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Parker sets team rushing record as Steelers top Browns

Dec 8, 2006 - 4:37 AM PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- Willie Parker etched his name in the record books for one of the NFL's most storied franchises.

Parker ran for a franchise-record 223 yards and one touchdown and Ben Roethlisberger threw for another score as the Pittsburgh Steelers posted a 27-7 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Rookie Santonio Holmes had four catches for 81 yards for the Steelers (6-7), who ran up 528 yards of total offense in a dominant performance.

"We put all the stuff on the table," Holmes said. "We just went after it. No one let up today. A few weeks ago, they said we stole one from them. We just wanted to prove that this is who we are. The performance (on Thursday), Nate (Washington) and me played pretty good."

Eclipsing John Fuqua's previous team record of 218 yards on September 20, 1970 against Philadelphia, Parker became the first Pittsburgh running back to rush for 200-plus yards more than once. The speedster also ran for 213 yards on November 12 vs. New Orleans, a remarkable feat for a running back that plays for the five-time Super Bowl champion Steelers.

"We just went in there with a swagger. We know they hate our guts. We just wanted to do everything right," said Parker, who set the club mark on 32 carries. "We know we haven't been playing good ball. The team just played really well. When I first got here, I analyzed and knew they never had a speed back."

"I knew Willie was getting close to (the record) and I wanted to give him every chance," Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher said. "It's good for Willie and I'm so happy for him because he's such an unselfish kid."

Roethlisberger was 11-for-21 for 225 yards, including a 49-yard TD pass to Washington that opened the scoring with 3:18 remaining in the first quarter.

"We're 1-0 after (Thursday). It starts over tomorrow," Roethlisberger said. "That's the approach we take. We go into every game at this point in the season fired up, ready to play our best football. It felt like one of our best offensive performances."

Second-year quarterback Derek Anderson was 21-for-37 for 276 yards and a touchdown in his first career start for Cleveland, which ran the ball only 11 times.

"I felt confident. I thought they were going to pressure more," Anderson said. "Once they got ahead, I guess they didn't need to. It hurts when you put the effort in every week. You have to make plays when they come up. We have to just reload for the next chance we get."

"We got beat thoroughly. Offense, defense, special teams didn't do much," Browns coach Romeo Crenell said. "I thought we had a chance a couple of times in the first half to get some momentum and make it a ballgame. We were unable to do anything and they beat us all the way around."