LOOKING AHEAD
Steelers vs. Oakland Raiders, 1 p.m. Sunday, Three Rivers Stadium. TV, radio: KDKA, WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970). The Raiders, who have an AFC-best 10-2 record, haven't visited Pittsburgh since a 45-34 victory in 1980.
WHO'S HURTING
The Steelers escaped the game without any notable injuries. Coach Bill Cowher removed QB Kordell Stewart in the fourth quarter because he has a slight calf strain. When Kent Graham replaced him, it was the first time he had played the position in the past five games.
NEWS & NOTES
Two weeks ago, the training-camp decision to release WR Danny Farmer, the Steelers' fourth-round draft choice, looked like a wise move. After all, it had come down to a choice between Farmer and veteran Courtney Hawkins, and Hawkins had looked good coming off the bench to make three catches against the Philadelphia Eagles. But not only has Hawkins played less of a role in recent weeks, with one reception in each of the past two games, but last week the Steelers also released another wide receiver, Malcolm Johnson, who had been kept instead of Farmer. So with Farmer catching three balls for 59 yards for the Bengals yesterday -- giving him eight catches for the season -- the move looks considerably less wise.
Rookie WR Plaxico Burress not only has lost his starting job, but he did not get into the game until late in the third quarter. He did not catch a pass for the second consecutive game, the only two he has not started. "I can't lose my faith in me," Burress said, "because then I wouldn't have anybody who believed in me. I can't get down on myself. As long as I know I can play, it doesn't bother me."
The Bengals failed to try for a two-point conversion after their final touchdown, even though they almost had to do it to give them any chance of pulling off a victory. Peter Warrick caught a 5-yard TD pass with 2:50 left. That made the score 45-27. A two-point conversion would have brought the Bengals within 16 -- or within two touchdowns and two two-point conversions of tying it. Kicking the extra point left the Bengals 17 points behind -- or three scores instead of two.
After carrying the offense for much of the season, it was the other way around for the Steelers' defense yesterday. "It happens that way sometimes," said LB Levon Kirkland. "I think people look at the Steelers' defense as if we have to dominate every game. That's not going to always happen. We did do some good things out there. We did stop them when we had to stop them and we did make some turnovers. That's a plus."
The Bengals were embarrassed about giving up 48 points to the Steelers. That's double the Steelers' previous highest point total of 24 scored against Jacksonville Oct. 1. The Bengals also allowed the Steelers a season-high 372 yards. "We kept having one guy out of position," Coach Dick LeBeau said. "What happens in that situation at this level is that they usually hit you there." Kordell Stewart threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward and a 45-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Shaw. Asked if he was surprised the Steelers went deep as often as they did, LeBeau said, "Well, yeah. Sure I was."
Stewart might not be the most popular player in Pittsburgh, but he has some fans in the Bengals' locker room. "I thought he threw the ball very well," LeBeau said. "We gave him some opportunities and he took advantage of them." Said DE Michael Bankston: "He looked like the Kordell of old, sitting back and hitting his receivers or, if all else fails, taking off through a seam for big yardage. He has a lot of talent. You can't take anything away from him."
Stewart will impress the Bengals even more when they watch the tape of the game. On the fifth play of the Steelers' first possession, they ran a reverse around right end with Ward. Stewart threw a key block on CB Robert Bean to help spring Ward for a 23-yard gain. "It's about time I made that block," Stewart said. "I can't tell you how many times I've missed my guy on that play."
You want to know why the Bengals are a 2-10 team? This assessment from LeBeau pretty much sums it up: "We definitely lost the turnover situation. We dropped the ball on punts three times and lost it once. We centered the ball over the quarterback's head one time and lost that. Then, we got sacked one time and lost that. On the other side of the coin, our defense didn't turn the ball over."
Bengals QB Akili Smith returned to the starting lineup after being benched in favor of Scott Mitchell against New England last week. Mitchell couldn't play because of a knee injury. "I thought Akili did a good job," LeBeau said. "I know Scott did a good job the week before so the situation is better there. Offensively, we moved the ball. There were some games when we didn't do that." Asked which quarterback will start Sunday against Arizona, LeBeau said, "We'll have to see how the week shakes down. I'm not ready to make a statement on that right now."
Steelers WR Will Blackwell, activated off the physically unable to perform list last week, was used on kickoff returns. He returned one for 25 yards.
The Steelers scratched DE Kevin Henry yesterday because he has a groin injury and did not practice last week. The other inactives were OT Shar Pourdanesh and NT Kendrick Clancy.
NUMBERS
LB Jason Gildon's 22-yard fumble return was his second for a touchdown in his career. He also scored on a fumble return against Tennessee in 1997. It also was the third score by the Steelers' defense this season. LB Joey Porter has a touchdown on a fumble return and a safety on a sack.
Gildon's 10th sack of the season gives him 47 for his career, moving him past Dwight White into fifth place on the Steelers' all-time list.
The 48 points scored by the Steelers were the second most in Bill Cowher's nine years as head coach. They beat the Bengals, 49-31, in a 1995 game at Cincinnati. Their 372 yards of offense was their season high.
Steelers OT Wayne Gandy allowed his first sack when LB Adrian Ross got to Kordell Stewart in the second quarter.
The Bengals fumbled three punt returns, and lost one.
RB Jerome Bettis had his eighth rushing touchdown, second-most in his career. He had 11 in 1996.
FOURTH AND SHORT
Coach Bill Cowher became so angry with his defense against the run yesterday that he pulled LB Earl Holmes out of the game and dressed him down along the sideline. Holmes missed only one play, but the Steelers' defense missed tackles on many others and were just plain blown out by a Bengals offensive line not regarded as strong blockers.
It was the second consecutive game in which the Steelers could not stop the run. Jacksonville's Fred Taylor rang up 234 yards against them a week ago. Corey Dillon had 128 of the Bengals' 209 yards that included a 37-yard touchdown run in the first quarter by Brandon Bennett, Dillon's backup.
That's 449 yards rushing against them in the past two games.
"We have some things we have to correct to stop the run," S Lee Flowers said. "That's two weeks in a row."
The Steelers ranked fourth in the NFL at stopping the run after five weeks and were No. 5 as recently as four weeks ago. But they've slipped to 15th and might fall farther after yesterday's performance.
Holmes said the Bengals changed some things on offense since they held Dillon to 36 yards on 15 carries Oct. 15.
"They're scheming us a little more and trying to take our strength away from us. We just have to be smarter and maybe disguise more. The way they blocked us sometimes was very unusual."
Steelers Report: 11/27/00 
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