PREVIEW Steelers vs. Panthers

Records: Carolina 5-8, Pittsburgh 7-5-1.
Time: 1 p.m. today.
TV/radio: WYFX (17/62), WPGH (53), WICT-FM (95.1), WBBG-FM (106.1).
Series history: Series tied 1-1. Steelers beat Panthers 30-20 on Dec. 26, 1999, at Pittsburgh.
Last week: Panthers beat Bengals 52-31; Steelers lost to Texans 24-6.
Rankings: Panthers offense (rush 19, pass 29, overall 30); Panthers defense (rush 8, pass 8, overall 6); Steelers offense (rush 10, pass 5, overall 3); Steelers defense (rush 2, pass 20, overall 8).
Key matchup: Pittsburgh offense vs. Pittsburgh defense. Last week, Steelers held expansion Texans to 10 net yards passing, 37 yards rushing and only three first downs. But Houston scored three TDs off Pittsburgh's offensive mistakes (two INT returns and one fumble return) to win. Panthers had one defensive TD and two special teams TDs last week.
Streaks, stats and notes: Panthers WR Muhsin Muhammad seeks club-record 19th 100-yard receiving game after posting 106 yards (eight catches, one TD) last week. ... Steelers are one of three teams to rank in top 10 in offense (No. 3) and defense (No. 8). ... For second consecutive season, Steelers WRs Plaxico Burress (1,026) and Hines Ward (1,166) each have 1,000 yards receiving, only duo in club history to each record 1,000 in same season. Ward has 98 catches, most ever by Steeler and second best in NFL.
-- Associated Press