Steelers are team to beat in AFC
Pittsburgh's offense picked New England apart and made a statement
By Ashley Fox
PITTSBURGH -- It was more than just another October game. To their credit, the Pittsburgh Steelers' players admitted as much.
They had heard the never-ending hype, how the New England Patriots owned them, how the Patriots were in their heads, how Tom Brady was perfect and Bill Belichick a genius and their offense simply unstoppable.
The Steelers tried not to listen, but they couldn't tune out all of the noise. It is hard to shut it out completely. Tweet this. Talk that. In 2011, it never stops. The news cycle isn't a cycle. It's every second. And everyone has an opinion.
Despite getting slightly irritated by all the hype, the Steelers players knew it was merited. Only the Patriots have won more Super Bowls this century than Pittsburgh. Three for the Pats to two for the Steelers. Real recognizes real.
Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are building confidence, but they know there's still work to be done.
So yes, this Oct. 30 game was a little bigger than normal. This was 5-1 New England against 5-2 Pittsburgh, at Heinz Field, in a game that just might decide which team has home-field advantage through the playoffs.
When it was over, after the Steelers won 25-17 in a game that was only that close because of Pittsburgh's inability to score touchdowns in the red zone, the gauntlet had been thrown down: The Steelers are the team to beat in the AFC.
(Read More:) http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/page/tackles-11week8/the-pittsburgh-steelers-made-clear-team-beat-afc
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