Still Too Many Variables...

[Slapstick]

...to concede a top seed...

Cincinnati gets in IF:

Cincinnati beats Arizona (game is @ Cincinnati)

NY Giants beat NY Jets (The Giants are due to win one and the Jets are due to continue their implosion)

Cincinnati beats Baltimore (game is @ Cincinnati)

That would put the Steelers in the #3 seed...

If Houston happens to drop one of their last two games (against division rivals Indy and Tennesse) it would put Pittsburgh in the #2 seed (presuming the *s win out)...

If New England drops one of their last two (against division rivals Miami and Buffalo), that also helps...

Right now, Oakland, Denver, KC and SD are all chasing the 4th seed...they are non factors...

[Starlifter]

I think the #1 seed is gone. certainly still a chance for the #2, but we again need the rats to lose a game. they totally have the ability to lay an egg and I think there's a great chance either the stains or the bungles give them another loss.

[ramblinjim]

We also have the ability to lay an egg..........

[Slapstick]

As does every other team still in contention...

The Ravens have four losses to sub .500 teams...

New Orleans lost to St. Louis...

Green Bay lost to Kansas City...

At least the Steelers only lose to 10 win teams as opposed to sub .500 teams...

[BradshawsHairdresser]

This team could really use a bye week. Unfortunately, their chances of getting it are diminishing.

[snarky]

I say rest Ben this week. If we win, play him against the Browns. If not, take the 5 seed and rest everyone who needs it.

[papillon]

This team could really use a bye week. Unfortunately, their chances of getting it are diminishing.

They should treat the next two weeks as bye weeks and let people heal; the seeding is less of a factor than being healthy. If I were coaching the final two games against the Rams and Browns the following lineup would be employed.

QB - Ben for 2 or 3 series just to get work in and face live competition, then whoever is the #2 quarterback.
RB - Normal rotation, except possibly Moore pending his injury
WR - Normal rotation
TEs - Normal rotation
Tackles - Normal rotation
Guards - Normal rotation
Center - Legursky

Defense:

LBs - Worilds for Woodley, Harrison, Farrior and Timmons
DL - Normal rotation
SS - Mundy
FS - Clark
CB - Normal rotation

Special Teams - Any healthy body

The Steelers will be one and done without Ben; he should be getting work like a pre-season game and then sitting or no work at all based on the ankle. Unfortunately, the Steelers probably aren't going to have the luxury of the bye week for Ben to get his work in during practice, so, small pieces during the final two games to stay sharp.

Woodley needs to get healthy, but probably doesn't have enough time to do so, but they try and get him healthy.

Pouncey is probably done for the year. I don't see a high ankle sprain getting healthy enough over the next three weeks to play the center position at the level necessary to keep Ben clean and upright.

Troy's hammy look fine last night, he was all over the field and making good solid tackles. I'll bet his hammy is sore today though. I'd give him some rest at some point.

Pappy

[ter1230_4]

What is truly disappointing to me is that for the second time this year the Pittsburgh Steelers failed to come out and play with Championship emotion and intensity in a game where there was every reason to expect that they would. The first such game was the rematch against the Ravens at Heinz Field. After the beatdown that the Ravens handed them in the first game of the season I expected the Steelers to play with emotion. Instead, it was clearly the Ravens that came out with more intensity. Now last night, when the Steelers had finally gotten back to controlling their own destiny, and they played like wet noodles. This bodes very badly for this year's edition of our Pitrsburgh Steelers, because it makes me think that they are incapable of playing with Championship emotion and intensity.

[NJ-STEELER]

we certainly havent looked like the team we had in XL3 or even last year.

that said, we havent seen this team play with a healthy troy, wood, debo and ben at the same time.

if they can get healthy, we've seen them perform that magic before

[papillon]

I think a lot of the intensity was lacking because James Harrison wasn't on the field. He is nasty (in the nicest way possible) and brings a passion to the game every week, regardless of the score, person blocking him or not blocking him or the opponent.

He is the leader of the defense without saying a word and just going out there and playing.

Pappy