Playoff Personnel Looking Bleak

How was your Christmas? I hope this picture made you upchuck everything you were able to hold down the past two days. You can thank Nice Pick Cowher for the image.

In case you forget, the Steelers are in the playoffs. Thanks again, Cleveland. Since San Diego won on Monday night, we can only jockey for the 3rd and 4th playoff seed. This will determine if we fall into a getting-healthy Indy side of the bracket or into the near-perfect New England side. Sure, we've won in Indy in the playoffs before, but we haven't had a look at the '07 version of the team. And yeah, we've already lost to New England this year, and that team is scary at Foxboro, but I like what Dick LeBeau could create based on the fact that he already saw much of their offensive arsenal.

At this point, its pick your poison.

However, the injury bug refuses to leave this team. A deep playoff run might force the team to rely on many a backup...and even those backups are hurtin'.

Willie underwent surgery, so after being placed on IR, he won't be back til '08.

Marvel Smith's back injury will likely having him ride the pine against Baltimore...and maybe even longer.

Troy's knee isn't fully healed. I didn't need to hear that. At all.

First-rounder Lawrence Timmons has a broken thumb. He'll sit on the bench play with a cast.

Tomlin doesn't want to rest his banged-up guys against the Ravens, mainly because our final playoff seeding isn't set. While playing sore guys might further hurt the team, I like the fact that Mike is concerned about winning...and not being complacent about merely making the playoffs.

So despite who plays on Sunday (and throughout the playoffs), we're going to need a healthy dose of Ben Roethlisberger. Let 'em know that Pro Bowl spot was not a fluke, Ben.