Character counts

**BlitzburghRockCity** · 09-17-2006, 01:51 AM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_470577.html

By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, September 17, 2006

It takes about a month or so each season, Steelers coach Bill Cowher suspects, before he really knows what type of team he has, what sort of hand he's been dealt.
Will the individuals embrace their roles or become distracted by selfish goals?

Will the group compete at all costs or back down at the first sign of trouble?

Will the identity be that of a champion or an also-ran?

Cowher's still searching for such answers as the Steelers head to Jacksonville to play the Jaguars in their second game of the season.

If the opener against the Miami Dolphins is any indication, these Steelers are well on their way to duplicating last season's mindset, as they continue to deal with the inevitable changes that have altered their season-to-season makeup.

"Like coach Cowher says, it's tough to find your identity because we're a different team than we were last year with the loss of some key leaders," strong safety Troy Polamalu said. "But it's always nice to win, especially the way we did.

"We'll find out in the future how we hold up."

The future continues for the NFL's defending champions Monday night at Alltel Stadium. For the second consecutive week, the Steelers will be tested under the bright lights of a nationally-televised game. It's also the second of four prime-time games the defending Super Bowl champions are scheduled to play this season.

The challenge the Steelers face tomorrow is one they have embraced in the past, as evidenced by their 26-15 record in prime-time, regular-season games under coach Bill Cowher. That includes an 18-7 record on the stage known as Monday Night Football.

The Steelers' opener against the Dolphins, if not definitive, was at least revealing.

And the nature of their 28-17, come-from-behind victory was inspiring enough that it had Cowher gushing about the way his players "responded" throughout, and about how "no state of panic had ever set in on our football team."

We're a resiliant bunch and this team feeds off each other and off BC, if we remain focused like I think we will, the sky is the limit for us!

**AZ_Steeler** · 09-17-2006, 01:57 AM

At least we know special teams has no where to go but up! It's really hard to gauge a team early in the season, which is why I think power rankings shouldn't come out until about the fourth or fifth week. The Steelers did look impressive for an opening game, but you're right TG if they can stay focused the sky is definitely the limit!

**BlitzburghRockCity** · 09-17-2006, 02:24 AM

We usually start out sluggish the first week but Im proud of us coming out and taking care of business in week 1 and getting that 1st win under our belts ! Show's we still have that fire !

**AZ_Steeler** · 09-17-2006, 02:31 AM

Originally Posted by Top Gun

We usually start out sluggish the first week but Im proud of us coming out and taking care of business in week 1 and getting that 1st win under our belts ! Show's we still have that fire !

For a while there in that first game it looked the fire was starting to go out, but something snapped in Cowher and BAM! The Steelers were back and looking good!

**SteelersFire** · 09-17-2006, 11:01 AM

I think the first game of the regular season is an important psychological win, especially when it's a home game. I was glad they not only won, but won definitively.

**BlitzburghRockCity** · 09-17-2006, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by AZ_Steeler

For a while there in that first game it looked the fire was starting to go out, but something snapped in Cowher and BAM! The Steelers were back and looking good!

Yeah especially in the 3rd quarter, the air seemed to kinda go out of our sails and we started to look alittle flat & sluggish, but yeah they definately got it back together.