Near the tail-end of one of the better regular seasons in franchise history, the Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves in a bit of dire straights in the backfield two days before Christmas
Future Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis was scheduled to sit out his third consecutive game late in the 2001 season, leaving the Steelers periously thin at the position under head coach Bill Cowher. Amos Zereoue did a nice job stepping up in his place, but fourth-year running back Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala emerged as the lead back on December 23, 2001 at Heinz Field against the lowly Detroit Lions.