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Steelers Feasting On Early-Season Cupcakes

(Sports Network) - Does Mike Tomlin coach in the NFL, or the Big Ten?

Because the Steelers' early-season schedule appears tailor-made to set the first-year head coach up for immediate success, sort of like Penn State opening the slate with a couple of MAC patsies in the interests of achieving momentum before the real tests come.

Not that Pittsburgh had any control over the schedule that the computer at NFL central spit out. The Steelers can only play the opponents that are put before them, and Tomlin and company have rocked both foes thus far. One week after trouncing Cleveland (34-7), the Black and Gold did a similar number on Buffalo, 26-3, in the Steelers' home opener.

Four long first-half drives resulting in Jeff Reed field goals staked Pittsburgh to a 12-0 lead at the break. After Buffalo got on the board with a field goal to cut the margin briefly to 12-3 in the third quarter, the Steelers decided to score some touchdowns.

Ben Roethlisberger threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Matt Spaeth before the quarter was out, and Willie Parker added an exclamation point with an 11-yard run midway through the fourth.

And once again, the defense was stout from start to finish, limiting Buffalo to a total of 10 first downs, 121 passing yards, and sacking Bills QB J.P. Losman four times.

In other words, yawn. The Steelers have certainly looked like the Steelers of old in Tomlin's first two games, but who could really tell against a couple of less-than-stellar opponents? Will Pittsburgh reveal a true identity some time before a critical three-game stretch including games at Denver (10/21), Cincinnati (10/28), and at home against Baltimore (11.5)?

Tomlin doesn't really care if they do.

"We're not trying to tell a story with our play," said Tomlin after the win. "We go out there and play on Sunday. We play to win. Style points are things that we analyze on Monday, when we are trying to see perfection. We left some plays out there today...It is Week 2. Thankfully we are 2-0, but hopefully we will get better, and that is our intention."

Those seeking confirmation that Pittsburgh is moving closer to Super Bowl contention were encouraged by the continued steady play of Roethlisberger, who failed to finish off some drives but was 21-of-34 passing for 242 yards, the TD pass to Spaeth, and an ultimately harmless interception.

Roethlisberger completed passes to nine different targets in the win, with wideouts Hines Ward (5 receptions, 55 yards), Nate Washington (3 receptions, 60 yards), and Santonio Holmes (3 receptions, 53 yards) all contributing to the effort.

The running game also excelled for a second straight week, with Parker (23 carries, 126 yards, 1 TD) ripping off his fifth 100-yard game in six contests dating back to last season, and Najeh Davenport providing an effective change- of-pace with 46 yards on six totes.

At the end of the day, Pittsburgh found itself in first place, as the Browns upset the Bengals and Ravens took down the Jets to make all three of the Steelers' AFC North foes 1-1 and looking up at Tomlin's team.

Even if the first two wins do little for Pittsburgh's power ranking, excitement is certainly building in Steel Town.

"I'm encouraged," said Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel. "I feel like we have a good team here. We should be 2-0 in my opinion. This is where everyone in here feels like we should be."

THE 500 CLUB

Sunday's win was the 500th for the Steelers organization, making them the first team in the AFC to reach that milestone. Pittsburgh is 500-474-20 (.513) since coming into existence in 1933, and trails only the Bears (671), Packers (626), Giants (596), and Redskins (521) in all-time wins.

The Browns are second in the AFC with 415 wins.

FIRST FEAR, THEN RELIEF

Just one week after Bills tight end Kevin Everett suffered a catastrophic spinal injury against the Broncos, another game involving Buffalo provided a scare for attendees. Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison suffered a neck injury on the last play of the first half, and was immobilized before being carted off on a stretcher. Tests showed that Harrison had sustained no real damage, and the player was spotted walking on the sideline in the second half.

"You know, it makes you a little nervous after what happened last week," said Steelers defensive and Aaron Smith. "When you see someone on the ground, that's the first thing you go to. You can't be too safe and, from what I hear, he's going to be okay. Praise the Lord for that."

No immediate determination was made about Harrison's playing status for this week or beyond.

YOUR MOVE, MR. WHISENHUNT

Roethlisberger is not known as Mr. Sound Byte, but he took an eyebrow-raising shot at the Steelers' former coaching staff in the press conference following the Buffalo win.

When asked a question about the team's run-pass balance in the victory, Roethlisberger fired a shot across the bow of former offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt.

"It feels good to know that in the second half when you have at least at three-point lead, you aren't just going to run the ball every play. We were used to doing that in the past, but I think it's good to mix in a few passes here and there. I think it still keeps defenses on their toes."

The Steelers travel to play Arizona, now coached by Whisenhunt along with three other former members of Pittsburgh's staff, in Week 4.

NEXT UP

Pittsburgh will face its stiffest test of the season to date on Sunday, when it hosts a resurgent San Francisco team that moved to 2-0 with a win at the Rams in Week 1.

The Steelers will be trying to get to 3-0 for the first time since 1992, when they finished 11-5 under first-year head coach Bill Cowher.

The 49ers have a 10-8 lead in their all-time series with the Steelers, including a 30-14 home victory when the teams last met, in 2003. Pittsburgh won the previous meeting between the franchises, a 27-6 triumph at Monster Park in 1999. San Francisco has won in its last two trips to Pittsburgh, in 1993 and 1996, with the Steelers last earning a home victory over the Niners in 1987.

The 49ers' Mike Nolan and Steelers' Tomlin will be meeting one another, as well as their opponent's respective team, for the first time as head coaches.

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