BEN THERE: Ben Roethlisberger, rusty in his return last week in a loss vs. the Chargers, guides the Steelers into Dallas today. (
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ARLINGTON, Texas — Their Super Bowl showdowns in the 1970s were the stuff of books and NFL legend, but desperation is the theme for today’s matchup here between the Cowboys and Steelers.
With each team 7-6 in rapidly tightening conference playoff races, it will be practically do-or-die time for both clubs — with the outcome having implications for both the Giants and Jets — when Dallas and Pittsburgh square off at Cowboys Stadium.
Who shows up is anyone’s guess, considering how up and down both the Cowboys and Steelers have been much of the season. Pittsburgh comes in riding an inexplicable home loss to the reeling Chargers in Ben Roethlisberger’s return from injury, while Dallas still is dealing with the emotional fallout from Josh Brent’s drunk-driving crash that killed teammate Jerry Brown eight days ago.
The Cowboys pulled together quickly, pulling out a 20-19 victory at Cincinnati the following day, but their mental state and the effectiveness of top weapon Dez Bryant remain unpredictable — especially considering how poorly Dallas has played at home this season.
The Cowboys are just 3-3 in Cowboys Stadium and trailed by double digits early in all but one of those six games. The surprising home struggles are a big reason why Tony Romo & Co. find themselves on the outside of the conference playoff chase, tied with the Redskins one game behind the front-running Giants in the NFC East.
To keep up, Dallas no doubt will need another big game from Bryant, who has 33 catches for 525 yards and seven TDs in his past five contests. But Bryant is playing with an injured hand that would require immediate surgery if the Cowboys weren’t in the playoff hunt, which raises questions about how effective he can be against a hard-hitting Pittsburgh defense that comes in allowing the fewest yards in the league (262.4 per game).
Dallas also will be dealing with a Steelers team that no doubt will be angry after last week’s missed-opportunity against Chargers, and one that doesn’t lose to NFC opponents very often. Pittsburgh is an impressive 12-2 in its past 14 games against teams from the other conference.
Even so, the Steelers have serious concerns about protecting Roethlisberger against a potent Cowboys pass rush with a porous, banged-up offensive line. Dallas defensive end DeMarcus Ware will be Pittsburgh’s biggest worry, considering he ranks second in the NFC with 11 sacks.
The Cowboys’ season-long inconsistency, though, will be their downfall today. Dallas hasn’t been able to put together a string of strong performances all year, and their ugly play at home combined with the Steelers’ dominance against NFC foes will — like it did twice in the 1970s — add up to a disappointing afternoon against Pittsburgh for the Cowboys.
PICK: Steelers, 20-14
CONTENDERS
Packers (9-4) at Bears (8-5): Jay Cutler plays well at home, winning nine of his past 11 starts, but he is nursing an apparent knee injury and Chicago is coming off a puzzling loss to the Vikings. Oh, and there’s the fact Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers simply don’t lose NFC North games often. The Packers are riding an 11-game division winning streak, which figures to reach 12 today.
PICK: Packers, 27-13
Colts (9-4) at Texans (11-2): This is a huge game for both teams, but especially Houston, in the wake of Monday night’s 42-14 debacle in New England. The Texans are in the driver’s seat for home-field advantage in the AFC but likely can’t afford any more losses, with both the Patriots and Broncos breathing down their necks. This is the first of two division meetings between Indianapolis and Houston in the final three weeks of the season, and there is no rest for the Texans considering they get Andrew Luck just six days after facing Tom Brady.
PICK: Texans, 21-17
bhubbuch@nypost.com