THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 24, 1995 TAG: 9509240149
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: JIM DUCIBELLA
LENGTH: Long : 129 lines
Thurman Thomas of the Bills hasn't had a 100-yard rushing game since Week 6 last season. At age 29, has the former league MVP lost it?
He doesn't think so.
``Once you get up there in age, you have a lot of carries on you, you have a lot of yards on you, and everybody says `Well, he's taken a lot of hits.' Well, throughout my career I've never taken a lot of really hard hits,'' Thomas said one day last week after practice. ``Everybody says `He's slowing down,' or whatever, but I've never been a fast guy in the first place, so I don't know what people are talking about.''
What they're talking about is the fact Thomas has just 162 yards rushing this season after amassing 8,886 the previous eight. Last week against the Colts, Thomas rushed 19 times for 25 yards.
While coach Marv Levy denies there has been a decline in Thomas' abilities, he started giving backup Darick Holmes more playing time last week. Holmes gained 32 yards on seven carries against the Colts, even though he cut the wrong way several times.
Bills offensive coordinator Tom Bresnahan said Thomas has been slowed not by age or mileage but by opposing defensive schemes. Bresnahan said the Indianapolis defense crowded the line of scrimmage - daring Buffalo to pass. If the Bills can execute better with their passing game, that will open up Thomas for more yardage on the ground, he said.
``It's frustrating,'' Thomas said. ``And then the fans and the media talk about `Well, he's not doing this and doing that.' Well, we've only got five offensive linemen and they've got seven, eight guys. God's the only one who can get through that hole.''
HAPPY CAMPER: 49ers linebacker Ken Norton is a much happier fellow in his second year with San Francisco than he was in his first. A year ago, the transplanted Cowboy struggled to fit in with his new team, both on the field and in the locker room.
``At this time last year I wasn't sure what I was doing,'' Norton admitted. ``I was just running around.''
After signing a five-year, $8 million contract in 1994, Norton was considered something of a disappointment in the first half of the season. He stepped up the pace considerably in the second half and finished as the 49ers' leading tackler with 92.
After three games, it's a measure of how well the defense has played that Norton is not the leading tackler. Outside linebacker Lee Woodall, with 15, has four more than Norton. Under new defensive coordinator Pete Carroll, Norton is one of several players called on to blitz more than before. Against Atlanta, his blitz of Jeff George led to an interception return for a touchdown by strong safety Tim McDonald. In the New England game he shot through a gap in the line and Drew Bledsoe came away with a separated left shoulder.
``I try to compare where we are now with where we were a year ago and it's not even close,'' Norton said. ``We're all on the same page. We're all confident. The great thing is we haven't played our best football yet. It's amazing how much better we could be.
``It should be obvious to everybody we're getting better each week.''
HUDDLING WITH . . . Steelers cornerback Rod Woodson:
After your knee injury, people said you were out for the season. But you've already convinced your coach, Bill Cowher, to keep you on the active roster for an indefinite period of time rather than place you on injured reserve and bring in someone else.
We'll see how it works out for the team. If guys don't get injured they can (keep me activated). ... It all really depends. If it goes the way I hope it will, if they make the playoffs, which I think they will, I'll be able to suit up in time for the playoffs.
Is it true you were so involved in the diagnosis and analysis of your injury that you accepted a local anesthetic only and were fully alert as your surgery was performed?
Hey, I have to see what they're doing in there. I wanted to make sure they weren't making any mistakes ... Yeah, it's interesting. I was just trying to figure out what's in there.
And this is your first major injury? What's that like to deal with?
You're depressed for a while. ... I felt maybe it wasn't really happening. But you have to be mentally strong. If you're not mentally strong, your body can't be strong. I know it happened, I have to deal with it and start with the rehabilitation.
BLUE DARTS: Good News, Bad News - The good news for the Patriots is that their killer early-season schedule - Cleveland, Miami and San Francisco - is over. The bad news? The next three games are hardly walkovers. The Falcons are 2-1 with a home game against the Jets today. The Pats return home to face the always-dangerous John Elway and Denver (2-1) on Oct. 8, and then travel to Kansas City and play the 3-0 Chiefs. ... Think Don Shula can't handle pain? The Dolphins coach underwent knee surgery last week to repair torn cartilage in his right knee - an injury he suffered more than a year ago while jogging in Milwaukee. Shula has missed only two days of practice for health reasons in 33 years as a head coach - one day for the Achilles' tendon surgery and one day for surgery on his left knee in 1990. ... Here's one coach's analysis of the Patriots' scoring ability: ``The Patriots do not have a lot of offensive weapons, guys you would call playmakers. If they're going to score points, they have to play perfect football. No mistakes. No penalties. They don't make big plays in the running game, and their receivers are not the kind of guys who advance the ball after they catch it. They have to work the ball down the field, and when they get to the red zone, they can't get it in.'' Hear that and you think New England is lucky to be 1-2. ... Interesting battle brewing in Atlanta today. The Jets have allowed the fewest sacks in the league. Boomer Esiason has been dumped only once. Taking aim at Esiason today, however, is the Falcons' Chris Doleman. He leads the NFL in sacks with 5 1/2 and is facing the Jets' new tackle, Matt Willig. ... Unlike the Browns, who don't seem to have a clue how to get the ball to stud Andre Rison, the Falcons are getting their money's worth from ex-Brown Eric Metcalf. Terry's kid, who in six seasons with Cleveland never caught more than the 63 passes, already has pulled in 30 passes for 339 yards this year. ... The Oilers have held opponents to 29.4 percent on third down. ... Warren Moon of the Vikings needs only 158 yards passing to become the first pro quarterback to throw for 60,000 yards. ... The Colts look like they're headed for trouble. A favorable schedule at the start of the season has yielded a 1-2 record. They're off today, then head into the toughest four-week stretch of the season against unbeaten St. Louis, Miami and San Francisco and once-beaten Oakland. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Thurman Thomas
Ken Norton
Rod Woodson
Don Shula
Eric Metcalf
by CNB