Pittsburgh Steelers Inside Slant
by Sports Xchange
The final quarter of the season starts for them Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys come to Heinz Field to kick off a crucial three-game stretch. After the Cowboys, the Steelers play consecutive games at Baltimore and Tennessee.
Pittsburgh's offense ranks No. 24 overall in the NFL, compared to the defense's ranking of No. 1 across the board - total and vs. the run and the pass. Their 9-3 record was erected mainly on the backs of that defense.
But their offense has shown enough lately, along with some firepower in the past behind Big Ben, that there is promise that a new wave can begin to carry them through the final stretch and into the playoffs.
"I think our offense is starting to develop and get better each week to compliment our defense," said receiver Hines Ward.
Roethlisberger struggled through a stretch of three games in which he threw one touchdown pass and eight interceptions and the Steelers lost two of them. In their past three games, all victories, he's thrown one interception and three TD passes.
"I think our offense is just starting to come out to the level we like," Roethlisberger said. "We're not there yet, but we're starting to come around and hopefully it's at the right time."
The Steelers rushed for 161 yards Sunday in New England, their highest since the season opener against Houston, when they ran for 183. Willie Parker ran for 87 yards on 16 carries and Mewelde Moore added 67 on 12. The two are likely to share the duties for the rest of the season, with Gary Russell as the goal-line back.
"They are a great combination," Roethlisberger said. "They are a one-two punch and the upper cut is Gary Russell coming in on short yardage and goal line."
The offensive line, which lost two starters to injury and has only one starter in place from last season, has had time to play together over the past seven games. Tight end Heath Miller is back after missing two games last month with a high ankle sprain and Parker, who missed five games, seems to be over his knee and shoulder injuries.
They also were 9-3 this time last season, and lost three of their final four as injuries hit them hard. This season, the injured are returning to health.
"We're just staying together as a unit, getting better as the weeks go on, gaining more confidence, more belief in one another," Ward said. "Offensively, it takes a little time because everything is based on timing. Over the course of the year, we've had guys banged up. Now that we're kind of fully healthy and everybody's out there, we're starting to jell with one another.
"Offensively the last couple of weeks we're heading in the right direction."
SERIES HISTORY: 27th regular-season meeting. Dallas leads the series that began in 1960, 14-12. Steelers hold the edge in Pittsburgh, 7-6. The Steelers lead the post-season series with a 2-1 advantage in Super Bowls over the Cowboys. They last met in 2004 in Dallas, 34-20. This will be the Cowboys' first appearance in Heinz Field and their first visit to Pittsburgh since 1997. The Steelers have not beaten the Cowboys in Pittsburgh since 1988 when Chuck Noll and Tom Landry were the two coaches.
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