No promoting needed when Pats, Steelers play

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

During a time when preening, self-promoting and spewing profanity on reality TV shows is an ever-growing method for NFL teams and players to establish an identity, the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers do it a much different way.

They promote winning, not themselves.

Of the nine Super Bowls played since the 2001 season, the Patriots have won three and the Steelers two. Since 1994, when Robert Kraft of the Patriots joined Dan Rooney and family in the fraternity of NFL owners, New England leads the league with 189 victories; Pittsburgh is second with 181.

Whenever they play, as they will in a Sunday night matchup that could have significant AFC playoff race implications, it’s an acknowledged big game. Consider this: The franchises have met during six seasons since 2001, and five times either the Patriots or the Steelers went on to the Super Bowl.

Yeah, this is a big game, and not just because the winner will be 7-2 with the NFL’s best record.

“We recognize the potential playoff ramifications of it,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “But more than anything, it’s an opportunity to pit ourselves against a good football team and get a measure of where we are at this juncture.”

Where both teams are right now is at a pivotal point in their seasons.

The Patriots had won five in a row before a 34-14 loss at Cleveland, keyed by Peyton Hillis’ 184 yards rushing and two touchdowns, exposed weaknesses in the NFL’s 29th-ranked defense.

The Steelers are coming off two victories during a three-game road trip, yet they came within one Carson Palmer completion of blowing a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter Monday in Cincinnati. And an official’s blown call on a goal-line play saved them from a possible loss in Miami.

Sometimes, even the Steelers and Patriots need a bit of luck to stay good, although their comparable styles, personalities and no player-is-bigger-than-the-team concept are proving to be as comfortable over the long term as Belichick’s hoodies.

“They’ve been very consistent and been able to really maintain pretty much their same system offensively and defensively,” Belichick said of the Steelers. “That’s very impressive in this day and age when you see teams change on a much more frequent basis. I don’t think anybody’s really got that kind of consistency like the Steelers have.”

Except, of course, the Patriots, who have won six of eight against Pittsburgh, including AFC title games at Heinz Field during the 2001 and 2004 seasons.

Much of that success is rightfully credited to Tom Brady, who is 5-1 against the Steelers, throwing for 1,658 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions.

The only loss was a 34-20 defeat in 2004 that ended New England’s 18-game regular-season winning streak, but the Patriots returned to Heinz Field three months later for an easy 41-27 victory in the AFC championship game.

“He can do a little bit of everything,” Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said of Brady, who was bothered by a sore foot as he practiced for Pittsburgh.

Keeping Roethlisberger on his feet would be a plus for the Steelers, who lost left tackle Max Starks to a season-ending neck injury in Cincinnati and may be without left guard Chris Kemoeatu (knee sprain). The injuries are testing the depth of an offense that ranks only 28th overall in yardage.

“I think we’ll see a lot of blitzing — coach Belichick is known for his film study, bringing different looks and exotic things, and it will be a challenge for us,” Roethlisberger said.