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Steelers Slam Brakes on Eagles

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Times Staff Writer

The Pittsburgh Steelers proved two things Sunday: Their latest accomplishment is an important part of their past and Jerome Bettis is essential to their present.

Bettis, 32, stepped in for injured starter Duce Staley and gave the previously unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles more than they could handle, rushing for 149 yards in 33 carries and powering Pittsburgh to a 27-3 victory at Heinz Field.

A week after handing New England its first loss, the Steelers became the first franchise in NFL history to knock off unbeaten teams in consecutive weeks this late in the season. The bonus for Bettis? He delivered those four little words to the people who doubted him: I told you so.

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“It’s directed at everybody who assumed that J.B. couldn’t get it done,” he said. “Or, ‘Why are we keeping him around here? He’s a charity case.’ ... I’m still here for a reason. And the organization understood that. Believe me, they don’t just pay people to sit around.”

If the Steelers (7-1) were sitting anywhere Sunday, it was squarely on the chest of their cross-state rivals, who failed to score a touchdown in a regular-season game for the first time since losing to Tampa Bay in their 2003 opener.

Philadelphia (7-1), which entered the game as the league’s last unbeaten team, lost the time-of-possession battle by nearly 24 minutes; was 0 for 8 on third-down conversions; ventured once inside the Steeler 20-yard line; and never forced a punt.

“We were terrible, and they were good,” said Coach Andy Reid, who saw his team’s nine-game road winning streak snapped by the franchise’s worst defeat away from home in five years.

The combination of Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens provided more sparks on the sideline than the field. Television cameras caught Owens gesturing and yelling at his quarterback while McNabb stared straight ahead and kept walking away. Later, the receiver said he was merely screaming words of encouragement.

“That was just me trying to fire him up a little bit, pick his head up,” Owens said. “Donovan is obviously a competitor, and I am too. It’s going to be like that sometimes. It’s nothing different than when we are in practice.”

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Regardless, it didn’t seem to help. When Philadelphia’s offense returned to the field -- even though McNabb’s next two throws were a pair of four-yard completions to Owens -- the result was another three and out. Owens, who entered the game with a league-leading nine touchdown catches, was barely noticeable with seven catches for 53 yards.

Rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn’t need a pep talk. He joined former Steeler Mike Kruczek as the only quarterbacks in modern NFL history to win their first six starts. Roethlisberger completed 11 of 18 passes for 183 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception.

The game’s most explosive receiver was Pittsburgh’s Hines Ward, who scored two touchdowns in the first quarter. On the first, he fooled the Eagles’ defense with a 16-yard reverse run for a score. On the second, he caught a short sideline pass and raced 20 yards into the end zone. He celebrated by spoofing Owens, bending over and flapping his wings like an eagle.

“I wasn’t trying to show him up,” said Ward, who first decided Monday he would do the dance. “I see him having fun while he’s doing it. What better way than to do it while he’s out there?”

Many Pittsburgh players think Ward doesn’t get the attention he deserves, despite the fact he has been to three consecutive Pro Bowls. Even Ward was surprised by the statistic he has had 30 more catches than Owens since 2001.

“Really? I didn’t know that,” he said. “For me, that’s a great feeling because I’m on a running team, and I’ve got another great wideout [Plaxico Burress] opposite me. It’s just great having my name up there mentioned with Terrell and Marvin [Harrison] and those guys.”

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In the end, though, most of the praise was reserved for Bettis, who might have been released this summer had he not taken a huge pay cut. He agreed to have his base salary reduced from about $3.5 million to $900,000 in order to stay with the Steelers. This was his first start of the season; Staley was bothered late in the week by a nagging hamstring injury.

“It boggles me that people were concerned that Duce was not in there, and what we were going to do,” said Bettis, who is sixth on the NFL career rushing charts. “I have been getting it done for a long time. I’m not on the all-time list because I look like this.”

According to Stats Inc., the Steelers came into the game running the ball 58.4% of the time, most in the league. Their numbers Sunday -- 20 pass plays (including two sacks) and 56 runs -- did nothing to change that trend. Pittsburgh ran the ball 43.7% of the time last season, ranking 20th in that category.

An improved offensive line, Bettis said, is the reason.

“The running back isn’t Superman,” he said. “He can’t go out there and run over 10 people. You need those guys up front to pound the football and give you an opportunity. ... You judge a running back once he gets past the line of scrimmage. What can he do to make people miss and get yards?”

It seems most people missed on Bettis. Missed by a mile.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

First-Timers

Highest completion percentages of rookie quarterbacks all-time (minimum of 150 attempts):

*--* Quarterback Team Year Pct. Ben Roethlisberger Pittsburgh 2004 69.0 Dan Marino Miami 1983 58.4 Byron Leftwich Jacksonville 2003 57.2 Jim McMahon Chicago 1982 57.1 Charlie Batch Detroit 1998 57.1 Peyton Manning Indianapolis 1998 56.7

*--*

GREAT START

Since 1970, rookie quarterbacks who have recorded the longest strings of victorious starts to begin a career:

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* 6 -- Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh...2004

* 6 -- Mike Kruczek, Pittsburgh...1976

* 4 -- Phil Simms, N.Y. Giants...1979

* 3 -- Ed Rubbert, Washington...1987

* 3 -- Jim Everett, L.A. Rams...1986

* 3 -- Mike Boryla, Philadelphia...1974

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