The Steelers traveled a long way Monday night to discover something very painful about their offense:

Teams aren't even respecting their passing game.

Once the No. 1 attack in the league earlier this season, the Steelers passing game has stopped striking fear into opposing defensive coordinators. Teams that formerly dared the Steelers to run the ball are now daring them to throw, and the Steelers have been able to do little to take advantage of the open invitation.

"We could have thrown a lot in San Francisco," quarterback Tommy Maddox said.

It wasn't just the 49ers who, for some strange reason, were creeping closer to the line of scrimmage and ignoring double coverage on Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress. Arizona didn't play as much cover-2 as the Steelers anticipated. And the St. Louis Rams mixed their coverages against the Steelers.

It might seem to be a surprising tactic against a team that ranks No. 31 in the National Football League in rush offense and hasn't managed a 100-yard rusher this season (only three other teams -- Washington, Detroit and New England -- can say that). But, apparently, that's what teams have been doing, and the Steelers haven't been able to make them pay for the approach.

Even Coach Bill Cowher acknowledged the surprising change in philosophy.

"Right now, you talk about the running game, but people are challenging us to throw the ball," he said. "They are going out there and putting single coverage out there and saying, 'Come on.' That is what we have to be able to do. We have to be able to make those plays."

The Steelers (3-7) might not see as much of that type of coverage tomorrow when they play in Cleveland because the Browns (4-6), under defensive coordinator Dave Campo, use a more conservative, cover-2 defense designed to prevent the big play.

What's more, that approach worked well in the first meeting. The Browns didn't blitz much but still caused Maddox to have his worst outing of the season -- 11 of 24 for 136 yards and two interceptions, including a 75-yard return by cornerback Daylon McCutcheon that broke open the game in the third quarter.

The Browns are not likely to change their approach, especially after handing the Steelers a 33-13 defeat in October. But other teams have been trying a different tactic and getting away with it.

"They're not disrespecting the passing game, they're just saying if we can get back there and disrupt the quarterback, timing is everything," said wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who hasn't caught a touchdown pass since Week 2 in Kansas City. "For me and Tommy, me and his reads are based on timing and steps and being in the right place at the right time. They figure if they can get him to throw it early ... a couple times I was open and they got him to throw it real early last week and we had a couple overthrows.

"That's all they need to do, get in there and get a little pressure, get a hand in his face and make him throw it premature, and I'm still running my route and I haven't even broke yet. Those are the things they're trying to do. It's not necessarily daring us to pass. They just want to disrupt the quarterback."

Maddox had one of his better games against the 49ers, throwing accurately and completing 25 of 44 passes for 327 yards and a touchdown. His numbers would have been better except his receivers dropped eight passes, including three by Ward, the AFC's leading receiver.

But opposing teams, including the 49ers, have started bringing an extra player near the line of scrimmage to stop the run.Why?

"Lately, our running attempts are up and some of the formations we're getting into are run formations," Maddox said. "They have a safety down to stop the run.

"We hadn't seen as much cover-2 lately. A lot of that, though, is scheme of defense. Arizona hadn't played cover-2 against anybody, and they played more [cover] 2 against us than they have but still not as much as we saw early in the season. The Rams mixed it up and the 49ers played a lot of one high [safety] and lot of seam coverage, which is two safeties but it's more across [the field]."

The Steelers have made a more concerted effort to run the ball, but the results aren't there. Jerome Bettis has 143 yards in his past three games, but his yards-per-carry is 2.9.

Opponents have been bringing an extra player into the box, but it's as much to mess up the run as blitz Maddox and disrupt his timing.

"They're showing us that look before the ball is hiked and then they're blitzing us a lot, saying, 'We're going to try to get to Tommy, we're going to try to disrupt the passing game,' and it's been working to a certain extent," said Burress, who dropped a pass against the 49ers at the San Francisco 2. "But if we go out and hit a couple big ones, I think teams will jump back into it.

"I hope they keep doing it. It gives me a chance to work one-on-one. I don't have a problem beating one-on-one at all. It's just one of those things, when we get the opportunities we can't miss layups. We missed a couple last week. Those are big plays and those are the plays that put teams back in cover-2."

NOTES -- RB Jerome Bettis (shoulder/probable) practiced for the first time this week and will play against the Browns. "Gotta go," Bettis said about playing. "I'm used to it by now." Same with WR/PR Antwaan Randle El (toe/probable), who did not practice Wednesday or Thursday. ... LT Marvel Smith, who has missed six of the past seven games with a pinched nerve in his neck, said he "feels fine" after a week of practice and is looking forward to returning to the lineup. Smith's return means Alan Faneca, who started the past five games at left tackle, will return to left guard. "It's been pretty good all week," Smith said of his injury. "It's been a long time waiting to return." ... TE Jay Riemersma (bruised sternum) and G Keydrick Vincent (groin) did not practice again and likely won't play against the Browns. Riemersma is doubtful, Vincent questionable. Vincent, who started the past five games at left guard, will return to a backup role with Smith's return.