Beuerlein Starts Up Cowboys : Interconference: Former Raider leads Dallas to 20-10 victory over Steelers in his first start in two years.

The Raiders might not have thought so, but Steve Beuerlein is proving once again that he can be an effective starting quarterback in the NFL.

Beuerlein, replacing injured Troy Aikman, connected with Michael Irvin on a 66-yard touchdown pass play in the fourth quarter Thursday to help the Dallas Cowboys defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-10.

Beuerlein, obtained from the Raiders in August for a 1992 fourth-round draft pick, was making his first start in two years. He completed 14 of 25 passes for 217 yards and kept the Cowboys in the thick of the NFC playoff race.

“Beuerlein did just a great job filling in,” Cowboy Coach Jimmy Johnson said. “He executed the game plan, didn’t make any turnovers, then hit the big play.”

Aikman sustained a knee injury last week against Washington that will sideline him at least three weeks. Beuerlein came on against Washington and threw a touchdown pass to Irvin in a 24-21 victory.

“Beuerlein did a fantastic job and the more we work together the more we’ll make things happen,” Irvin said.

The Cowboys (8-5) are in a favorable position in the wild-card race. The Steelers (5-8) were virtually eliminated from contention in the AFC.

Irvin caught eight passes for 157 yards. None was more spectacular than the touchdown pass.

Beuerlein hit Irvin in stride as he cut across the middle. Safety Gary Jones missed a tackle and then Irvin shook off cornerback Rod Woodson at the Steelers’ 15-yard line to score standing up.

“The ‘playmaker’ made the play,” said Beuerlein, who was operating on a sprained left ankle. “He (Irvin) beat the safety to the ball.

“I was hoping he would get there first. It’s the kind of play you expect him to make and the kind of play we needed to break the game open.”

The Cowboys led, 13-10, when Beuerlein hooked up with Irvin on third and 10.

“I made some good plays and some bad plays,” said Beuerlein, who was 8-7 in 15 starts for the Raiders. “You’ve got to remember these are the same guys who shut down Warren Moon and the Houston Oilers. They threw us some loops.”

The Steelers trailed, 10-0, at halftime but came back on Gary Anderson’s 42-yard field goal and a three-yard scoring run by Warren Williams with 7:54 left.

Before Beuerlein connected with Irvin for the touchdown, the Cowboys had only a 43-yard field goal by Ken Willis in the second half. Willis missed three field-goal attempts.

Steeler Coach Chuck Noll said the touchdown pass was “good players making a good play. It could have been a big play in the other direction.”

“We just couldn’t make the big plays,” Noll said. “We could make all kind of excuses about it being a short week, but we won’t. But our young team played hard.”

Steeler quarterback Neil O’Donnell completed 17 of 36 passes for 167 yards.

The Cowboys drove 51 yards to a touchdown on their first possession with Emmitt Smith providing most of the offense. He rushed for 33 yards on the drive and caught a pass for eight more.

Smith, who gained 109 yards in 32 carries, got four yards on fourth and one from the 10-yard line, then scored from six yards out on the next play.

A high snap by Steeler center Dermonti Dawson gave the Cowboys a gift field goal to make it 10-0.

The Cowboys got the ball on the Steeler 27 and drove to the Pittsburgh one, where linebacker Jerrol Williams stopped Smith for no gain on consecutive plays. Willis then kicked an 18-yard field goal.

Dawson gave the Cowboys a chance with another bad snap in the first quarter at the Pittsburgh 15. But Beuerlein was sacked twice before Willis missed from 45 yards.

Williams also blocked a 47-yard field-goal attempt by Willis before halftime.