*Steelers blank sluggish Seahawks*
PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- Different location, same result.
Playing without two of their top receivers, the Pittsburgh Steelers used a ball-control offense to blank the Seattle Seahawks, 21-0, on Sunday in a rematch of Super Bowl XL.
Ben Roethlisberger tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Heath Miller late in the second quarter, then engineered a 10-minute plus drive to start the second half.
Roethlisberger was 6-for-6 on an 80-yard march that Najeh Davenport capped with a 1-yard TD plunge. Due to three holding penalties, the Steelers (4-1) actually gained 110 yards during the possession.
"They showed the character today - something I knew we had," said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, whose team rebounded from a 21-14 loss at Arizona. "Everybody wearing a helmet gave an effort."
Davenport also scored on a 5-yard TD run in the fourth quarter and Willie Parker rushed for 102 yards on 28 carries for the Steelers, who had possession for just under 41 minutes.
Pittsburgh recorded its first shutout since blanking the Cleveland Browns, 41-0, on December 24, 2005.
"We were just making plays when we needed to," Parker said. "I think this team feeds off each other. Running backs have a good game, defense has a good game, special teams have a good game."
The Seahawks (3-2) hoped to avenge a 21-10 Super Bowl loss to the Steelers in which they felt they were victimized by a number of questionable calls.
Instead, Seattle suffered its first shutout since September 13, 2000 against Miami, a span of 115 games.
"We got it handed to us pretty good today," Seattle coach Mike Holmgren said. "Time of possession (is) ridiculous. Our defense was on the field too long."
The Seahawks looked inept offensively, failed to generate a running game and lost wide receiver Deion Branch to a sprained right foot early in the second quarter.
Seattle was held to 144 yards, its lowest total since gaining 149 yards against the New York Giants on September 22, 2002.
While star wide receiver Hines Ward sat out his second straight game for the Steelers with a knee injury, Santonio Holmes missed Sunday's contest after suffering a hamstring pull during warmups.
"There were a lot of questions with Hines being down and Santonio out," said Roethlisberger, who completed 18-of-22 passes for 206 yards. "There was never a doubt in my mind that the receivers would step up."
Cedric Wilson recorded five catches for 69 yards for the Steelers, while Miller caught four passes for 44 yards.
Still, Roethlisberger struggled early without the two receivers, as the Steelers punted on their first four possessions.
But with Pittsburgh facing a 2nd-and-18 on its 35, Davenport finally provided a spark with a 45-yard run in which he broke several tackles for a first down at the Seattle 20 with under four minutes left in the half.
On the first play after the two-minute warning, Roethlisberger hit Miller on a crossing pattern for the game's first points.
"I thought in the first half we were headed for a 0-0 tie, and it would be whoever popped the first big play," Holmgren said.
The Seahawks had a chance to get even before halftime - or at least settle for a field goal - after reaching the Steelers' 14-yard line with seven seconds remaining.
Instead of kicking a field goal, Seattle elected to run another play and the move backfired, as cornerback Ike Taylor intercepted Matt Hasselbeck in the end zone as time expired.
The interception extended two impressive marks for the Steelers' defense. Pittsburgh has allowed no touchdowns in the first half this season and is the NFL's only team not to allow a point in the second quarter.
Hasselbeck completed just 13-of-27 passes for 113 yards before giving way to Seneca Wallace in the fourth quarter, while Shaun Alexander managed just 25 yards rushing on 11 carries.
The Steelers were a different team in the second half, running 22 plays in the third quarter compared to just three for the Seahawks.
"The whole offense needed to respond," Roethlisberger said. "We had a bad week last week."
Roethlisberger completed his first nine passes in the second half.
