PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger was back in Pittsburgh, resting his surgically repaired knee on a couch. Jerome Bettis walked the sidelines in practice gear as he rested a sore thigh, a towel draped around his neck to ward off Green Bay's damp cold.

James Farrior, an All-Pro linebacker last season and arguably the team's best all-around player? He's out for an estimated two weeks with a sprained left knee ligament. Running back Willie Parker, with three 100-yard games in the Pittsburgh Steelers' first seven games, is hobbling on a sore ankle.

They've used three starting quarterbacks and four running backs in eight games, and they've been affected by key injuries at nearly every position except the offensive line. Yet halfway through the season, the Steelers are 6-2 and only one game behind the 7-1 pace they set a year ago en route to a 15-1 season.

"We're operating on one heartbeat," running back Duce Staley said, "and it's going to stay that way the rest of the season."

Make that one heartbeat and a whole lot of quarterbacks and running backs.

The Steelers' third consecutive victory, a 20-10 decision Sunday in Green Bay, won't go down as one of the franchise's glowing moments even though it matched the NFL's teams of the 1960s (Packers) and 1970s (Steelers). Much like the 20-19 victory the previous Monday against Baltimore, it was anything but an overwhelming performance offensively.

Quarterback Charlie Batch, starting for the first time in four years, bobbled a center snap and had a passer rating of only 39.8 while throwing for a mere 65 yards. Hines Ward, a four-time Pro Bowl receiver, made only one catch. Parker was limited to 13 yards on five carries. And the leading receiver was, of all players, fullback Dan Kreider with two catches.

But while Batch certainly wasn't Roethlisberger, he wasn't Tommy Maddox, either, and that was all the Steelers needed to remain a half-game behind Cincinnati (7-2) in the AFC North. When Roethlisberger hurt his other knee a month ago and Maddox started against Jacksonville, he threw three interceptions — one for a game-winning touchdown in overtime — and lost a fumble.

Batch didn't produce a lot of yards for the Steelers but, unlike Maddox, he didn't for the other team, either. With Roethlisberger possibly returning as early as Sunday night's game against Cleveland (3-5), Batch gave the Steelers exactly what they needed: a quarterback who might not win the game, but who doesn't lose it.

"He managed the game well," said coach Bill Cowher, who has rarely gone so far down his depth chart so early in a season. "I think he will get some confidence."

Same goes for Staley, who, in his first game action in nearly 11 months, ran for 76 yards on 15 carries and a 5.1 average. Even with Parker and Bettis ahead of him, Staley kept hearing all season how the Steelers were going to need him at some point.

That point arrived Sunday, with Staley running much like the back who averaged 101 yards in his first seven Steelers games a season ago before injuring a hamstring. He hadn't carried in a game since the AFC championship against New England in January, and his touchdown run was his first since Oct. 10, 2004.

"It just felt good to be out there again and contributing," Staley said. "I wanted to make some plays and help control the ball."

Batch, who had thrown only eight passes in four seasons before starting, felt the same way. Before the game, Cowher talked repeatedly of how a team's bench often decides its season.

"You do need everybody," said Batch, who had lost his previous 10 NFL starts dating to his days with the Lions. "And we've had that here, an unselfishness. Guys accept their roles."

Farrior had an MRI exam Monday, but the team won't disclose the results until Cowher's news conference today. Farrior will be replaced by special teams standout Clint Kriewaldt, who, like Batch, has not started a game since 2001.

Parker's ankle sprain is believed to be less severe and he could play Sunday against Cleveland, which has lost nine of its last 10 to the Steelers.