Rookie rallies Steelers to win

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sparked a 24-20 win over Dallas.
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Bill Parcells warned the Dallas Cowboys about how good Ben Roethlisberger could be.
Pittsburgh's rookie quarterback was as good as advertised.
"He's going to be the rookie of the year," Cowboys defensive end Greg Ellis said after Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a 24-20 comeback victory Sunday. "He has the physical and mental talent that you need.
"To be that young and that good, you have to credit him for that."
Roethlisberger riddled the Cowboys for 21-for-25 passing and two touchdowns to become the first rookie quarterback to go 4-0 since Phil Simms did it in 1979 with the New York Giants.
Roethlisberger, a former Miami (Ohio) standout, also became the first Pittsburgh quarterback to win in Dallas since Terry Bradshaw in 1982.
"I can't say enough about him," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. "I thought this would be a good test for him and it was."
Another big mistake
The Cowboys also made another huge mistake that led to another loss.
A fumble by quarterback Vinny Testaverde late in the game set up the Steelers' winning touchdown. After Pittsburgh recovered, Jerome Bettis scored from 2 yards out to cap a short drive.
Parcells had talked all week about Roethlisberger's abilities, even comparing him to a young Dan Marino.
"He's going to be an outstanding quarterback," Parcells said. "He's got great poise. I haven't changed my mind about that."
Roethlisberger's teammates were impressed, too.
"He can flat-out play," receiver Plaxico Burress said. "I think Parcells was right."
TD pass on a roll-out
Roethlisberger had a 5-yard touchdown pass to Burress in the first quarter as he rolled out of the pocket to elude the rush and rifled the ball into the end zone.
On his 7-yard TD pass to Jerame Tuman early in the fourth, Roethlisberger withstood the pressure in the pocket waiting for Tuman to get open.
The rookie had nine straight completions on the Steelers' last two scoring drives and 11 in one stretch.
Roethlisberger, who was sacked three times, said his right knee was hurting during the game. But he stayed cool under pressure to make the key plays against a tough pass rush.
"I had nothing to plant or push off of," he said. "I could not throw off my back leg. They were very fast and physical and they came after us."
Dallas had the lead
The Cowboys (2-3) led 20-10 entering the fourth quarter.
Testaverde was 23-of-36 for 284 yards and a touchdown but also fumbled twice, including the costly late turnover.
"It was a big play -- one big play -- and one big reason we lost," he said. "It's unfortunate."
The Cowboys had a chance to win it in the final second after going 30 yards on a nifty pass and a lateral, but Testaverde's last toss to the end zone was incomplete.
Inability to finish
Dallas' inability to finish another game is the latest concern for Parcells as his team has routinely made critical mistakes.
With a rookie quarterback on the other sideline, the Cowboys could have expected veterans such as Testaverde, Keyshawn Johnson and others to make the plays to win.
"I'm worried about everything right now," he said. "This one hurt a lot."