Steelers dominate

By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CLEVELAND -- The biggest challenge the Pittsburgh Steelers had to overcome Sunday in Cleveland Browns Stadium was a bad call on a second-quarter punt return.
With the Steelers leading 7-3, coach Bill Cowher challenged the referee's ruling that Ike Taylor touched the bouncing ball and a replay review proved him correct.
The Steelers responded with a 10-play, 62-yard march, capped by tailback Jerome Bettis' 1-yard touchdown run.
After that, the Steelers (8-1) defense harassed the Browns into frustrating mistakes, giveaways and minimum production in a 24-10 victory, the seventh-straight triumph for the AFC North leaders.
Beaten by the basics
"It's hard to beat good teams when you turn the ball over," Browns (3-6) coach Butch Davis said after his team's third straight defeat. "We asked way too much out of the defense today.
"The turnovers just put our defense in some horrible field positions," Davis said. "That football team is built to pound you."
Minus running back William Green, who was ejected along with Steelers linebacker Joey Porter following a pregame fight, the Browns were limited to 68 yards rushing. Lee Suggs had 38 yards on 18 carries.
Browns quarterback Jeff Garcia completed 7-of-16 for 110 yards before being yanked after an interception and two fumbles, one of which was lost and returned for a touchdown by Youngstown State product Russell Stuvaints.
Honest statement
"Sometimes we're too predictable offensively," Garcia said.
The Steelers were limited to two Bettis touchdowns and Jeff Reed's 20-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Reed also missed a 24-yard chip shot late in the game after holder Chris Gardocki struggled to get the ball placed.
Stuvaints picked up Garcia's second fumble and returned it 24 yards with 9:14 to play to seal the victory.
"It bounced right into my hands -- it was perfect scoop and score," said Stuvaints, who said the last touchdown he scored was as a tailback at McKeesport (Pa.) High.
For the second straight week, Bettis started in place of Duce Staley (hamstring) and rushed for 103 yards on 29 carries.
"That's what I am here for, to be a relief pitcher, so to speak," Bettis said. "This team is special -- we have interchangeable parts, where if someone is not able to go, then the guy behind him steps up. That was never more evident that today."
Good Browns start
Thanks to Richard Alston's 74-yard kickoff return, the Browns had a 3-0 lead after Phil Dawson's 31-yard field goal on the game's fifth play.
Two plays later, the Browns had the ball again at their 27 after cornerback Daylon McCutcheon's legs tangled with Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward. Ward fell and McCutcheon intercepted Ben Roethlisberger's first pass.
But the Browns could only produce one first down, setting up a Steelers' 93-yard scoring drive. Roethlisberger completed four passes to move the Steelers to the Browns 39.
Seven straight running plays plus a defensive holding penalty on the Browns' Kenard Lang led to Bettis' 5-yard touchdown that made it 7-3.
Got into the flow
"That was big because it felt like we could not get into a rhythm," Ward said. "Once we went down on that drive, we felt like we could win."
Late in the game, Browns backup Kelly Holcomb completed 5-of-7 passes, including a 7-yard touchdown to tight end Aaron Shea.
Cowher praised his team's ability to bounce back from adversity.
"We have lost a lot of players and this has been a very resilient team where players have stepped up," Cowher said. "There is a lot of football to be played and a lot more challenges ahead of us."
williams@vindy.com