CLEVELAND - The pregame fight might have been a draw. The main event was a knockout.

Starting in warmups, the Pittsburgh Steelers landed every punch.

Behind their unbeaten quarterback who refuses to play like a rookie, the Steelers rolled to their seventh straight win, 24-10 over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

The Steelers (8-1) did it the only way they know how. They pounded Jerome Bettis up the middle. They blitzed Browns quarterback Jeff Garcia relentlessly. They protected Ben Roethlisberger, and they didn't suffer a letdown.

"This team is special," said Bettis, who had two short touchdown runs.

Unfazed by Gerard Warren's pregame threats or anything Cleveland's defense threw at him, Roethlisberger became the first rookie quarterback to begin 7-0 since the 1970 merger.

"Ben doesn't get rattled," receiver Hines Ward said. "For him (Warren) to make comments like that wasn't very smart. Maybe he's jealous of Ben."

The Steelers, off to their best start since opening 1978 at 9-1, took smashmouth football to a new extreme.

During pregame warmups, Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter punched Browns running back William Green, bloodying his lower lip during their fight. Both were ejected before the opening kickoff.

After handing New England and Philadelphia their first losses the past two weeks, Pittsburgh could have got caught overlooking the Browns. No chance.

The Steelers remain the NFL's hottest team.

"We haven't done anything yet," coach Bill Cowher said. "We're fighting and scratching for everything we can get every week. We're not that much better than that team over there."

Bettis was starting for the second straight week in place of the injured Duce Staley, out with a sore hamstring. He gained 103 yards on 29 carries, scoring from the 5 and 1 in the first half.

"That's my job, what I'm here for is to be a relief pitcher," Bettis said. "The guys behind the starters have to help. That happened. James Harrison had a real good game."

Harrison filled in for Porter, who exchanged spit and fists with Green during their pregame bout. Harrison had six tackles and one of Pittsburgh's four sacks of Garcia.

On the final sack, Steelers safety Russell Stuvaints returned Garcia's fumble 24 yards for a TD.

The 104th game in the NFL's fiercest rivalry was particularly nasty - beforehand.

Earlier in the week, Warren promised to go after Roethlisberger's head, saying: "Kill the head and the body is dead." Warren was warned by the league on Friday to watch himself or risk a suspension.

Warren, who had one tackle, spoke with Roethlisberger before the game and explained his comments.

"They were private words not to be repeated," Warren said.

Roethlisberger said Warren was respectful.

"We talked a little bit, we laughed," Roethlisberger said. "He said, 'Let's play football, forget about what was said and enjoy today.' That was OK with me."

Roethlisberger wasn't spectacular, just efficient. He finished 10-of-16 for 134 yards. He also had 41 yards rushing as he smartly avoided pressure by running from the Browns (3-6).

Roethlisberger gained 13 yards on a key third-and-1 late in the third quarter, faking a handoff and running left behind a nice block from receiver Plaxico Burress for a first down.

"I told you the kid was good," Warren said.

Meanwhile, the Browns are in disarray. They've lost three in a row and there is growing speculation that coach Butch Davis' job is in serious jeopardy.

"I'm more concerned about the 53 guys in that locker room, of them regaining respect and playing well. That's my biggest concern," said Davis, 24-33 since 2001 and 1-8 vs. Pittsburgh.

Garcia was under siege almost every time he dropped back. He went 7-for-16 for 110 yards, was sacked four times and threw an interception.

He was replaced by Kelly Holcomb with 9 minutes left and the Steelers up by 21. Holcomb threw a 7-yard TD pass to Aaron Shea.

Following the game, Garcia, who expects to start next week, was critical of Cleveland's lack of imagination on offense.

"I don't think we've done the best possible job to utilize my skills," he said. "At times, to the people in the stands or to everyone else, we show too much predictability."

Notes: Pittsburgh S Troy Polamalu had two

interceptions. ... Browns K Phil Dawson made his 27th straight field goal, the league's longest current streak. ... Bettis has 10 TDs - one shy of his career high set in 1996. ... Holcomb was 5-for-9 for 64 yards.

AP-ES-11-15-04 0140EST