Steelers at Titans, 12/21

For all intents and purposes, the Steelers play for the top seed in the playoffs and home-field advantage when they meet the Titans today. The Steeelers are favored on the road against the Titans, who will be without Albert Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch.

Here are the keys to the game for the Steelers according to the Sporting News:

1. Crash on Smash and Dash. The Steelers' No. 2 rush defense has allowed just two teams to rush for more than 100 yards this season, though Baltimore's Le'Ron McClain had the most yards by an opposing back — 87 on 23 carries — last week. Their goal is to take away Chris Johnson and LenDale White and force Kerry Collins to beat them.

2. Harry Kerry. OLBs James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley did not have a sack against Baltimore, only the third time this season both players were shut out in the same game. One of the reasons is because the Steelers are dropping them more often in coverage, particularly in the first half. Not against Collins, who is not real mobile.

3. Set up the pass. Even though they didn't run for a lot of yards against the Ravens — 91 on 27 carries — the offensive line did a decent job creating seams for Willie Parker against a tough front seven. They will need to do that again to allow Ben Roethlisberger to make plays in the passing game, something he didn't do when necessary against the Ravens.

Prediction: Steelers 14, Titans 12

Steelers at Ravens, 12/14

Today, the Steelers will be in Baltimore to take on the Ravens. The Steelers are 10-3 and the Ravens are 9-4.

Here are the keys to the game for the Steelers according to the Sporting News:

1. Stop the run. The Ravens are one of two teams to rush for more than 100 yards against the Steelers' No. 1 rush defense (the Patriots are the other), and they did it by pounding the ball with Le'Ron McClain. That allowed them to keep pressure off quarterback Joe Flacco, who was playing in his third game at the time.

2. Match the intensity. The first meeting between the teams was the most physical of the season for the Steelers, and it forced coach Mike Tomlin to curtail his practice schedule the following week. The Ravens will try to overwhelm the Steelers, something they always do at home, one reason the Steelers lost their past five games in Baltimore.

3. Confuse Flacco. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau tried to do that in the first meeting, but Flacco played. He is much further along now, and will not hesitate to attack downfield, something he didn't do much in September.

Game Prediction: Steelers 14, Ravens 10

Steelers vs Cowboys, 12/7

Today the Steelers host the Dallas Cowboys in a huge matchup with playoff implications. The Steelers have a one-game lead over the Ravens for the division lead and have a one-game lead over the Jets for #2 seed and a first-round bye. The Cowboys, on the other hand, lose the tie-breaker against the Falcons and would currently just miss the playoffs.

Here are the keys to the game for the Steelers according to the Sporting News:

1. Put Romo on alert: The Cowboys will have to pick their poison, deciding if they want to control Harrison from the right side or Woodley from the left. They will need to use an extra back or tight end on Harrison, who uses his speed, strength and low center of gravity to get around every top tackle in the league. He is also very disruptive, forcing two more fumbles on sacks against the Patriots.

2. T.O. stands for Take Out: And that's what the Steelers will try to do with Owens, the Cownboys big-play receiver. The Steelers are the only team in the league to allow just one pass longer than 40 yards, and even that came on a deflected pass. In the past six games, they have done a good job of having CB Ike Taylor shadow the other team's top receiver and rotate their coverages to take away the big play. Owens is just another receiver without the big play.

3. Beware of Ware: QB Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked just twice in the past 10 quarters and has done a good job stepping away from pressure when it has come. Also, the backs did a good job in blitz pickup against the Patriots, something at which they will have to be even better against the Cowboys. It will be up to RT Willie Colon and TE Matt Spaeth to keep Ware away from the pocket. [note: Ware will be a game-time decision.]

Game Prediction: Steelers 28, Cowboys 17