Steelers Are in Touch With Their Superego

The Pittsburgh Steelers are front-runners to get to the Super Bowl. That’s about as improbable as suggesting a few months ago that Kordell Stewart would be one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.

Stewart kept his remarkable comeback season going, throwing for three touchdowns and running for another, and the Steelers roughed up Detroit rookie quarterback Mike McMahon in a 47-14 romp Sunday.

The Steelers, who last were 12-2 during their 1978 Super Bowl championship season, gained a first-round bye. They can wrap up home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs by winning Sunday at Cincinnati. Pittsburgh has won seven in a row.

The Steelers missed the playoffs the last three seasons but, suddenly, anything less than the Super Bowl would be a disappointment.

“We don’t want to come this far just to say we had a good season,” Joey Porter said. “We’re in the best situation now to get there.”

McMahon, returning to his hometown to make his third career start, lost two fumbles and had a pass intercepted in the first 18 minutes. The mistakes led to two touchdowns and a 27-7 Steeler lead.

Stewart, who had two 200-yard passing games the last two seasons, went over 200 for the eighth time this season by going 17 of 26 for 226 yards. He had touchdown pass plays of four yards to Matt Cushing, five yards to Hines Ward and 19 yards to Plaxico Burress.

Stewart, one of the NFL’s worst-rated passers a year ago, also scrambled for a two-yard touchdown after the second of McMahon’s two momentum-swinging fumbles in the first quarter.

“When things are going your way like this, all you can do is ride the wave and see how far it takes you,” Stewart said.

Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala ran for 126 yards as Jerome Bettis sat out a third consecutive game with hip and groin injuries. It was the Steelers’ first 100-yard game by anyone except Bettis since Stewart ran for 102 yards against Carolina on Dec. 22, 1996.

The Steelers, tied with St. Louis for the NFL’s best record, didn’t relax against the Lions--tied with Carolina for the worst record at 1-13 and 0-8 on the road.

“They’re as good as anybody we’ve played this year,” Lion defensive lineman Luther Elliss said of Pittsburgh. “Not to take anything away from Green Bay, but they don’t throw the package at you that Pittsburgh does.”