Nov 28, 2015 5 min read

SEATTLE – Coming off their bye 11 weeks into the season, the Steelers knew when their stretch run would start this season.

It begins today in Seattle against the two-time defending NFC champion Seahawks.

Some might think the Steelers (6-4) would be concerned about a trip to Seattle (5-5), a place where they have won just once in seven previous trips.

But the Steelers look forward to testing themselves in a game that should have a playoff-type atmosphere. CenturyLink Field is one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL and the Seahawks need a victory to stay in the playoff race in the NFC.

“It’s a really important run, but it starts with this week,” said Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. “This is the most important game.”

The Steelers, who entered the week atop the AFC wildcard standings, also need a win to stay in that spot and control their own playoff fate.

Fortunately for the Steelers, they as healthy as possible entering the game.

Roethlisberger missed four games earlier this season with a knee injury and was expected to be out in Pittsburgh’s last game, Nov. 15, with a sprained foot. But when backup Landry Jones suffered a sprained ankle in the first quarter, he played and led the Steelers to victory.

Roethlisberger not only wore a brace to protect his left knee in that game, but a special shoe on his injured left foot that had a plate inserted for added safety.

He’ll continue to wear the knee brace in this game, but will dump the shoe, which was one size larger than the one on his right foot.

“I feel pretty good,” said Roethlisberger. “The bye week came at a good time for more people than just me. No one is 100 percent this time of year. You just want to be as healthy as you can be going into a run, so I feel good.”

What couldn’t have made him feel good was watching tape of Seattle’s defense this week. The Seahawks’ secondary, which calls itself, “The Legion of Boom,” boasts three Pro Bowl players in corner Richard Sherman and safeties Earl Thomas and Cam Chancellor.

Behind that group, the Seahawks allow just 207.2 yards passing per game, the second-fewest in the league.

“To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best, and their defensive backs are the best,” said Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant.

The Steelers feel their offense is the best in the league, though constant lineup turnover because of injuries, including those to Roethlisberger, All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell, All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey and left tackle Kelvin Beachum, has made things difficult.

Despite the injuries, the Steelers lead the league in big plays with 13 runs of 20 or more yards and 21 pass plays of 30 or more yards.

Receiver Antonio Brown has been a big part of that for the Steelers. He has 27 catches in the past two games and has been responsible for 10 of the 30-yard pass plays.

“He is a great player with a system that is really constructed to show all of his strengths,” said Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. “He has a great quarterback that has great chemistry, so it’s just as difficult as it can get to try and stop him.”

Seattle’s offense will present some issues for the Steelers. Quarterback Russell Wilson is one of the game’s most elusive players at his position and though running back Marshawn Lynch is out after having surgery to repair an abdominal tear, rookie Thomas Rawls has kept the NFL’s top rushing attack going with three 100-yard games.

His best was a 209-yard effort last week in a win over San Francisco.

“We’ve got to stop the run against these guys and we’ve got try to limit Russell Wilson in the big plays he makes,” said Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler.

Wilson, who has led the Seahawks to a pair of Super Bowls, winning once, has plenty of respect for the Steelers, one of the few remaining teams he has not faced in his career. Baltimore and Cleveland are the others and those will be crossed off the list later this season.

“I am excited about the opportunity to play a very tough team in the Steelers,” said Wilson. “Every game is a championship-style game. It’s a very good football team across the board.

“Big Ben is a spectacular player. They have great guys on defense as well. It will be a great matchup. It’s going to be a battle. We are looking forward to it.”

The Steelers have won the past three meetings with the Seahawks, two at Heinz Field and one in Super Bowl XL in Detroit. … Seattle is 76-33 at home since 2002, second only to Green Bay in the NFC during that period. Included in that is a 25-4 record at home in games in which Wilson has started. … Seattle has thrown just four interceptions this season, tied for fewest in the league.