Improved play has Steelers' hopes rising

Pittsburgh will make the playoffs with a victory over the Lions.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers take consolation in this: They are playing much better than they did to close the 2004 season.
The Steelers, forced by an ill-timed three-game losing streak to win their final four games to return to the playoffs, are three-quarters of the way to accomplishing that.
What they like most is how they have beaten the Bears (21-9), Vikings (18-3) and Browns (41-0), allowing only one meaningless touchdown and 12 points while getting their first shutout in five years.
If the Steelers (10-5) beat the Detroit Lions (5-10) on Sunday, they are assured of being the sixth and last-seeded team in the AFC playoffs and of playing in the postseason for the fourth time in five seasons.
They also could get in with a Kansas City loss to Cincinnati, but they prefer to win their way in.
"We've been in the playoffs for three weeks now," coach Bill Cowher said, alluding to how the Steelers have had no margin for error since consecutive losses to the Ravens, Colts and Bengals. "Nothing will change. We have something to build off now. We'll come back on Wednesday and understand what we have in front of us."
Last year
The Steelers went into the playoffs last year with a 14-game winning streak that would be much longer than the four-game run they would have if they beat the Lions -- but they believe they are playing better now than they were then.
Last year, they peaked with successive victories over eventual Super Bowl opponents New England and Philadelphia, but struggled to score points during the second half of the season and never got back to playing as well as they were at mid-season.
They did little with their home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, squeaking out an overtime victory over the Jets only when Doug Brien missed two potential game-winning field goals in the closing minutes before being blown out by the Patriots 41-27 in the AFC championship game.
This time, their defense looks to be finishing up with the franchise's best stretch of late-season play since the 1976 Steelers, led by eventual Hall of Fame members Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert and Mel Blount, had five shutouts while winning their final nine games.
Offense is improving
What these Steelers like about this much-shorter but potentially season-saving stretch run is the offense also appears to be picking up its play.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has a damaged right thumb, appears to be able to throw deeper than he did a couple of weeks ago, and the running game is coming around now that left tackle Marvel Smith is back after missing four of five games with ankle injuries.
Willie Parker ran for 130 yards against Cleveland, only his second 100-yard game in 13 games, as the Steelers out-gained the Browns 457-178.
"I like to think we are getting better -- and we need to," Cowher said. "We are starting to get back. Our quarterback is starting to look like he is in rhythm.
"In practice, he overthrew some guys and I thought this was good because ... his hand is starting to feel pretty good. We got the offense going."
Good idea, since, for only the second time with Cowher as coach, the Steelers would start the playoffs on the road.
They've had home-field advantage five times since the 1994 season but made it to the Super Bowl only once; the only time they've been a wild-card team under Cowher was 1993, when they lost in overtime at Kansas City.
As of now, they would start the playoffs at AFC North rival Cincinnati, where they've already won this season.
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