ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Yeah, but ...
"It was Cleveland, right? It was the Browns."
That was David DeCastro. I worked my way around the Steelers' locker room late Sunday afternoon after their 27-20 burial of the Bills at New Era Field, poking one player after the next to rehash the most common public complaints regarding each of their previous three victories.
This was fun.
"OK, so first came the Browns, and then the Colts ... and you didn't really beat the Colts because they didn't have Andrew Luck. So that didn't count either. That's the way I took it."
That was Ross Cockrell.
"And after that, it was the Giants and... that was nice But it was also was like, well, we still hadn't stopped a really good rushing attack all season. So that was still out there."
That was Lawrence Timmons.
To whatever extent that was still out there, it sure isn't now. Buffalo boasted the NFL's No. 1 rushing attack, built on the back of LeSean McCoy. The Steelers held the Bills to 67 yards, McCoy himself to 27 yards on a dozen excruciating carries. As Shady himself worded, it, "The defense just kind of took me out."
Kind of.
"We're getting better. Each and every week. This is real now. This isn't about our opponents. It's about us."
That was Alejandro Villanueva.
And if anyone's still got any complaints, they can feel comfortable filing them with a 6-foot-7 NFL lineman who's toughed out three combat tours in Afghanistan.
As for me, I'm buying. I'm buying like I'm backing up the SUV at Sam's Club.
____________________
(12:01) L. Bell left guard to PIT 31 for 13 yards
(11:16) L. Bell up the middle to PIT 36 for 5 yards
(10:34) L. Bell left end pushed ob at PIT 43 for 7 yards
(9:52) L. Bell left tackle to PIT 43 for 7 yards
(9:12) L. Bell left tackle pushed ob at BUF 35 for 24 yards
(8:33) L. Bell right end to BUF 30 for 5 yards
(7:48) L. Bell right guard to BUF 28 for 2 yards
(7:07) (Shotgun) B. Roethlisberger pass to C. Hamilton to BUF 13 for 15 yards
(6:19) L. Bell up the middle to BUF 5 for 8 yards
(5:35) L. Bell left end for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN
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