ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- On Monday afternoon, Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz said, "in horse racing, [Reggie Bush] wouldn't be called a mudder."
On Tuesday afternoon, Bush disagreed with his coach's characterization of him as a running back.
"I pride myself on being able to run in all conditions, you know what I mean, and I think the opposite," Bush said. "I think running in those types of conditions is, for me, I think is better because now the defenders have to be constantly on their heels and toes, and we can get guys off-balanced in mud and when it's rainy and slippery. It's kind of an advantage to the running back.
"So I think that just, [I] didn't do a good job of running balanced, so to speak, and keeping my feet underneath me. I just didn't handle the situation well."
Bush did, though, say he is a running back who can play well in all conditions. His best games back that up. Bush ran for 203 yards in the snow for the Miami Dolphins against Buffalo on Dec. 18, 2011, and he has had six 100-yard rushing games on grass fields.
But he was held to 31 rushing yards and 54 yards of total offense Sunday on what was a wet, beat-up Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Bush lost a fumble -- his second in three weeks -- and slipped multiple times on the surface. The Steelers beat the Lions, 37-27.
Schwartz opted to go with rookie Theo Riddick over Bush when the Lions were trailing in the fourth quarter, even after their other running back, Joique Bell, was injured.
"You know, Reggie's not, in horse racing, wouldn't be called a mudder," Schwartz said Monday. "He's an explosively quick guy and he's better on a fast track -- I'm sure Barry Sanders probably went through a lot of that here -- where Joique is a little different style runner and was having effectiveness.
"We get those guys different reps anyway and try to feature both of them."
Bush, to his credit, said he needs to play better in sloppier weather.
"Just, it's just, have to do a better job in those conditions," Bush said. "Sometimes, especially for a guy like me, I can't overaggressively cut. I got to keep my feet underneath me a little bit more and just [handle] the situation better.
"Whatever that entails, that's what I got to do. That's what I got to get done."