STEELERS Strong rushing game is missing in action

The Ravens limited Amos Zereoue and Jerome Bettis to 99 yards on 33 carries.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Normally, the Pittsburgh Steelers still are searching for their first victory a week into the season. This time, they're looking for their running game.
Over the years, the Steelers and an excellent running game have become as synonymous as the Atlanta Braves and a strong pitching staff.
That began to change a year ago, when the Steelers slipped from No. 1 in rushing in 2001 to No. 9 amid a Tommy Maddox-led makeover of their offense.
Now, the 10th leading rusher in NFL history -- Jerome Bettis -- is just another player coming off the bench in a system that has abruptly and decisively shifted its emphasis from running to throwing the ball.
Afterthought
Even as the Steelers (1-0) rolled to their first season-opening victory in four years Sunday, beating the Baltimore Ravens 34-15 behind Maddox's three touchdown passes, the running game was almost an afterthought.
They averaged only 3.0 yards on 33 attempts as leading rusher Amos Zereoue was held to 56 yards, drawing boos as he was stopped for no gain or a loss on four straight carries. Bettis was held to 14 yards on four carries before leaving with a groin injury.
As the Steelers began practicing Wednesday for Sunday's game at Kansas City (1-0), they understood they can't keep relying just on Maddox's throwing to win.
Or did they?
"We're going to be fine," wide receiver Plaxico Burress said. "It's one of those things where everything takes time.
"It's like our passing game, it took some time to get to where we want to get to, and there's still a lot of room for improvement," Burress said. "We just want to improve across the board, and not just in our running game."
Clock control
Likewise, Maddox said it would be nice to quiet some of the league's loudest fans in Kansas City by running effectively, controlling the clock and keeping the ball out of the hands of Chiefs quarterback Trent Green and running back Priest Holmes.
But while he said it would be nice, he didn't say it would be necessary.
"Anybody who's ever played there knows it's going to be loud," said Maddox, who first played in Arrowhead Stadium as a rookie with Denver in 1992. "Whatever we can do to keep the ball in our hands and moving the ball down the field is going to help us.
"But the best thing you can do against a crowd is make a big play."
Translation: A long touchdown pass is just as good as a drive filled with 4- and 5-yard running plays any time.
"You can control it [the clock and the crowd] by throwing it, but when you get into long-yardage situations, they feast off that because of the noise," coach Bill Cowher said. "So you've got to try to get some kind of running game established and try to keep them off balance, particularly playing on the road against a quality team."
But while Cowher admires the Chiefs' ability to do many things well, a diversity created largely by Holmes' versatility, he doesn't necessarily think the Steelers need to copy it.
"I don't know if we are that offense," Cowher said. "There are a lot of ways to get it done. We feel as good about what we do as they feel good about what they do."