Steelers, Raiders search for running games

Associated Press

Oakland, Calif.

The Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers spent the offseason implementing new offenses designed to rely heavily on running games that could take a little pressure off their passers.

Two weeks into the season, neither running game has gotten off the ground.

Despite having a healthy Darren McFadden for a change, the Raiders (0-2) go into today’s game against the Steelers (1-1) with the league’s second worst rushing attack.

“You don’t let it frustrate you. The saving grace is, you know McFadden is back there,” Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer said. “He’s one arm tackle away from breaking off a 40-, 50-yarder.

“He’s got that potential, he’s got that ability, he’s done it before. We’re going to stick with it. We’re not frustrated.

“We’re disappointed in ourselves for not executing it better but we’re not going to let it frustrate us, we’re not going to let it deter it from our goal.”

The Steelers haven’t had much better luck running the ball so far this season in new coordinator Todd Haley’s offense.

Pittsburgh has rushed for just 141 yards the first two weeks and averaged a paltry 2.6 yards per carry, putting more pressure on Ben Roethlisberger and the passing game to get things going.

“It’s obviously been a little frustrating because that was the emphasis of the offseason, getting a new coordinator, is running the ball and being able to pound it,” Roethlisberger said. “But it’s not working quite this minute and things aren’t going well.”

The Raiders have been much worse with just 68 yards rushing per game in losses to San Diego and Miami. Facing the Steelers stout defense has not usually been the tonic to cure struggling running games over the years. Pittsburgh has allowed the fewest yards rushing per game over the past 10 seasons because of its physical front and sure-tackling secondary.

In two games against the Steelers, McFadden has 39 yards on 19 carries.

“It’s going to be a rough, tough fist fight out there,” he said. “They are going to come in here with a hard-nose defense, and you know that’s something you expect from the Steelers. We just have to go out there, and play our game, and stay on schedule.”

Roethlisberger has made up for the deficiencies in Pittsburgh’s running game with sterling play on third downs. He has completed 19 of 25 passes for 251 yards, three touchdowns and a passer rating of 146.8 on third down, allowing Pittsburgh to overcome the long yardage situations created by the lack of a running game.

The Steelers had been hoping to get a boost with the possible return of starter Rashard Mendenhall, who had his practice workload increase throughout the week.