Friday, March 2, 2001

Steelers do the right thing, lock up Bettis

If Pittsburgh makes no other moves, this will still be a good offseason

By Andy Hanacek, Associate editor

But there are certain players whose influence on their teams propels that team toward greatness. The catalyst that brings everyone and everything together for a run — he is part of a big puzzle that comes together to create a masterpiece. For the Steelers, that player is RB Jerome Bettis.

Now, you’ll say, "But, Andy, the Steelers weren’t good enough last year to make a run at the Super Bowl this year." And I would reply that might not be the case. If the Steelers make more moves this offseason, they could definitely contend. They finished last year on an up note, just missing the playoffs at 9-7. Their defense is one of the best in the league, and they have Bettis, a potential Hall of Famer and a load of a running back. They need to improve their passing game and could use a top-flight defensive back, but they can do those two things with minimal effort.

To prove my point, let’s look at where the Steelers would be if they had lost Bettis. It’s pretty simple. They’d have to rely on RB Richard Huntley, who played fairly well in spots last year but is no "Bus." I wouldn’t feel comfortable with Huntley as the featured back at this point. He isn’t as reliable as Bettis.

Having Huntley in the starting lineup would force the passing game to improve very quickly, since it would likely be a more integral part of the offense. With Bettis, the Steelers can afford to be patient with troubled young receivers Troy Edwards and Plaxico Burress. They can also afford to be patient with QB Kordell Stewart, who looked as though he was finally getting the hang of the offense toward the end of last season.

Bettis himself likely can’t carry the team through the playoffs. He isn’t in the four-touchdown, rushing-receiving-threat mold as Rams RB Marshall Faulk is. Bettis is a grind-it-out back who rarely fumbles and helps the Steelers open up the passing game. Bettis gives the Steelers room to breathe on offense and allows them to keep the passing game simplified, because even though most defenses know he’s coming, they have a tough time stopping him.

If the Steelers’ young receivers develop slowly, it’s not as much a problem for Pittsburgh as it might be for another team. They can always fall back on Bettis. But once the passing game finds its rhythm, Bettis will have an easier time running the ball and, in turn, the passing game will have an easier time as well.

Bettis himself will not take Pittsburgh to a Super Bowl, but he is the type of player who can be a catalyst to get the wheels moving toward a Super Bowl. The Steelers made the best move they could make by re-signing him.

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