PITTSBURGH, United States (AFP) - Pittsburgh became the clear Super Bowl title favorites here after knocking a National Football League powerhouse from the ranks of the undefeated for the second week in a row.
Rookie sensation Ben Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes and the Steelers ripped Philadelphia 27-3 here Sunday, leaving the state rivals and reigning Super Bowl champion New England all at an NFL-best 7-1.
"For the last couple of weeks we have been doing the hunting. Now it may be the case where we're the ones being hunted," running back Jerome Bettis said.
One week after Pittsburgh halted New England's record 21-game win streak with a 34-20 triumph, the Steelers brought down another pace-setter. No team had ever toppled unbeatens in back-to-back games so late in an NFL season.
"We beat the two best teams. Now we have the red bull's eye on our chest," Pittsburgh's Joey Porter said.
Roethlisberger became the second rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first six starts, matching the 1976 feat of Pittsburgh's Mike Kruczek, who had no touchdowns on a defense-dominated team while "Big Ben" has thrown 11.
"To me, it's just football. I try not to get overwhelmed with it, and I try not to get overly excited," Roethlisberger said. "After it was all said and done and you saw the final score, then it was like, 'Wow, that was a big win.'"
Roethlisberger threw touchdown passes of 20 yards to Hines Ward and two yards to tight end Jay Riemersma. He has guided a run-oriented Pittsburgh attack to a combined edge of 35-3 in first quarter scoring the past two weeks.
"It's just overwhelming, the confidence he shows back there," Porter said. "He doesn't play like a rookie."
Pittsburgh's defense kept the Eagles to only 113 yards. New star receiver Terrell Owens was yelling at Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb amid the misery for a team that had trailed only 16 minutes through six triumphs.
"That was just me trying to fire him up a little bit," Owens said. "It's going to be like that sometimes."
Bettis, 32, ran for 149 yards in place of injured ex-Eagle Duce Staley, out with a hamstring injury. "I'm not on the all-time list because I look like this," the reserve said after his star turn.
In other games, Baltimore linebacker Ed Reed made the longest interception return touchdown in NFL history, racing back a pickoff 106 yards to give the Ravens a 27-13 victory over visiting Cleveland.
Cincinnati routed visiting Dallas 26-3, prompting Cowboys' coach Bill Parcells to rip his players after the once-mighty club slid to 3-5.
"I can't put anything in their heads. They are too stupid," Parcells said. "And every time I try to put it in their hands, they screw it up."
Kicker Adam Vinatieri threw a four-yard touchdown pass off a fake field goal and converted four actual attempts to spark New England past host St. Louis 40-22 in a rematch of the 2002 Super Bowl won by a last-second Vinatieri kick.
"They're probably not a big fan of me right now...or any of us," Vinatieri said.
Seattle improved to 5-3 with a 42-27 victory at San Francisco that marked NFL all-time receptions leader Jerry Rice's first game since 2000 in the city where he starred for 15 seasons. The host 49ers fell to 1-7.
Rice received an ovation from the crowd after his lone catch, a five-yarder, against the team for which he made 176 of his 194 career touchdown catches.
"Every time coach called a formation I was dying to get in there," Rice said. "I know my role with this team, and it's to support these young guys. Right now the most important thing is that we found a way to win."
In other games, Oakland beat Carolina 27-24, Buffalo downed the New York Jets 22-17, Arizona edged Miami 24-23, Washington defeated Detroit 17-10, Denver dumped Houston 31-13, San Diego ripped New Orleans 43-17, Tampa Bay outlasted Kansas City 34-31 and Chicago beat the New York Giants 28-21.

11/08/2004 - 07:34 GMT - AFP