Pump up the volume, tune out distractions

Pittsburgh struggled with crowd noise in an earlier loss to Indianapolis.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have already played and lost this season in Indianapolis' noise-factory RCA Dome, and they don't plan on making the same mistakes in Sunday's divisional playoff game that they made during that 26-7 loss to the Colts on Nov. 28.
That means it will be very loud when the Steelers practice this week in their indoor building -- so loud, it might seem to each player like he's wearing an iPod turned up to the maximum volume. The Steelers blamed the louder-than-loud conditions inside the dome for their five false-start penalties during that Monday night loss in Indianapolis.
How loud was it? Ben Roethlisberger had never been in a game where the center couldn't hear a play call he was shouting into his ear from a few inches away.
Artificially loud? The Steelers still wonder about that.
NFL spokesman Steve Alic said the league did not investigate whether the Colts artificially enhanced the noise that night, as some Steelers players suspect. But, several weeks later, commissioner Paul Tagliabue warned in a memo that any club that tried to influence play by enhancing the crowd noise, such as by pumping it through the public address system, was subject to fines or losing draft picks.
"We aren't going to be able to hear," running back Jerome Bettis said when asked what the Steelers expect Sunday. "I think that is an important part of the game. We understand that it is going to be deafening, and we aren't going to be able to hear, but I think it helps us having played there earlier this season."
Confidence boost
The Steelers also think it helps they beat the Vikings 18-3 in the Metrodome on Dec. 18, their first victory in an enclosed stadium in nine years. They made numerous adjustments that day because of the noise problems in Indianapolis, such as running plays on a silent count rather than by having the quarterback scream them.
Roethlisberger also expects to play better than he did in the earlier loss to the Colts, when he was intercepted twice and was limited to 133 yards passing in his first game following a three-week injury layoff. This time, the Steelers are on a five-game winning streak during which Roethlisberger has thrown five TD passes and only two interceptions.
Roethlisberger threw for three touchdowns and wasn't intercepted during a 31-17 comeback victory Sunday in Cincinnati, when he looked relaxed, poise and in control -- or all the things he wasn't as a rookie QB in the playoffs a year ago.
"Ben has been working hard in practice to develop some timing and continuity with the receivers," coach Bill Cowher said. "That will be the biggest difference against Indianapolis this time."
The Steelers also promise to have a different mindset after being visibly bothered by the RCA Dome noise, even when their defense was effectively controlling Colts QB Peyton Manning during most of the final three quarters.
Possible advantage
Sunday's game will be their third in a dome stadium in last eight games, which they also think is to their advantage.
"We know what to expect," safety Troy Polamalu said. "It is a very different situation than earlier in the season ... but it will be very tough for us."
The Steelers traditionally are tough on the Colts, beating them nine consecutive times and 13 times in 14 games dating to 1978 before this season's game. Their only victory in five AFC championship games under coach Bill Cowher also came against the Colts 10 years ago this month, a down-to-the-last play 20-16 win in Three Rivers Stadium.
What is different about this playoff game is the Steelers are big underdogs, something they almost never are under Cowher in January. Of course, this is the first time in Cowher's 14 seasons as coach that the Steelers have played consecutive road playoff games -- before Sunday, they were 0-3 in postseason road games under him.
"Right now, we just enjoy playing," Cowher said. "We're just going to go on to the next game and we're going to try to find a way to win this next game."
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