in the regular season is left in the regular season."
Dillon played the first seven years of his career with the woeful Bengals, racking up big yards with little to show for it. He admitted the years of losing affected his attitude. Before the Patriots traded a second-round draft pick for him in April, Dillon had to convince them that he wasn't a malcontent.
"There's not a day goes by I don't grab those guys and say, 'Thank you,'" Dillon said. "I'm serious. They'll tell you, too. They're probably a little annoyed by me doing it."
Dillon ran for 1,635 yards during the regular season - a career high, a franchise record and the third-most in the NFL. His 12 rushing touchdowns were a personal best, as were his nine games with 100 yards or more.
He's been a model citizen since joining the defending Super Bowl champions and given New England the steady running game they lacked even as they won two titles in three seasons.
"He's a great addition to their offense," Townsend said. "Without (Dillon), (quarterback Tom Brady) had to kind of put it on his shoulders and do it himself. Any time you become one-dimensional against us it is pretty tough, especially with coach (Dick) LeBeau and some of the packages we can throw at you. With Corey Dillon it is a total different ballgame."
The Steelers have had success stopping Dillon in the past.
In 12 starts against Pittsburgh, Dillon has rushed 212 times for 885 yards and five touchdowns. The Bengals lost eight of those games, however.
"I would say the big thing is just how consistent he is," New England coach Bill Belichick said. "He is a very consistent player. Every day in practice, weekly, all year long, he is the same guy now as he has been pretty much every day that he has been here since he got here."
Dillon has had a few great games against the Steelers - he ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-28 loss in November 2000 - but none lately.
Over the past six meetings, Dillon has just 346 yards on 93 carries and no touchdowns.
"He's going to carry the ball," Townsend said. "If he gets the ball 25 to 30 times a game he is going to get stronger as he goes along. Any time he touches it over 20 times a game it's tough on a defense because at the point he's running over your defense. It will be important to keep him off the field."
zwire.com
