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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- You watch the Pittsburgh Steelers shred one of the league's white-hot ballclubs, and, suddenly, it begins to dawn on you: Everyone else out there might be playing for second place.
There have been more significant victories for Pittsburgh than its 29-24 defeat of Buffalo, but there are few that were more impressive. Not only did the Steelers overcome a Buffalo team that needed one victory to make the playoffs, they did it in Ralph Wilson Stadium where, until Sunday, the Bills were 9-0 in January.
And they did it the hard way -- with their JVs.
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| Ben Roethlisberger chills on the sidelines, but the Steelers still keep winning. (Getty Images) |
But we're just getting started, folks. Star running back Jerome Bettis didn't play, and Duce Staley was on the field for only a quarter -- which left the rushing attack to ... Willie Parker? No, I hadn't heard of him, either, but the fourth-string running back led everyone with 102 yards -- in one half no less.
There was no Plaxico Burress. Hines Ward was gone by halftime. The starting defensive line was on the sidelines after one quarter, and half the starting defense was replaced midway through the second. At one point in the second half virtually every starter was missing except for cornerback Chad Scott, and he was making his first appearance in 10 games only because Deshea Townsend was hurt.
I think you can see where this is going. Pittsburgh played much of its season finale with its second, third and -- in the case of Parker -- fourth-stringers, yet it won. And it won decisively, trailing only once when Nate Clements returned an interception for a third-quarter touchdown.
That's impressive. But figure in Buffalo's situation -- a club on a six-game tear desperate for a victory to make the playoffs -- and the Steelers' victory becomes enormous. It tells me no team is deeper, more confident or better than Pittsburgh.
"This game says a lot about our team," said Ward. "We really didn't have that much to play for, and they had everything to play for. We started with our starters, and our backups came in, and there was no dropoff. And that's been the case all year."
That depth is only another reason to embrace this club going into the playoffs. They're a league-best 15-1, the best record in franchise history; they have the home-field advantage through the playoffs; and they beat the No. 2 seed in the AFC, New England, and the NFC's top dog, Philadelphia, in successive weeks. Plus, they're rolling, not having lost since the second weekend of the year.
"This is probably the best team I've been on," said Ward. "We don't really care who gets the accolades or success. We just believe in one another."
They should, but critics will point to the Steelers' recent playoff performances at home and find hope in a disappointing record. Under Bill Cowher, the Steelers have been the AFC's top-seeded team three times, failing each time to make the Super Bowl. They've also been to the AFC championship game four times and are 1-3 at home -- losing their past two, including 24-17 to New England three years ago.
But there's something different about this edition, and it's not Roethlisberger or Bettis or the league's No.1-ranked defense. It's everything, including can't-miss kicker Jeff Reed, and Sunday's finale was proof.