By Leonard Shapiro
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 13, 1999; Page D8

CLEVELAND, Sept. 12 – An evening of early euphoria about pro football's return to the shores of Lake Erie quickly turned into grim reality for the Cleveland Browns backers, who played their first regular season game since Dec. 17, 1995.

The fact that the old Browns' most hated rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, came to this city and spoiled the celebration by administering an unsympathetic, 43-0 thrashing only added to the dismay of the 73,200 who filled the new Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The Browns kept the team name, colors and club records after Art Modell moved the old franchise to Baltimore following the 1995 season. This hardly was the way they wanted to open the first chapter of their fresh start.

Meanwhile, after a 1-3 preseason that seemed to indicate serious problems with the Steelers' offense, Pittsburgh quarterback Kordell Stewart and his teammates got healthy in a hurry tonight.

They opened a 20-0 lead after two quarters, rolled up 370 yards during the first three quarters and held the Browns to 48 over the same span. The Steelers had run 67 plays by the start of the final period, the Browns 22. In the third quarter, Cleveland gained one yard.

The game was so well in hand midway through the third period that Pittsburgh Coach Bill Cowher replaced Stewart for the night as a safety precaution. Stewart completed 15 of 23 passes for 173 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions.

Running back Jerome Bettis rushed for 89 yards on 18 typically bruising carries. Bettis had not played a down during the preseason as he recovered from an appendectomy in the spring and a bad knee. But he battered would-be tacklers as if he was in midseason form, and also was allowed the depart for the night early in the second half.

The Browns, 2-3 in the preseason, were totally inept this longest of nights, especially on offense. Veteran starting quarterback Ty Detmer will almost certainly be looking over his shoulder this week in practice toward rookie Tim Couch, the first pick in the draft, who entered the fray with 10 minutes 38 seconds remaining and his team trailing by 36 points.

Couch hardly distinguished himself, either. His first pass as a professional was intercepted by safety Scott Shields, leading to the Steelers' last touchdown. The Browns have said they want to bring Couch along slowly.

By the time Cleveland faces Tennessee on the road next Sunday, they may have already reconsidered that noble philosophy.

The first regular season game in Cleveland since Dec. 17, 1995, was preceded by actor Drew Carey leading the capacity crowd of 73,200 in cheers, a fly-over by streaking jet planes, fireworks during the national anthem and a display of flashbulbs as cornerback Corey Fuller led his teammates through a blow-up Browns helmet onto the field.

As for football, things began badly for the Browns. They lost the coin toss, then seemed mostly defenseless when the Steelers drove 49 yards to a first down at the Cleveland 31. But on fourth and inches at the 22, the Browns stacked up Stewart on a sneak, and Cleveland got the ball back with 9:15 left in the first period.

They did not keep it very long. On third and nine at their 36, Detmer's third pass of the night was thrown right to safety Chris Oldham, and the Steelers took over at Cleveland's 39.

Pittsburgh did not squander the opportunity. Stewart, with a clear mandate from new offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride to run with the ball this season, did just that. On second and one at the 11, he gained 10 yards, then ran a bootleg on first-and-goal from there for a touchdown that allowed the Steelers to open a 7-0 lead with 5:16 left in the opening period.

The Browns were looking very much like an overmatched expansion team early in the second period when the Steelers drove 79 yards in 18 plays. Kris Brown's 19-yard field goal made it 10-0 with 9:56 remaining in the first half.

Cleveland seemed to catch a break earlier in the drive when Brown's 30-yard field goal attempt hit the right upright and bounced back to the field. But Cleveland linebacker John Thierry was lined up offside in the neutral zone and Pittsburgh retained possession. Cowher chose to kick a second time on fourth-and-goal at the 1, and this time Brown's attempt was good.

The Browns, with only a dozen offensive plays in the first 25 minutes, were in even more trouble late in the half. Stewart directed a six-play, 56-yard drive that ended with a five-yard scoring pass from Stewart to Richard Huntley with 4:49 remaining the second period.