Martin Gets Eyeful, Then Gives One

FOXBORO, Mass. — The tape everybody will be watching this week is of New England Patriot running back Curtis Martin going over, around and through the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday for 166 yards and three touchdowns, both figures tying personal bests.

But the tape Martin watched this past week was of the last time the two teams met. It was last season and, although Pittsburgh won, 41-27, to knock the Patriots out of playoff contention, Martin had a big day, gaining 120 yards in 20 carries.

New England running backs coach Maurice Carthon made Martin watch the tape to remind him of his success. Martin surpassed the 100-yard mark only twice this season after doing so nine times in 1995, including the last five games of the season.

Martin’s workload was heavier last season, when he carried 368 times, as opposed to only 316 times this season. And he still managed to gain 1,152 yards this season after rushing for 1,487 in 1995. Carthon kept telling his running back that he wanted to see the Martin of old this week.

“He’s been teasing me,” Martin said. “[He would say,] ‘I don’t know where this guy went to. I wish we could find this guy around here.’

“He may not know it, but he was really challenging me. He was kind of making me a little bit mad.”

If he had known it would have the effect it did, Carthon would have pulled that tape out in training camp.

*

Martin’s 78-yard run broke a club postseason record set by Robert Weathers, who had a 45-yard run against the Miami Dolphins in 1986.

*

There have been only two longer runs in the regular season by Patriots. Larry Garron ran 85 yards against the Buffalo Bills in a 1961 American Football League game and Carl Garrett had an 80-yard run against Miami in 1969.

*

Martin’s three rushing touchdowns tied a dozen others for the second highest postseason total in league history, exceeded only by the five rushing touchdowns scored by Ricky Watters, then with the San Francisco 49ers, against the New York Giants in 1993.

*

Patriot owner Bob Kraft was asked after the game about the status of his coach, Bill Parcells, who is rumored to be interested in the New York Jets’ position.

“I have one of the greatest coaches in the game,” Kraft said. “I would like to have him back. I have been asked 8,000 times about his status. [The media] keeps asking me and we keep winning. That seems to work for us.”

In other words, keep asking.

*

This was only the second postseason game hosted by the Patriots and they get to play host to another one next week. They lost their first one, 31-14, to the Houston Oilers back in 1978. “I want everybody in the same seats next week. Come on back. Same place,” Parcells said after Sunday’s victory. “Get here a little earlier. There’s more on the line.”

*

This was New England’s second postseason game of the ‘90s. The Patriots lost to the Cleveland Browns, 20-13, in 1995. . . . The Steelers had won their previous five games against the Patriots and last played at Foxboro in the 1979 season opener, which they won 16-13 in overtime, the season after winning their fourth Super Bowl.