I never looked at the schedule like that, but it is interesting how we are “drafting” balt. if anything it helps our preperation to see how the opposing offenses scheme to adjust to Balt’s D. I will say this, don’t look to far ahead. Blitz brought up a great point that was quoted from Tunch somewhere along the NFL is broken down into 4 four game segments. Balt was high on the list after the first 4. I can see them taking a tumble in their second 4. I predict that they completly fall off and finish with less than 8 wins. Not necessarily inflicting the punishment I would hope for in those games a week prior to ours. To me they peaked in week 3 and their defense looks as vulnerable as I can remember, just a few steps behind.

The Steelers are still marked on people’s schedule as the current champs. Not under the radar but maybe a little hidden in ground clutter. The Ravens may still be a good team but they aren’t as much a tenerizing agent as they have been. The bottom line is the Steelers have to show up and play the whole game. They need to finish better. No stealth mode needed.

I mean… Don’t kid yourself… the talking heads might not be looking at the Steelers, but the NFL teams still are. (Agree with NYSteelersFan4 completely on that one)

It’s not so much the Colts or Patriots… but the Bengals, and Broncos are going to use us as a measuring stick to see how real their chances are. You beat the champs, and you feel good about yourself, plain and simple.

But I do like following Baltimore. They may not win more than 8 games this year (who knows) but they are still bruisers and head hunters. It doesn’t matter if they are taking 15 yard penalties on key plays and losing — in fact that is better for us.

I like where the bye week comes. It might be better if it was before MINN, but I still am not buying them as the team to beat in the NFC. Maybe they are as good as they appear… but my spidey-sense is tingling… they just don’t convince me.

And the Steelers have a tendency to play to the level of competiton — that sucks when we don’t blow out Cincy and Detroit — but we do have a reputation for showing up big in games where the other team is being held out as better than us…

I could see us going on a roll, and suddenly be the talk of the NFL again (especially with Brady and his team fading this year). Though if the Mannings can manage one or two more weeks of undefeated seasons, you know everyone will be looking at a Manning-Bowl Super Bowl.