There hasn't been much use for the word around the Steelers the past three seasons. A word they once took for granted, one that was the birthright of those who wore their uniforms, vanished from their vocabulary.
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Hines Ward picks up a first down after one of his seven catches Sunday in the Steelers' 34-24 victory against the Titans. (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette) |
Even through the first half of this season, Coach Bill Cowher and his players refused to mention the word playoffs, but after Sunday's 34-24 victory at Tennessee, the lid came off.
The Steelers put a virtual lock on a playoff berth by running their record to 8-2. They are tied for the best record in the AFC and hold a 1 1/2-game lead over second-place Baltimore in the Central Division. They have four of their final six games at home and should be favored to win all but their game Dec. 16 at Baltimore.
It's not just their first visit to the playoffs in four seasons that the Steelers have in mind. They want more than that, such as a division title, a first-round bye and home playoff games that historically make it easier to get to the Super Bowl. If the playoffs began today, the Steelers and Oakland would have passes into the second round.
"Just getting in the first round of the playoffs or as a wild card, that would be a disappointment if we lost," cornerback Dewayne Washington said. "Our whole mind-set is to win a championship. That's my whole mind-set, to go out and win a championship for Mr. Rooney, and we're getting there."
Not only are the Steelers tied for the best record in the AFC, they're getting stronger and more balanced as the season moves along.
Sunday, with their No. 1-ranked defense, No. 1-ranked pass defense and No. 1-ranked running game playing far below par, their No. 25-ranked passing game pulled out a victory in Tennessee.
That passing game, once second to last in the league, has done a button-hook in the past five games. In that span, quarterback Kordell Stewart has completed 93 of 155 passes for 1,176 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. He also has run for three touchdowns. His passer rating in that period is 94.4. He lifted his overall passer rating to 81.5, sixth best in the AFC.
The Steelers are still No. 1 in the NFL on defense and No. 1 in rushing, with Jerome Bettis leading the league, and have improved so much in the passing game that it shows no resemblance to the one early in the season.
The only team in the NFL that can surpass their balance is St. Louis, which ranks No. 1 on offense and No. 2 on defense. The Steelers are No. 1 on defense and No. 4 on offense. It might make for a great Super Bowl matchup.
And with their record and the kind of balance they're getting on offense, the Steelers are a favorite to get there.
"Teams are going to have to start approaching our offense a little differently," safety Lee Flowers said. "Who are you going to stop, Jerome? Or are you going to stop Kordell? You going to stop our receivers? We're not one-dimensional anymore on offense."
The gains in the Steelers' passing game and the shift in production between the run and the pass in the past five games have been dramatic.
The Steelers averaged 197.4 yards rushing in their first five games, 155.6 in the past five. They averaged 127.2 yards passing in their first five games, 236.4 in their past five.
Clearly, they have become a dangerous offense that can run and throw.
"That's the scary thing about it," linebacker Jason Gildon said. "Kordell's getting more confidence passing the ball. Teams are thinking, well, we'll just stop Jerome and make Kordell pass. Pretty soon, when he's passing for 300 yards a week, what are teams going to do then?"
Stewart, who has thrown 155 passes without an interception, is getting more help from his receivers. Plaxico Burress has played his best ball the past month and has two 100-yard games. He has been more aggressive going after the ball. Hines Ward has a career-high 66 receptions.
"Me and Hines are going out and making plays for him," Burress said. "He's trusting us even more. Once we get this thing going throwing the football like we know we can, it's going to be, 'What do we do -- eight men in the box or double these guys?' That's what we're trying to get to."
The game Sunday in Tennessee struck a few veterans as being somewhat similar to a game in Chicago in 1995. Back then, the Blitzburgh defense was all the rage and the Steelers' offense lagged behind. But on the ninth game of the season, their offense pulled out a 37-34 victory in overtime in Chicago on a day in which the defense did not play so well. The Steelers parlayed that balance all the way to the Super Bowl.
"That's the balance that we've needed and we've missed in the past," Washington said.
It's a reason they haven't made the playoffs since 1997. Now they're not only talking about the playoffs, but they also want optimum position in the playoffs.
"We look at the AFC from top to bottom and feel we can compete with anybody," Washington said. "We have a good mix of young guys and veterans who will make sure guys keep their perspective. But I don't think it's bad to talk about that. I think it's good. You always have to have goals and try to conquer those. Obviously, that's a goal of ours, to make the playoffs and go further."
With offense suddenly potent, Steelers in superior position in AFC 
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