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The Pittsburgh Steelers have been thinking of the Patriots all season

By Noah Strackbein

FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 22: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots (L) shakes hands with head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers after the Patriots defeated the Steelers 36-17 to win the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on January 22, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 22: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots (L) shakes hands with head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers after the Patriots defeated the Steelers 36-17 to win the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on January 22, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin, may have just brought up the New England Patriots recently, but it’s been in this team’s head all season.

Usually, the NFL would mock any team who called out the Patriots. Even in years past, calling out Tom Brady and Bill Belichick would be detrimental for the Steelers.

This season it’s different. Pittsburgh has returned to the team ready for New England. As the AFC’s leader, there seems to be one team with any hope of taking down the Super Bowl champs. So, for the Steelers, this isn’t the normal Patriots matchup, but the only opponent standing in their way to the Super Bowl.

"“Man, I’m going to embrace the elephant in the room, it’s going to be fireworks,” Tomlin told Tony Dungy on NBC’s Football Night in America . “It’s probably going to be part one, and that’s going to be a big game. But, probably, if we’re both doing what we’re supposed to do, the second is really going to be big. And what happens in the first is going to set up the second one, and determine the location in the second one.”"

For starters, this defense is ready. Yes, they allowed 28 points to the Green Bay Packers second team. That doesn’t change the fact this unit has been one of the AFC’s best, who seems to play better against top teams.

Then, there’s the offense. The Killer B’s have been unstoppable in 2017. Le’Veon Bell’s NFL-leading 981yards and Antonio Brown’s NFL-leading 1.195 receiving yards are no mistake. These two have owned every opponent this season. Although Ben Roethlisberger is only now finding his stride, these two have carried this offense to new found lengths.

Pittsburgh has had their mark on New England all season. They’re fully aware this is the season they’re ready to take down the New England dynasty. Before they even knew they were playing them in the regular season, this team has had the Patriots marked. Because way before the season started, this team knew the Patriots were the only team that will be standing in front of them come February. Something they’ve been thinking about since January.

Believe what you want about the Patriots already being in the Steelers’ heads. Just know, this team hasn’t been worried about another team all season.

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Real fans, and this team, know there’s one team to beat. Everyone has said it since January, and with two games left before their first matchup, the New England Patriots are the only thing in the heads of this team.

The Patriots haven’t gotten in the heads of the Steelers. They’ve been there.

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