PHILADELPHIA - In a meeting of first-year starting quarterbacks, Bobby Hoying outplayed the more heralded Kordell Stewart for his first NFL win.
Making only his second pro start, Hoying completed 15-of-31 for 246 yards and threw two touchdowns and no interceptions as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-20 on Sunday.
''Bobby has the tools: the arm and the presence on the field,'' said Eagles wide receiver Irving Fryar, who had seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown. ''He's got everything you need to be a presence in the future in the NFL.''
Philadelphia improved to 5-6-1, with all five wins coming at Veterans Stadium. Pittsburgh, which had won seven of its previous eight, fell to 8-4.
Hoying was calm in the pocket as he faced the blitz-happy Steelers defense.
He threw the ball long, something the Eagles couldn't do with either Ty Detmer or Rodney Peete. He threw the ball hard, zipping it between defenders. And he threw it well on the run when he was flushed from the pocket.
''It's fun to finally be playing again,'' said Hoying, a star at Ohio State who had been the third-stringer up until last week. ''When you sit out and don't play for 1 1/2 years, it's frustrating.''
After completing only four of 18 passes for 37 yards in the first half, Stewart finished 20-of-43 for 294 yards and two touchdowns but was unable to rally the Steelers, who trailed 14-0 in the first quarter. He threw three interceptions as the Eagles collected a season-high five turnovers.
Stewart, who threw a 30-yard touchdown to Will Blackwell with 10 seconds left to make the final score close, said the Steelers had plenty of chances to win the game.
''Everything was just one play away from making something happen,'' he said.
Coach Bill Cowher said Stewart blew hot and cold. ''He made some throws and he made some good plays, but he also did some things we'd like to take back.''
Pittsburgh closed to within 20-13 late in the third quarter. Stewart rolled out to his right, then threw a screen pass back to the left to Jerome Bettis, who ran 19 yards for the touchdown.
The Steelers' onsides kick was successful on the ensuing kickoff, but their euphoria was short-lived: running back Jon Witman was offsides.
Instead of getting the ball back with a chance to score the tying touchdown, Pittsburgh kicked the ball to the Eagles, who moved 61 yards for Chris Boniol's third field goal, a 25-yarder that made it 23-13 early in the fourth quarter.
Trailing 17-6 going into the second half, the Steelers moved into Philadelphia territory but Stewart threw his second interception. Charles Dimry waited for Stewart's floater at the Eagle 5, then returned it 25 yards.
Philadelphia used the turnover to move 53 yards and set up Boniol's 35-yard field goal, which put the Eagles ahead 20-6 with 5:45 left in the third.
Bettis fumbled on his first carry, and the Eagles' James Willis recovered at the Philadelphia 42. Philadelphia turned that into a 7-0 lead when Hoying hit Jason Dunn with a 31-yard touchdown pass with 10:27 to go in the first quarter.
The Eagles made it 14-0 later in the first quarter when Hoying hit Irving Fryar for a 44-yard completion, then found the veteran wide receiver alone in the back of the Pittsburgh end zone with an 8-yard touchdown pass.
The Steelers made it 14-3 on Norm Johnson's first field goal, a 46-yarder with 4:19 left in the first quarter.
Johnson's second field goal of the first half, a 40-yarder 4:45 into the second quarter, brought the Steelers to within 14-6, but Boniol got that back for the Eagles, hitting a 23-yard field goal with 3:42 left in the first half.
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