It’s Curtains for Steelers’ New Offense : AFC: Fans let them have it as Dolphins cruise to a 28-6 victory. Pittsburgh hasn’t scored touchdown on offense yet. Noll says his confused club will go back to basics.

Not all Pittsburgh sports fans spent Sunday basking in the glow of the Pirates’ clinching of the National League East title.

For the 54,691 who attended the Steelers’ game against the Miami Dolphins at Three Rivers Stadium, Sunday was a day to boo quarterback Bubby Brister, chant “Joe must go!” at new offensive coordinator Joe Walton and cringe at the sight of the Steelers, who have yet to score an offensive touchdown this season, being dominated by the Dolphins, 28-6. For some, it was even a day to put paper bags on their heads.

“We can’t play any worse than we did today,” Steeler Coach Chuck Noll said.

The Steelers certainly have to hope he is right.

In falling to 1-3, they failed to score an offensive touchdown for the fourth consecutive game and allowed the Dolphins (3-1) to crank out three long touchdown drives on their first three possessions en route to a 21-3 halftime lead. Given the fact that the Steelers could not muster a first down with their first four possessions and finished the half with one first down and 27 yards of offense--25 of it coming on the final series--the Dolphins’ lead seemed safe.

Last season, the Steelers rebounded from an 0-2 start to reach the playoffs. But with the 1-3 start and a schedule that sends them to Denver and San Francisco after a game against the Chargers in Pittsburgh next Sunday, the Steelers know that turning around the 1990 season is a challenge that may be beyond them.

“We’re in a deep hole,” running back Tim Worley said. “It’s all mental right now. It just didn’t seem like we were into it today. They jumped on us from the start and never quit. Once we got behind 14-0, we had to play catch-up, and guys were like . . . . “ Worley, who had five carries for 11 yards, let a shrug finish his thought.

How frustrated is this team?

“We haven’t scored a touchdown in four games,” said the Steelers’ other running back, Merril Hoge. “I mean, there’s not a whole lot of confidence in this locker room right now.”

Sunday, there was also talk in the dressing room that the NFL’s original lunch-pail franchise had punched out early.

“We were down, 14-0, and people were walking on the field with their heads down,” cornerback Rod Woodson said. “Fourteen-0, that’s nothing. We’ve got to get a new attitude. If we have to buy an attitude, then buy it. But we need something.”

Noll, for his part, indicated that it may be time for the Steelers to go back to basics on offense.

“We’ll go halfback right, halfback left, fullback right, fullback left and see what happens,” he said.

Noll brought in Walton, who was fired last year as head coach of the New York Jets, to retool the Steelers’ offense, the NFL’s worst passing offense a year ago. Brister has complained that Walton has given the Steelers too much to digest, but Sunday’s display of ineptitude (160 yards of offense, eight first downs) was a product of the players as much as the system.

Pressured by a heavy rush most of the day, Brister completed only seven of 18 passes for 76 yards and was intercepted three times, twice by Miami cornerback Tim McKyer, in a span of 8:31 in the second half.

On the second interception, Brister, throwing on first down at the Miami 47, badly overthrew an open Mike Mularkey, the Steeler tight end, and McKyer was in position to pick off the floater.

The Steelers quickly got the ball back after the Dolphins were forced to punt, but Brister responded with a more telling mistake. His pass on third-and-nine from the Pittsburgh 10 was deflected at the line of scrimmage by Miami safety Liffort Hobley and intercepted by linebacker Eric Kumerow, and the Dolphins wound up with the ball at the Steelers’ five. Three plays later, Tony Paige ran one yard for the touchdown that gave Miami its 28-6 cushion with 8:21 left.

On the Steelers’ next series, Noll replaced Brister with second-year backup Rick Strom, one of the few things that drew cheers during the afternoon. Strom completed five of seven passes for 76 yards in his mop-up opportunity.

“One day you’re the hero, the next day you’re the goat in this business,” Brister said later. “The same people who loved us last year are down on us now, and rightfully so. If I was in the stands, I’d boo, too. They have something to boo about, that’s for damn sure.”