Cowher expects same on Sunday

If Pittsburgh plays like it did against New England, the outcome shouldn't be in doubt.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Coach Bill Cowher pumped his fist once, twice, three times, yelling, "Yeah!, Yeah!" before slapping hands with fans following the Steelers' 34-20 victory over previously unbeaten New England on Sunday.
Clearly, Cowher liked what he just saw. Maybe that's why he will be surprised and disappointed if he doesn't see much the same thing Sunday.
Cowher knows it's premature to think about possible playoff previews with the season less than half over, but Sunday's game against the unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles (7-0) has the potential to be the Steelers' biggest since -- well, last week.
To Cowher, that makes it plenty big enough.
No room for error
"We are not going to have a letdown," Cowher said Tuesday. "The biggest thing is when you are playing a football team like this is there is no margin for error. We can't back up what was a very good performance from our football team with anything less."
The Steelers (6-1) have played well in two of their last three games -- they cruised by Cleveland 34-23 on Oct. 10 -- but were forced to rally in the fourth quarter to beat Cincinnati 28-17 on Oct. 3 and Dallas 24-20 on Oct. 17.
Performances like those two won't be good enough against the Eagles -- a challenge Cowher said might be even greater than taking on the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots (6-1).
Consistency critical
"If we try to play like we did against Dallas, we won't win this football game," Cowher said. "We have to be able to back it up and show up every week. It is a challenge. If you don't, then you become that up-and-down football team. ... When you watch us play the way we did last week, there is no reason to think we should not do that every week."
That's why Cowher reminded his players that, while they are off to the franchise's best start since the 1978 Steelers were 7-0, they are the same team many predicted wouldn't make the playoffs.
"We have to be able to play at a high level for us to be efficient," he said. "Anything less and we will find ourselves back in the same mode as we have been before, with a lot of question marks about us, maybe losing the opportunity we created for ourselves."
There's no question who the Steelers' quarterback will be: Ben Roethlisberger. Former starter Tommy Maddox could be ready Sunday after being out six weeks with an injured right elbow, but will be the backup when he is healthy.
Policy shift
No surprise there, even if Cowher once had a policy that starters couldn't lose their jobs to injury. Roethlisberger has so energized a team that was only 6-10 last season with his throwing, decision-making and leadership skills that it was a given he would remain the starter.
Maddox hasn't spoken to reporters about the anticipated demotion, but said at a charity function last week that it's understandable, given how well the Steelers and Roethlisberger are playing.
"Tommy is another guy that has put the team before him," Cowher said.
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