STEELERS SHUT-OUT SEAHAWKS

THE DEFENSE WAS WITHOUT STARTERS: CASEY HAMPTON, TROY POLOMALU, HINES WARD, AND BREAKOUT WR SANTONIO HOLMES. I THOUGHT HONESTLY THAT MY BELOVED STILLER BOYZ WERE GONNA HAVE A TOUGH GAME BUT FROM THE START IT WAS ALL DEFENSE. UNTIL ABOUT THE LAST 2 MINUTES OF THE FIRST HALF THE STEELER'S OFFENSE LOOKED LIFELESS, Roethlisberger MADE SOME KEY THROWS DOWN FIELD THEY SPREAD THE FIELD AND NAJEH DAVENPORT STEPPED UP COMPLETELY!

IN ALL FAIRNESS, THIS MATCH WAS ONE SIDED, THE WHOLE "STARTERS ARE OUT...WE AREN'T GONNA PLAY GOOD DEFENSE" WENT OUT THE WINDOW. THE FIRST COUPLE DRIVES THE SEAHAWKS MOVED THE BALL DOWNFIELD, GAINING YARDS BUT NOT WHEN IT COUNTED ON THIRD DOWN. TATUPU WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN THEIR DEFENSE'S SLOW BURN ON 'FAST WILLIE' PARKER, ALTHOUGH THEY STAYED IN HIS FACE, HE GRINDED OUT A HEFTY 102 YDS ON 28 CARRIES.
`MOTOR.MAXX`


On the possession that essentially broke the game open, Pittsburgh overcame three holding calls in one seven-play stretch and a 10-yard sack to score on backup tailback Najeh Davenport's one-yard dive over left tackle. Unofficially, the Steelers gained 107 yards on the drive, which opened up a 14-0 lead. Most importantly, though, the Steelers converted three long third-down plays.

Roethlisberger threw to wideout Cedrick Wilson for 15 yards on a third-and-13. Then he hit Miller for 13 yards on a third-and-8. On a third-and-17, following a 10-yard sack by Ellis Wyms, he went back to Wilson again for 17 yards.

"Those plays," said Seattle free safety Deon Grant, "are [killers]. You've got to make a play on third down. They did and we didn't. It's that simple. We'd put them in a hole, then we couldn't keep them down. We couldn't get ourselves off the field."

The fact that the Pittsburgh offense was able to so thoroughly control the tempo against a very good Seattle defense, and without the fast emerging Holmes and four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Hines Ward (sprained knee), must be a confidence builder.

Everyone knows that tough, aggressive defense is a Pittsburgh staple, and that was the case again in shutting down a high-powered Seahawks attack. Pittsburgh pestered quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, holding him to an anemic 116 yards and a 44.7 passer rating and sacking him twice. Tailback Shaun Alexander, who looked tentative as he continues to play with a cast on his broken left wrist, managed 25 yards on 11 carries.

Counting playoff contests, it was the 30th straight outing in which the Steelers did not allow an individual 100-yard performance. In the second half, the Steelers surrendered just one first down and 33 yards on 13 snaps. And the shutout was only the second against a Mike Holmgren-coached team in 245 regular-season games.

But even without Polamalu and Hampton, the Steelers' defense still has a lot of playmakers.

If the offense can develop a few more key components to go along with Ward and Holmes, tailback Willie Parker (28 carries for 102 yards) and Miller (four receptions, 44 yards) -- and if Roethlisberger manages games the way he did Sunday -- the Steelers could surprise some people.

At 4-1, in first place in the AFC North and with a bye next week, which will allow some wounded players should be able to recover before Pittsburgh resumes play at Denver on Oct. 21, the Steelers exited Heinz Field on Sunday feeling pretty confident about themselves.

With good reason.

"The coaches keep challenging us," wide receiver Nate Washington said. "And we keep demonstrating to them we're ready to step up to the challenge. We showed that today."

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.