Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Running back Willie Parker celebrates a 10-yard touchdown run with receiver Hines Ward, who contibuted to the Steelers' 27-7 win by catching two touchdown passes. Click photo for larger image. More pro football Ward burns Texans D for 6 catches, 2 TDs Steelers Notebook: Cowher says Parker will start next week AFC North: Bengals bury hapless Vikings Monday Night Football: A doubleheader tonight More game pictures in the Steelers Photo Journal: Steelers vs. Houston Texans

HOUSTON -- On a sweltering Southeast Texas day, the Houston Texans chose to open their retractable roof, perhaps to avoid having the Steelers blow the top off Reliant Stadium.

The Steelers' march through the AFC South Division became Sherman-esque after they seared the Texans, 27-7, in a game where the temperature surpassed 100 degrees on the field in the sun.

They have won their first two games, both against AFC South foes, by a combined 61-14 score. Next, they will put their 16-game regular-season winning streak on the line Sunday in Heinz Field against New England, the defending Super Bowl champion and the only team to beat them since Baltimore did it one year ago today.

"We're doing a lot of things we need to do to win football games," coach Bill Cowher said. It also was the first time in six years that the Steelers won their opening two games.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wasn't perfect again yesterday -- he only looked that way as he completed 14 of 21 passes for 254 yards, two touchdowns to Hines Ward and a 139.8 passer rating. Willie Parker, getting the official affirmation from Cowher as the team's starting halfback, ran for a 10-yard touchdown among his 111 yards, his third consecutive 100-yard game. Jeff Reed set a Steelers record with two field goals to stretch his streak of success to 21. And the defense clobbered Houston quarterback David Carr back into his rookie season. They sacked him eight times, three by Troy Polamalu to tie an NFL record for a safety, and had the quarterback talking to himself.

"He was running everywhere," said linebacker Joey Porter, who had his second sack of the season and came close on several more. "Delay of games, throwing the ball in the dirt, taking sacks, running into guys. He was scrambling for no reason at times. Sometimes, he sacked himself, he ran out of bounds on the line of scrimmage and he sacked himself."

As they did last week, the Steelers followed a formula developed last season: They took a lead, then ground the pulp out of the opposition. Roethlisberger threw 10 more passes than he did last week but only six came in the second half.

	Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Ben Roethlisberger rubs his bruised knee during pregame warm-ups. Click photo for larger image.

Roethlisberger shook off a bone bruise in his left knee that made him questionable for the game and completed deep passes of 54 yards to Antwaan Randle El, 40 and 36 to Cedrick Wilson, and touchdown passes of 16 and 14 yards to Ward as the Steelers averaged 18.1 yards a catch.

Ward, who caught six passes for 84 yards, said the game presented more opportunities to open up the passing game.

"Everybody capitalized on it. Antwaan made some big plays, Ced made some big plays. We just kept converting and coming up with touchdowns."

Parker, making his second NFL start, set an early tone with a 19-yard run on the first play, starting the Steelers on their first drive that ended with Reed's 37-yard field goal.

Then it was time for the defense to set a tone of its own. On Houston's third play, linebacker Clark Haggans strung out a block by tight end Mark Bruener down the left side of the line, then swooped in to smack Carr's arm as he pulled back to throw. The ball popped loose, and Porter pounced on it at the Houston 22.

"I just reached out to try to hit his arm," said Haggans, who also had his second sack in two games. "The ball popped in the air, and Joey made a heck of a recovery. I thought he would score, but his momentum carried out of bounds."

No problem; two plays later, Ward caught Roethlisberger's pass at the 8, broke one tackle and scored to put the Steelers ahead, 10-0.

One series later, Wilson caught a 36-yard pass and Ward caught four for 62 yards, including one in the middle of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown and a 17-0 Steelers lead.

	Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antwaan Randle El outjumps Texans defensive back Dunta Robinson for a 54-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger in the second quarter. Click photo for larger image.

Randle El's 54-yard reception after Roethlisberger faked a handoff to Parker set up Reed's 35-yard field goal and a 20-0 halftime lead.

"A lot of those passes are coming off play-action," Cowher said.

Carr threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Domanick Davis to complete a 14-play, 78-yard drive by Houston to start the third quarter, a series that will give Cowher something to carp about in defensive meetings this week. Last week, he said they weren't crisp enough.

The Steelers responded to Houston's only score by driving to their final touchdown. It came on Parker's run up the middle from 10 yards behind a Kendall Simmons block. The series got its jolt when Roethlisberger scrambled to his right, threw from the 30-yard line numbers all the way across to the left numbers, where Wilson caught it for a 40-yard pickup to the 23.

Cowher thought Roethlisberger could have picked up a first down by running on that play. So, too, did the quarterback. Call it inspiration, divine or otherwise.

"At the last minute, I think about running it, getting the first down, which I should have done," said Roethlisberger. "But then, I see Cedrick is going deep, and it occurred to me those guys are working hard, I was working hard with them all season, and we really just tried to put things together."

They have put them together the way Rembrandt might, or Edison, or Pavarotti. A thing to behold.

"It's week two, it's still early in the season," Haggans warned. "There's a ton of football to be played, 14 games left, and we're still trying to create our identity. We're talking about building a foundation, building a house. Right now, we just probably laid the cement and put up the 2-by-4."

Right between the eyes of the Texans.

	Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Willie Parker gets a warm reception from coach Bill Cowher as he leaves the game in the fourth quarter. Click photo for larger image