Steelers Show They Belong in Playoffs : AFC: Morris scores two touchdowns, defense records five sacks in 38-15 victory over Bengals.

The Pittsburgh Steelers became a playoff team Sunday by finally playing like one.

Bam Morris ran over the Cincinnati Bengals all afternoon and the pass rush brought Jeff Blake down to earth again and again in a 38-15 victory that was the Steelers’ most emphatic of the season.

Pittsburgh (10-3) didn’t celebrate very much after clinching at least a wild-card berth--there’s still a little matter of the AFC Central title and home-field advantage to be decided.

The Steelers took a one-game lead over Cleveland when the Browns lost to the New York Giants, 16-13. In two weeks, the Browns and Steelers play in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers left rainy Riverfront Stadium knowing if they keep playing like this, they could be playing well into January.

“We believe in our talent. Right now, we’re playing really well,” said Rod Woodson, who returned one of the Steelers’ two interceptions for a touchdown. “This team is so different. You can’t even compare it to our teams the last few years that lost in the first round.”

This Pittsburgh team is setting itself apart from the ones that lost first-round playoff games the last two years. It’s been very consistent down the stretch, winning five in a row for the first time since 1983. And its defense is simply scary.

Just ask Blake, who came into the game as the AFC’s top-ranked passer but had trouble with the Steelers.

Blake, sacked only eight times in the first five games, went down five times Sunday, all in the second half. He completed only eight of 19 for a season-low 156 yards as the Bengals (2-11) were held to less than 200 total yards for only the second time this season.

“They opened up their offense and we opened up our defense,” linebacker Greg Lloyd said. “This guy (Blake), he was like everybody else out there. They don’t know where we’re coming from.”

Here, there and everywhere. They forced two interceptions and Lloyd stripped Blake on a sack.

“They rushed outside, but they rushed inside too,” Blake said. “I wasn’t able to step up in the pocket like I usually do.”

That’s not all. The defense provided the pivotal moment with a goal-line stand from the two-yard line late in the first half. Derrick Fenner ran three times for 1 1/2 yards and Blake was forced into a hurried incompletion.

“We just didn’t get it done, for whatever reason,” Fenner said. “I don’t know what to say. They played good defense--how about that?”