A couple of weeks ago, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made an interesting comment about the state of his team.

With Roethlisberger statistically ranked among the top quarterbacks, he basically said that this was not the Steelers of old, that the team didn't need a strong running game to win.

Going back to the 1970s, the Steelers used a combination of ridiculously strong defense and a ground game that featured Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier to help control the clock.

The defense and running game also were staples of Bill Cowher's 15-year run.

With Barry Foster, Bam Morris and Jerome Bettis, power running was the backbone of the offense, not the quarterback.

Neil O'Donnell, Kordell Stewart and Tommy Maddox weren't the focal point of the offense, just strong contributors.

Now, with the ground game in disarray the past couple of seasons — remember, the Steelers had just one 100-yard rusher in a nine-game stretch before the regular-season finale against Cleveland — Rashard Mendenhall showed in Monday's 28-10 victory over the Denver what a running game can bring to the table.

Roethlisberger, who has displayed his abilities in leading the Steelers to two Super Bowl championships, has developed into a take-charge, ball-control quarterback.

Instead of having to rely on the ground game, he has almost single-handedly become the offense.

Roethlisberger has completed 185 of 262 passes (70.6 percent) for 2,295 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season.

Mendenhall, now the team's starting rusher, has carried 100 times for 573 yards and four scores while Willie Parker, once the heir apparent to Bettis, has only 187 yards on 60 carries and no touchdowns.

The Steelers, whose lack of a ground game contributed mightily to its 1-2 start, rebounded nicely when Mendenhall became the starter against San Diego and rushed for 165 yards on 29 carries and two scores.

That boost helped the team embark on a five-game winning streak and looks to be able to take some of the pressure off Roethlisberger.

When Mendenhall rushed for 155 yards against the Broncos, with 130 coming in the second half, it opened up the offense and the Broncos couldn't key on Roethlisberger.

Perhaps Roethlisberger believes the team doesn't need to run first and pass second. Maybe that is true to some extent.

But while the team won the Super Bowl with mediocre offensive numbers — Roethlisberger had 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions and Parker and Mewelde Moore rushed for 791 and 588 yards, respectively — the No. 1 ranked defense made up for any deficiencies.

The Steelers shouldn't have to rely on the same formula as last year.

The re-emergence of a running game can only bolster this team — and Roethlisberger would readily admit that it can only help the team's chances — just like the good ol' days.