Steelers don their road jerseys

[BlitzburghRockCity]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06261/722778-66.stm

Monday, September 18, 2006

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. -- They came early, filling the hotels along First Street by Friday, jamming into Sneakers sports bar Saturday afternoon for Pitt-Michigan State, wandering aimlessly in the sand, lugging cases of beer into the Comfort Inn, screeching all the way.

In this beach town 20 miles from Alltel Stadium, Steelers fans await the arrival of the first road game of the season. It was on the road, after all, that the Steelers themselves made history last season when they became the first NFL team to win three games as the visitors and went on to complete the grand slam with a victory in the Super Bowl.

It's white jersey time again for the Steelers when they play the Jacksonville Jaguars at 8:30 p.m. today, the first time they've worn them in a real game since Super Bowl XL. That was their fourth consecutive victory away from Heinz Field. Of the Steelers' eight-game winning streak that delivered their fifth NFL championship, six came away from home.

They play the Jaguars tonight on the road, where they are 17-2 in the past two seasons, including the postseason.

"We've thrived in that environment, taking on not only a team but the fans and the noise and the atmosphere," guard and co-captain Alan Faneca said. "I don't know if it makes guys focus more but it makes us better in that environment."

The way we play on the road there's no environment that intimidates me to see the team go into and have to go to battle ! We're the road warriors !

[Steelersfan]

WOW! 17-2 on the road! I knew we were playing well on the road but that is amazing! Let's keep that record going in the right direction!

[BlitzburghRockCity]

Yep, and the next step is tonight ! We take that crowd of it and get up on them and then force them to play the way we want them too.

[Steelersfan]

Exactly! Jump all over them and force them to pass.

[K Train]

WOW! 17-2 on the road! I knew we were playing well on the road but that is amazing! Let's keep that record going in the right direction!

I think that its safe to call that Away field advantage....that really is amazing it has to be better than anyone else.

[Hburg]

What I don't think other teams get is that we never play away games. Whether in Pittsburgh or not, wherever we are is our house! We come in and take over! The jags keep sayin they tryin to play our game...well no one plays our game better than us. So now we gonna show them how it is done.

BuFu

[SteelersfaninPhilly]

Jags are going to hang tough. Steelers pull it out in the end. More the half of Alltel stadium black and gold tonight.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

I just love it when we take over a stadium like that !

[House of Steel]

We are the most faithful fan base in the NFL. Everywhere we go, the Black n Gold faithful fill up at least half of the stadium if the darn franchise don't put limitation on the game like the playoffs did. Well sort of. 17-2 away from home in the Ben Roethlisberger's era is unbelieveable. The boy is 28-4 now, just incredible. We are very blessed let me tell you.

[AZ_Steeler]

K-Train nailed this one... The Steeler Nation is so huge that it doesn't matter where the Steelers go, it's like a home game for them. The all through the visitors stadium stadium! 16 home games a year for our boys, not including the playoffs Based on their record at home in the playoffs, I prefer them to go on the road anyways