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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
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		<description>RUWT? News for Pittsburgh Steelers</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
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		<lastBuildDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:58:17 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:58:17 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Steelers-Chiefs Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT HUSTON
STATS Writer

The Pittsburgh Steelers saw their high-flying offense hit a big
stumbling block in their latest game, but have reason to believe
it will bounce back at Arrowhead Stadium.

Pittsburgh tries to get its offense recharged Sunday by taking
advantage of the lowly Kansas City Chiefs, who look to win
consecutive games for the first time in more than two years.

The Steelers (6-3) had the NFL's fifth-ranked offense (403.7
yards per game) through six weeks, with Ben Roethlisberger's
passing attack averaging 315.5 yards - second behind
Indianapolis. The next two weeks saw Pittsburgh's rushing game
take over, averaging 140.0 yards behind the emerging Rashard
Mendenhall in wins over Minnesota and Denver.

But neither the ground attack nor Roethlisberger could get
untracked last Sunday, when the Steelers failed to score a
touchdown in an 18-12 home loss to Cincinnati. They were limited
to a season-low 226 total yards and held under 27 points for the
first time since Week 3, giving the Bengals a one-game lead in
the NFC North and a season sweep of the Super Bowl champions.

"There was just something missing all day, I don't know what it
was," said Roethlisberger, who was 20 of 40 for 174 yards and an
interception. "We weren't good in the red zone, we weren't good
in the run, we weren't good in the pass. ... It hurts. But how
can we rebound now?"

Visiting Kansas City (2-7) could be a good way to do it. The
Chiefs have allowed averages of 443.3 yards and 30.0 points in
losing their last three at Arrowhead, and they are 0-4 at home
for the first time since opening 0-6 in 1976.

They've given up an average of 152.3 rushing yards in the last
six games overall, and that bodes well for Mendenhall after he
was held to 36 yards on 13 carries last week.

However, perhaps the Steelers' two biggest problems against
Cincinnati had nothing to do with their lackluster offense.

Troy Polamalu left with an injury to his left knee in his fourth
game back after previously missing four games with an MCL sprain
in that knee. While this injury wasn't initially considered as
serious, the All-Pro safety was ruled out of this game Friday by
coach Mike Tomlin.

Defensive end Travis Kirschke will miss his third consecutive
game due to a torn left calf muscle.

The Steelers also need to shore up their special teams, which
allowed a kick return for a touchdown for the third time in four
games. It was the seventh straight they allowed a TD via defense
or special teams.

Pittsburgh's defense has allowed a league-low 11 touchdowns, but
a season after having the league's best kickoff coverage unit
(19.1 yards per return), it's 29th (25.9 ypr) in 2009.

"They're all head-scratchers. ... It's detail, it's about
shedding blocks and making tackles and being schematically
sound," Tomlin said. "We're in the process of looking at all
elements of that unit."

No team has allowed four kickoff returns for TDs in a season
since the 1998 Vikings. The Chiefs haven't had one since Dante
Hall did it in 2005.

Kansas City was happy to get any sort of touchdown in Oakland
last Sunday. Jamaal Charles had a 44-yard TD - the Chiefs' first
on the ground this season - in a 16-10 victory, less than a week
after Larry Johnson was released.

"We talked about that before the game, that one of the running
backs had to go and make something happen," said Charles, who
rushed for 103 yards. "It turned out to be me, and I'm blessed
to be in that position."

Kansas City hasn't won back-to-back games since Oct. 14-21,
2007.

The positive feelings from the win in Oakland were dimmed
Tuesday, when leading receiver Dwayne Bowe was suspended four
games for violating the NFL's policy against
performance-enhancing substances. Bowe, who had 466 yards and
four touchdowns, took a diuretic for weight loss, according to
his agent.

"It's no different than injuries," coach Todd Haley said. "When
somebody goes down, somebody has to step up and that's all part
of the process of us becoming a good team."

Haley has ties to Pittsburgh - he was a ball boy for the
Steelers when his father, Dick, was their director of player
personnel and the architect of four Super Bowl winners in the
1970s.

He also was Arizona's offensive coordinator last season, when
the Cardinals scored 16 fourth-quarter points before Pittsburgh
rallied to win its sixth championship, 27-23.

"I know the Super Bowl was a surreal experience, having to play
of all the teams, the Steelers," Haley said. "Now we get to play
them again and I'm just looking forward to the challenge."

The Chiefs and Steelers haven't met in Kansas City since 2003.
Roethlisberger was 16 of 19 for 238 yards and two TDs in a 45-7
win in Pittsburgh in 2006.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135163-Steelers-Chiefs-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135163-Steelers-Chiefs-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:38:18 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Steelers' Polamalu, Kirschke out for Chiefs]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Steelers safety Troy Polamalu did not practice
all week because of a left knee injury and will not play Sunday
in Kansas City. He may miss the Nov. 29 game at Baltimore as
well.

Polamalu sat out the Steelers' second through fifth games with a
ligament tear, only to injure the same knee during an 18-12 loss
to Cincinnati on Sunday.

Polamalu's latest injury is to a different ligament. He wore a
heavy brace as he watched practice this week.

Defensive end Travis Kirschke will sit out his third consecutive
game with a torn left calf muscle. He had been filling in for
Aaron Smith, who is out for the season with a torn right rotator
cuff.

Nick Eason will start again at left defensive end. Tyrone Carter
will start at safety.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135726-Steelers-Polamalu-Kirschke-out-for-Chiefs</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135726-Steelers-Polamalu-Kirschke-out-for-Chiefs</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:31:15 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Feds seek $631K verdict against ex-Steeler Blount]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Federal attorneys want a judge to declare that
Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer Mel Blount owes more than
$631,000 in back taxes, interest and penalties.

The Internal Revenue Service filed a complaint in U.S. District
Court in Pittsburgh in September giving Blount 60 days to
respond. Blount hasn't filed a response to the lawsuit, and the
U.S. attorney's office in Pittsburgh on Thursday asked a judge
to rule against him.

The IRS complaint says Blount owes the money for the years 1994
to 2006.

Court records don't list an attorney for Blount and he has not
responded to requests for comment left at a youth home near
Pittsburgh that bears his name.

The 61-year-old defensive back played on the Steelers' first
four Super Bowl teams.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135674-Feds-seek-631K-verdict-against-ex-Steeler-Blount</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135674-Feds-seek-631K-verdict-against-ex-Steeler-Blount</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:23:59 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Struggling Chiefs hoping for 2 straight wins]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo.(AP) -- If Todd Haley looks across the field at
Mike Tomlin on Sunday afternoon and feels a twinge of envy,
could anybody blame him?

It does seem as though opportunity is served in silver goblets
to some people, while others pick through shards and scraps.

Haley's grueling maiden voyage as a head coach in the NFL has
been marked by failure, controversy, frustration and setback. He
took over the woebegone Kansas City Chiefs, a franchise which
had won only six games in two years, and it's been rough sailing
for the former Steelers water boy.

But Tomlin stepped happily into Bill Cowher's shoes in
Pittsburgh and found a perfect fit. He won the AFC North his
first season and the Super Bowl his second.

Tomlin takes bows. Haley takes shots.

As his Chiefs (2-7) prepared to host the Steelers (6-3) on
Sunday, Haley was being accused by various disgruntled fans of
being ignorant and abusive, an arrogant hothead.

He has tried to meet the criticism calmly - a demeanor he
acknowledges he doesn't always show when snarling at players.

"This is a hard job. It's a big job and I'm finding my way
through it," Haley said. "I would hope that nobody thinks that
I'm arrogant in going about the job. I'm fighting for my life,
to be honest, and that's the way I feel each and every day."

Haley has been criticized for firing offensive coordinator Chan
Gailey 13 days before the season opener and assuming the
position himself. He's taken heat for his handling of players,
for cursing at them during games. He's also been taken apart for
some questionable tactical decisions such as going and failing
on fourth down.

"I think I've tried to be open and forthright that I don't have
all the answers," Haley said. "I feel like I've tried to
apologize when I've said something wrong or inappropriate. I've
always tried to do that with my players and everybody."

Tomlin inherited a much more talented team than Haley. But he
can sympathize with all the travails of this week's opponent.

"It's difficult because there's no manual for these jobs," he
said. "Like myself, coach Haley's been around some great teams
and great coaches, so he's had plenty of examples of how to go
about what it is that we do. But the first time you get an
opportunity to do it, it's just that. You've thought about it a
thousand times in your mind what you would do in certain
situations and so forth, but it's a little different when you
actually get to do it.

"It's an adjustment period. But ultimately, you're not put in
that position unless you're capable."

In spite of his many run-ins with players, Haley has never
seemed in danger of losing the team's respect.

"He tells us when he's made a mistake," said running back Kolby
Smith. "He's tough on us, sure, but he treats us fairly."

The Chiefs' wobbly offense, still adjusting to the release of
controversial running back Larry Johnson two weeks ago, took
another blow this week when Dwayne Bowe, the best wide receiver,
was suspended by the league for four games for violating the
banned substance policy. That will leave the pass-catching corps
thin and considerably weakened.

Bobby Wade, inactive the past two weeks, will probably get a lot
of attention from quarterback Matt Cassel. So will Chris
Chambers, who caught two touchdown passes two weeks after being
signed off waivers from San Diego.

But the Steelers will probably be without injured Pro Bowl
safety Troy Polamalu, one of the top defensive players in the
league. He would be replaced by Tyrone Carter.

"They have some good receivers as well," Carter said. "I know
(Bowe) was a big part of their offense, but they still got a
couple guys, weapons out there. Chambers is doing a great job
for them. They got a running back out there who is doing well
for them as well. I don't think they miss Larry Johnson too
much."

Chambers will be playing the Steelers for the fourth time in
just 13 months. So far, he's 0-3.

"They're a bend-but-don't-break kind of defense," Chambers said.
"They're going to bring a lot of pressure. I think I have a good
feel for them. I'm pretty familiar with their roster. It's
always great to go against the champions."

A victory would be two straight for the Chiefs for the first
time since the final two weeks of the 2006 season.

"It comes down to executing," said Chambers.

Exactly what Haley's been saying since he was hired in February.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135496-Struggling-Chiefs-hoping-for-2-straight-wins</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135496-Struggling-Chiefs-hoping-for-2-straight-wins</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:20:08 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Holmes disputes Big Ben: Steelers were in sync]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Ben Roethlisberger felt out of sync all day in
the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense. Santonio Holmes felt just
fine.

Holmes disputed the quarterback's notion that the Steelers had
"something missing" during a 18-12 loss to Cincinnati that moved
the Bengals (7-2) ahead of the Steelers (6-3) in the AFC North
race.

Holmes took umbrage on Wednesday when a reporter asked why the
Steelers couldn't find their rhythm while producing the sixth
fewest yards (226) they've had in a home game since moving into
Heinz Field in 2001.

To Holmes, the problem was that the Steelers didn't finish the
drives they had, settling four times for field goals, not that
they couldn't find their game.

"How could we not find a rhythm when we drove the ball all the
way down the field?" Holmes said. "We just didn't put up points
on the board."

Still, the Steelers didn't exactly mount a lot of long drives.
Eight of their 11 possessions didn't move the ball more than 26
yards and their longest was for 49 yards, or the equivalent of
advancing from a team's own 20 to the opposing team's 31.

The Steelers' 226 yards - 146 passing and 80 rushing - were only
19 fewer than their lowest offensive production at Heinz Field,
207 yards against Washington in 2004.

"There was just something missing all day, and I don't know what
it was," Roethlisberger said. "Something was weird about the
day. I don't know if it was the (mid-60s) weather in November or
what it was. Even the crowd at the beginning - everything was
just kind of different. No excuse."

Holmes suggested that if Roethlisberger felt that way, it
explains why the Steelers lost.

"He's the quarterback. He's got control over everything, who
touches the ball," Holmes said. "He dictates where the ball
goes, and if he felt that way, it's probably why we didn't win
the ballgame."

Of course, Holmes (7 catches, 88 yards) had a much better day
than Roethlisberger (20 of 40, 174 yards, 1 interception) so the
offense's repeated stalling might not have seemed as evident to
him.

To Holmes, it would have helped if the Steelers had run the ball
more. Rashard Mendenhall was coming off a 155-yard game in
Denver, but he was limited to 13 carries for 36 yards.

"The last game (in Denver) those big plays opened up for us,"
because the Steelers ran the ball effectively, Holmes said.

Holmes, the Super Bowl MVP, also offered this suggestion: "Get
the ball to the playmakers."

Left tackle Max Starks also wanted to run more than 18 times,
the fifth fewest carries the Steelers have had in any game since
2001. Of course, most offensive linemen wouldn't mind running on
every down.

"I'm going to say yes all the way. But that's not the game plan
that they saw from what they (the Bengals) were giving us,"
Starks said. "You look at a team and see what the weaknesses are
and try to attack those weaknesses."

The Steelers, who have slipped to No. 17 in rushing, probably
want to get back to running more often Sunday against the Chiefs
(2-7), who are sixth from the bottom in rushing defense.

"I think there's a shot of working more into that," Starks said.

Not allowing the third kickoff return touchdown the Steelers
have yielded in four games might have helped against Cincinnati,
too. But kicker Jeff Reed isn't about to take the blame for
being one of the 11 would-be tacklers who missed Bernard Scott
during his pivotal 96-yard return.

Reed was surprised to be singled out for not bringing down
Scott, especially since he had to run from one side of the field
to the other to try to make the play.

"That was about a 50-yard sprint for me, and my job is to make
him cut back inside and he went inside of me," Reed said. "I
just look at those people (who were critical) like they don't
know what they're talking about."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135334-Holmes-disputes-Big-Ben-Steelers-were-in-sync</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135334-Holmes-disputes-Big-Ben-Steelers-were-in-sync</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:54:58 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Holmes disputes Big Ben: Steelers were in sync]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Ben Roethlisberger felt out of sync all day in
the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense. Santonio Holmes felt just
fine.

Holmes disputed the quarterback's notion that the Steelers had
"something missing" during a 18-12 loss to Cincinnati that moved
the Bengals (7-2) ahead of the Steelers (6-3) in the AFC North
race.

Holmes took umbrage on Wednesday when a reporter asked why the
Steelers couldn't find their rhythm while producing the sixth
fewest yards (226) they've had in a home game since moving into
Heinz Field in 2001.

To Holmes, the problem was that the Steelers didn't finish the
drives they had, settling four times for field goals, not that
they couldn't find their game.

"How could we not find a rhythm when we drove the ball all the
way down the field?" Holmes said. "We just didn't put up points
on the board."

Still, the Steelers didn't exactly mount a lot of long drives.
Eight of their 11 possessions didn't move the ball more than 26
yards and their longest was for 49 yards, or the equivalent of
advancing from a team's own 20 to the opposing team's 31.

The Steelers' 226 yards - 146 passing and 80 rushing - were only
19 fewer than their lowest offensive production at Heinz Field,
207 yards against Washington in 2004.

"There was just something missing all day, and I don't know what
it was," Roethlisberger said. "Something was weird about the
day. I don't know if it was the (mid-60s) weather in November or
what it was. Even the crowd at the beginning - everything was
just kind of different. No excuse."

Holmes suggested that if Roethlisberger felt that way, it
explains why the Steelers lost.

"He's the quarterback. He's got control over everything, who
touches the ball," Holmes said. "He dictates where the ball
goes, and if he felt that way, it's probably why we didn't win
the ballgame."

Of course, Holmes (7 catches, 88 yards) had a much better day
than Roethlisberger (20 of 40, 174 yards, 1 interception) so the
offense's repeated stalling might not have seemed as evident to
him.

To Holmes, it would have helped if the Steelers had run the ball
more. Rashard Mendenhall was coming off a 155-yard game in
Denver, but he was limited to 13 carries for 36 yards.

"The last game (in Denver) those big plays opened up for us,"
because the Steelers ran the ball effectively, Holmes said.

Holmes, the Super Bowl MVP, also offered this suggestion: "Get
the ball to the playmakers."

Left tackle Max Starks also wanted to run more than 18 times,
the fifth fewest carries the Steelers have had in any game since
2001. Of course, most offensive linemen wouldn't mind running on
every down.

"I'm going to say yes all the way. But that's not the game plan
that they saw from what they (the Bengals) were giving us,"
Starks said. "You look at a team and see what the weaknesses are
and try to attack those weaknesses."

The Steelers, who have slipped to No. 17 in rushing, probably
want to get back to running more often Sunday against the Chiefs
(2-7), who are sixth from the bottom in rushing defense.

"I think there's a shot of working more into that," Starks said.

Not allowing the third kickoff return touchdown the Steelers
have yielded in four games might have helped against Cincinnati,
too. But kicker Jeff Reed isn't about to take the blame for
being one of the 11 would-be tacklers who missed Bernard Scott
during his pivotal 96-yard return.

Reed was surprised to be singled out for not bringing down
Scott, especially since he had to run from one side of the field
to the other to try to make the play.

"That was about a 50-yard sprint for me, and my job is to make
him cut back inside and he went inside of me," Reed said. "I
just look at those people (who were critical) like they don't
know what they're talking about."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135152-Holmes-disputes-Big-Ben-Steelers-were-in-sync</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135152-Holmes-disputes-Big-Ben-Steelers-were-in-sync</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:22:57 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Steelers' Polamalu wearing heavy brace]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Steelers safety Troy Polamalu wore a heavy brace
on his reinjured left knee while watching practice Wednesday and
did not take part in any drills.

Polamalu limped off the field about 30 minutes before practice
ended and did not answer questions. He is all but certain to
miss Sunday's game at Kansas City, and he might not be ready for
Baltimore on Nov. 29.

Polamalu injured a knee ligament while tackling Cincinnati's
Cedric Benson on Sunday. He missed four games after hurting a
different ligament during Pittsburgh's opener.

If he starts in Kansas City, backup Tyrone Carter would be in
the lineup for the sixth time, compared to five starts for
Polamalu. Carter also started once for safety Ryan Clark.

Polamalu was injured in the first half of two of those five
starts.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135124-Steelers-Polamalu-wearing-heavy-brace</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/135124-Steelers-Polamalu-wearing-heavy-brace</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:37:41 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[LB Harrison cut as Steelers shore up special teams]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- He's watched game tapes, analyzed and
criticized, and now coach Mike Tomlin is doing something about
the Pittsburgh Steelers' miserable kickoff coverage.

Backup linebacker Arnold Harrison was waived on Tuesday, making
him the first player to lose his job after the Steelers allowed
a league-high three kickoff return touchdowns in four games.

Harrison had played for the Steelers since 2005, although the
former Georgia player missed last season with a knee injury.
Donovan Woods, an undrafted linebacker from Oklahoma State who
played in five games last season, was promoted from the practice
squad.

Until now, the only previous season Pittsburgh allowed as many
as three kickoff return touchdowns was 1986.

"We're looking at schematics and potentially making some
changes, but we're also moving some people around, putting some
new people in position to play," Tomlin said. "He (Woods) is
going to have an opportunity to run down the middle of that unit
to see if he can bring some energy to that group. But Donovan
Woods is not all of a sudden going to make us the most dynamic
kickoff coverage team in the NFL. It's detail. It's about
shedding blocks and making tackles."

Kickoff returns are only part of the Steelers' problem. They
have allowed a return touchdown - on kickoffs, fumbles or
interceptions - in seven consecutive games, one off the team
record of eight in 1993.

The poor coverage and ill-timed turnovers are overshadowing an
excellent season by a Steelers defense that has permitted only
11 touchdowns in nine games.

What's perplexing to Tomlin is how the Steelers have gotten so
bad so quickly.

Last season, the Super Bowl champions had the NFL's best kickoff
coverage unit, giving up an average of 19.1 yards - seven yards
per return fewer than St. Louis - and no touchdowns.

This season, the Steelers (6-3) are the fourth worst in kickoff
coverage, yielding an average of 25.9 yards per return. Only the
Raiders, with two, have permitted more than one kickoff return
touchdown, and 23 of the league's 32 teams have allowed none.

Tomlin can find no trend or single reason why the coverage has
slipped.

"No, they're all head-scratchers," Tomlin said. "You can just
say it's an epiphany. You can say, `Wow, that's an interesting
play' But I don't choose to have that response. I look at it
scientifically, if you will. For those things to happen there
must be other elements at work where we're falling short. That's
why we're working to make those necessary corrections."

Bernard Scott's 96-yard kickoff return score was the only
touchdown for either team during Cincinnati's 18-12 victory
Sunday that moved the Bengals (7-2) into first place in the AFC
North.

"The ball was put in the corner, he started to the (middle of
the) field, he stuck his foot in the ground and came to a
complete stop, then redirected and went vertical and continued
in the direction he initially started," Tomlin said. "Usually
when kick returner comes to a stop, the play's usually dead."

Jeff Reed only halfheartedly tried to bring down Scott, but
Tomlin won't blame a kicker for the latest touchdown. Kickers
rarely have the speed, mobility or quickness to do more than get
in the way of a returner downfield.

"Man, I am not going to go down to evaluating Jeff Reed as a
tackler," Tomlin said. "When it comes down to that, we have
failed as a coverage unit. I don't lose any sleep on the quality
of Jeff Reed's tackles."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134769-LB-Harrison-cut-as-Steelers-shore-up-special-teams</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134769-LB-Harrison-cut-as-Steelers-shore-up-special-teams</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:14:52 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Polamalu questionable 'at best' for Chiefs]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers apparently won't be
without injured safety Troy Polamalu for more than one game.

The sigh of relief began in coach Mike Tomlin's office and no
doubt spread throughout the Steelers' practice building.

Polamalu hasn't been ruled out of Sunday's game at Kansas City
despite injuring his left knee for the second time this season.
However, it seems more likely he will miss one game and attempt
to return for an AFC North game at Baltimore on Nov. 29.

Polamalu is "questionable at best" for the Chiefs (2-7),
according to Tomlin.

Questionable is a lot better than out, which is what the
Steelers (6-3) feared their defensive star would be after he
strained a posterior cruciate ligament tackling running back
Cedric Benson early in Cincinnati's 18-12 victory on Sunday.

"He is in a great frame of mind. He feels really good, but we're
going to follow the expert advice that we get from our medical
staff in terms of how we proceed," Tomlin said Tuesday. "In the
short term, we're going to take it day to day. But (it's) really
encouraging, more encouraging, I think, than was initially
anticipated."

Polamalu, a five-time Pro Bowl player, missed the Steelers'
second through fifth games with a medial collateral ligament
sprain, and he played less than a half in their opener against
Tennessee. The Steelers (6-3) lost two of the four he missed,
and all three of their losses occurred when Polamalu was out or
played only a single series.

The latest injury is not as bad as initially feared, Tomlin
said, because it did not affect the previously injured ligament.

"It happens to be the same knee," Tomlin said. "There is no
setback in regards to his MCL. This is a PCL strain. We'll let
it run its course and see how he feels. ... Everyone's initial
response was it was a re-injury and that appears not to be the
case. It's the same knee, but it's not a re-injury. It doesn't
appear to be as significant as the MCL."

The ligaments that Polamalu injured are two of the four that
connect the bones of the knee joint.

The medial collateral ligament is located on the inner side of
the knee and stabilizes the knee's motion from side to side. The
posterior cruciate ligament is inside the knee joint and teams
with the anterior cruciate ligament to secure the knee. Those
two cross in the middle of the knee and control the joint's
forward and backward motion.

Polamalu missed five games with knee and rib injuries in 2007
but played every game last season as the Steelers won the Super
Bowl. He has three interceptions in five games this season,
despite playing minimally in two games.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134765-Polamalu-questionable-at-best-for-Chiefs</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134765-Polamalu-questionable-at-best-for-Chiefs</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:26:30 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Hurry up! Steelers playing catch-up to Bengals]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) --  Chad Ochocinco, always the self-promoter,
planned to send mustard to the Steelers' defensive backs last
week before coach Marvin Lewis halted the condiment giveaway.
The Bengals receiver's implied message was that Pittsburgh would
be playing catch-up after taking on Cincinnati.

Guess what: He's right.

By losing to the Bengals (7-2) for the second time this season,
the Steelers (6-3) find themselves in a hurry-up mode with seven
games remaining. Because of tiebreakers, they're essentially
down two games to Cincinnati in the AFC North, with little room
for error and scant time for recovery.

It's almost as if an entire team will be in the two-minute drill
for the rest of the season.

"I feel in order for us to (overtake the Bengals), we have to
win out," safety Ryan Clark said. "Are we capable? Yes."

Pittsburgh's remaining schedule is relatively soft, with games
against the Raiders (2-7) and Browns (1-7) upcoming in the next
month, plus the Chiefs (2-7) on the road Sunday.

However, the Bengals play the same three teams, plus the Lions
(1-8), although they face difficult games at Minnesota (8-1) and
San Diego (6-3) on successive weekends next month.

The Steelers have taken on more difficult challenges - in 2005,
they had to win their final four regular-season games plus four
playoff games, none in Pittsburgh, to win the Super Bowl - and
they did. Back in 1977, the Steelers started 4-4 before winning
five of their last six to sneak into the playoffs when the
Oilers eliminated the Bengals on the final day of the season.

"Hopefully, we needed to get knocked down a little bit,"
defensive end Brett Keisel said. "You know, we've lost games
before and responded. We've got to do that this time."

The Steelers also were 6-3 last season; the difference is they
led the division by one game over the Ravens, who were 5-4. The
Bengals, at 1-8, were nowhere to be found.

Guess where the Bengals can be found now.

Cincinnati's 18-12 victory Sunday at Heinz Field should tell the
Steelers this: They're going only as far as Ben Roethlisberger
takes them, and their special teams need a major overhaul.

Not only was Roethlisberger under constant pressure while being
sacked four times and getting multiple passes knocked down at
the line of scrimmage, he was frequently off-target with his
throws.

A pass that sailed through Santonio Holmes' hands in the end
zone wasn't the quarterback's fault yet, inside the Bengals 20,
Roethlisberger was 2 of 8 for 8 yards. He also threw an
interception that led to a field goal, plus four consecutive
incompletions after the Steelers got the ball at their own 33
with 1:50 remaining and a chance to win it.

"From the get-go, we weren't on," said Roethlisberger, whose 174
yards passing were his fewest since he had 131 against the
Eagles early last season. "Offensively, we weren't good in the
red zone, we weren't good in the run, we weren't good in the
pass."

On kick coverage, they were downright bad, with rookie Bernard
Scott returning only the third kickoff he's handled in the NFL
96 yards for the game's lone touchdown. Remarkably, it was the
third kickoff return score the Steelers have permitted in four
games, including one in each of their past three at home.

The Steelers have given up only 11 touchdowns on defense in nine
games, yet opposing teams have seven return touchdowns against
them (three kickoffs, two interceptions, two fumbles) - one each
in their last seven games. Only the 1993 Steelers, who gave up
eight return scores, permitted more.

After not yielding a single kickoff return touchdown last
season, they've allowed the Browns' Joshua Cribbs (98 yards),
the Vikings' Percy Harvin (88 yards) and Scott to go the
distance against them since Oct. 18.

According to STATS LLC, the only other season since the 1970 NFL
merger that the Steelers gave up three kickoff return touchdowns
was 1986, when they went 6-10. In only one other season (1994)
did they permit as many as two.

Former Steelers coach Chuck Noll didn't have a special teams
coach during most of his tenure from 1969-91, and maybe there's
a reason why.

None of Noll's eight teams that made the playoffs during the
1970s, when they won four Super Bowls and played in six AFC
championship games, yielded a single kickoff return score during
a regular season. The Steelers went from 1971-82 without giving
up a single one.

Luckily for these Steelers, the NFL doesn't recognize a record
for most kickoff return touchdowns permitted in a season.

"I always prepare for the worst and hope for the best," Steelers
coach Mike Tomlin said.

Much like the Steelers will be doing for the rest of the season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134521-Hurry-up-Steelers-playing-catch-up-to-Bengals</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134521-Hurry-up-Steelers-playing-catch-up-to-Bengals</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:31:48 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Polamalu's status for Chiefs game uncertain]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[PITTSBURGH(AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have not yet updated the
condition of star safety Troy Polamalu, who injured his left
knee for the second time this season during their 18-12 loss to
Cincinnati.

Polamalu missed four games after tearing the medial collateral
ligament in his left knee Sept. 10 against Tennessee. He played
three games before hurting the knee again during the Bengals'
opening drive on Sunday.

The Steelers did not disclose the results of Polamalu's MRI
exam, but he is not believed to have been as badly injured as he
previously was. The Steelers (6-3) play Sunday at Kansas City
(2-7).

Following a Sunday game, the Steelers usually do not update
injuries until coach Mike Tomlin meets with reporters on
Tuesday.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134523-Polamalus-status-for-Chiefs-game-uncertain</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134523-Polamalus-status-for-Chiefs-game-uncertain</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:17:04 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Bengals beat Steelers 18-12, lead AFC North]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Maybe it wasn't a concession speech, even if it
sounded like one. The Bengals spent most of the last 20 seasons
chasing Pittsburgh, and now it's the other way around, and the
Steelers realize it's a decidedly uphill climb.

"They're clearly the best team in the division," safety Ryan
Clark said after the Bengals beat the Steelers 18-12 on Sunday
to take control of the AFC North. "I'd give my left arm to play
them again."

Who could have possibly envisioned the Super Bowl champions
saying that about a rival they've largely dominated and, at
times, intimidated since the 1980s, especially with seven games
left in the season?

The Bengals (7-2) pulled it off by beating the Steelers (6-3) at
their own game in their own stadium, where Pittsburgh had won
its last 10. They smothered Ben Roethlisberger and Pittsburgh's
running game, yielded only four field goals by Jeff Reed and
converted a tight-as-it-gets game's only big play, Bernard
Scott's 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

"That's probably the most grinding football game I ever
experienced," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said.

The Steelers were without star safety Troy Polamalu for all but
the opening series as he aggravated the left knee injury that
previously sidelined him for four games. He underwent an MRI
exam, but there was no immediate word about his status.

Whether they have Polamalu or not the rest of the way, the
Steelers realize they're in big trouble.

By sweeping the season series for the first time since 1998, the
Bengals effectively lead Pittsburgh by two games because they
own the tiebreaker and, for the first time in their history, a
5-0 division record. Usually by now they're playing for next
year, only to discover it may have arrived.

"This is a breath of fresh air to be at this point of the season
and to be playing for a reason," Chad Ochocinco said. "It feels
really good."

Especially when the Bengals almost appeared to be waiting for
the something bad to happen, settling for four field goals by
Shayne Graham after deep drive after deep drive didn't produce a
single touchdown.

They also played the second half without ace running back Cedric
Benson, yet still found a way to follow up their 23-20 win over
the Steelers on Sept. 27 - and in a city where they had won only
13 times in 40 years, with many of those wins during the 1980s.

"It's hard to really describe the feeling, when you've been
through so many times when you're leaving this stadium and
you're holding your head low from losing the game," Graham said.

The Bengals, a lowly 4-11-1 last season, swept both Baltimore
and Pittsburgh a season after those teams played for the AFC
title. They've won seven of eight and are 4-0 on the road.

"In the past, we would lose games like this," center Kyle Cook
said.

For the Steelers, it was a frustrating defeat after they had won
five in a row, scoring at least 27 points in each. By winning,
they would have led the division and controlled the momentum;
now, Clark concedes, they may be playing for a wild card unless
the Bengals collapse.

"We still got to find a way to get to the playoffs," cornerback
Deshea Townsend. "We have enough veteran guys to get to that
point. We're chasing Cincinnati, and hopefully we get to see
them again."

The Bengals were so Steelers-like in a game in which the teams'
combined offense was 444 yards, it was almost as if they were
copying from defensive zenmaster Dick LeBeau's playbook. They
didn't let the Steelers convert any of their final 10 third-down
plays, pressured Roethlisberger into going 20 of 40 for only 174
yards with four sacks and bottled up Rashard Mendenhall (36
yards, 13 carries) a week after he ran for 155 yards in Denver.

Most of all, the Bengals didn't let the Steelers' defense
dictate to them, despite gaining only 218 yards. They even got
away with messing up an extra point attempt for the second time
in as many games against Pittsburgh.

The drive that mattered most stretched over four minutes late in
the game and ended with Graham's 43-yard field goal. He hit
earlier from the 23, 32 and 32.

The Steelers got the ball back with slightly less than two
minutes to play, but Roethlisberger threw incomplete on four
consecutive downs from the 33, and it was over.

"There was just something missing all day, I don't know what it
was," Roethlisberger said. "Something was weird about the day, I
don't know if it was the (mid-60s) weather in November. We just
didn't make the plays we normally make."

Ochocinco (2 catches, 29 yards) and Carson Palmer (18 of 30 for
178 yards) never got going, but there were no Bengals turnovers.
Pittsburgh had one, and it mattered.

Frostee Rucker returned Roethlisberger's interception to the
Steelers 14 on Pittsburgh's opening drive of the second half,
but, settling into a familiar script, the Bengals came away only
with Graham's field goal.

Only this time - and this was the change - they didn't settle
for losing.

NOTES: It was only the fourth time since 1970 the teams met when
both had winning records during the second half of the season.
The Bengals have won all four (2009, 2005, 1990, 1981), each in
Pittsburgh. ... Steelers coach Mike Tomlin lost for the first
time in eight home games against a division team. ... Benson had
22 yards on seven carries before leaving.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134249-Bengals-beat-Steelers-18-12-lead-AFC-North</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134249-Bengals-beat-Steelers-18-12-lead-AFC-North</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:30:00 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Steelers' Polamalu leaves game]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu
reinjured his left knee early in Sunday's game against
Cincinnati and was undergoing tests as the Bengals' 18-12
victory ended.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Polamalu was undergoing an MRI
exam. Polamalu missed four games earlier with a torn medial
collateral ligament in his left knee before returning Oct. 18
against Cleveland.

Polamalu apparently was injured tackling Cedric Benson during
Cincinnati's opening possession, which ended with Shayne
Graham's missed 51-yard field goal attempt. Polamalu could be
seen flexing his knee after coming off the field, and he left
for the locker room shortly after that.

Polamalu, a five-time Pro Bowl player and one of the NFL's top
defensive players, was escorted to the locker room by team
physician James Bradley, rather than a team trainer - as might
be the case with a less-serious problem.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134205-Steelers-Polamalu-leaves-game</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/134205-Steelers-Polamalu-leaves-game</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:55:47 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[A rarity: Bengals-Steelers really is a big game]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- They've had running backs named Ickey and Rocky,
quarterbacks named Bubby and Boomer. A Brown founded the Bengals
and an ex-Brown named Chuck Noll forged the Steelers'
transformation from a doormat into a dynasty.

The Bengals-Steelers rivalry will be played Sunday for the 80th
time in 40 seasons - including one playoff game and one season
in which they met only a single time - and what a series it's
been. And hasn't been.

It's been colorful, filled with famous names (Paul Brown, Art
and Dan Rooney, Noll and Shula), ever-changing names (Chad
Ochocinco nee Johnson), long names (Ben Roethlisberger and T.J.
Houshmandzadeh) and big names (Terry Bradshaw, Joe Greene,
Anthony Munoz). Strange nicknames too, like Wicky Wacky (Sam
Wyche) and Mad Dog (Dwight White).

The franchises once played in stadiums that not only looked
alike and sounded alike, Riverfront Stadium and Three Rivers
Stadium, but were located alongside the Ohio River. They've
shared coaches (Dick LeBeau, Ken Anderson) and the same division
since 1970.

What they've almost never shared is first place so deep into a
season. For only the third time since the rivalry began, the
Bengals (6-2) and Steelers (6-2) will play with first place on
the line during the second half of a season - and one previous
instance, 1990, deserves an asterisk because the Oilers also
were tied.

"Every game is big, but this game is real big," Steelers
defensive end Nick Eason said.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin apparently agrees, because he
referred to the game as being big nearly 20 times during a
20-minute press conference.

The series usually is so one-sided, with the Steelers
controlling the 1970s, 1990s and this decade and the Bengals
dominating in the 1980s, that the games often are mere stepping
stones to bigger ones. Not this time.

With both teams playing relatively soft schedules, Sunday's
winner will have the chance to be in control the rest of the
way.

If the Steelers win their sixth in a row, they'll lead by one
game and will own the momentum. Should the Bengals repeat their
last-minute 23-20 win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 27, they'll
effectively lead by two games because they'll own the tiebreaker
based on sweeping the season series.

A single NFL game rarely results in such a three-game swing, so
both teams know what Sunday means - possibly, the season, though
the loser will remain in the playoff race.

No doubt Ickey Woods and Rocky Bleier, Bubby Brister and Boomer
Esiason all would have loved games like this one.

"It all comes down to a showdown in Pittsburgh, and we'll be
ready," Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said. "They'll be
ready. It's going to be a great game."

More than that, Ochocinco said.

"This will be an event, not a football game," he said.

Cincinnati won the last such meaningful regular-season game in
2005, beating the Steelers 38-31 in Pittsburgh on Dec. 4 and
winning the division, but Pittsburgh won a playoff rematch a
month later and went on to win the Super Bowl.

These Bengals are convinced they're much better equipped than
that team to close the deal. They have a quarterback who has
proven he can win important games (Palmer); a game-changing
receiver in Ochocinco; one of the NFL's best running backs in
Cedric Benson; and a defense that has repeatedly shut down
drives by making eight interceptions in four games.

While the Bengals believe it's finally their time, winning in
Pittsburgh likely won't be easy for a franchise that has
succeeded there only 13 times in 39 years.

"We can't wait to go to Pittsburgh and prove the world wrong
again," defensive tackle Domata Peko said. "We're ready to step
up to the plate and show everybody about Cincinnati, that we're
a real team."

The Bengals' biggest problem might be that the Steelers finally
are the team they were expected to be.

The Super Bowl champions haven't lost in five games since that
Cincinnati defeat, and they will be coming off successive wins
over teams that were unbeaten only a few weeks ago, the Vikings
(27-17) and Broncos (28-10).

Roethlisberger is fifth in yards passing and fourth in passer
rating and, for all of the Bengals' interceptions, he'll be
taking on a secondary that allows an average of 241.6 yards per
game, the NFL's eighth highest. While the Steelers are more
pass-reliant than ever, Rashard Mendenhall has twice gained
150-plus yards in five games.

Also, Pittsburgh didn't have playmaking safety Troy Polamalu
during that first game, when the Bengals once trailed by 11
points before driving 71 yards to win on Palmer's 4-yard TD pass
to Andre Caldwell with 14 seconds remaining. With Polamalu back,
the Steelers have scored three touchdowns on defense in their
last two games.

The Steelers talked all week about the importance of not
permitting Benson, who ran for 189 and 117 yards in his last two
games, to halt their streak of 30 consecutive games without
allowing a 100-yard rusher.

"He's been the big difference in them," Eason said.

Steelers safety Ryan Clark believes it is to both teams'
advantage to have so much to play for Sunday.

"That's what you want," he said. "I don't want to go into the
game with people saying, `Oh, so and so is struggling' or `Oh,
the quarterback threw five picks and, oh, they can't run it.'
No, come in here flying high, feeling good about yourself,
because that's the way we feel. It's going to be a good time."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133715-A-rarity-Bengals-Steelers-really-is-a-big-game</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133715-A-rarity-Bengals-Steelers-really-is-a-big-game</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:02:38 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Bengals-Steelers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By KATE HEDLIN
STATS Writer

A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this season put the
Cincinnati Bengals on the national radar as legitimate playoff
contenders. Another victory over the defending Super Bowl champs
will put them in the driver's seat to win the AFC North for the
first time in four years.

The Bengals look to sweep the regular-season series over the
Steelers for the first time in more than a decade when they
visit Heinz Field on Sunday.

Cincinnati has won six of seven, including a 23-20 upset of
Pittsburgh on Sept. 27 on a touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to
Andre Caldwell with 14 seconds remaining. The Steelers haven't
lost since their visit to Cincinnati, and are tied with the
Bengals for the division lead with 6-2 records.

While a Bengals win this weekend would give them a sweep of the
season series for the first time since 1998, and put them in
control of the North, Palmer tried to keep this matchup in
perspective.

"It's a game," he said. "We're not going to look too far ahead
of who's on the schedule, who's left, worry about playoff
implications, worry about home-field advantage. We don't need to
be thinking about any of those things. ... They're in a must-win
situation. We feel we're in a must-win situation."

Pittsburgh has regrouped by winning five in a row since that
loss - aided by the return of Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu, who
missed the earlier matchup with the Bengals due to a knee
injury. The Steelers are 4-0 this season with Polamalu,
including a 28-10 win at Denver on Monday night in which he
intercepted his third pass.

"To me he's one of the best players in the game, and when you
add that guy you're only going to get better," Palmer said.

Palmer and the Bengals are looking to improve to 5-0 against
division rivals after beating Baltimore 17-7 last Sunday. Palmer
threw for 224 yards and one touchdown while Cedric Benson
recorded his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season,
finishing with 117 yards and a score on 21 carries.

The defense, meanwhile, gave up a season-low 215 yards total
offense.

"Today was a statement game," said receiver Chad Ochocinco, who
caught five passes for 66 yards in his fourth straight game with
at least five receptions. "I want every game to be a statement
game."

Benson is making a loud statement that he's become one of the
game's top running backs. After rushing for 747 yards and two
touchdowns last season, Benson is one of only two backs - along
with Tennessee's Chris Johnson - to average more than 100 yards
per game in 2009. Benson has scored in each of the last four
games, averaging 117.5 yards in that span.

"We used to be an air-it-out, explosive offense, and when you
play in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Baltimore and Cincinnati, you get
to those December games and you can't throw the ball 40 times,"
Palmer said. "You have to be able to run the ball. We are at a
good point now."

Pittsburgh is coming off a short week following the victory in
Denver, where the Steelers scored the game's final 21 points
after trailing 10-7 in the third quarter. Ben Roethlisberger
threw three TD passes, two of them to Hines Ward.

Strong defense made Roethlisberger's heroics possible. The
Steelers picked off Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton three times -
two of the interceptions by safety Tyrone Carter.

"We have guys that are designed to be great," coach Mike Tomlin
said of his defensive unit, which has forced nine turnovers in
three games since Polamalu's return. "They play hard every time
they come out, regardless of their opponent or story line if you
will. Those guys are committed to being great every time they
step in the stadium."

The Steelers defense will be seeking redemption for its last
performance against the Bengals. They failed to record a
takeaway in that contest, and allowed 100 rushing yards for one
of only two times this season.

Pittsburgh had won the previous five games in the series against
Cincinnati, including a 27-10 home victory last season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133127-Bengals-Steelers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133127-Bengals-Steelers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:13:39 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Running backs can't drive for 100 against Steelers]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) --  The Bengals' Cedric Benson will be the latest
to attempt what many NFL running backs have repeatedly failed to
do: run for 100 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The timeworn expression that the season is a marathon and not a
sprint? Attempting to sprint for 100 yards against the latest
version of the Steel Curtain defense can be as trying and as
frustrating as running a marathon.

During the last five seasons, only three backs have gained 100
yards against Pittsburgh and, counting the playoffs, no one has
done it in the last 30 games. Fred Taylor of Jacksonville was
the last to accomplish the feat by rushing for 147 yards in
2007, the only 100-yard game by an opposing back in Pittsburgh
since 2004.

Running against a defense that allows an NFL-low 70.4 yards
rushing per game usually results in a double-digit day.
Sometimes, low double digits.

Three times this season, an opponent's leading rusher hasn't
gained more than 29 yards.

"No matter who we're playing, it's always stop the run first,"
said nose tackle Casey Hampton, one of a number of experienced
Pittsburgh run-stoppers.

Among the running backs who've failed to gain 100 during the
30-game streak are Adrian Peterson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Chris
Johnson, Jamal Lewis, Steve Slaton, Brandon Jacobs, Steven
Jackson, Clinton Portis - and Benson. Several failed multiple
times.

Benson, the former Bears running back, could prove to be one of
the biggest challengers to the streak when the Bengals (6-2) and
Steelers (6-2) play Sunday for first place in the AFC North.

Benson has 837 yards on a league-high 198 carries, is second to
Johnson (959 yards) in yardage and already has four 100-yard
games, one off Cincinnati's team record. Benson has three such
games in his last four, gaining 117 and 189 yards in his last
two.

"He stays low, he runs the ball real low (to the ground),"
Hampton said. "He just takes what you give him, he don't turn
nothing down."

Benson might have had a 100-yard day when the Bengals beat the
Steelers 23-20 on Sept. 27 - he had 76 yards and a touchdown on
16 carries - but Cincinnati couldn't run as much as it wanted
after falling behind by 11 points in the second half.

What impresses Hampton about the 5-foot-11, 225-pound Benson
isn't necessarily his ability to break off a long run, but to
turn a 1-yard run into a 3-yard run - extra yards that add up to
first downs and, eventually, 100-yard days.

Against most teams, that is.

"He's patient, real patient," Hampton said. "He takes his time
and when he sees a gap he'll take his three yards in a cloud of
dust instead of trying to make the big play every time. He takes
his threes, fours and doesn't take a whole lot of losses unless
somebody gets a whole lot of penetration."

Since the Bengals and Steelers moved into the same division in
1970, the Bengals have had only five 100-yard rushers in
Pittsburgh, according to STATS LLC, and only two during the last
20 seasons, by Rudi Johnson (123 yards, 2004) and Corey Dillon
(120, 1999). Before that, James Brooks' 127-yard game in 1989
was the last.

Asked if it's personnel or scheme that makes the Steelers so
good against the run, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said it's both.
Benson said it's Pittsburgh's ability to force mismatches by
getting bigger defenders on smaller blockers.

Benson has gained 76, 35 and 52 yards in his last three games
against the Steelers.

"When you get teams that don't play the run very well, it's
generally because their secondary guys don't tackle very well,"
Lewis said. "It's never really as much a reflection of the front
guys as it is maybe the perimeter players."

The Steelers are remaining tough against the run despite losing
one of the NFL's best run-stoppers, defensive end Aaron Smith,
to a season-ending right shoulder injury last month.

It's helped that safety Troy Polamalu returned from a four-game
layoff with a left knee injury to resume his role as one of the
league's best all-around defenders. He missed the earlier
Bengals game.

"Troy makes some plays that he's supposed to make, that somebody
else should make, and plays you shake your head and say, 'Wow,
how did he do that?' " Lewis said. "He's a great student of the
game."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133282-Running-backs-cant-drive-for-100-against-Steelers</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133282-Running-backs-cant-drive-for-100-against-Steelers</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:41:03 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[A rarity: Bengals-Steelers really is a big game]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- They've had running backs named Ickey and Rocky,
quarterbacks named Bubby and Boomer. A Brown founded the Bengals
and an ex-Brown named Chuck Noll forged the Steelers'
transformation from a doormat into a dynasty.

The Bengals-Steelers rivalry will be played Sunday for the 80th
time in 40 seasons - including one playoff game and one season
in which they met only a single time - and what a series it's
been. And hasn't been.

It's been colorful, filled with famous names (Paul Brown, Art
and Dan Rooney, Noll and Shula), ever-changing names (Chad
Ochocinco nee Johnson), long names (Ben Roethlisberger and T.J.
Houshmandzadeh) and big names (Terry Bradshaw, Joe Greene,
Anthony Munoz). Strange nicknames too, like Wicky Wacky (Sam
Wyche) and Mad Dog (Dwight White).

The franchises once played in stadiums that not only looked
alike and sounded alike, Riverfront Stadium and Three Rivers
Stadium, but were located alongside the Ohio River. They've
shared coaches (Dick LeBeau, Ken Anderson) and the same division
since 1970.

What they've almost never shared is first place so deep into a
season. For only the third time since the rivalry began, the
Bengals (6-2) and Steelers (6-2) will play with first place on
the line during the second half of a season - and one previous
instance, 1990, deserves an asterisk because the Oilers also
were tied.

"Every game is big, but this game is real big," Steelers
defensive end Nick Eason said.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin apparently agrees, because he
referred to the game as being big nearly 20 times during a
20-minute press conference.

The series usually is so one-sided, with the Steelers
controlling the 1970s, 1990s and this decade and the Bengals
dominating in the 1980s, that the games often are mere stepping
stones to bigger ones. Not this time.

With both teams playing relatively soft schedules, Sunday's
winner will have the chance to be in control the rest of the
way.

If the Steelers win their sixth in a row, they'll lead by one
game and will own the momentum. Should the Bengals repeat their
last-minute 23-20 win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 27, they'll
effectively lead by two games because they'll own the tiebreaker
based on sweeping the season series.

A single NFL game rarely results in such a three-game swing, so
both teams know what Sunday means - possibly, the season, though
the loser will remain in the playoff race.

No doubt Ickey Woods and Rocky Bleier, Bubby Brister and Boomer
Esiason all would have loved games like this one.

"It all comes down to a showdown in Pittsburgh, and we'll be
ready," Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said. "They'll be
ready. It's going to be a great game."

More than that, Ochocinco said.

"This will be an event, not a football game," he said.

Cincinnati won the last such meaningful regular-season game in
2005, beating the Steelers 38-31 in Pittsburgh on Dec. 4 and
winning the division, but Pittsburgh won a playoff rematch a
month later and went on to win the Super Bowl.

These Bengals are convinced they're much better equipped than
that team to close the deal. They have a quarterback who has
proven he can win important games (Palmer); a game-changing
receiver in Ochocinco; one of the NFL's best running backs in
Cedric Benson; and a defense that has repeatedly shut down
drives by making eight interceptions in four games.

While the Bengals believe it's finally their time, winning in
Pittsburgh likely won't be easy for a franchise that has
succeeded there only 13 times in 39 years.

"We can't wait to go to Pittsburgh and prove the world wrong
again," defensive tackle Domata Peko said. "We're ready to step
up to the plate and show everybody about Cincinnati, that we're
a real team."

The Bengals' biggest problem might be that the Steelers finally
are the team they were expected to be.

The Super Bowl champions haven't lost in five games since that
Cincinnati defeat, and they will be coming off successive wins
over teams that were unbeaten only a few weeks ago, the Vikings
(27-17) and Broncos (28-10).

Roethlisberger is fifth in yards passing and fourth in passer
rating and, for all of the Bengals' interceptions, he'll be
taking on a secondary that allows an average of 241.6 yards per
game, the NFL's eighth highest. While the Steelers are more
pass-reliant than ever, Rashard Mendenhall has twice gained
150-plus yards in five games.

Also, Pittsburgh didn't have playmaking safety Troy Polamalu
during that first game, when the Bengals once trailed by 11
points before driving 71 yards to win on Palmer's 4-yard TD pass
to Andre Caldwell with 14 seconds remaining. With Polamalu back,
the Steelers have scored three touchdowns on defense in their
last two games.

The Steelers talked all week about the importance of not
permitting Benson, who ran for 189 and 117 yards in his last two
games, to halt their streak of 30 consecutive games without
allowing a 100-yard rusher.

"He's been the big difference in them," Eason said.

Steelers safety Ryan Clark believes it is to both teams'
advantage to have so much to play for Sunday.

"That's what you want," he said. "I don't want to go into the
game with people saying, `Oh, so and so is struggling' or `Oh,
the quarterback threw five picks and, oh, they can't run it.'
No, come in here flying high, feeling good about yourself,
because that's the way we feel. It's going to be a good time."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133293-A-rarity-Bengals-Steelers-really-is-a-big-game</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133293-A-rarity-Bengals-Steelers-really-is-a-big-game</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:33:41 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Steelers a different team with Polamalu back]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers watched a
snow-splattered Troy Polamalu make a seemingly impossible,
one-handed scoop interception on a mushy field against Chargers
quarterback Philip Rivers last season. That doesn't mean they
believed it.

"Impossible," linebacker James Farrior said.

Not one quarter into the first NFL game of this season, Polamalu
made a climb-the-ladder, one-handed interception of a pass by
Titans quarterback Kerry Collins that the Steelers believe was
comparable to last season's snowball grab.

"He's one of the all-time greatest safeties," safety Ryan Clark
said Wednesday. "He's awesome. There's no other way to say it,
he's the best safety in the NFL, point blank, period."

Which raises this question: Does Polamalu and all of his
game-altering plays make the Steelers the best team in the
league? With Polamalu in the lineup, the Steelers are 4-0 this
season and 13-1 in their last 14 games, counting the postseason.

For all the attention the unbeaten Colts (8-0) and Saints (8-0)
are getting, it almost seems as if the Super Bowl champion
Steelers are being overlooked because of two last-minute losses
that Polamalu missed with a left knee injury.

With Polamalu back, the Steelers (6-2) will carry a five-game
winning streak into Sunday's pivotal AFC North game against the
Bengals (6-2). Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, Polamalu's
one-time roommate at Southern Cal, already knows what he's
getting into.

"Love watching him play," Palmer said. "Hate playing against
him."

Statistics don't always quantify what Polamalu means to the
Steelers - he was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 2007 without making
a single interception all season - but they do illustrate how he
might be having the best season of his seven-year career.

Because of his knee injury, Polamalu has played in only 3 1/2
games, yet he is tied for fourth in the AFC with three
interceptions and tied for seventh with 10 passes defended.

Polamalu, a Pro Bowl player each of the last five seasons,
showed again Monday in Denver how a dynamic defensive player -
and not just a quarterback, running back or wide receiver - can
alter a game. And why his "43" jerseys are nearly as ubiquitous
in Pittsburgh as Terry Bradshaw's "12" once was.

With the Steelers leading the Broncos (6-2) by 14-10 early in
the fourth quarter, Polamalu jammed the line of scrimmage before
bursting up the middle to drop Correll Buckhalter for no gain at
the 9. One play later, Polamalu dropped into deep coverage to
intercept a Kyle Orton pass intended for Brandon Marshall, and
the Steelers scored three plays later.

"He didn't just take over the series, he took over the game,"
Farrior said. "He can do that at any point."

Against the Broncos, Polamalu once lined up outside the left
tackle, only to streak across the field to tackle a wide
receiver in the flat.

"That's what Troy does," Farrior said. "It looks like chaos, but
he's definitely under control and has an idea what he wants to
do. Sometimes things change during the play and he'll go do it,
he'll take over. He's not afraid to take those chances and
that's what separates him from other players."

Polamalu, told what his teammates were saying, almost seemed
embarrassed. He also refuses to compare himself to the other top
safeties, such as Baltimore's Ed Reed.

"I don't know," Polamalu said. "I'm just doing the things I'm
coached to do. I'm just one of 11 guys out there."

To the Steelers, he's one of a kind. Quarterbacks rarely seem to
target him, yet he has made an interception in all but one game
this season.

"You've got guys who are irreplaceable, and then you've got
Troy," nose tackle Casey Hampton said. "There's no other Troy -
not just on this team, but in the league. He's the difference."

What Farrior disputes is that Polamalu is a freelancer, someone
who doesn't hesitate to abandon the defense that's been called
to gamble.

"I think he watches more tape than anybody else," Farrior said.
"Whenever he's out there taking chances, calculated risks, it
might have been something he saw on tape a few weeks before.
There might have been a game a couple of years before where he
read something, saw something, so that he's not afraid to go and
pull the trigger."

To Clark, Polamalu is more patient and less improvisational than
he was a few seasons ago. He's also better.

"So much is written about him doing his own thing," Clark said.
"I think he's improved on not doing that. ... Some guys in this
league, you can make a mistake with them. You can't do that with
Troy. He capitalizes on those and makes big plays. That's how he
can take over a game."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133054-Steelers-a-different-team-with-Polamalu-back</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133054-Steelers-a-different-team-with-Polamalu-back</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:36:29 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Steelers' Clark planned to play in Denver]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Steelers safety Ryan Clark planned to played in
Denver despite nearly losing his life after a game in the
high-altitude city two years ago. He also said he's not unhappy
coach Mike Tomlin chose to hold him out.

Clark had medical clearance to play even though he lost his
spleen, gall bladder and 30 pounds in 2007 after playing in
Denver triggered a sickle cell-trait condition that is
aggravated by exertion in thin air.

Clark suspected he wouldn't play when Tomlin reduced his
practice repetitions last week. Tyrone Carter replaced Clark and
had two interceptions in the Steelers' victory, including a
48-yard touchdown return.

"That just means he (Tomlin) is smarter than I am because
obviously I'm standing right here now, no ill effects at all,"
Clark said Wednesday before practicing for Sunday's game against
the Bengals. "He told me, `It won't be on you to make the
decision.' That's why I said last week that even if I want to
play, I might not."

When the Steelers' schedule was released last spring, Clark and
wife Yonka began debating what to do about the Denver game. They
finally decided he would try to play if doctors allowed it, but
Tomlin wasn't comfortable with the idea - apparently because no
doctor could assure him Clark was risk-free.

"I wouldn't have played the whole game," Clark said. "I would
have been kind of on a pitch count, maybe play third downs. But
I wanted to play."

Nearly all of Clark's teammates urged him to sit out.

"I think it was a smart move by coach," Clark said. "I
appreciated the fact that he took it out of my hands. It kind of
gave me a way to breathe either way. ... I didn't feel like I
chose (not to play) because coach Tomlin made the decision.
Also, if I do play and I get sick, I couldn't live with that,
either. So I appreciated what he did and now it's time to move
on."

During pregame drills, Clark ran wind sprints and exerted
himself so the medical staff could monitor his reaction. He
reported no problems.

"Got a lot of tests run just so we could have more information
how my body would react without a spleen and a gall bladder,"
Clark said. "I ran laps, I ran sprints, getting things tested,
my oxygen level tested. They tried to simulate some form of
play, but it's not the same intensity as chasing (Broncos
receiver) Brandon Marshall on third down or the anxiety that
comes along with that."

Denver is the only NFL city where Clark has had trouble playing
because of his condition. He talked before the game with Broncos
coach Josh McDaniels, who good-naturedly told Clark that he
hoped he got to play in a playoff game in Denver later this
season.

"I don't plan on us going out there anyway," Clark said. "We're
just going to try to win the rest of them so I don't have to
play (there)."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133006-Steelers-Clark-planned-to-play-in-Denver</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/133006-Steelers-Clark-planned-to-play-in-Denver</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:24:47 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Steelers peaking for 2nd half as AFC race develops]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- At the same time the Colts and Patriots are
looking ahead to their pivotal AFC game in Indianapolis on
Sunday night, they might be tempted to peek over their shoulders
at the Steelers.

With a look of worry, too. The Super Bowl champions are gaining
on them.

Winners of five in a row, the Steelers are looking again like a
team no one would willingly play in January. Or February.

The Denver Broncos might pass along this message to the
Cincinnati Bengals: The Steelers aren't much fun in November,
either.

The Steelers (6-2) appear to have long since moved past their
last-minute losses to the Bears and Bengals that occurred with
star safety Troy Polamalu injured and out. Their defense-driven
28-10 victory in Denver on Monday night put them in position to
take over sole possession of the AFC North lead if they beat
Cincinnati (6-2) on Sunday.

In their last two games, the Steelers have been dominant
defensively and effective offensively in defeating two teams
that were unbeaten only a couple of weeks ago, the Vikings (7-1)
and the Broncos (6-2).

"We pride ourselves on being a great, dominant road team," said
wide receiver Hines Ward, who made two touchdown catches in
Denver. "For us to get to where we want to go, we need to win on
the road and not just at home. I feel like us, along with the
Colts and the Patriots, have established ourselves as great
teams on the road."

What effectively is a three-game swing resulting from a single
afternoon also makes Sunday's AFC North game vitally important
to both the Bengals and Steelers.

If the Steelers win, they would lead the Bengals by one game and
own plenty of momentum, plus a soft closing schedule. Should the
Bengals win, they would essentially lead by two games because
they would own the tiebreaker based on beating the Steelers
twice.

Big games between the Bengals and Steelers have been rare since
the 1980s, but this is clearly one of them.

"Classic," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin called it on Tuesday.

Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco added some, uh, flavor by
posting a Twitter message that he plans on shipping gifts to
some Steelers players before the game at Heinz Field.

"Sending them some mustard since they'll never ketchup when we
play Sunday," Ochocinco said in his tweet.

Johnson, who thoughtfully sent deodorant to some Ravens players
last week, must be hoping he runs better than he puns.

While it begins with the key game against Cincinnati, the second
half of the season looks much different to the Steelers than
that of a season ago, when they met five playoff teams and six
with winning records during their final eight games.

This season, none of the Steelers' final seven opponents
currently has a winning record and only the Ravens (4-4) and
Packers (4-4) are at .500. Still left on their schedule are the
Chiefs (1-7), Browns (1-7), Raiders (2-6) and Dolphins (3-5).

The team is different, too. Only two starters were lost after
the Steelers beat Arizona in the Super Bowl, but the Steelers
appear to be deeper at running back and wide receiver than they
were last season.

Despite the Steelers' shift to a more pass-heavy offense,
Rashard Mendenhall has twice rushed for at least 155 yards in
the last five games. And rookie wide receiver Mike Wallace made
four catches for 69 yards and a touchdown against Denver.

Roethlisberger's 70.6 completion percentage matches Peyton
Manning's as the NFL's best, although Manning has more attempts.
With 2,295 yards passing and a half-season to go, Roethlisberger
is on pace to easily break Terry Bradshaw's team record of 3,724
yards in 1979.

On defense, where the Steelers have scored three touchdowns in
two games - or two more than they allowed - there are signs they
are becoming as good as the units that led the NFL the last two
seasons. Since Polamalu returned from missing four games with a
torn left knee ligament, the Steelers have forced nine turnovers
in three games.

Last week, Tomlin kept reminding that the Broncos ranked first
defensively - "the world's best defense," he called them. His
own players, who take pride in owning that distinction
themselves, obviously were motivated by the message.

"As the game wore on, I think they imposed their will on the
game," Tomlin said. "That's what good teams have got to do."

While there will be considerable emphasis placed on Sunday's
winner-takes-first game, the Steelers own the look of a team
that understands it may be playing this season for a lot more
than a division title.

"If we proceed and continue to grow and get better, it (Denver)
is a game we can point back to when the dust settles in
February, but at this point I'm not ready to say that," Tomlin
said.

---

AP Sports Writer Joe Kay in Cincinnati contributed to this
report.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132788-Steelers-peaking-for-2nd-half-as-AFC-race-develops</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/132788-Steelers-peaking-for-2nd-half-as-AFC-race-develops</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:54:16 GMT</pubDate>
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