Bettis Gives Bengals the Slip

The commemorative footballs for Heinz Field’s first game were so slippery, the Cincinnati Bengals couldn’t grip them properly. That doesn’t explain why they couldn’t hold on to Jerome Bettis.

The Pittsburgh Steelers moved into their new stadium by dominating Cincinnati with their running game-something they did often in Three Rivers Stadium-as Bettis went over the 10,000-yard rushing mark in a 16-7 victory Sunday.

Bettis needed 54 yards to become the 14th player in NFL history to rush for 10,000 yards. He got them on his first five carries, gaining 103 yards by halftime and finishing with 153.

It was his 48th 100-yard game and eighth against Cincinnati (2-2) since 1996.

“A lot of times, I wasn’t seeing anybody until I got into their secondary,” Bettis said after the Steelers (2-1) outrushed the Bengals, 274-65. “Our offensive line was just gouging guys, so it was a matter of me making a guy miss here or running over a guy there.”

Bengal cornerback Tom Carter said: “When you play the Steelers, you’ve got to stop him, and we didn’t. That was the best I’ve seen him play, and that goes back to when we were freshmen at Notre Dame.”

Not that Bettis anticipated any problems. The Bettis Bus that sits outside the stadium during every home game-his nickname is the Bus-was painted with a logo proclaiming him as a member of the 10,000-yard club before the game.

Quarterback Kordell Stewart also was effective as a runner, gaining 61 yards in nine carries. He scored the Steelers’ only touchdown on an eight-yard run with 5:27 left in the second quarter.