Lake Fong, Post-Gazette Jerome Bettis takes a handoff from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and slams into the Bears defense for a 6-yard gain as snow falls during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. Click photo for larger image

By Ed Bouchette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It doesn't require Einstein to write the Steelers' formula for winning: Get a lead, play good defense, run. No theory of relativity here.

Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Steelers running back Jerome Bettis salutes his family after running for 101 yards and scoring two touchdowns yesterday at Heinz Field. Click photo for larger image. More football Offensive line has an exceptional day against the Bears Steelers Notebook: Only mud messed with Big Ben Steelers Photo Journal: Game 13 Playoff race AFC North: Bengals maintain two game lead over Steelers Wild Card Race: Cowboys outwit high-scoring Chiefs Wild Card Race: Undefeated Colts whip Jaguars, lock up division title Wild Card Race: Chargers' 5-game winning streak ends More NFL news NFL Notebook: OT loss eliminates Eagles from the playoffs Jets' Curtis Martin out for the season Heisman winner puts NFL on hold Stats and more in the Sports Forecaster NFL Watch

The Steelers swerved from that time-tested equation for one reason or another the past three games, but they followed it yesterday to a 21-9 victory against Chicago at Heinz Field.

No one compared the Bears' defense to their 1985 version after the Steelers bludgeoned them for 190 yards rushing, including two touchdown runs and 101 yards by Jerome Bettis, 100 of them in the snowy second half.

"We wanted to run it," coach Bill Cowher said.

Mixing screen passes, misdirection plays and the running of Bettis and Willie Parker against the aggressive Bears, the Steelers hopped to a 14-3 halftime lead. The plodding Chicago offense never made a game of it after that.

The victory ended a three-game losing streak -- during which the Steelers did not rush for 100 yards in any game -- to raise their record to 8-5. They gained no ground on victorious Cincinnati (10-3) in the AFC North and, with three games left, likely must chase one of two wild-card playoff berths in the conference.

"We live to fight another day," Cowher said. "We're a desperate team, and, right now, it takes desperate measures. We have to play like that every week. We have no margin of error."

The Steelers played as well as they have all season. They had no turnovers (nor did Chicago) and allowed no sacks. The Bears' rookie quarterback, Kyle Orton, threw for 207 yards but was sacked three times. Seventy yards came on two consecutive passing plays in the fourth quarter that set up their only touchdown, a 1-yard run by Thomas Jones with the Steelers ahead, 21-3.

Jones finished with 72 yards rushing, but the Steelers limited the Bears (9-4) to 83 on the ground. Parker added 68 yards to Bettis' first 100-yard game of the season. Ben Roethlisberger threw 20 times, completing 13 for 173 yards and one touchdown, a screen pass to Hines Ward that carried 14 yards to get them going.

"We just got back to what we do well -- that's running the football, and it starts with the line," halfback Verron Haynes said.

It started with the screen yesterday. Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt scripted a screen pass to Willie Parker on the Steelers' second offensive play. Parker ran behind blocks by Alan Faneca and Jeff Hartings and took the ball 45 yards to the 22. Three plays later, Ward took a screen on third down 14 yards for a 7-0 lead.

"We tried to keep them off balance," Whisenhunt said. "Maybe it slowed them down a little bit, I don't know. Guys up front did a good job."

Bears rookie Robbie Gould, who played at Penn State, kicked a 29-yard field goal, but the Steelers extended their lead to 14-3 with the help of a decision by Chicago coach Lovie Smith.

The Steelers had a third-and-3 on their 45. Haynes gained 2 yards on a short pass. Cowher said the Steelers were prepared to punt, but Smith accepted an offensive pass-interference penalty against Ward to give the Steelers' offense another crack on third-and-13. Haynes took a screen and ran 16 yards for a first down at the Chicago 49.

"Thank you," Haynes said. "Tell them, thank you."

Smith explained later that "I did it for the chance that they would have gone for it."

"Dumb," one Steelers coach called it.

Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Willie Parker gained 113 all-purpose yards against the Bears, 68 rushing and 45 on screen passes. Click photo for larger image.

With new life, the Steelers made Smith pay for his goof. Dan Kreider ran for 12, Cedrick Wilson caught a 17-yard pass, and Parker ran another 11 to the 1. That's when Bettis came in and did his thing: Up the middle for a touchdown. It was his only carry of the first half; it would not be his last of the game.

Snow showers picked up early in the second half, to the Steelers' benefit. It helped negate the pass rush by Chicago, but there really was no need for one after the Steelers scored midway through the third quarter. They hardly passed after that.

Antwaan Randle El caught a leaping, 15-yard pass on third-and-14 to the Chicago 19. Quincy Morgan caught another on third-and-9 for 10 yards to the 8. The Bus came in and ran twice, the second time running over safety Mike Green and All-Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher on his way to a 5-yard touchdown.

It came with 7:01 left in the third quarter for a 21-3 lead. Roethlisberger threw just two more passes among 21 running plays the rest of the game. Bettis carried 16 times in the second half for 100 yards, including the Steelers' final six offensive plays.

Ward later told Bettis he was a "mudder."

"Hey," replied Bettis, "my mudder's a mudder, so that makes me a mudder."

The picture of Bettis on the sideline, the No. 36 on his jersey nearly obliterated by the grime from Heinz Field, is something he did not think would happen again.

"Absolutely not," he said, his 100 yards boosting his total this season to just 286. "My role is to come in and spell Willie, but this game set up for me in terms of the conditions and the field."

So, too, did the formula.