Steelers Still Have Work to Do : AFC: Cowher praises his team but says new ‘Steel Curtain’ has more to accomplish.

Bill Cowher didn’t intend to be rude; the Pittsburgh Steelers’ coach simply didn’t want to take credit for a job he feels is not yet done.

That’s why, when asked if his defense is as good as the vaunted “Steel Curtain Defense” of the great Pittsburgh teams of the 1970s, he shook his head even before the question was completed.

“I think it’s unfair to compare this with anything until this thing is said and done,” Cowher said after the Steelers’ 21-3 victory over the Raiders on Sunday at the Coliseum. “We haven’t accomplished a thing. We can still improve. If we take this objectively, we’ll be fine. If we start reading our press clippings, we’ll go to the outhouse as fast as we got to the penthouse.”

The Steelers (9-3) retained a share of the AFC Central lead--and remained tied with the Cleveland Browns and San Diego Chargers for the best record in the conference--with a performance Cowher could hardly fault.

After keeping the Raiders out of the end zone Sunday, the Steelers have given up only 85 points in their last eight games. They held the Raiders to 57 yards rushing, the eighth time they’ve held an opponent to fewer than 100 rushing yards. And, by sacking Raider quarterbacks Jeff Hostetler and Vince Evans five times, they ran their league-leading total to 45 sacks.

“A very impressive win,” Cow-her said. “I can’t say enough about the way we came out and went about our business.”

The Raiders knew what the Steelers’ business would be--blitz, blitz and blitz again--yet they were powerless to stop it. They tried to sidestep that by keeping to the ground, but the Steelers were ready for that too.

“We kind of thought they were going to try and come out and establish the running game because that’s what most teams try to do,” said linebacker Kevin Greene, the former Ram. “I don’t think they did anything surprising.”

Greene, who has become an integral part of what might be the NFL’s best defensive unit, said he does not miss playing in Southern California. He still has a house here, but his heart is in Pittsburgh.

“The Rams were playing me out of position. The Steelers are a playoff contender, and I knew I was going to have fun,” said Greene, who had five tackles Sunday and shared in another, in addition to two sacks. “It’s just fun to play in a defense where they play you to the best of your abilities.”

The Steelers got the most out of their offense too. Led by running back Barry Foster, who had 82 yards in 20 carries, they ran for 175 yards against a Raider defense that had given up only 38 yards rushing in its previous two games. Quarterback Mike Tomczak, starting in place of the injured Neil O’Donnell for the second successive week, completed 12 of 27 passes for 131 yards, showing poise and creativity at every turn.

Driving the Steelers 80 yards to their first touchdown, he mixed handoffs to Foster (four times) and Bam Morris (once) with a pass out of the shotgun to Ernie Mills for 10 yards on a third-and-eight. He found Eric Green for a 20-yard pass on third and two at the Steeler 40-yard line, and finished it off with a 27-yard pass to Yancey Thigpen after Foster had been pushed back for a one-yard loss.

For his effort, Tomczak got a seat on the bench next week. Cowher said O’Donnell will start against Cincinnati, a decision Tomczak accepted gracefully.

“So be it. I have no problem with that,” said Tomczak, who collected a career-high 343 yards last week in the Steelers’ 16-13 overtime victory over Miami. “I’ve played enough games to satisfy my ego. Sure, it’s reassuring when you can come in and play well. There’s not much job security in this profession.”

One thing he does have is a Super Bowl ring. He earned it in 1985, as Jim McMahon’s backup with the Chicago Bears, and playing only a secondary role in another triumph wouldn’t bother him.

“When I flash it to people, they say, ‘How’d you get that?’ ” he said. “It doesn’t say backup. It says team. It says championship. That’s what’s important.”