• January football: When it comes to the postseason, one thing Steelers players completely understand is what happened in the regular season doesn't matter.

"This is January football; it's playoff time," said tackle Marcus Gilbert. "Stats don't really matter. To us, it's finishing the game with more points than they have and that's all that matters to us. You have to come battle. This is a good football team. They can rush the passer, they can stop the run, they play in the backend, they're playing great team ball and getting turnovers. We have to do a better job of not turning the ball over, blocking better, keeping Ben (Roethlisberger) clean to make plays to the receivers. So, it's going to be a team effort to get this win. It's going to be tough. We're going into a hostile environment and you just have to respect these guys. We have to come play our game."

• Legendary: Earlier this week William Gay was the first player in the Steelers' weight room, working up a sweat before the crack of dawn on an off day for the players. And it was nothing unusual, it was the norm as Harrison sets an example daily with his work ethic.

"He is disciplined, he works hard, and he is legendary in the black and gold," said safety Robert Golden. "I think he just wants to come to work and be who he is. James is a great player. His resume speaks for itself."

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Three is a key:** This will be the third time this season the Steelers and Bengals meet, and going against an opponent multiple times definitely has advantages.

"It helps a lot," said receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey. "We get a chance to look at two games against them, pick up on tendencies. We also know they are going to bring some different stuff to the table. I know our coaches are going to do a great job of game planning and we just have to be ready to go."

• They get it now: Last year, when the Steelers lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card round, it was the first time playing in the postseason for a lot of players, and by their own admission it was a learning experience.

"That being our first time, playoff atmosphere we didn't know what to expect," said linebacker Sean Spence. "This year our second lap around in the playoffs there will be more comfort. We were so young we didn't understand the severity of each play, how big a playoff game is. Being a year older will help us a lot. It's one of those things where you don't know the situation. Going through that and having the opportunity to be more prepared for it, we will know what to expect."