PITTSBURGH Steelers were 2-1 last year before slump kicked in

Coach Bill Cowher isn't celebrating the 13-3 win over the hapless Dolphins.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Bill Cowher didn't mince words when asked to assess his team two days after beating the Miami Dolphins.
"To be honest, that was not a very good offense," Cowher said. "I think that we'll get a good test this weekend."
Cowher is probably smart not to make too much of the 13-3 win.
The Steelers were also 2-1 last season, and returning home for a two-game stand, but lost to the Tennessee Titans, 30-13, and the Cleveland Browns, 33-13. The reversals sent the Steelers spiraling to a 6-10 record.
At 2-1 this year, the Steelers are coming home to host the Cincinnati Bengals and the Browns.
The Steelers threw the ball 47 times against the Titans last year, but they won't come close to the number this year with rookie Ben Roethlisberger playing quarterback and Duce Staley running against a Bengals defense that allows an average of 166 rushing yards per game.
Porous defense
The Bengals rank 31st in the NFL in run defense and allow a league-high 5.7 yards per carry. They held the Dolphins to 25 yards on 20 carries, but were gored by both Curtis Martin (196 yards) in the opener and Jamal Lewis (186 yards) last Sunday.
"Lewis is going to do that to a lot of teams," Cowher said. "I think that Curtis Martin has run the ball very well in [the New York Jets'] first two games as well. You have to be really careful to draw too many judgments this early in the season, good and bad, about our team, about opponents."
Nevertheless, Staley is coming off his first 100-yard game with the Steelers. He gained 101 yards on 22 carries in the slop at Miami and only played three quarters.
A quality running attack will only help Roethlisberger. The rookie completed 12 of 22 passes for 163 yards in the stormy weather last Sunday.
Roethlisberger's numbers
Counting his relief role the previous week, Roethlisberger has completed 24 of 42 passes for 339 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. His passer rating is 77.4
"He made good decisions outside of the first pass he made," Cowher said. "He managed the game very well. He's got a good presence in the pocket. That's the one thing that you see with the guy. When he gets out of there, he's not just running, he's doing it for a good reason."
Cowher also praised linebackers Joey Porter and James Farrior; Cowher called Sunday's game Porter's best.
"But doing it in one game is one thing," Cowher said. "Doing it week-in and week-out is what separates units, separates players. And I think that we will be challenged this week by a team that has a lot more potential explosion than the one we just played."