Now it?s up to the Steelers to make sure their part of this moment is remembered.
Mid term week is upon us, and it?s becoming a case of now or never for all teams south of Pittsburgh in the standings.
Make no mistake, rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has propelled the Steelers from pretenders to contenders, and is a shoe-in for AFC Rookie of the year, if the votes were cast today.
But remember, there are nine games left to be played, and the first seven gave us plenty of indication that anything, and everything, will happen before it?s all said and done.
Cincinnati vs. Tennessee
The Titans weren?t supposed to win this game, Chris Brown wasn?t supposed to run for 147 yards on an aching toe, and back up quarterback Billy Volek wasn?t supposed to throw for 210 yards and two touchdowns. But, these factors only added to the nightmare of why the Bengals lost this game with only a little over two minutes left in the fourth quarter. In the midst of drive to tie this game, Carson Palmer fumbled and the rest is history. For Palmer it was his second turnover of the game -- his interception earlier gave him 10 for the year, with only five touchdowns thrown. Without question, Palmer is the future of this Bengals team. What is still up for much discussion is just what will that mean if Cincinnati continues it?s losing tradition.
Baltimore vs. Philadelphia
For the second straight week, the Eagles came close to losing their first game of the season, and for the seventh straight week they found a way to win. Kyle Boller had his best game as a pro, throwing for 223 yards and a touchdown, but with the pressure on he couldn?t find a way of getting the ball to his receivers on fourth down, putting an end to a late run for a victory. Now, before anyone slaps backs, the Browns scored 30-plus points on the Eagles the week before, and the Ravens didn?t have one running back go over the century mark, and like the Bengals, the Ravens simply turned the ball over way too much at this point in the season.
New England vs. Pittsburgh
Enough has been said about this game, and there are more questions than answers at this point. Roethlisberger is having success because he?s using the system he was given and is benefiting from the talent he is surrounded by. The Patriots looked flat, played flat, and were beaten on all levels in this game. What we?ve learned is that without Corey Dillon and Ty Law, this team will struggle. Oh, and we also learned that the Steelers are for real.
Now, the mid terms...
Dallas vs. Cincinnati
The Cowboys will be trying to get back to .500, while the Bengals will be debuting new orange jerseys as they try to claw their way out of the basement. Eddie George rushed for 99 yards last week against an up and coming Lions defense and will be looking to top the century mark against the worst rushing defense in the NFL. Carson Palmer would be wise to study the ball control portion of his rookie quarterback textbook, and the Bengals must begin to follow through on tackling or this will be another very long day in the Jungle.
Cleveland vs. Baltimore
Coming off a bye week, the Browns have benched free safety Earl Little and replaced him with Chris Crocker in hopes of stopping the long ball because, unlike the season opener, Ravens wide receiver Travis Taylor will be playing. Jamal Lewis?s return is great news for the Ravens, but the bad news is that not only is pro-bowl tight end Todd Heap questionable for Sunday?s match up, pro-bowl left tackle Jonathan Ogdenis is definitely out. The Browns were able to score 30 points against an Eagles defense, which ranks second in the NFL. However, familiarity will play a pivotal role in this game, and for the first time in the2004 campaign everyone can agree, this is a must win for both teams if they plan to challenge the Steelers.
Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh
The battle for Pennsylvania hasn?t been this exciting in years. Maybe ever! The Steelers still must prove themselves before being truly considered an elite team, while the Eagles find themselves playing the AFC North for the third straight week -- and they barely won the last two. This week the Eagles find themselves facing former team mate Duce Staley, and a Steelers team that is not only focused, but gaining confidence and momentum as they reach the half way mark in the season.