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Pittsburgh is looking to improve to 4-0 against NFC

Dec 15, 2012, 3:14 PM EDT

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STEELERS (7-6) AT COWBOYS (7-6)

By Football Night in America’s Eliott Kalb

 

  • The Cowboys and Steelers have faced each other in three Super Bowls – X, XIII and XXX – with Pittsburgh winning two of those championships.
  • Ben Roethlisberger told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that if the Cowboys are “America’s Team,” then the Steelers and their Terrible Towel-waving followers are “The World’s Team.”
  • Pittsburgh is looking to improve to 4-0 against NFC opponents during the regular season for the first time since 2005.
  • The Cowboys are streaking, winning four of five, while the Steelers are tanking, losing three of four.
  • The Steelers boast the league’s No. 1 total defense and No. 1 passing defense, holding teams to 262.4 yards per game and 169.2 passing yards per game.
  • Pittsburgh is also fifth in the league in rushing defense, allowing 93.2 yards per game, and will be facing the league’s 31st-ranked rushing offense in the Cowboys, who are running for fewer than 80 yards per game.
  • Last Sunday, for the ninth time this season, Pittsburgh’s defense held its opponent to less than 100 net yards rushing.
  • If the Steelers win, Roethlisberger will improve to 24-10 as a starter in the month of December.
  • The Steelers have nine consecutive home victories versus NFC teams. Pittsburgh last lost to an NFC team at Heinz Field in 2008 (21-14, vs. New York Giants).
  • The Steelers have converted 38-of-41 red zone opportunities into points this season. The only three times they did not score points in the red zone was when they ended the game by taking a knee, had a 15 point lead with 29 seconds left in the game and decided to run the ball on 4th-and-8 and when the they failed to convert a fake field goal.
  • Dez Bryant intends to play with a fractured left index finger.  Cowboys tight end Jason Witten and cornerback Brandon Carr both said Thursday that Bryant looked good catching the ball during practice.
  • Jay Ratliff is the latest Cowboys starter to be lost to surgery. The Pro Bowl nose tackle underwent surgery for a sports hernia Thursday morning in Philadelphia. He is likely out for the remainder of the regular season.
  • DeMarcus Ware, who missed practice Wednesday and Thursday, said a hyperextended elbow won’t keep him off the field Sunday. He’ll likely wear some sort of protective gear against the Steelers.“It’s good,” Ware said. “I’ll just wear a little brace in the game and get ready for the game. I’ll be good.”The pass rusher recorded his 11th sack of the season at a crucial point in the fourth quarter against the Bengals.
  • One of the best matchups to watch is Cowboys Cornerback Brandon Carr against Steelers Wide Receiver Mike Wallace:.Last week, Carr was matched against A.J. Green of the Bengals.
  • Tony Romo needs only 72 passing yards to reach 4,000 in a season for the fourth time.
  • Wednesday night, Stephen Jones, the Cowboys executive vice president, was asked could he envision a scenario where Garrett might not return in 2013. “No, I just think he’s done an outstanding job with this team,” Jones said on KTCK-AM “There has been adversity in this season. He’s handled it well. He’s never complained, never blinked. I know our guys play hard for him. I don’t believe anybody has refuted that.”
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