THE NFL: WEEKEND CLOSE-UP : Even Steelers Get Downright Offensive

Was any offense lost with the NFL’s decision to speed up games?

Not by Sunday’s results, when even Pittsburgh scored an offensive touchdown. In fact, the Steelers scored four of them, three in a 17-minute span.

After an average of 39 points per game over the first four weeks--two fewer than for the 1989 season--almost 49 points per game were scored in 11 contests Sunday.

Yes, defense and special teams kicked in, especially in Buffalo, where the Bills scored 17 fourth-quarter points with defense and special teams in their 38-24 victory over the Raiders.

But in Anaheim, the Bengals and Rams combined for 1,040 yards as Cincinnati won, 34-31, in overtime. (Story, C1.) Boomer Esiason threw for 471 yards and Jim Everett had 372, making Chris Miller’s career best 366 yards for Atlanta only the third-best performance of the day.

Five receivers--three Bengals and two Rams--had more than 100 yards receiving.

In Atlanta, the Falcons beat the Saints, 28-27, in a game in which there were just three punts. Atlanta didn’t punt until the third quarter.

Then there were the Steelers, who finally scored an offensive touchdown after 19 quarters, then added three more in a 36-14 victory over San Diego.

INCONCLUSIVE: This was the first week in which teams that had a week off resumed play. The results were . . . inconclusive.

Two of the teams played each other, with Atlanta beating New Orleans.

But both the Rams and 49ers got off to slow starts, San Francisco falling behind before winning, 24-21, in Houston. The Rams fell behind 21-0 against the Bengals--who had lost Monday night and spent the week in Seattle--before rallying to send the game into overtime.

The Rams lost anyway, 34-31.

“I really don’t think the bye was a factor,” said Rams quarterback Jim Everett. “I still look at it as a positive. We had some guys injured who came back and played very well, although we did start out a little slower than we would have liked to.”

MOTIVATOR GONE: The Bills kept the Raiders from finally fulfilling their wish. That is, Art Shell was motivating his team by telling them “people think we’re the worst 3-0 team in the league,” then “people think we’re the worst 4-0 team in the league.”

Had they held their 10-point fourth-quarter lead Sunday night, they would have been the worst 5-0 team in the league because they would have been the only one--the 49ers (4-0) were off a week ago and the Giants (4-0) were off Sunday.

HE’S BACK . . . : After becoming the star of the pregame shows with his almost flawless performance this season, Kansas City’s Steve DeBerg had a game that showed why he’s floated from Dallas to San Francisco to Denver to Tampa Bay to Kansas City since 1977. In the Chiefs’ 23-19 loss to the Colts, he threw his first three interceptions of the season and was 16 of 36 for 212 yards.

AND HE’S BACK . . . : Seattle’s Derrick Fenner was held to two touchdowns as the Seahawks beat New England, 33-20. That gives him eight in his last three games.