PITTSBURGH -- It's a formula that has worked perfectly for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season. They push for early points, run down the clock with a power running game, pray their quarterback doesn't make crucial mistakes and rely on the defense to provide a game-turning play in the fourth quarter.
"Some people call me conservative, but I call it throwback football," said Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher.
It's a strategy that the old Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears and New York Giants parlayed into Super Bowl championships, and one that has the Steelers on course for a title shot next month in Miami.
The Steelers clinched the home-field advantage in the playoffs and won their second AFC Central championship with a 17-7 victory over the rival Cleveland Browns yesterday before 60,808, the largest crowd ever at Three Rivers Stadium.
Several members of the Steelers' "Blitzburgh" defense lit victory cigars in the locker room after the game, and then they toasted the Browns (10-5) and the rest of the league after winning the "Blue Collar Bowl."
"They talked all week about how they could move the ball on us," said Steelers linebacker Greg Lloyd. "Now look at the scoreboard. They talked the talk, but couldn't walk the walk."
Steelers cornerback Tim McKyer said: "Tell the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers, that stiff-hair Jimmy Johnson and those big-mouth Cleveland Browns that the road to the Super Bowl has to come through cold, snowy Pittsburgh. And they all know where they can go."
It's hard not to jump on the Pittsburgh bandwagon. The Steelers are now the AFC's elite with the conference's best record (12-3), a seven-game winning streak and a harassing defense.
"We smack you in the face about 12 times a game, then deliver the KO late in the fight," said Levon Kirkland, one of the Steelers' inside linebackers.
The big punch last night came with 11:07 left in the game. That's when Cleveland quarterback Vinny Testaverde, a little gun-shy by then, under-threw running back Eric Metcalf by about 10 yards on a pass over the middle. Linebacker Chad Brown intercepted and returned it 9 yards to the Cleveland 36.
The Steelers ran two running plays for 5 yards, and quarterback Neil O'Donnell then missed a safe, short 5-yard pass over the middle to wide receiver Ernie Mills. Gary Anderson then kicked a 49-yard field goal that gave the Steelers a 17-7 lead with 9:50 remaining.
Cleveland had one more chance to score in the waning seconds, but its best opportunity was lost when Metcalf dropped a 2-yard pass in the end zone with 35 seconds left.
"That was like icing on the cake," Kirkland said of not allowing the Browns to score at the end of the game. "Another try. No touchdown. Maybe the Browns will wake up. They got a nice defense, but it's not our caliber."
Pittsburgh's defense wasn't overwhelming. Cleveland had 331 yards of total offense, but the Browns also have Testaverde, who has a reputation for cracking under pressure. He had two interceptions, one that led to the field goal, and the other by safety Gary Jones that stopped a Cleveland drive at the Steelers' 2 with 5:14 left in the second quarter.
He also showed his lack of arm strength when he under-threw a wide-open Michael Jackson at the Steelers' 20 with 6:52 remaining in the game. Cleveland's other big mistake came when wide receiver Derrick Alexander spiked a ball out of bounds after a reception that would have given the Browns a first down at the Pittsburgh 38 with 5:39 left in the third period.
Instead, the penalty pushed Cleveland back to its 47 and eventually killed the drive.
"We only blitzed about half of what we usually do, and Vinny was all shook up," said Kirkland.
"They tried to mix up their coverages, but it wasn't all that confusing," said Testaverde, whose lone touchdown pass was 14 yards to wide receiver Mark Carrier with 10 seconds left in the half. "They bring pressure and you have to make some quick decisions, but those interceptions were because the ball slipped, and the other time I expected Eric to come back to the ball. The reason they won is because they didn't make the mistakes we did."
Actually, both teams play the same style, but O'Donnell did not commit a costly turnover. The former Maryland standout has drawn heavy criticism in Pittsburgh this season, but he has played well the past three weeks.
O'Donnell, in his fifth year, completed 10 of 18 passes for 175 yards. He surprised the Browns by throwing early in the game, and made Cleveland pay early for defensive mistakes.
On the Steelers' first possession, Pittsburgh was stopped at the Cleveland 45. But on fourth-and-one, safety Stevon Moore was called for going offside. On the next play, O'Donnell threw long down the left sideline to wide receiver Yancey Thigpen, who out-jumped Moore for the ball and a 40-yard touchdown.
Then on the Steelers' next possession, O'Donnell threw a perfect 42-yard pass over the middle to Mills down to the Cleveland 32. On third-and-nine from the 31, Cleveland cornerback Don Griffin was called for interference, giving Pittsburgh possession at the 21.
l Four plays later, Pittsburgh running back Barry Foster dove from the 1 for the touchdown that put Pittsburgh ahead 14-0 with 4:21 left in the first half.
"O'Donnell comes out throwing like Dan Marino, and that caught us off guard, and when they get a lead, they're going to milk it by running Foster," said Cleveland defensive tackle Michael Dean Perry of Foster, who finished with 106 yards rushing on 32 attempts.
"It has been a long year for me, full of ups and downs, and starting with the death of my father," said O'Donnell. "So this really feels good.
"But the pressure isn't off, and it may never be off me here in Pittsburgh. But this is a start, and hopefully it will end in late January with the Super Bowl."
Everything seems in place for the Steelers. They're on a roll, with at least one playoff game scheduled for their house.
"There's an energy that you can draw from crowds. There's an energy you can draw from having people behind you," Cowher said. "I think what took place today will be a sign of what's going to take place in the future."