Steelers Hold Off Redskins for a 44-31 Victory

Bubby Brister threw two touchdown passes during a 31-point second quarter that propelled the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 44-31 exhibition victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins Friday night.

Running back Warren Williams scored twice in the second period, and Tyronne Stowe returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown as the Steelers turned a 6-0 deficit into a 31-6 halftime lead.

The Redskins used a safety, three second-half touchdown runs by Willard Reaves and a 39-yard field goal by rookie Chip Lohmiller to cut the margin to 34-31 with 8:53 left, but the Steelers pulled away to win their first exhibition opener in three years.

A sellout crowd of 51,460 at RFK Stadium saw a ragged performance by the Super Bowl champions.

Doug Williams, the most valuable player in Washington’s 42-10 rout of Denver in Super Bowl XXII, completed 5 of 9 passes for 77 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown to Anthony Allen, a standout from Washington’s 1987 strike-replacement team. Jay Schroeder, the deposed starter who has asked team officials to trade him, completed 5 of 16 passes, with 2 interceptions.

Pittsburgh took the lead for good 1:50 into the second quarter when Brister capped a 72-yard drive with a 2-yard scoring pass to Mike Hinnant. Twenty-one seconds later, Stowe pulled a bobbled pass out of the hands of Washington tight end Terry Orr and turned it into a score.