Curtain Comes Down on Eagles : Interconference: Pittsburgh scores twice in the fourth quarter to rally past a fast fading Philadelphia, 14-3.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense of the ‘90s can receive no higher tribute than this: Even the architect of the Steel Curtain defense is copying it.

The Steelers, shut out for three quarters by Philadelphia defensive coordinator Bud Carson’s ingenious mix of Steeler-like blitzes and changing coverages, scored twice in less than two minutes of the fourth quarter to defeat the Eagles, 14-3, Sunday.

Andre Hastings and John L. Williams, neither of whom had a touchdown this season, scored 1:48 apart to send the Steelers (11-3) to their sixth consecutive victory and the Eagles (7-7) to their fifth loss in a row.

“The Steel Curtain was a great defense, but we’re a great defense too,” defensive end Ray Seals said after the Steelers limited the Eagles to 105 yards. “What’s good is we’re getting better and better every week.”

The Steelers will play Cleveland (10-4) next Sunday in Three Rivers Stadium with the AFC Central title likely to be decided. The Eagles, who started 7-2, now must beat the Giants and Bengals to have a shot at making the playoffs.

But barely. The Eagles’ already-bad offense got even worse, managing only 59 passing yards by Randall Cunningham against the best Steeler defense since Carson coached the Steel Curtain in the 1970s.

The Steelers had three sacks, giving them a team-record 53 in 14 games and breaking the team record of 52 set by the 1974 Steel Curtain.

“This defense wants to go to the Super Bowl,” Seals said. “You can’t ask for much more than what our defense is playing right now.”

Carson must think so. He borrowed liberally from some of the Steelers’ pet schemes--eight-man fronts with blitzing safeties and multiple pass defenses with blitzes--to confuse Pittsburgh at its own game for three quarters.

“But this defense knows we just have to get it to the fourth quarter,” Seals said, pointing to Pittsburgh’s 101-51 final-quarter scoring advantage.

The Eagles don’t. Cunningham has thrown a costly second-half interception in each of the Eagles’ five consecutive losses, and he did it again as Darren Perry picked him off, setting up Williams’ three-yard touchdown run with 8:16 remaining.

Hastings had put Pittsburgh up, 7-3, coming off the bench for a 27-yard catch on a third-and-16 play that set up his own 18-yard touchdown catch at the 10:04 mark.

Hastings, who had played little since being benched at midseason, and Williams accounted for all but two yards on an 83-yard drive that was the Steelers’ longest of the season. Quarterback Neil O’Donnell, finally figuring out the whipping winds that swirled throughout a chilly Three Rivers, completed 19 of 35 passes for 158 yards and an interception.

Bubby Brister, who unsuccessfully lobbied Eagle coach Rich Kotite to start, warmed up on the sidelines, but never got in. But Cunningham’s latest ineffective performance likely means a repeat of last week’s quarterback controversy.