STEELERS-RAIDERS Intensity lacking in old rivalry

This game is arguably the NFL's worst of the day.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- There's nothing immaculate about this Raiders-Steelers game.
Nothing compelling or exciting, either. What figured to be one of the AFC's marquee games this season is intriguing only because it matches two teams that have gone from very good to very bad very quickly.
The rivalry that was the NFL's most intense and competitive during the 1970s -- it once shifted from the playing field to the courts after Steelers coach Chuck Noll complained about the Raiders' "criminal element" -- has never meant so little so late in a season.
Rarity
This is the first time in their 21 games, six in the postseason, the Raiders (3-9) and Steelers (4-8) have met when both were out of playoff contention. In every previous game, no matter when or where it was played, one or both teams were very much alive.
Al Davis and Dan Rooney probably never thought they would see the day when Raiders-Steelers arguably was the NFL's worst game of the day, rather than its best.
Immaculate Reception? The way these teams are playing -- the Raiders have lost seven of eight, the Steelers seven of nine -- it's a miracle these days when either wins.
To Raiders receiver Tim Brown, all that's at stake is the winner probably won't be regarded as the AFC's worst team.
"For us, it's the bottom of the cellar," Brown said. "Whoever wins this game will be one up on the [other] team for the bottom of the cellar. It may not be what we wanted it for, but is still for something."
That should be some pregame talk from coaches Bill Cowher and Bill Callahan: Let's not finish last.
Despite their similarities, the teams are taking a different approach to the final month of the season. While Callahan plans to give extensive playing time to everyone on his roster, Cowher plans to use his younger players only on an as-needed basis.
That's why former starter Dewayne Washington, not rookie Ike Taylor, was plugged back in at cornerback when Chad Scott was lost for the season with a hand injury.
Even if the Steelers are destined for their third losing season in six years, Cowher wants to see a strong finish that carries over into next season. The Steelers won four of their final five to go 9-7 in 2000, then went 13-3 the following season.
"If it's not for the postseason, then you are fighting for next season," Cowher said.
Wide receiver Hines Ward said there is something else important at stake: jobs. While the aging Raiders likely will undergo a massive facelift, with a number of players retiring, the Steelers probably don't have the financial flexibility for a total overhaul.