PITTSBURGH — If there was a crisis point in running back Willie Parker's breakthrough season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it came a month ago against Cincinnati.

Parker, who had rushed for 131 yards in an earlier 27-13 victory at Cincinnati, was benched by coach Bill Cowher after he fumbled twice in a span of three carries. The Steelers recovered both fumbles, but that wasn't enough to appease Cowher during what became a 38-31 loss to the Bengals.

"I think the message was real clear when he was standing next to me," Cowher said Tuesday. "You can't do that. Some things around here won't change. The one thing we've got to do is take care of the football."

Obviously, the message was received: Parker has carried 79 times for 414 yards since those fumbles without dropping the ball again. He was the only undrafted running back among the NFL's 16 1,000-yard rushers, and his 1,202 yards were the most by a Steelers player since Jerome Bettis ran for 1,341 yards in 2000.

And while Bettis was getting all the attention and all the touchdowns (3) in a 35-21 victory Sunday over Lions, it was Parker who was getting the yards — 135 yards on 26 carries. Parker has gained 265 yards in the Steelers' last two games and will be responsible for getting most of their important yardage in Sunday's playoff game at Cincinnati.

It's a major upgrade in responsibility for Parker from this time a year ago, when the former University of North Carolina backup wasn't activated for Pittsburgh's two playoff games. The Steelers haven't gone in the playoffs with such an inexperienced primary running back since 1989, when rookie Tim Worley led them with 770 yards, but Cowher said it's obvious what Parker means to them.

"Willie's got the one thing we've never had — the speed," Cowher said. "For a team that runs the football the way we want to run the football, to have a big-play player back there is a bonus."

Parker carried 225 times this season, only 60 fewer attempts than during his entire college career, but he is showing no signs of wearing down. He ended the season the way he started it, with consecutive 100-yard games, and his ability to break runs outside has forced opponents to commit extra defenders against the run."His running has improved dramatically," Cowher said of Parker, who had an 80-yard run against Cleveland on Dec. 26 and a 49-yarder against Minnesota the week before.That production, in turn, has meant Ben Roethlisberger needed to throw only 71 times during the Steelers' season-ending four-game winning streak, or fewer than 18 times per game.The Steelers didn't know for sure what they were getting when Parker unexpectedly began the season as their starter following training camp injuries to Bettis and Staley. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Parker hasn't given the job back."One thing you see now is when he makes a decision, he's going north and south," Cowher said. "You see him hitting the pile and going forward. I know one of the questions was, 'Can Willie run inside?" and I think he's answered a lot of that."Despite coming to the NFL with relatively little college experience, Parker did not require an extensive makeover by the Steelers. He spent most of last season watching and learning from Bettis and Staley, and he is still being coached by both of them."That's the fine line," Cowher said. "Don't try to overcoach him. Be careful. Let the kid run. He'll learn. He'll get better the more he does it."The Steelers' one big advantage over Cincinnati is their playoff experience; this is their fourth trip to the playoffs in five seasons, while the Bengals haven't been there since 1990. But, like all the Bengals' key regulars, this game will be a playoff first for Parker."Yeah, but I've made something out of nothing, and I can't look back now," he said. "I've got to keep going."