PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- Marc Bulger enjoyed a successful homecoming and rookie Arlen Harris enjoyed a coming out party in his first NFL start.
Bulger passed for a season-high 375 yards and a touchdown and Harris rushed for three scores, leading the St. Louis Rams to a 33-21 victory over the struggling Pittsburgh Steelers.
Bulger attended Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School and was facing the Steelers for the first time. He responded with a big game against the NFL's second-ranked defense by completing 22-of-37 passes, including a 36-yard TD pass to the red-hot Torry Holt.
"It's not about me and where I'm from," Bulger said. "It's about our team and winning on the road. We were able to beat a pretty good team in a tough environment."
"Marc (Bulger) was exceptional," Rams coach Mike Martz said. "He did a terrific job managing the team. Did not make any dumb throws, managed it very well."
With Marshall Faulk (hand/knee) and backup Lamar Gordon (ankle) sidelined, Harris, an undrafted rookie out of Hofstra, carried the Rams' ground game. He finished with 81 yards on 34 attempts.
"The coaches always make me feel confident," Harris said. "You have to know your role, I think I do. Their defensive guards are pretty aggressive. I just tried to punch it in the line."
Harris ran one yard for a touchdown in the second quarter before adding a pair of nine-yard scoring runs in the second half. His third TD provided a 33-21 lead with 7:54 left in the fourth quarter.
Holt also had another huge game with seven catches for 174 yards as the Rams (5-2) won their fourth straight game. It was the third 100-yard game in the last four contests for Holt, the NFL's leading receiver.
Former Ram Tommy Maddox passed for two touchdowns for the Steelers (2-5), who have lost four straight for the first time since a six-game slide in 1995.
"If you look at our record and the way we're playing, it's ridiculous to think that a team as talented as this is playing this poorly," said Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who returned to the starting lineup and rushed for 42 yards and lost a fumble.
"Had you told us we be 2-5, I'm still shocked myself," Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said.
The contest marked the 1,000th game in the history of the Steelers. To celebrate the milestone, Pittsburgh had a halftime ceremony that saluted nine players from eight decades, including the likes of Terry Bradshaw and L.C. Greenwood.
Despite amassing a 266-115 advantage in total yards and holding the ball for nearly 20 points, the Rams held a slim 17-14 lead at the half. Bulger went 14-of-24 for 247 yards in the half.
On the Steelers' first possession of the third quarter, Maddox had a pass tipped by cornerback Jerametrius Butler and intercepted by linebacker Jamie Duncan at the Pittsburgh 30.
The Rams advanced as far as the Steelers 4, but settled for a 22-yard field goal by Jeff Wilkins and a 20-14 lead.
Maddox overcame the miscue on the next drive, needing four plays to move the Steelers 72 yards. Receiver Antwaan Randle El started the drive with a 32-yard run around the left side and two plays later, Maddox found Ward with a 22-yard TD pass, giving the Steelers a 21-20 lead.
"We scored to make it 21-20, and then we never did anything else," Maddox said.
Maddox continued to struggle, going just 12-of-28 for 159 yards and three interceptions. He has seven touchdown passes and 11 interceptions through seven games.
After Maddox gave the Steelers their lone lead, the Rams responded by going 70 yards in seven plays. Bulger had completions of 21 yards to Holt and a 30-yard connection with tight end Brandon Manumaleuna to the Steelers 13.
Two plays later, Harris ran to the left for a nine-yard touchdown to give the Rams a 27-21 lead with 2:31 left in the third quarter.
The Steelers were unable to get anything going in their next two possessions before the Rams extended the lead in the fourth quarter.
On 4th-and-15 with under 10 minutes left, Wilkins kicked a 38-yard field goal. But linebacker Jason Gildon was called for holding, giving the Rams a first down.
Harris had runs of two and four yards before again rambling in from nine yards, extending the lead to 33-21 with 7:54 remaining.
"We could not make some plays, and when they had a chance to they came down and made some plays," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. "We fell short and it is very disappointing."
Less than five minutes into the contest, Bulger found Holt over the middle with a 36-yard touchdown pass to give the Rams a 7-0 lead.
"They play a lot of Cover 2 defense," Bulger said. "We tried to get Torry open in the middle. Nothing special. He was just making plays. And I wished he looked that open. Coach Martz knows what to do and we got to it."
"It's been there since the season started," Holt said. "It's been good between Marc and I. The chemistry continues to build."
But with under a minute left in the quarter, Randle El picked up a crushing block by Chris Hope on his way to a team-record 84-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Harris capped an eight-play, 89-yard drive with a one-yard TD run with 7:58 left in the half, giving the Rams a 14-7 lead.
But the Steelers quickly answered with a five-play, 76-yard drive. Maddox had a 45-yard pass to Ward on the drive and, two plays later, he found his star receiver with a nine-yard TD pass.
The Rams responded by going 71 yards in 11 plays, capped by Wilkins' 22-yard field goal for a 17-14 lead with 52 seconds left in the half.
