Second-best record against conference opponents.
Second-highest Net Points in the AFC; third-highest in the NFL.
1-2 outside their conference ... but look some of the teams they've played (PHI, NYG, @WAS) and will play (@NE, DAL, @BAL, @TEN).
I'm not going to be too pissed off at 8-3, given that schedule, Ben's shoulder, Parker's knee, Hampton's groin, Farrior's back, Keisel's calf, Davenport's hamstring, McFadden's arm, M. Smith's back, the #1 punter out and the #2 punter injured, the long-snapper out, ...
(I haven't walked through the weekly injury reports for other teams, but HOLY CRAP! Playing pro football is brutal.)
The Indy loss (collapse) is mainly what I'm bitching about . If the better part of the Steelers remaining schedule causes them to lose the division, they will almost guaranteed finish @ 10-6, in a tie with Indy or behind them-- who now has the head to head tiebreaker. The steelers "hardest schedule in history" actually ended up not so bad early on thanks to the massive injury problems with NEWE, JAX, and the "inexplicable" {Norv-esque} collapse of the Chargers. What angers me is they squandered big leads in 2 of those 3 losses ... something the Steelers shouldn't be doing, and especially when it would have meant much less stress over the closing tough road games on the schedule.
They might luck into a win against TENN just because of the timing- TENN might be resting out to the playoffs with the #1 already locked up.
They could finish 11-5 (with wins over NEWE,DALL,CLE) , but probably will finish 10-6 (with wins over NEWE,CLE).
i'll type below the expected W/L total and games lost for the following other contending AFC teams
With the JETS 11-5 (TENN,MIA) , BRONCOS 10-6 (NYJ,CAR), RAVENS 10-6(WASH,DALL) , DOLPHINS 12-4 (none) , PATS 10-6 (MIA,PITT) and COLTS 11-5 (TENN)
With all that likely $.02 to play out, 10-6 is so much more concerning than 11-5.
