Jerome Bettis: NFC playoffs wide open, AFC's got two heavyweights

Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis rushed for more than 13,000 yards and won a Super Bowl in his final season with the Steelers in 2005. During this year's Super Bowl festivities in Minneapolis, Bettis will participate in the Land O'Lakes Farm Bowl on Feb. 1 at 3M Arena at Mariucci. He chatted about that event and several football topics with the Star Tribune's Michael Rand:

Q What exactly is the Farm Bowl?

A Active and former NFL players are going to team up with farmers and go through some farmer-themed challenges. It's a great opportunity to showcase an industry that has a lot of career opportunities.

Q What are you watching for in this year's NFL playoffs?

A In the NFC, I think anybody has the opportunity to get to the Super Bowl. In the AFC, you have two heavyweights. Pittsburgh is still trying to close the gap with the Patriots. … The last game came down to the last play. When that happens, you know you're not that far off.

Q Speaking of that last game, can you tell me what a catch is?

A [laughs] You have to maintain the ball and survive the ground. You know what, though, it looks different than what a catch used to look like. I will say this: In accordance with the rules, that was an accurate call. Like it or not, it was accurate.

A It comes down to a couple things. One, how you're playing but two, who you're playing. Sometimes certain teams give you problems and certain teams don't. ... It becomes a matchup situation in terms of who you're playing and how well you're playing.

Q As a Hall of Famer yourself, who do you like for enshrinement this year?

A Alan Faneca [Bettis' former Steelers teammate] is the guy that I think definitely deserves to be there. … I also got a chance to play with Isaac Bruce and he's a great player who deserves an opportunity. But when you look at receivers the one guy who I think is at the top of the list is Randy Moss. He deserves top billing. I will say this, Terrell Owens is a guy who has waited his turn. If I was a voter, this would be a very tough situation because you have some great choices.

Q When you won the Super Bowl, the game was in your hometown of Detroit. But what about the Vikings this year, who have a chance to play in their home stadium?

A Oh, man, that would be amazing. … When you talk home-field advantage, usually in the Super Bowl it's more neutral. Fans are very corporate, and they come from all over. If you had a Super Bowl in Minneapolis, you're going to get a much more Minneapolis fan base than you normally would. They would spend more for a ticket because they don't have to pay for hotel or airplane.