2:15 p.m., KCNC-4, Steelers by 3
Last meeting
Patriots won 41-27 in 2004 AFC championship game at Pittsburgh
Who knew
Sure, Ben Roethlisberger gets most of the attention. He has, after all, won all 15 of his regular-season starts. But make no doubt, the Steelers’ bread and butter is the running game. Fact: They’re 118-28 under Bill Cowher when they outrush their opponents.
Spotlight on
Troy Polamalu. Sure, Mike Shanahan has had his share of misses in the draft, including the first round. But part of that is because of the Broncos drafting so late. Time and again, they’ve focused on a player, only to have him snatched away before they could pick him. Of all the players who got away from the Broncos on draft day, Polamalu ranks near the top of the list. Pittsburgh grabbed him with the 16th selection in 2001, four picks before the Broncos took George Foster. At 212 pounds, he’s a punishing tackler in the running game. Not only that, he’s one of the best blitzing safeties in the business, witness his three sacks last week against the Texans.
Etc.
These teams have combined to win 32 of their past 36 regular-season games. Is that any good? … Bill Belichick is 6-9 against the Steelers, but most of those games came during his days with the old Browns. … The Pats are an uncharacteristic minus-1 in turnovers. During their three Super seasons, they were plus-7, plus-17 and plus-9. … N.E. needs to somehow rev up the running game vs. a stingy Pitt D. Corey Dillon in two games: 37 carries, 99 yards, 2.7 per. … Roethlisberger improved from his rookie year. He’s averaging 14.8 yards per attempt. His 153.6 passer rating is best in the business. … Cowher, the NFL’s longest-tenured coach, is 20-7 against the AFC East. … Willie Parker, an undrafted free agent who didn’t start in college, leads the AFC with 272 rushing yards in relief of Jerome Bettis.
Prediction: Steelers 26, Patriots 24
