Arizona Converts Overtime Fumble Into Victory : Interconference: Davis returns from injury, kicks 51-yard field goal to defeat Pittsburgh, 20-17.

TEMPE, Ariz. —  In his first game since pulling his left hamstring against Dallas three weeks ago, Greg Davis couldn’t get much distance on his kickoffs. His last field-goal attempt was another matter.

Davis cleared the crossbar with room to spare on a 51-yard field goal 1:40 into overtime Sunday night, delivering a 20-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Davis said Coach Buddy Ryan didn’t want to gamble on a kick from that distance so early in overtime. That made Davis angry.

“He kept telling me I wouldn’t make it because I hadn’t kicked it that far all week,” Davis said. “I told him in pregame (warmups) we kicked it 55. I looked him right in the eye, and he gave it to me.”

Ryan said Davis’ eye-to-eye confidence convinced him to go for it.

“If he’d looked down, he wouldn’t have been kicking,” Ryan said.

The field goal was set up when Pittsburgh rookie Charles Johnson fumbled the kickoff beginning the overtime. David Merritt recovered at the Pittsburgh 32, and Davis connected four plays later on only the sixth field goal of more than 50 yards in the NFL this season.

“They popped it out,” Johnson said. “You’ve just got to make the plays. I was put in a situation to make the plays, and I didn’t. We put ourselves in position to win this game. It just came down to one play.”

Randy Kirk, who caused the fumble, said the Cardinals (3-5) were learning how to win.

“We’ve got a lot of will and a lot of fire on this team,” Kirk said.

Steve Beuerlein’s passing set up short touchdown runs by Larry Centers and Ronald Moore for Arizona. But Gary Anderson’s 23-yard field goal with 47 seconds left tied the game.

The score was made possible when Neil O’Donnell, with a tackler wrapped around his legs, found Eric Green with a desperation pass. The 280-pound tight end rambled 46 yards to the Arizona 5 with 62 seconds to play.

Arizona safety Terry Hoage tackled Green to prevent what would have been the winning touchdown.

The tying field goal came after Anderson failed to get a first down on a fake field goal earlier in the fourth quarter.

Coach Bill Cowher called the trick play twice--once after a five-yard false start took the Steelers back from the 21 to the 26.

Earlier in the fourth quarter Hoage recovered a fumble by Green after a hard tackle by Lorenzo Lynch.

But Derek Ware fumbled after a 17-yard pass from Beuerlein on the next play, and Carnell Lake recovered.

After a Pittsburgh drive stalled, the Steelers (5-3) tried the fake field goal from the Arizona 26. Anderson ran left, but Hoage tackled him on the 24, five yards short of a first down.