CINCINNATI -- No one in the Pittsburgh Steelers' locker room proclaimed that they're back. No one talked about this 24-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals becoming the turning point that will lead Pittsburgh back to the playoffs. And no one should after that ragged performance.
The reality of the situation -- or the craziness of it in the AFC North -- is that the Steelers (3-3) will wake up 1.5 games back of the division-leading Baltimore Ravens (5-2).
Despite all of their injuries, penalties and sloppy play, the Steelers are back in the hunt and can salvage this season if they play like they did in the fourth quarter Sunday night. If they play like they did in the first half, the Steelers will be lucky to break even this season. Anyone who has watched the Steelers play this year knows it's that cut-and-dried.
Over the final 10 weeks, it's about finishing the season the way Pittsburgh finished off Cincinnati. For the final 15 minutes of the game, Pittsburgh pounded the Cincinnati Bengals' defense into submission with a resourceful running game and never gave the Cincinnati offense any hope of coming back. For a brief moment, the Steelers looked like the Steelers on the road.
"I think it was a testament to will," left guard Willie Colon said. "[Offensive line coach Sean] Kugler brought up Peyton Manning in his Monday night game and said, 'If you look at Peyton's eyes, it was the look of you refusing to lose.' I think I kept saying that all week. You've got to refuse to lose, and that's what we did."
Read more: http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/57470/finishing-strong-has-to-be-steelers-mantra
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"Either you're playing dumb, or it's not an act". -Judge Judy
