PRO FOOTBALL : Steelers Rout Colts, 45-3, Behind Malone, Lipps

Mark Malone completed 21 of 28 passes for 287 yards and 5 touchdowns and ran for another score as the Pittsburgh Steelers routed the Indianapolis Colts, 45-3, Sunday at Three Rivers Stadium.

“I thought I had a good game,” said Malone, who threw one interception. “But as I’ve said in the past--and I think it’s extremely important--when two receivers run good routes and those guys in front are giving you time and you’re running the ball, well, you’re going to have good days.”

Louis Lipps was one of the men running good routes, hauling in a career-high nine passes for 154 yards and touchdown catches of 7, 11 and 16 yards.

“When everybody works together like this--offensively and defensively--good things will happen,” Lipps said. “That’s what happened today.”

Malone, who tied Terry Bradshaw’s team single-game record with his five touchdown passes, also completed scoring throws of 11 yards to Rich Erenberg and six yards to John Stallworth.

Stallworth finished with 5 catches for 65 yards.

Gary Anderson added a 30-yard field goal for Pittsburgh, but had a 51-yard attempt bounce off the right upright.

The Colts, who upset the Steelers, 17-16, on a last-minute touchdown last year, looked disorganized. Indianapolis managed just nine first downs, one of them by penalty, and had just 159 yards in total offense.

“We did not perform,” said Colt Coach Rod Dowhower, the former San Diego Charger assistant who was making his NFL head coaching debut. “All of our practices have been good, our attitude has been good, and they play hard. But when the bottom line has been counted, they didn’t perform.

“Give the Pittsburgh Steelers credit. They have two fine receivers who are as good as any in this league.”

Indianapolis quarterback Art Schlichter completed 12 of 24 passes with 2 interceptions for 107 yards before he injured his right knee late in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Mike Pagel. The Colts’ leading rusher was Randy McMillan, who had 29 yards on nine carries.

“That’s a great performance against people who are very offensively oriented,” Steeler Coach Chuck Noll said. “It was a great job by our people inside.”

Added Dowhower: “It was a tough baptism under fire for our quarterback and our young offense. They went right after us with the pass and scored in six of their first nine drives. They are a good, solid football team.”

Raul Allegre enabled the Colts to avoid a shutout with a 39-yard field goal in the first quarter.

The Steelers moved the ball well in the first half, scoring on all but one of their possessions and accumulating 239 yards in total offense. Pittsburgh led at halftime, 24-3.

The trend continued in the second half, with Pittsburgh scoring on all but three possessions.

The 45 points were the most scored by the Steelers in a season-opener in their 53-year history.