A little bit of this, and a little bit of that as the Steelers prepare to take on the Buffalo Bills.Staying hot:* *
The Steelers are on a three-game win streak, but it's the four games that remain that matter most. If they win out, they will win the AFC North. But right now, the key is beating the Buffalo Bills and just staying hot.
"The goal is to continue to get hot, continue to get better," said Antonio Brown. "Treat every matchup like it's our last matchup and produce wins. We want to finish strong. We know what is expected of us and we want to finish strong and get better. We have to continue to get better. This is our biggest time right here in front of us."
Ben's the boss: Getting waived by an NFL team is never easy. Getting waived seven times would probably have most people give up.
But Landry Jones isn't one of those people. Hamilton has faced rejection from teams time and again, but never gave up hope.
"I knew I could play in this league," said Hamilton. "No matter where the circumstances have taken me, I didn't give up. It was tough at times, because I kept getting knocked down, but it was easy because I knew I could do it."
Hamilton credits his parents for that attitude, parents who were willing to sacrifice anything they could, including selling cows from the family farm, to help him when he needed it.
"They made a lot of sacrifices," said Hamilton. "I was raised right by two good people. They are hardworking people. I had a good strong base at home."
Now Hamilton finally has a strong base in his football career. He has been a steady contributor for the offense this season, catching 11 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. And he is just getting his feet wet.
"It's been fun for me," said Hamilton. "There has been progress and development. I am taking each stride. It's fun. With Ben (Roethlisberger) being the leader, it's a big job at hand. I am taking it each day at a time and being the best I can be.
"I look at Ben as my boss, more than Coach (Mike) Tomlin or Todd (Haley). I knew he was my boss from Day 1. He is my boss. He is the quarterback so he is my boss."
Shifty Shady: The Bills boast the top-ranked rushing attack in the NFL, thanks to LeSean 'Shady' McCoy who has 174 carries for 949 yards. Stopping him will be a challenge for the defense.
"Everybody is going to have to be detailed in their work," said Stephon Tuitt. "Everybody has got to do their assignments. They have a few different players on the offensive side that can run the ball and change the game with their legs. So everybody has to detail their work and do what they're supposed to do in their gaps.
"(McCoy) is shifty. You already know that's one of the good traits he has. He's fast, too. He can blow past you. You get out of your gap and he can take it really quickly and take it for 15 more. Everybody needs to be detailed in their work and be strong and physical, but there has to be a lot of detail."
