Bill Cowher Run Quotations

I was happy for him. That was his first live contact since last year's championship game. He's been running well in practice the last couple of weeks. He has been a trooper. He has sat there and been patient. Duce ran really hard against a good football team.

You have to keep your composure. We gave up some rushing yards. They were able to run the football effectively in the first half.

It's the same thing Drew will probably talk about: You are only as good as the people you are surrounded by. (Ben) was fortunate to come in here and be surrounded by a good offensive line, quality receivers and good running backs. And he has certainly done his part to hold up his end of the bargain.

We don't ask people to run differently, ... Runners are runners. I never try to curtail a runner. Our offense has got enough plays that within the running play a ball carrier has a chance to express his ability. I think Willie has gotten more comfortable with the plays we've run. He's had a chance to watch some pretty good backs in front of him be patient on certain plays, hit it on certain plays. I think he's earned this opportunity if indeed Jerome can't go. I'm not concerned; I'm rather excited.

We don't ask people to run differently. I mean, runners are runners. I've never tried to curtail a runner. Our offense has got enough plays that, within the running play, a ballcarrier has a chance to express his abilities. I think Willie has gotten more comfortable with the plays we've run.

I've got to see them run and I've got to see them jump, cut and accelerate. They have to feel comfortable and I have to feel comfortable.

One thing you see now is when Willie makes a decision, he's going north and south. You see him hitting the pile and going forward. I know one of the questions was, 'Can Willie run inside?' and I think he's answered a lot of that.

People can look at our run-to-pass ratio, ... but I will say this: Watch us in the first half (this season) because we're still a balanced football team. But when we get a lead, that element is taken out of the hands of the quarterback and we will run the ball. So, we just shut it down. It distorts the numbers a little bit, so talk about the numbers in the first half.

No, something even more diabolical. I call it 'The Immaculate Deception.' I can't reveal any details, but we'll run it on the first play of our first possession in the second quarter.

You don't see us running a lot of different plays with Willie. They're the same plays, they just may unfold differently.

I think, if you look at him early in the season to where you see him now, there is no question. The one thing you see, when he makes a decision, he is going north and south; you see him hitting the pile and going forward. I know there were questions as to can Willie Parker run inside. I think he has answered a lot of that doubt through the year.

He's running as well as I've seen him run in recent years. His balance is phenomenal.

He's proven to be a pretty good running back, inside or outside.

The Chicago game was a big game for us establishing ourselves as a running football team. We started to get Ben back at that time, too, when he came back from his (knee and thumb) injuries.

It's definitely a concern, something we need to do better in. You have to run the ball to be successful in this league.

We have to be able to run the ball more efficiently than we have the last couple weeks. We can't sit there and rely on throwing the football all the time. Not that we don't want to have balance, we do.

Jerome Bettis, he gives you something. He's a very special back. ... You see him running and jumping and jump-cutting, doing the things that he does.

The last time we played here, I think we were probably too determined to run the ball. We're at our best when we have balance.

The run he made the other night was a classic example of being patient. It was an inside run that he ran inside. But when he has a chance to get outside, he knows what he has.

He's a good running back but we have a lot of good running backs on this team.

We're running the same game plan this Sunday, ... so I figured it will still be fresh in their minds. I looked at our schedule, and I saw that we are playing the Oilers for the second week in a row, so the game plan will remain exactly the same.

We've got to run the ball better, there's no question about that. We've played two pretty good defenses and this one's no different, they're ranked fifth against the rush. We have to be able to run the ball more efficiently than we have the last couple weeks. We can't sit there and rely on throwing the football all the time. Not that we don't want to have balance, we do.

We've got to run the ball better, there's no question about that.

Their defense is a lot like ours, from the standpoint of scheme-wise. They have good players down there that run it.

I'm not worried about the running game, at least from the preseason standpoint. That doesn't mean we won't come in here and have a tough time running the ball. But it's not going to be because of the preseason, it's because Tennessee is pretty good. They may take that element away from us. Either way, I'm not worried.

With the situation we have at running back, we don't have to rush to get him back,

Being behind Jerome, he's learned how to run inside. He's able to see holes, he's a patient runner, and he puts his head down and falls forward to get extra yards and move the pile.

Willie's got the one thing we've never had - the speed. For a team that runs the football the way we want to run the football, to have a big-play player back there is a bonus.

Willie has the one thing that we never had -- speed. For a team that runs the football like we would like to run the football, to be able to have a big-play player back there is a bonus. He shows that ability to do that.

I think Willie is a guy who has seized an opportunity. For the first two games he got over 100 yards. We didn't really run the ball that well against New England, but Willie is a guy who has a lot going for him and the best is still ahead of him.