So much to talk about these next two weeks as the Steelers prepare to delve into the meat of their schedule. It's going to be hard living without a Steelers game on the immediate horizon! So, to pass the time, I have a bunch of stuff planned to discuss. I'll start with a brief mentioning of Willie Parker reclaiming the NFL lead in rushing yards.
Parker has 507 yards on 121 carries, good for a 4.1 yards per carry average. One interesting side note: Guess who's #2 in the league in carries? Edgerrin James in Ken Whisenhunt's offense. Even with the gun-slinging Kurt Warner at the controls full time now, I'd expect Whisenhunt to remain committed to the run.
I'll also note, although I'm sure all are aware of this, that LT, Frank Gore, and Larry Johnson are 16th, 17th, and 22nd in the NFL in rushing yards respectively.
Finally, I'll finish by noting that Parker is on pace for 387 carries this year - basically a full game's worth of rushing beyond the mythical number '370'. Parker toted the ball 28 times against Seattle. And although Davenport spelled Parker on a number of occasions yesterday, I still think the Steelers coaching staff could perhaps do a better job giving him some plays off late in the game. Would an extra 5-7 carries split between Davis and Davenport have affected the outcome of the game? No, not this past Sunday. Just something to think about as we prepare to embark on the hefty part of the 2007 schedule.