PRO FOOTBALL : Lipps Delivers KO This Time as Lions Fall, 27-17

Louis Lipps, only a week after being knocked out by a forearm blow landed by Chicago Bears linebacker Otis Wilson, delivered a 1-2 knockout punch to the Detroit Lions.

A two-time Pro Bowl player who has been injured much of the season, Lipps caught two touchdown passes and his 48-yard reception set up a third Pittsburgh score as the Steelers rallied to beat the Lions, 27-17, on Sunday.

Lipps, who had only one previous touchdown catch this season, caught a 12-yard first-half scoring pass in the front right corner of the end zone before his spectacular 39-yard catch of a Mark Malone pass gave the Steelers the lead for good, 24-17.

Lipps finished with 8 receptions for 150 yards and proved his season didn’t end when he was knocked unconscious by Wilson’s forearm uppercut.

“It feels good to be contributing again to the offense,” said Lipps, who scored for the first time in nine games.

Quarterback Mark Malone, who was 18 of 32 for a season-high 232 yards, said the Steelers’ ability to run the ball woke up the Steeler passing offense. Earnest Jackson ran for 147 yards and a touchdown in 28 carries.

“Teams have been able to run the ball on them all year and we thought we could, too,” Malone said. “When we started throwing on them, we spread the defense out and that made everything work that much better.”

The Steelers (5-9), who broke a two-game losing streak, turned two interceptions by Lions’ quarterback Joe Ferguson into a 10-0 first-half lead before the Lions (5-9) scored 17 straight points.

Garry James ran 60 yards for a touchdown and Eddie Murray kicked a 30-yard field goal before Ferguson hit Jeff Chadwick for a 1-yard scoring pass with 9:53 remaining in the third period, two plays after a 51-yard Ferguson to Pete Mandley completion.

Malone, on the Steelers’ next play, hit Lipps for a 48-yard gain to the Lions’ 17. Malone then threw to Walter Abercrombie for 9 yards and Jackson scored from a yard out four plays later to make it 17-17.

On the Steelers’ next possession following a 30-yard Jim Arnold punt, Lipps caught a Malone pass at the Lions’ 20 on second and 10 and fought off free safety Devon Mitchell with a stiff arm the final 15 yards into the end zone.