CINCINNATI - Akili Smith's brightest moment in his second NFL start was wiped out by his own rookie mistake.

Call it a learning experience.

Smith struggled through a 17-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday that showed how far he has to go. He threw two interceptions, had passes batted down at the line repeatedly and undercut the Cincinnati Bengals' only touchdown.

''It was just a tough game mentally and physically,'' Smith said Monday.

It was nothing like his debut, an 18-17 victory in Cleveland a week earlier. His coolness, accuracy and smart decisions during a game-winning drive impressed everyone.

The only impression from start No. 2 is that he's got a long way to go.

''They did a good job disguising their defenses,'' said Smith, who completed 19 of 38 for 207 yards and was sacked four times. ''It's tough when you're a young quarterback because you haven't seen some of the looks that I saw yesterday. I have to learn from that.

''When we play Pittsburgh again, if I'm the starter then, I'll be able to adjust to that.''

Barring injury, he'll be starting Nov. 28 in Pittsburgh for the rematch with a team that did a nice job confusing him Sunday. Instead of blitzing, the Steelers dropped into zone coverages and disguised what they were doing.

It worked. Smith threw two interceptions and the Steelers dropped three more potential interceptions. They batted passes down at the line and took aim on Smith's receivers by reading his eyes and reacting.

''I think he was staring at his primary receivers a little too much,'' coach Bruce Coslet said Monday.

Bus back on track

by Alan Robinson

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PITTSBURGH - Finally, the Pittsburgh Steelers got their running game going, perhaps because Jerome Bettis is healthy for the first time all season.

Now, about that passing game.

They slogged to a 17-3 victory Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals - the NFL's worst team during the 1990s - that was far more educational to the Steelers (3-3) than it was entertaining to their fans.

If nothing else, they learned they can run the ball productively and consistently without All-Pro center Dermontti Dawson, who missed his first significant playing time in years with a hamstring injury.

Dawson, who left late in the first quarter, has started 170 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in the NFL. He doesn't plan on missing Monday night's game against the Atlanta Falcons (1-5).

''I don't think it's that serious,'' coach Bill Cowher said. ''He wants to play Monday night - badly. I don't think it will be anything long.''

If that's the case, then Dawson's injury layoff will be much like the Steelers' passing game: short and not all that bothersome.

Kordell Stewart's numbers looked good - 17-of-29 - but he threw for only 134 yards against what was the NFL's 24th-worst pass defense. And, after going nearly all season without his receivers consistently getting open downfield, Stewart had open men but couldn't hit them.

He twice overthrew Hines Ward on potential touchdowns.

The only difference from the previous three weeks: the Steelers won.

''It wasn't pretty and it wasn't artistic, but we did find a way to get it done,'' Cowher said.

They got it done the way the Steelers have done it so many times before, with a physical running game and an equally physical secondary.

Cornerbacks Chad Scott and Dewayne Washington neutralized receivers Carl Pickens and Darnay Scott, with Pickens making four catches - nine fewer than he had against the Steelers in Cincinnati last season - and Scott having one catch for 11 yards.

''We have a lot of pride in our defense,'' Washington said. ''Last week, we didn't play our best ball in Buffalo, and we were determined not to let it happen again.''

With Bengals rookie quarterback Akili Smith unable to throw deep, the Steelers ganged up on AFC rushing leader Corey Dillon, holding him to 78 yards.

The Bengals' inability to sustain drives helped the Steelers do so behind Bettis, who gained 111 yards in his first 100-yard game since the regular season finale against Jacksonville in December.

Since that game, Bettis has had two arthroscopic knee surgeries and a calf injury, and Cowher said he didn't begin running like the Bettis of old until last week.

Couch feeling good

by Tom Withers

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BEREA - Tim Couch looked like he was back home in Kentucky, picking apart some high school's defense, or maybe Vanderbilt's secondary, with short passes.

The Browns rookie took advantage of what Jacksonville's top-rated defense gave him Sunday, dumping the ball to his running backs, throwing short sideline routes to his tight end and mixing in an occasional pass to a wide receiver.

It was the kind of performance - 18-of-23, 161 yards, one TD - that made Couch a Kentucky high school star, college All-American and No. 1 overall draft pick.

And despite a 24-7 loss to the Jaguars, Couch's performance gave the 0-6 Browns some hope their first win isn't that far away.

Following the game, Couch said the plan was to ''dink and dunk the football around the field.''

Dink and dunk? Sounds like a nearby doughnut shop.

''I did it in high school and college,'' Couch said. ''It's more of a ball-control pass attack where you're picking up six yards here, eight yards here and maybe a guy breaks one for 15 or 20."

Safe isn't necessarily what Browns coach Chris Palmer had in mind when he took the Cleveland job. The former offensive coordinator and college quarterback prefers more of a vertical passing game that stretches defenses downfield.

But Cleveland's inability to effectively run the ball, and the Browns' lack of skill players on offense, has Palmer rethinking his offensive philosophy.

For the first time this year, Palmer called some plays with an empty backfield - Couch by himself - while deploying three, four and five wide-receiver formations.

Couch made shorter drops and avoided sacks by getting rid of the ball more quickly. He spread the ball around, too, completing passes to six receivers.

Through the first five games, Couch too ften was locking in on just rookie wide receiver Kevin Johnson, especially on third downs.

''It gives you a cleaner picture of what the coverages are going to be,'' Couch said of the multiple-wideout formations.

The Browns' 'dink-and-dunk' offense clicked. Cleveland converted 50 percent (7-for-14) of its third-down chances with an offense that looked a lot like the West Coast style preferred by teams like Green Bay and San Francisco.

''That's exactly what it reminded me of,'' said tight end Irv Smith, one of the Browns' former 49ers, who had three catches.

Fullback Marc Edwards, another of the San Francisco transplants, said this offense might be the way to go.

''It helps so much,'' he said. ''It reduces the lost-yardage plays. You're not going to have as many sacks. Those are drive-killers. So it helps everybody.''

Palmer, however, insists the Browns' new offensive wrinkle isn't by design.

''We've been practicing the same plays all year,'' he said. ''It's dictated by our coverages. If our reads are proper, we'll go to the right places with the ball.''

Couch's best performance came one week after he was outplayed by Cincinnati rookie Akili Smith in the Bengals' 18-17 win at Cleveland.

''I thought it was a pretty good game for Tim,'' Palmer said. ''Sure, there is room for improvement, but Tim graded out this week better than he did the week before.''

A week ago, Couch's confidence was severely shaken by the loss to Cincinnati and Smith, whom the Browns considered taking with the top overall pick before deciding on Couch.

But the Browns let Couch go back to doing what he does best, dinking and dunking. The next step is winning.