2010 Wasn't 2009. Let The Same Be True Of 2011.

For all the fretting Steelers fans (myself included) did whenever the team played an outmatched foe this season, the Steelers time and again took care of business when it was presumed they would. Granted, those included one scare in Cincinnati and a small bundle of them in Buffalo, but nevertheless, the string of gut-wrenching losses to lesser teams that marked the end of the 2009 season haven't come to pass this year.

And now, so as to finally exorcise that demon, and to get the critical first-round bye, the Steelers have to avenge what was probably the most agonizing loss of the year before: dropping a game on the road to goddamn Cleveland. This year's Browns are certainly capable of more than the 2009 edition, but the fight they put most of the season seems to be rapidly waning as the final weeks have played out. Either way, it's a game the Steelers simply must win.

Sure, the team has clinched at least a playoff berth and memories of 2005 will be invoked if they are forced to slink into the 6 seed, but you really think there will be the momentum that there was in 2005, when the team won four straight to make the playoffs, if the Steelers lose an important game to the Browns to back in? Of course not.

Obviously, one of the bigger differences between this year's Steelers and last year's has simply been the presence of Troy Polamalu. Though he said he wants to go, my guess is Troy ends up sitting on Sunday. The defense isn't what it is with him around, but it should be enough to still severely limit a Browns offense with its new star running back roughed up. Peyton Hillis missed practice again on Friday, but I'm convinced he'll still play on Sunday. Nevertheless, it's fortunate that he may be somewhat less than full strength.

The Steelers win over the Browns in Week 6 was Colt McCoy's first NFL start. For the more part, the kid did pretty good under the circumstances, though it seemed like the Steelers were giving him even more dink and dunk stuff than they would to other young quarterbacks. I imagine with LeBeau knowing that McCoy can't be counted on to make the critical mistake, at least as much as some other QBs, he'll ratchet up the pressure a little more.

I generally like the way the offense has been playing the past two weeks. Many are wringing their hands about how the balance of the playcalling has tilted decidedly back to the pass after favoring the run during Roethlisberger's absence. Seems like that was an inevitability if you follow Bruce Arians' habits, but at least if the team is going to be pass happier than you'd like them to be, you have to be encouraged by the way young receivers like Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown are coming along, and how much the pass blocking seems to have improved in general. Maurkice Pouncey's Pro Bowl nod notwithstanding, no one is going to mistake Pittsburgh's O-line for one of the better in the league, but it's obviously made gains since having to be shuffled considerably early in the season.

No doubt, the Brownies fans want nothing more than for their team to play spoiler for the Steelers for another season, but barring a Josh Cribbs returnkkake, they'll just have to settle for better prospects for next year than they're usually accustomed to having. The Steelers are too keenly aware of what happened when they let their guard down against them last season to let another slip by. Take care of business and this time next week we'll be looking forward to who emerges from the Wild Card round and possibly cackling at the prospect of Baltimore having to face Indianapolis again. Come up short and it's trying to get over disappointment in time to focus on a trip to Kansas City. The team knows well the former is the far superior of their choices and not beating Cleveland, however seemingly granted by some, is not a task to take lightly.