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To break the NFL's single-season rushing record, Baltimore's Jamal Lewis must do something he's never done since joining the Ravens in 2000.
Namely, have a 100-yard game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Lewis has 23 100-yard games, including his league-record 295 yards against Cleveland this season. None of the 23 were against the Steelers, who have held him to an average of 59.6 yards in five games.
"The best way to take Jamal Lewis out of the game is to get a lead - (so) the option to run is not an option," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. "If they get a lead and he starts to pound, he gets stronger as the game goes along."
Those are the situations, Steelers defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen said, when Lewis "will go for 3-4-5 (yards), then 75."
"That is something we want to prevent," he said. "We want to keep him off the field as much as possible, because with Jamal Lewis chasing that record, they're probably going to give him the ball 40 times."
Even if the Browns (4-11) upset the Bengals (8-7) and the Ravens (9-6) don't need to beat Pittsburgh (6-9) on Sunday night to win the AFC North, Ravens coach Brian Billick said Lewis will play.
Lewis needs 48 yards to become the fifth 2,000-yard rusher in NFL history and 154 to break former Rams star Eric Dickerson's 1984 league record of 2,105 yards. Lewis has been held to 48 yards or fewer in two of his previous five games against Pittsburgh.
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Namely, have a 100-yard game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Lewis has 23 100-yard games, including his league-record 295 yards against Cleveland this season. None of the 23 were against the Steelers, who have held him to an average of 59.6 yards in five games.
"The best way to take Jamal Lewis out of the game is to get a lead - (so) the option to run is not an option," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. "If they get a lead and he starts to pound, he gets stronger as the game goes along."
Those are the situations, Steelers defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen said, when Lewis "will go for 3-4-5 (yards), then 75."
"That is something we want to prevent," he said. "We want to keep him off the field as much as possible, because with Jamal Lewis chasing that record, they're probably going to give him the ball 40 times."
Even if the Browns (4-11) upset the Bengals (8-7) and the Ravens (9-6) don't need to beat Pittsburgh (6-9) on Sunday night to win the AFC North, Ravens coach Brian Billick said Lewis will play.
Lewis needs 48 yards to become the fifth 2,000-yard rusher in NFL history and 154 to break former Rams star Eric Dickerson's 1984 league record of 2,105 yards. Lewis has been held to 48 yards or fewer in two of his previous five games against Pittsburgh.
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