CBSSports.com wire reports
Oct. 30, 2011

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers no longer have a Tom Brady problem. And that may be a problem for the rest of the NFL.

Old, slow and over? Not quite yet.

Ben Roethlisberger picked apart the NFL’s worst defense and the Steelers rattled the nearly unflappable Brady in a 25-17 victory on Sunday, putting an end to the two-time MVP’s decade of dominance over the defending AFC champions.

Brady came in 6-1 all-time against the Steelers, putting up eye-popping numbers in the process. He never got the chance on a chilly day at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh (6-2) controlled the ball for nearly 39 minutes and never let Brady get into a sustained rhythm.

“It’s been all Tom Brady versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and looking back on the past, how he’s owned the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I think everybody forgot about our offense a little bit and the things they’ve been doing out there,” Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley said. “I think they took that a little personal.”

Playing efficiently and working almost exclusively on short, safe, underneath routes, Roethlisberger completed 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers won their fourth straight following a 2-2 start.

“We can be as good as we want to be,” Roethlisberger said. “When we don’t kill ourselves and stop ourselves, we can be pretty dangerous.”

Brady passed for two touchdowns but threw for a season-low 198 yards. His attempt to lead the Patriots to an unlikely comeback ended when Pittsburgh’s Brett Keisel sacked him, forcing a fumble that Troy Polamalu slapped through the end zone with 8 seconds left to provide the final margin.

“We all have to individually look in the mirror and figure out what we need to get better at,” Brady said.

There was no sense of panic among the Patriots, who fell into a tie with Buffalo atop the AFC East. Yet the Steelers did something no team has been able to do this year: keep Brady under wraps.

Pittsburgh sacked him three times, held wide receiver Wes Welker — on pace for an NFL record for yards receiving in a season — to 39 yards on six receptions while limiting the Patriots to their fewest points since a 34-14 loss to Cleveland last year.

The Patriots punted four times, missed a field goal in the third quarter that would have drawn them within a touchdown and failed to recover an onside kick with just over 2 minutes remaining.

Not the kind of brisk execution that’s been the hallmark of Brady and coach Bill Belichick’s highly successful tenure.

“It just wasn’t a really good day for us in any phase of the game, in any area,” Belichick said. “We just didn’t do a good enough job. That’s really all there is to say.”

Brady and Belichick remain tied with Don Shula and Dan Marino for most wins by a coach/quarterback tandem. Win No. 117 will have to wait at least a week after the Steelers emphatically awoke from an early-season slumber that included one-sided losses to Baltimore and Houston.

Pittsburgh didn’t panic after the slow start. And while the Steelers weren’t ready to declare they’re back, there was a definite sense of vindication on a day that felt more like January than late October, and not just because of the chilly weather.

“It’s a huge step,” linebacker Lawrence Timmons said. “The New England Patriots have Belichick and Brady. This is a team that contends in the AFC every year and goes to the championship or the Super Bowl. So having this win, in our house, is huge and something to build on.”

On both sides of the ball.

Roethlisberger has built a career and won two Super Bowls by chucking it deep with abandon. On Sunday he didn’t complete a pass over 26 yards. He didn’t have to.

Roethlisberger consistently found Antonio Brown (a career-high nine receptions), Heath Miller (a season-high seven grabs) and speedster Mike Wallace (seven catches) on short and intermediate routes.

The West Coast-style approach worked perfectly.

Pittsburgh’s five scoring drives lasted 11, 16, 10, 14 and 11 plays. The Steelers converted 10 of 16 third downs and Shaun Suisham kicked three field goals.

“It’s very frustrating,” New England nose tackle Vince Wilfork said. “You talk about getting a team in second-and-longs and third-and-longs and taking advantage of those situations. We had them in those situations; we just didn’t take advantage of them.”

Despite being dominated for long stretches in the first half, the Patriots trailed just 17-10 at the break. Yet the magic Brady has been able to muster repeatedly against the Steelers throughout his career never appeared. On the same field where he won two AFC championships, Brady never really got comfortable.

“We had to beat them today,” safety Ryan Clark said. “We’re talking about this dominance that New England’s had on us. I think we’ve won more Super Bowls, been to more Super Bowls than they have. It’s not about history. We were excited to win today.”

Notes

• Woodley finished with two sacks to become the first Steeler to get multiple sacks in four consecutive games.
• New England RB Kevin Faulk ran for 32 yards on six carries and caught five passes for 20 yards in his first game of the season.
• Patriots lost for just the second time in their last 11 games coming off a bye and lost in October for just the seventh time since 2003.
• New England TE Rob Gronkowski set a career high with seven catches.
• The Steelers played without offensive captain Hines Ward and defensive captain James Farrior , who missed the game with injuries.
• New England defensive lineman Andre Carter had two sacks for the 11th time in his career.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers no longer have a Tom Brady
problem. And that may be a problem for the rest of the NFL.

Old, slow and over? Not quite yet.

Ben Roethlisberger picked apart the NFL’s worst defense and the
Steelers rattled the nearly unflappable Brady in a 25-17 victory on
Sunday, putting an end to the two-time MVP’s decade of dominance
over the defending AFC champions.

Brady came in 6-1 all-time against the Steelers, putting up
eye-popping numbers in the process. He never got the chance on a
chilly day at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh (6-2) controlled the ball for
nearly 39 minutes and never let Brady get into a sustained
rhythm.

“It’s been all Tom Brady versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and
looking back on the past, how he’s owned the Pittsburgh Steelers,
and I think everybody forgot about our offense a little bit and the
things they’ve been doing out there,” Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr
Woodley said. “I think they took that a little personal.”

Playing efficiently and working almost exclusively on short,
safe, underneath routes, Roethlisberger completed 36 of 50 passes
for 365 yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers won their fourth
straight following a 2-2 start.

“We can be as good as we want to be,” Roethlisberger said. “When
we don’t kill ourselves and stop ourselves, we can be pretty
dangerous.”

Brady passed for two touchdowns but threw for a season-low 198
yards. His attempt to lead the Patriots to an unlikely comeback
ended when Pittsburgh’s Brett Keisel sacked him, forcing a fumble
that Troy Polamalu slapped through the end zone with 8 seconds left
to provide the final margin.

“We all have to individually look in the mirror and figure out
what we need to get better at,” Brady said.

There was no sense of panic among the Patriots, who fell into a
tie with Buffalo atop the AFC East. Yet the Steelers did something
no team has been able to do this year: keep Brady under wraps.

Pittsburgh sacked him three times, held wide receiver Wes Welker
– on pace for an NFL record for yards receiving in a season — to
39 yards on six receptions while limiting the Patriots to their
fewest points since a 34-14 loss to Cleveland last year.

The Patriots punted four times, missed a field goal in the third
quarter that would have drawn them within a touchdown and failed to
recover an onside kick with just over 2 minutes remaining.

Not the kind of brisk execution that’s been the hallmark of
Brady and coach Bill Belichick’s highly successful tenure.

“It just wasn’t a really good day for us in any phase of the
game, in any area,” Belichick said. “We just didn’t do a good
enough job. That’s really all there is to say.”

Brady and Belichick remain tied with Don Shula and Dan Marino
for most wins by a coach/quarterback tandem. Win No. 117 will have
to wait at least a week after the Steelers emphatically awoke from
an early-season slumber that included one-sided losses to Baltimore
and Houston.

Pittsburgh didn’t panic after the slow start. And while the
Steelers weren’t ready to declare they’re back, there was a
definite sense of vindication on a day that felt more like January
than late October, and not just because of the chilly weather.

“It’s a huge step,” linebacker Lawrence Timmons said. “The New
England Patriots have Belichick and Brady. This is a team that
contends in the AFC every year and goes to the championship or the
Super Bowl. So having this win, in our house, is huge and something
to build on.”

On both sides of the ball.

Roethlisberger has built a career and won two Super Bowls by
chucking it deep with abandon. On Sunday he didn’t complete a pass
over 26 yards. He didn’t have to.

Roethlisberger consistently found Antonio Brown (a career-high
nine receptions), Heath Miller (a season-high seven grabs) and
speedster Mike Wallace (seven catches) on short and intermediate
routes.

The West Coast-style approach worked perfectly.

Pittsburgh’s five scoring drives lasted 11, 16, 10, 14 and 11
plays. The Steelers converted 10 of 16 third downs and Shaun
Suisham kicked three field goals.

“It’s very frustrating,” New England nose tackle Vince Wilfork
said. “You talk about getting a team in second-and-longs and
third-and-longs and taking advantage of those situations. We had
them in those situations; we just didn’t take advantage of
them.”

Despite being dominated for long stretches in the first half,
the Patriots trailed just 17-10 at the break. Yet the magic Brady
has been able to muster repeatedly against the Steelers throughout
his career never appeared. On the same field where he won two AFC
championships, Brady never really got comfortable.

“We had to beat them today,” safety Ryan Clark said. “We’re
talking about this dominance that New England’s had on us. I think
we’ve won more Super Bowls, been to more Super Bowls than they
have. It’s not about history. We were excited to win today.”

Notes: Woodley finished with two sacks to become the first
Steeler to get multiple sacks in four consecutive games. … New
England RB Kevin Faulk ran for 32 yards on six carries and caught
five passes for 20 yards in his first game of the season. …
Patriots lost for just the second time in their last 11 games
coming off a bye and lost in October for just the seventh time
since 2003. … New England TE Rob Gronkowski set a career high
with seven catches. … The Steelers played without offensive
captain Hines Ward and defensive captain James Farrior, who missed
the game with injuries. … New England defensive lineman Andre
Carter had two sacks for the 11th time in his career.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Pittsburgh Steelers no longer have a Tom Brady problem. And that may be a problem for the rest of the NFL.

Old, slow and over? Not quite yet.

Ben Roethlisberger picked apart the NFL’s worst defence and the Steelers rattled the nearly unflappable Brady in a 25-17 victory on Sunday, putting an end to the two-time MVP’s decade of dominance over the defending AFC champions.

Brady came in 6-1 all-time against the Steelers, putting up eye-popping numbers in the process. He never got the chance on a chilly day at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh (6-2) controlled the ball for nearly 39 minutes and never let Brady get into a sustained rhythm.

“It’s been all Tom Brady versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and looking back on the past, how he’s owned the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I think everybody forgot about our offence a little bit and the things they’ve been doing out there,” Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley said. “I think they took that a little personal.”

Playing efficiently and working almost exclusively on short, safe, underneath routes, Roethlisberger completed 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers won their fourth straight following a 2-2 start.

“We can be as good as we want to be,” Roethlisberger said. “When we don’t kill ourselves and stop ourselves, we can be pretty dangerous.”

Brady passed for two touchdowns but threw for a season-low 198 yards. His attempt to lead the Patriots to an unlikely comeback ended when Pittsburgh’s Brett Keisel sacked him, forcing a fumble that Troy Polamalu slapped through the end zone with eight seconds left to provide the final margin.

“We all have to individually look in the mirror and figure out what we need to get better at,” Brady said.

There was no sense of panic among the Patriots, who fell into a tie with Buffalo atop the AFC East. Yet the Steelers did something no team has been able to do this year: keep Brady under wraps.

Pittsburgh sacked him three times, held wide receiver Wes Welker — on pace for an NFL record for yards receiving in a season — to 39 yards on six receptions while limiting the Patriots to their fewest points since a 34-14 loss to Cleveland last year.

The Patriots punted four times, missed a field goal in the third quarter that would have drawn them within a touchdown and failed to recover an onside kick with just over two minutes remaining.

Not the kind of brisk execution that’s been the hallmark of Brady and coach Bill Belichick’s highly successful tenure.

“It just wasn’t a really good day for us in any phase of the game, in any area,” Belichick said. “We just didn’t do a good enough job. That’s really all there is to say.”

Brady and Belichick remain tied with Don Shula and Dan Marino for most wins by a coach/quarterback tandem. Win No. 117 will have to wait at least a week after the Steelers emphatically awoke from an early-season slumber that included one-sided losses to Baltimore and Houston.

Pittsburgh didn’t panic after the slow start. And while the Steelers weren’t ready to declare they’re back, there was a definite sense of vindication on a day that felt more like January than late October, and not just because of the chilly weather.

“It’s a huge step,” linebacker Lawrence Timmons said. “The New England Patriots have Belichick and Brady. This is a team that contends in the AFC every year and goes to the championship or the Super Bowl. So having this win, in our house, is huge and something to build on.”

On both sides of the ball.

Roethlisberger has built a career and won two Super Bowls by chucking it deep with abandon. On Sunday he didn’t complete a pass over 26 yards. He didn’t have to.

Roethlisberger consistently found Antonio Brown (a career-high nine receptions), Heath Miller (a season-high seven grabs) and speedster Mike Wallace (seven catches) on short and intermediate routes.

The West Coast-style approach worked perfectly.

Pittsburgh’s five scoring drives lasted 11, 16, 10, 14 and 11 plays. The Steelers converted 10 of 16 third downs and Shaun Suisham of Wallaceburg, Ont., kicked three field goals.

“It’s very frustrating,” New England nose tackle Vince Wilfork said. “You talk about getting a team in second-and-longs and third-and-longs and taking advantage of those situations. We had them in those situations; we just didn’t take advantage of them.”

Despite being dominated for long stretches in the first half, the Patriots trailed just 17-10 at the break. Yet the magic Brady has been able to muster repeatedly against the Steelers throughout his career never appeared. On the same field where he won two AFC championships, Brady never really got comfortable.

“We had to beat them today,” safety Ryan Clark said. “We’re talking about this dominance that New England’s had on us. I think we’ve won more Super Bowls, been to more Super Bowls than they have. It’s not about history. We were excited to win today.”

Notes: Woodley finished with two sacks to become the first Steeler to get multiple sacks in four consecutive games. … New England RB Kevin Faulk ran for 32 yards on six carries and caught five passes for 20 yards in his first game of the season. … Patriots lost for just the second time in their last 11 games coming off a bye and lost in October for just the seventh time since 2003. … New England TE Rob Gronkowski set a career high with seven catches. … The Steelers played without offensive captain Hines Ward and defensive captain James Farrior, who missed the game with injuries. … New England defensive lineman Andre Carter had two sacks for the 11th time in his career.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers no longer have a Tom Brady problem. And that may be a problem for the rest of the NFL.

Old, slow and over? Not quite yet.

Ben Roethlisberger picked apart the NFL’s worst defense and the Steelers rattled the nearly unflappable Brady in a 25-17 victory on Sunday, putting an end to the two-time MVP’s decade of dominance over the defending AFC champions.

Brady came in 6-1 all-time against the Steelers, putting up eye-popping numbers in the process. He never got the chance on a chilly day at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh (6-2) controlled the ball for nearly 39 minutes and never let Brady get into a sustained rhythm.

“It’s been all Tom Brady versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and looking back on the past, how he’s owned the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I think everybody forgot about our offense a little bit and the things they’ve been doing out there,” Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley said. “I think they took that a little personal.”

Playing efficiently and working almost exclusively on short, safe, underneath routes, Roethlisberger completed 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers won their fourth straight following a 2-2 start.

“We can be as good as we want to be,” Roethlisberger said. “When we don’t kill ourselves and stop ourselves, we can be pretty dangerous.”

Brady passed for two touchdowns but threw for a season-low 198 yards. His attempt to lead the Patriots to an unlikely comeback ended when Pittsburgh’s Brett Keisel sacked him, forcing a fumble that Troy Polamalu slapped through the end zone with 8 seconds left to provide the final margin.

“We all have to individually look in the mirror and figure out what we need to get better at,” Brady said.

There was no sense of panic among the Patriots, who fell into a tie with Buffalo atop the AFC East. Yet the Steelers did something no team has been able to do this year: keep Brady under wraps.

Pittsburgh sacked him three times, held wide receiver Wes Welker — on pace for an NFL record for yards receiving in a season — to 39 yards on six receptions while limiting the Patriots to their fewest points since a 34-14 loss to Cleveland last year.

The Patriots punted four times, missed a field goal in the third quarter that would have drawn them within a touchdown and failed to recover an onside kick with just over 2 minutes remaining.

Not the kind of brisk execution that’s been the hallmark of Brady and coach Bill Belichick’s highly successful tenure.

“It just wasn’t a really good day for us in any phase of the game, in any area,” Belichick said. “We just didn’t do a good enough job. That’s really all there is to say.”

Brady and Belichick remain tied with Don Shula and Dan Marino for most wins by a coach/quarterback tandem. Win No. 117 will have to wait at least a week after the Steelers emphatically awoke from an early-season slumber that included one-sided losses to Baltimore and Houston.

Pittsburgh didn’t panic after the slow start. And while the Steelers weren’t ready to declare they’re back, there was a definite sense of vindication on a day that felt more like January than late October, and not just because of the chilly weather.

“It’s a huge step,” linebacker Lawrence Timmons said. “The New England Patriots have Belichick and Brady. This is a team that contends in the AFC every year and goes to the championship or the Super Bowl. So having this win, in our house, is huge and something to build on.”

On both sides of the ball.

Roethlisberger has built a career and won two Super Bowls by chucking it deep with abandon. On Sunday he didn’t complete a pass over 26 yards. He didn’t have to.

Roethlisberger consistently found Antonio Brown (a career-high nine receptions), Heath Miller (a season-high seven grabs) and speedster Mike Wallace (seven catches) on short and intermediate routes.

The West Coast-style approach worked perfectly.

Pittsburgh’s five scoring drives lasted 11, 16, 10, 14 and 11 plays. The Steelers converted 10 of 16 third downs and Shaun Suisham kicked three field goals.

“It’s very frustrating,” New England nose tackle Vince Wilfork said. “You talk about getting a team in second-and-longs and third-and-longs and taking advantage of those situations. We had them in those situations; we just didn’t take advantage of them.”

Despite being dominated for long stretches in the first half, the Patriots trailed just 17-10 at the break. Yet the magic Brady has been able to muster repeatedly against the Steelers throughout his career never appeared. On the same field where he won two AFC championships, Brady never really got comfortable.

“We had to beat them today,” safety Ryan Clark said. “We’re talking about this dominance that New England’s had on us. I think we’ve won more Super Bowls, been to more Super Bowls than they have. It’s not about history. We were excited to win today.”

Notes: Woodley finished with two sacks to become the first Steeler to get multiple sacks in four consecutive games. … New England RB Kevin Faulk ran for 32 yards on six carries and caught five passes for 20 yards in his first game of the season. … Patriots lost for just the second time in their last 11 games coming off a bye and lost in October for just the seventh time since 2003. … New England TE Rob Gronkowski set a career high with seven catches. … The Steelers played without offensive captain Hines Ward and defensive captain James Farrior, who missed the game with injuries. … New England defensive lineman Andre Carter had two sacks for the 11th time in his career.

Steelers respectful but not in awe of Patriots

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

By WILL GRAVES

AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) Brett Keisel’s short-term memory is a little hazy. Actually, his long-term memory is clouded, too, at least when it comes to the New England Patriots.

The Pittsburgh defensive end isn’t quite sure how many times Tom Brady has beaten the defending AFC champions.

Is it four? Five? All Keisel knows is, whatever the number is – six, actually – it’s too many. He also knows he’s not dwelling on it heading into their showdown Sunday at Heinz Field.

“I really haven’t thought about what they’ve done in the past, honestly,” Keisel said.

Good idea.

The Steelers have won 129 games (including a pair of Super Bowls) since Brady took over as the Patriots’ starting quarterback in 2001. Only one of those victories came against the two-time MVP.

Does that mean New England is in the Steelers’ heads? Keisel has the ultimate respect for the Patriots, but he’s not ready to go there.

“If they feel good about themselves for beating us back in whenever, and it’s an advantage for them, so be it,” Keisel said.

The Patriots haven’t just beaten the Steelers through the years, however, they’ve dominated.

New England’s average margin of victory against Pittsburgh since 2001 is 12.3 points with only one game decided by fewer than seven points.

Impressive, to be sure.

Also, the Steelers point out, irrelevant.

“The amazing thing is none of that counts,” safety Ryan Clark said. “They clearly have no reason to be afraid of us, but neither do we.”

Maybe, though the Steelers (5-2) are well aware they’ve played second fiddle to the Patriots (5-1) over the last decade in which the two organizations combined to win half the Super Bowls and seven AFC titles.

“That’s how it always is,” linebacker LaMarr Woodley said. “They’ve got a great organization, great coaches, great players. Last time I checked, we were pretty good, too.”

Just not good enough to beat Brady.

The Steelers insist there’s no secret formula to beating Brady. Put pressure on him, disrupt his timing and try to put him on the ground.

“If I knew the reason why they’ve beaten us more than we’ve beaten them, we wouldn’t have that problem anymore,” nose tackle Casey Hampton said. “So, we’ve just got to go out there and do what we do.”

And just do it better than they’ve done it in the past even if Brady seems immune to whatever schemes the Steelers throw at him. If they blitz, he finds the hot receiver. If they drop back and give him time, he picks them apart.

Brady’s numbers against the Steelers seem as if they’ve come out of a video game. He has racked up 2,008 yards passing with 14 touchdowns against three interceptions against Pittsburgh, remarkable statistics against any team, mind-blowing considering the Steelers annually rank among the league’s top defenses.

This year is no different. The Steelers are third in the league in average yards against and first against the pass.

Yet Brady is in a different league than the likes of Curtis Painter, Blaine Gabbert and Tarvaris Jackson, and the Steelers know it.

New England has beaten the Steelers in a variety of ways. Early in Brady’s career the Patriots relied on the defense and running game. Now coach Bill Belichick lets his quarterback throw it all over the field.

Whatever button the Patriots push works. That’s typically not the way it goes when teams face the Steelers.

“You see them one week and they do this, then the next week they do something completely different,” Clark said. “One week it’s five receivers and the next it’s two tight ends.”

And sometimes it’s both in the same game.

The Patriots slogged to a 10-3 halftime lead a year ago only to pull away for a 39-26 victory, with Brady throwing for 350 yards and three scores.

“We scored points and our defense played pretty good but it was like something that was missing, like we were trying but we just couldn’t get there,” Steelers receiver Mike Wallace said. “You always going to keep that in the back of your head that you have to beat this team because of what happened.”

If the Steelers need advice on how to turn things around, they need only look within their own locker room.

Wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery spent seven seasons in New York before signing with Pittsburgh during training camp.

The Patriots whipped the Jets regularly early in Cotchery’s career before New York evened things out over the last three seasons. The Jets went 4-3 against New England from 2008-10, including an upset victory last season in the divisional playoffs that served as an exclamation point in one of the AFC’s most heated rivalries.

How did the Jets go from patsies to Pats-beaters? Cotchery says it started with an attitude adjustment. Former Jets coach Eric Mangini – a longtime New England assistant – gave his players the belief they could hang with New England.

Rex Ryan, Mangini’s replacement, took it a step further by telling the team to ignore New England’s star power and just hit the delete button.

It’s a lesson Keisel is already following. Cotchery thinks it would be wise for the rest of his new teammates to follow suit.

“You just have to play ball, you don’t play history,” he said. “It’s not Steelers versus history. It’s Steelers vs. Patriots.”

Updated October 27, 2011

On Sunday, the Cardinals and Steelers will play each other for the first time since Super Bowl XLIII on Feb. 1, 2009. To both teams, that game seemed like it happened long ago.

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“Eons,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said on a conference call Wednesday with Arizona media.

“Right now, I would certainly agree with that,” said Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, who is 1-4 this season. “It doesn’t erase the fact that we got there and it was a good run for us. I think that’s what makes us so confident that what we are doing is the right thing, as far as how we prepare and how we work.”

The Steelers returned to the Super Bowl last season, losing to Green Bay.

“You move on,” Tomlin said of Super Bowls past. “I think everybody really needs to have that approach, whether you’re talking football or life in general. I think the greater thing is the challenges that lie ahead.”

Helmet popping

Beanie Wells’ signature run so far this season wasn’t a long one: nine yards. But he scored a touchdown and knocked the helmet off Cedric Griffin, the Vikings’ cornerback, in the process.

“I told Beanie I wanted a poster of that,” quarterback Kevin Kolb said.

Wells has gained 381 yards in four games – he missed a game with a hamstring injury – and is averaging 4.8 yards a carry. He’s used a punishing style that contradicts a perception that he’s not durable.

“They (defenders) have to fear him,” Kolb said. “We have to get our running game going, and that’s a big part of this week and a big part of these 11 weeks.”

Injury update

Tight end Todd Heap, who suffered a hamstring injury almost two weeks ago, has not returned to practice. Outside linebacker Joey Porter (knee) was limited on Wednesday.

Tight end Jim Dray, who has yet to play this season because of a pectoral muscle injury, practiced on Wednesday for the first time in weeks.

“Just to have pads on, you feel like you’re actually a part of the team now,” Dray said.

Dray took part in only a portion of practice but hopes to increase his workload over the next few days.

For the Steelers, nose tackle Casey Hampton (shoulder), linebacker James Harrison (eye), nose tackle Chris Hoke (neck), guard Doug Legursky (toe), defensive end Aaron Smith (foot) and receivers Mike Wallace (hamstring) and Hines Ward (not injury related) did not practice.

Cardinals defensive lineman Nick Eason, who spent the past four seasons with the Steelers, called Hoke from the Cardinals locker room on Wednesday and teasingly asked if Hoke knew if Hampton was going to play.

When Hoke said he couldn’t answer that, Eason quipped, “I thought we were friends.”

PITTSBURGH — Hines Ward doesn’t know where it comes from, really.

The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver doesn’t have many theories either. He can’t tell you why he leapt over Tennessee’s Michael Griffin at the goal line during the third quarter to score his second touchdown of the day in Pittsburgh’s easier than expected 38-17 rout.

Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was the memory of pulling a similar move over Denver’s Champ Bailey a few years ago. Maybe it was the residual effects of all that nifty footwork he displayed while winning “Dancing With the Stars” during the spring.

Ward doesn’t know and to be honest, he doesn’t care.

“I can’t put a finger on what made me do that,” Ward said, “but just to do that and to be able to help this team get going, that’s all that matters.”

That’s all that’s ever mattered to the 35-year-old Ward, even as his career numbers have reached staggering heights.

The 14-year veteran needs 13 yards against Jacksonville on Sunday to surpass Hall-of-Famer Michael Irvin for 19th on the all-time list. He’s 108 yards away from becoming just the 18th receiver to reach the 12,000-yard plateau and is 26 catches away from 1,000.

Heady numbers for any receiver, astronomical ones for a player on franchise that has built its foundation — and six Super Bowl championships — on running the ball.

It’s an onus that isn’t lost on Ward, arguably one of the greatest blocking receivers in history. He’s never hesitated to stick his 6-foot, 205-pound frame in the face of a linebacker in hopes of creating a seam for a back. His blue collar work ethic in a decidedly white collar position has endeared him to one of the NFL’s most ardent fan bases and made him one of the team’s unquestioned leaders.

One who took it upon himself to help the Steelers break out of an early season funk. Ward sat quietly at his locker a week ago after the team fell to 2-2 with a decisive loss at Houston and stressed there was no need to point fingers, adding there was more than enough blame to go around.

He then responded with a vintage performance, grabbing seven passes for 54 yards and his first two score game in two years. His 7.7 yards per reception is deceiving. Six of his seven catches went for first downs or touchdowns, including his balletic dive over Griffin that gave the Steelers a 28-3 lead in the third quarter.

“That’s Hines,” fellow wide receiver Antonio Brown said. “He’s passionate. He’s tough. He’s a guy you can learn from because he’s been doing it at a high level for so long.”

Ward has accepted a somewhat diminished role in the offense with typical grace. Third-year speedster Mike Wallace is developing into one of the top deep threats in the game. Brown and Emmanuel Sanders are younger and quicker. Tight end Heath Miller remains a favorite of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, particularly in the red zone.

Yet with the season at a critical point, Roethlisberger turned to the guy that’s been a dutiful security blanket for whoever has been under center since he joined the team in 1998. Kordell Stewart. Tommy Maddox. Mike Tomczak. Charlie Batch. Byron Leftwich. Whenever it’s third-and-6 there’s been little doubt where the ball is heading.

“I always pride myself on being the guy that Ben and this organization can lean your hat on, to be the dependable guy to go out and make play,” Ward said.

Though he knows his window is closing, don’t think it’s close to being shut.

“I can’t change my age, I know I’m 35,” Ward said. “That’s the story but for me it’s just a matter of just staying healthy.”

And Ward says he’s never felt better. While his teammates sat at home during the NFL lockout wondering when they’d get back to work, Ward was cha-chaing his way to the mirror ball trophy on “Dancing With the Stars.”

He’s reluctant to say all that two-stepping helped his footwork, but it certainly didn’t hurt. The glow of the victory, however, was tarnished by his arrest on a DUI charge in July. He apologized for the distraction but maintains his innocence.

If the arrest is a distraction, it doesn’t show. He’s on pace to top 60 receptions for the 11th time in his career, something Steeler greats John Stallworth and Lynn Swann combined to do five times, though Ward is quick to point out they have four Super Bowl rings and he has just two.

How many more rings, catches and well-choreographed touchdown dances does Ward have left? He’s not sure. Ward is signed through 2013, when he’ll be 37. If he stays injury free, he can see himself playing beyond that, though he cautions he won’t stick around along as fellow “Dancing With the Stars” alum Jerry Rice, who was catching passes until he was 42.

“I won’t play that long, trust me,” Ward said. “I take it one year at a time. When I look up and I’m going against a guy that I’m supposed to be getting open against all the time and I’m not, I’ll walk away from the game.”

By Will Graves
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers can’t run the ball. They can’t hold onto the ball. They can’t take it away from opponents.

Coach Mike Tomlin can’t even remember how many timeouts he has at his disposal in critical situations.

Through three somewhat bumpy weeks, the defending AFC champions hardly look the part, though they’re hardly concerned.

The Steelers are 2-1 despite being last in the league in turnover margin and 26th in running the ball. In the end they say winning games are all that matters, not the sometimes ugly numbers in the box score.

Tomlin says it takes time for each team to find an identity even though the Steelers returned all 22 starters from the squad that lost to Green Bay in the Super Bowl and the Steelers are still working out the kinks.

Follow AP Sports Writer Will Graves on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WillGravesAP

By Will Graves
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers can’t run the ball. They can’t hold onto the ball. They can’t take it away from opponents.

Coach Mike Tomlin can’t even remember how many timeouts he has at his disposal in critical situations.

Through three somewhat bumpy weeks, the defending AFC champions hardly look the part, though they’re hardly concerned.

The Steelers are 2-1 despite being last in the league in turnover margin and 26th in running the ball. In the end they say winning games are all that matters, not the sometimes ugly numbers in the box score.

Tomlin says it takes time for each team to find an identity even though the Steelers returned all 22 starters from the squad that lost to Green Bay in the Super Bowl and the Steelers are still working out the kinks.

Follow AP Sports Writer Will Graves on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WillGravesAP

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers insist they don’t have a panic button.

An erase button? Absolutely.

The defending AFC champions see their baffling – not to mention decisive – 35-7 loss to rival Baltimore last week as something a little control/alt/delete can’t fix.

“I forgot about that game already,” said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Good idea.

The Steelers (0-1) haven’t started a season with consecutive losses during Roethlisberger’s eight-year career. He has no plans to start now heading into today’s home opener against Seattle (0-1).

“Talking to (defensive coordinator Dick) LeBeau, we used our mulligan on the first tee and we got 17 more holes to birdie,” Roethlisberger said.

The Seahawks didn’t implode for an entire game as the Steelers did. Instead, they saved it a 59-second span in the fourth quarter, letting a comeback against San Francisco evaporate as quickly as it took the 49ers Ted Ginn Jr. to return a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown.

It was a sobering dose of reality for the defending NFC West champions, who had hoped to solve their quarterback issues by bringing in Tarvaris Jackson. Instead, Jackson spent most of the first week in his new gig trying to stay upright behind a shaky offensive line that allowed him to get sacked five times and harassed countless others.

Now Jackson has to face a Pittsburgh defense eager to show the doubters the group of 30-somethings isn’t as old or as slow as the Ravens made it look.

Not exactly the best time for a young team trying to find its footing to visit Heinz Field.

“There is never a good time to play these guys,” said Seattle coach Pete Carroll. “It’s always difficult.”

This week, perhaps, more than most.

Coach Mike Tomlin expects his players to be “angry” after getting squashed by the Ravens, though safety Troy Polamalu – who got involved in a dustup at the end of the game out of frustration – isn’t quite ready to promise vengeance.

“You’d like to say this year is the same as last year, but each team’s got it’s own characteristics,” he said. “Everybody’s a year older, you’ve got some new guys coming in. Everything changes. It’s going to be interesting how we react to this.”

How each team tries to bounce back isn’t the only intrigue. The game will be refereed by Bill Leavy, who called Pittsburgh’s 21-10 victory against the Seahawks in the 2006 Super Bowl.

Leavy has acknowledged botching a couple of calls late in the game that blunted a potential Seattle rally. The game is ancient history to the Steelers, who added a win in the 2009 Super Bowl to their burgeoning trophy case. Not so much in the Northwest, even if there are only two Seahawks – cornerback Marcus Trufant and linebacker Leroy Hill – remaining from the franchise’s only Super Bowl appearance.

Fans are still angry over a questionable quarterback sneak for a touchdown by Roethlisberger, who swears to this day he was in the end zone even if replays seemed to show otherwise.

“They need to get over it,” said Pittsburgh wide receiver Hines Ward, voted the MVP of the ’06 game. “I’m sure the players have. You’ve got to move on.”

The Steelers are certainly ready to. They know they can’t afford to let Baltimore get a big jump in the division. Getting back into a rhythm offensively would help, though Pittsburgh will have to start rookie Marcus Gilbert at right tackle against the Seahawks after veteran Willie Colon was lost for the year with a torn right triceps.

Gilbert understands “the standard is the standard” regardless of experience. The standard took a beating against the Ravens, as the Steelers turned it over seven times, including three interceptions and two fumbles by Roethlisberger.

The Seahawks aren’t quite the Ravens. They barely put any pressure on San Francisco’s Alex Smith and failed to generate a turnover. Carroll attributed the lack of a pass rush to the 49ers’ bruising running game, something the Steelers abandoned against the Ravens after falling behind so early.

It’s something Pittsburgh would like to get back to after running back Rashard Mendenhall had 45 yards on 12 carries a week ago. Even more, however, they want to get back to dictating the game. It didn’t happen against Baltimore, raising more than a few questions about a team expected to be a Super Bowl contender.

There are no such expectations in Seattle, which is still searching for an identity under Carroll. Longtime quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is in Tennessee. Jackson was brought in from Minnesota to take over and is still trying to get a grasp on the system.

He should get some help Sunday if veteran guard Robert Gallery and wide receiver Sidney Rice are cleared to play. Both missed the opener with injuries.

Jackson knows the kind of success the Ravens enjoyed against the Steelers is rare. Yet it also gives teams across the league hope.

“They pretty much did what they wanted,” Jackson said. “They were able to run the football. They took big shots. That’s what we want to do.”

The Steelers insist they didn’t go from veteran to creaky in seven months. They had a bad day in Baltimore. It happens, even if it doesn’t happen to Pittsburgh very often. The 28-point loss was their worst in an opener since the Dallas Cowboys pummeled them by 30 back in 1997.

Roethlisberger was in middle school back then,but knows that team rebounded to advance to the AFC title game.

“If you panic after a Week 1 loss, you have a problem, your team is disheveled as it is and isn’t going to make it very far,” Roethlisberger said. “We’re not going to let it happen, we’ve been through too much together.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers made few offseason changes to a roster that was good
enough to get to Super Bowl XLV, but in their season opener they looked like a
team that was introduced shortly before kickoff.

Hosting the Seattle Seahawks could help them rediscover a bit of continuity.

Seven turnovers doomed the Steelers in their most lopsided loss in 14 years,
one they’ll be eager to put behind them Sunday at Heinz Field against a Seahawks
team that has plenty of its own issues.

Pittsburgh (0-1) didn’t tinker much with a team that finished 12-4 and
reached its third Super Bowl in six years, and it went into last Sunday’s opener
at Baltimore with every reason to believe it could make another deep playoff run
this season.

That confidence certainly took a hit after a 35-7 loss, the Steelers’ worst
defeat since their 1997 season opener against Dallas and the first time they
finished minus-seven in the turnover department since Week 1 in 1989.

Pittsburgh, however, insists it’s already moved on from a loss safety Troy
Polamalu(notes) described as “a big step toward humility.”

“That game is behind us,” receiver Hines Ward(notes) told the team’s official
website. “We are just worrying about Seattle. The guys in this locker room know
how bad we played. … Are we excited about how we played? No. We are
embarrassed about it.”

Coach Mike Tomlin agreed, pointing to punter Daniel Sepulveda’s(notes) work as the
only performance he was pleased with in Baltimore.

“I think the people that know and compete in this league understand that
there is a fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes,” Tomlin said.
“Obviously, last weekend we were grape squashers.”

The Seahawks (0-1) were hardly satisfied with their own Week 1 effort,
letting an opportunity slip away in San Francisco. Down 16-0 at halftime,
Seattle pulled to within 19-17 with 3:56 left before allowing Ted Ginn Jr.(notes) to
return both a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns to seal the 49ers’ 33-17 win.

Aside from the Seahawks’ obvious special teams issues, though, coach Pete
Carroll wasn’t totally upset.

“I made sure (Monday) in the team meeting to show them that there was a big
contrast from first to second half. They need to know that they’re capable and
feel it and have that confidence,” Carroll said.

Neither Carroll nor Tomlin was around when Pittsburgh and Seattle met in
Super Bowl XL, won 21-10 by the Steelers in a game that featured some
officiating controversy, but the man who made those decisions will be at Heinz
Field.

The NFL assigned Bill Leavy – who admitted last year that he botched two
fourth-quarter calls – as Sunday’s head referee, marking just the second
Seahawks game he’s been given since that Super Bowl.

While Seattle’s defense was one bright spot last week – it held the 49ers to
209 total yards and just one third-down conversion in 12 attempts – not much
went right for a Steelers unit that’s finished no lower than fifth in total
defense since Tomlin arrived in 2007.

Baltimore ran for 170 yards, 15 more than Pittsburgh allowed in three
playoff games combined last season.

Marshawn Lynch(notes) and the Seahawks’ rushing attack certainly don’t figure to
follow suit, especially with fullback Michael Robinson(notes) (ankle) out, but the
Steelers are concerned about the escapability of quarterback Tarvaris Jackson(notes) if
a play breaks down.

“The difficult part about preparing for him is he can run just as well as he
can pass,” said linebacker James Harrison(notes), who’s expected to play despite
suffering a knee injury last Sunday. “You have to be able to keep him contained
and not lose containment because he can kill you with his legs, too.”

Jackson may be looking to run more often if he doesn’t have receiver Sidney
Rice(notes) (shoulder), who is again questionable to make his Seahawks debut after
signing a five-year, $41 million contract in July.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, will break in second-round pick Marcus Gilbert(notes) at
right tackle after starter Willie Colon(notes) tore his right triceps against Baltimore
and was placed on injured reserve.

Ben Roethlisberger(notes), who threw three interceptions Sunday for the ninth time
in his career, should be happy to see an NFC team coming into Heinz Field.
Roethlisberger has led the Steelers to a 12-1 record in interconference home
games he’s started, averaging an impressive 8.48 yards per attempt and posting a
92.9 passer rating.

Seattle, meanwhile, has lost its last eight road games against AFC opponents
- a streak that began with a 21-0 loss in Pittsburgh on Oct. 7, 2007.

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said via Twitter, “I am happy to say I will retire a Pittsburgh Steeler.” (Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press)

The Pittsburgh Steelers and safety Troy Polamalu have agreed to a contract extension through 2014.

Terms were not immediately disclosed. Polamalu was scheduled to make $6.4 million US this season.

Polamalu took to his Twitter account to announce the day, tweeting “I am happy to say that I will retire a Pittsburgh Steeler!”

The perennial Pro Bowler was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year last season, finishing with seven interceptions, 64 combined tackles and a sack. He was slowed by a strained Achilles in the playoffs and has admitted he was not 100 per cent in the loss to Green Bay in the Super Bowl.

Polamalu is the fourth Steeler defensive starter to get a new contract from the club, joining cornerback Ike Taylor and linebackers LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP)—For Joe Flacco(notes), the worst part about getting ready
to face the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday is looking at film of the last time
the teams met.

Playing in the second round of the AFC playoffs last January, Flacco threw a
touchdown pass to Todd Heap(notes) to help the Baltimore Ravens take a 21-7 halftime
lead.

Then came the third quarter. Flacco was sacked twice, lost a fumble and
threw an interception. Baltimore finished with minus-4 yards in offense over the
15-minute span and had its season end with a 31-24 defeat.

Asked if the meltdown filled his thoughts during the offseason, Flacco said
Wednesday: “You look at it right now when you prepare for Pittsburgh, but other
than kind of thinking about it for a couple of months after you lost, we haven’t
necessarily revisited it too much.

“It is what it is. We didn’t play well in the third quarter, they scored
some points off our turnovers and we weren’t quite capable of getting the game
back. That game has no influence on this game.”

Oh, but it does.

Flacco has reached the postseason in each of his three seasons in the NFL,
but his record against Pittsburgh is 2-6. Not only that, but the Steelers have
eliminated the Ravens from the playoffs in two of the last three years.

No wonder Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley(notes) said the notion of Flacco
beating the Steelers to advance to the Super Bowl “isn’t going to happen in this
lifetime.”

Flacco shrugged off that comment in July, and his teammates have come to his
defense this week.

“Anybody who understands the quarterback position knows Joe is pretty
solid,” center Matt Birk(notes) said. “Obviously, that’s not to say he’s not continuing
to progress and has stopped working hard. That’s what Joe does. His body of work
the last three years and what he’s done, not just us, but people around the
league respect that.”

Ravens running Back Ray Rice(notes) broke into the NFL with Flacco as part of the
same rookie class. The two are good friends and have become the two most
integral parts of the Baltimore’s offense. Rice does not take kindly to someone
criticizing Flacco, especially since the quarterback is coming off a season in
which he reached career highs in yardage (3,622) and touchdowns (25).

“I think Joe Flacco is an elite quarterback, and he happens to play for us.
He’s a winning quarterback,” Rice said. “People look at the other stuff, like he
hasn’t won a Super Bowl. I came into this thing with Joe, and we’ve been to the
playoffs every year since I’ve been here. When you look at a quarterback, if
it’s based on winning, you’ve got to take a look at Joe Flacco. He’s a great
quarterback and he’s only gotten better.”

The numbers back up the assessment. Flacco has 36 wins (including playoffs),
tied with Dan Marino for the most in NFL history by a starting quarterback over
his first three seasons. Unfortunately, Marino never won a Super Bowl and Flacco
has never been to one.

It also doesn’t help that when Baltimore faces Pittsburgh, Flacco is
compared to Steelers quarterback Ben Roethisberger, who has won seven straight
over Baltimore.

But this isn’t necessarily about Flacco vs. Roethisberger, or Flacco against
the Steelers. At least that’s what he says.

“We have to go out there and beat them as a team,” Flacco said. “I don’t
ever want to go out into a game and feel like I have something to prove
personally. I am going to go out there and give our team the best chance that we
can to win.”