Forgotten Brister Resurfaces Just in Time : Interconference: He comes off the bench to throw touchdown pass that leads Steelers past Lions, 17-14.

As the Pittsburgh Steelers rose to the top of the AFC Central Division, Bubby Brister felt like a forgotten man.

Brister, playing for the first time all season, threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Tim Jorden following the fifth of six turnovers by the Detroit Lions to give the Steelers a 17-14 victory Sunday.

“Hey, guys, remember me?” Brister said to reporters after the game. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Brister, who came in during the previous series when Neil O’Donnell pulled a hamstring, hit a wide-open Jorden after a play-action fake as the Detroit defense keyed on Barry Foster.

“I’m the only receiver on that play,” Jorden said. “If I’m not open, we’re in trouble.”

Jorden, a backup tight end seeing extensive playing time only because of Eric Green’s suspension for drug use, had two receptions for 14 yards this season before his touchdown catch with 2:50 left.

“I think anybody in the stands could have made that throw,” said Brister, the Steelers’ starter the past five seasons who was injured during the exhibition season.

“It was the call that made the play work. Everybody knew the ball was going to Foster, the only question was which way he would run.”

Foster, who carried the ball 25 times, had 106 yards, his seventh 100-yard game of the season.

The Lions (2-8) had a 14-10 lead when Barry Sanders ran 42 yards to the Steelers’ two in the fourth quarter, but Sanders fumbled the ball away three plays later.

The Steelers (7-3) set up the game-winning touchdown when Rod Woodson forced a fumble by Erik Kramer and Carnell Lake ran it to the Lions’ three with 3:33 left.

Foster became the first NFL running back to gain 1,000 yards this season, finishing with 1,048. But he was nearly upstaged by Sanders, whose one-yard touchdown run gave the Lions a 14-10 lead in the fourth quarter.

Kramer, who replaced injured Rodney Peete, completed 20 of 37 passes for 304 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown play to Willie Green in the second quarter after the Steelers took a 10-0 lead.

Pittsburgh got its early lead on O’Donnell’s 11-yard scoring pass to Ernie Mills and Gary Anderson’s 20-yard field goal.