Against Steeler Defense, It’s Curtains for Bengals

The question no longer is if Chad Brown can replace Greg Lloyd. What the NFL must be wondering is if Pittsburgh’s defense can keep playing like it did in the days of Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert and Jack Ham.

The Steelers put on a defensive show reminiscent of the Steel Curtain of the 1970s, sacking Jeff Blake 10 times and scoring on Rod Woodson’s fumble return in beating the Cincinnati Bengals, 20-10, Sunday.

Just like the old days, the Steelers (5-1) turned to their standbys--defense and the running game--to win their fifth in a row. It is their first 5-1 start since they last won the Super Bowl in 1979.

Cincinnati (1-5) has lost 10 of its last 11 to Pittsburgh.

Brown, who moved to outside linebacker after Lloyd tore up a knee in the Steelers’ opener and is still learning the position, had 4 1/2 sacks for 27 yards in losses, four tackles, seven assists, one forced fumble, two pass defenses and an interception. And Jerome Bettis ran for 109 yards in his fifth consecutive 100-yard game, one short of the team record set by Franco Harris in 1972.

For a sunny October afternoon, the Steelers woke up the echoes of what many consider the best defense in NFL history. Greene set the Steelers’ record with five sacks against Houston in 1972.

“I’ve never been able to put up those kind of numbers, but I’ve played better games. And I can play better,” said Brown, who hadn’t played outside linebacker since college until this season.

Only two weeks before, Oiler cornerback Cris Dishman dismissed Brown as “a practice squad player” who couldn’t make Houston’s starting lineup.

“I’m beginning to piece it all together,” Brown said. “We take a test the night before a game, and this was the first time I didn’t have to cheat.”

The 10 sacks accounted for 66 yards in lost yardage and matched the Steelers’ 1992 team record, also against Cincinnati.

Brown’s interception set up Norm Johnson’s 22-yard field goal with 11:35 remaining that made it 13-3. Later, Levon Kirkland ran over running back Ki-Jana Carter to punch the ball loose while sacking Blake, and Woodson returned it 42 yards with 3:29 to go.

At that point, the Steelers’ defense had scored as many touchdowns (four) as it had given up since Pittsburgh lost its opener to Jacksonville. But Blake later hooked up with Carl Pickens on a three-yard touchdown pass with 1:20 left to cut the Pittsburgh lead to 10. Pickens has three touchdown catches in his last three games against Pittsburgh.

Mike Tomczak, who threw for 338 yards in the Steelers’ 17-7 Monday night victory over Kansas City, was 14 for 28 for 182 yards with two interceptions. Blake’s numbers certainly looked good enough--23 for 30 for 229 yards--but many were dump-off passes as he fled Pittsburgh’s rush.

Early in the second half, Tomczak tossed a screen pass to his right that Kordell Stewart momentarily juggled before controlling with one hand and running in for his second touchdown catch of the season.