Steelers...38 Texans...17

PITTSBURGH -- The Houston Texans lost a gamble, a challenge and, probably, their opener in the first five minutes of the season. Willie Parker and the Pittsburgh Steelers made certain the Texans didn't get a second chance in a 38-17 win that was effectively over early in the second quarter.

Parker ran for 138 yards and three touchdowns and a near-perfect Ben Roethlisberger threw two scoring passes to Hines Ward in a Steelers rout that began with Houston's fourth-down failure on its opening possession.

It was Pittsburgh's sixth consecutive season-opening win, the longest such streak in the NFL since Miami won 11 in a row from 1992-2002.

Parker showed no loss of speed or cutback ability from the broken right leg that ended his 2007 season in the Steelers' next-to-last game, when he was leading the NFL in rushing.

Ward made six catches for 76 yards.

Quoteworthy: "It was fun to watch Willie Parker be Willie Parker." -- Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers quarterback