Big win for Colts, big win for Steelers

Two teams coming off important primetime wins face off this Sunday in Pittsburgh. The Steelers coming off a dominating win over the Washington Redskins and the Indianapolis Colts who defeated a rival and playoff contender in the New England Patriots. This upcoming game seems much more important to the Indianapolis Colts who don't want to drop below .500 again and need to build on the momentum they gained from beating the Patriots. However, the Steelers have to see this as a big game as well. With a 6-2 record the Steelers are in first place in their division and second only to Tennessee in the AFC. A win would give them a good grip on second place in the AFC as the second half of the season gets underway.

A loss to the Colts could potentially put them in a tie with Baltimore who is second in the AFC North and also with the Jets if they beat St. Louis, as well as the winner of the Buffalo vs. New England matchup. While a loss to the Colts wouldn't end their season or even ruin their chances of making the playoffs it would muddle things up in the AFC and potentially affect their chances at home field advantage for the first and second round. Not only that but they could severely damage the Colts hopes for a Wild Card spot and eventually a playoff matchup! No one wants to play the Colts in the playoffs no matter how poorly their regular season went. The Colts are one of the streakiest teams as illustrated by their season so far. If the Colts find a rhythm in January they are a scary team, and a win Sunday would give them confidence against one of their possible playoff opponents and give them more momentum as they try to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2001 season.

On the other hand, the Indianapolis Colts are searching for something to define their season. Consecutive wins vs. division leaders could be just the thing they need as well as moving back above .500. In the game against New England the Colts didn't play a beautiful game but they fought hard and did not commit nearly the amount of stupid penalties they had been. If they can continue that progress get a win in Pittsburgh it could be huge for their development. It's the first game of the second half of the season, time to find out what kind of a team they are and push towards the playoffs. Neither team is going to take this game lightly despite the fact that on paper it looks like it should mean more to the Colts than to the Steelers because, when you look closer, both teams have a lot to gain with a win.