Steelers Must Put The Pedal Down

Coach Tomlin & Co. Will Need To Show That
Killer Instinct At Home vs The Chiefs on MNF

If you've followed the Steelers for more than 2 seasons, then you have seen this before.  Nothing should be abnormal about the Steelers' mid-season surge they are experiencing right now.  SteelerNation is ecstatic when talking about their favorite team. The team is coming off of a huge win over a powerhouse NFC team.  Next up on the schedule is a weak team that everyone (possibly including the Steelers players) expect to demolish on national TV.  It never seems to play out the way you expect with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  We (SteelerNation) have seen the Steelers lose this game, and if they don't lose it certainly is closer than anyone necessarily would have believed heading into that particular matchup. 

Nonetheless, there is strong evidence that the Steelers won't have that letdown game after a huge win in New York last Sunday.  First piece of evidence - losses to the Raiders and Titans.  If there were games where it looked like the Steelers overlooked a team all you have to do is look back to the second and third losses on the Steelers' schedule.  Both of those games showed the Steelers blow leads and played very undisciplined football.  I feel its because of these losses that the Steelers won't be overlooking teams the remainder of the season regardless of their record, or what the media says.  Second piece of evidence - the Steelers turnaround the last 3 games.  The Steelers coaching staff has done a magnificent job of re-focusing the team and getting them to play solid football at home and on the road.  Third piece of evidence - Its Monday Night Football.  The Steelers record on Monday Night Football since Bill Cowher took over the team is almost unparalleled.  The Steelers play well on Monday Nights, and hopefully they want to right their record for prime time night games to 1-2 (currently 0-2 after losses on SNF to the Broncos and TNF to the Titans). 

Even though I don't think the Steelers will have a let down against the Chiefs on MNF, there is a chance to make an impression on the national stage.  You see it with great teams.  The ability to put the pedal down and throttle the teams that don't even deserve to be standing on the same field.  That is the killer instinct the Steelers need to show me and the rest of the NFL on MNF for me to be convinced of this team as a true contender and not just a team that plays up (and down) to their competition.  This MNF game starts a string of back to back home games...something the Steelers have yet to experience this season.  They have yet to lose a game at home and there is a strong chance that the Steelers keep that streak going after next week.  A win against the Chiefs next week will further put pressure on the Baltimore Ravens before they head to Pittsburgh the following week on Sunday Night Football (the first of 2 matchups in 3 weeks).  Although the Ravens host the Raiders on Sunday, the Steelers winning will only put more pressure on those two matchups between the Steelers and Ravens.  Should make for some interesting TV, but the Steelers can't get caught up in the Ravens, not until they put the pedal down and run over the Chiefs first!