Steelers Teach the Chiefs a Lesson, 27-3 : AFC: Cowher coaches Pittsburgh to victory over former mentor Schottenheimer.

Pittsburgh played its best game of the season Sunday night and Kansas City played its worst.

The result was a 27-3 blowout by the Steelers.

“For the first time, all three phases stepped up,” said first-year Steeler Coach Bill Cowher, who spent seven seasons as assistant and protege to Chief Coach Marty Schottenheimer. “We had to have a game where we put all three phases together, offense, defense and the kicking game.”

Cowher insisted he felt no special satisfaction in beating his former team.

“The only satisfaction is the fact that now we’re 5-2 and getting ready to play Houston next week, with the chance to see who is going to be the first-place team.”

Rod Woodson’s 80-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter set the tone as the Steelers outplayed the Chiefs in every facet and maintained their tie with Houston for first in the AFC Central.

“We really did want to win this one for coach Cowher,” said quarterback Neil O’Donnell, who passed for 114 yards and one touchdown. “No one brought it up. No one made a big deal out of it. We knew how much it meant to him.”

Was it the worst game the Chiefs have played in Schottenheimer’s almost five years as coach?

“Absolutely,” Schottenheimer said. “We played poorly in every phase. They drilled us. They beat us in every phase.”

The Chiefs (4-4) converted only one of 10 third downs, had the ball for almost 10 minutes less than the Steelers, fumbled three times, had three passes intercepted and managed only 58 net passing yards.

The Steelers took a 7-0 lead on Woodson’s return and were ahead, 13-0, before the Chiefs scored.

Barry Foster of the Steelers rushed 24 times for 105 yards, and Gary Anderson kicked two field goals to move into 10th place on the NFL’s all-time list with 247. It was the fifth 100-yard game this year for Foster and pushed his season total to 747 yards.

The Chiefs’ Barry Word, who came into the game as the AFC’s third-leading rusher, injured a foot in the first quarter and did not return.

It was the second consecutive loss for the Chiefs, who have a bye Sunday.

“Do we really want it? I think we had better think about that,” Chiefs’ defensive end Neil Smith said. “I wish I could tell you what was missing.”

It was the first poor game for quarterback Dave Krieg, who joined the Chiefs this year as a free agent. Krieg completed nine of 27 passes for 82 yards and had three passes intercepted.

“They just executed and played a lot better than we did,” Krieg said.

Woodson got the third punt-return touchdown of his career by running up the middle in the first quarter. Punter Bryan Barker and Lonnie Martz each got a hand on Woodson, but were unable to halt him.

The Steelers, aided by two penalties, drove 48 yards in 12 plays to set up Anderson’s 49-yard field goal that made the score 10-0 with 13:18 left in the half.

Anderson kicked a 30-yard field goal later in the second quarter that put the Steelers ahead, 13-0.

Eddie Murray, a 13-year veteran signed by the Chiefs this week as insurance for the injured Nick Lowery, ended the first half with a 52-yard field goal, the Chiefs’ longest since 1987.

D.J. Johnson stepped in front of Fred Jones on the Chiefs’ 33-yard line in the third quarter to intercept Krieg’s pass on the sideline. He returned it 31 yards to the two, and two plays later Foster bulled his way into the end zone for a 20-3 lead.

The Steelers ensured the victory with a 12-play, 65-yard drive in the fourth quarter. Eric Green took O’Donnell’s four-yard pass in the end zone with 6:05 to play.