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PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Ben Roethlisberger doesnt need to bother with the math, not matter how simple the equation.The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback understands a win over Kansas City on Sunday sends his team back to the playoffs for the first time in three years. If Roethlisberger is being honest though, the post-season truly began a month ago.Weve kind of had that mentality for the last couple weeks that its time to get hot and play our best football, Roethlisberger said.Anything less and the Steelers (9-5) will be home in January yet again. At least Pittsburgh has some wiggle room. A loss and Kansas City (8-6) will need a victory over San Diego in the regular season finale and plenty of help.Quarterback Alex Smith would just as soon not have to spend the last Sunday of the year staring at a scoreboard during timeouts.You have been working hard to put yourself in this position, Smith said. You wanted the stages to get bigger and bigger and be more meaningful and here we are.How long the Chiefs stay there will depend on if they can slow down the NFLs top-ranked offence, one led by a guy who knows a thing or two about the Chiefs.Pittsburgh offensive co-ordinator Todd Haley spent two-plus seasons as Kansas City head coach from 2009-11, leading the Chiefs to an unlikely AFC West title in 2010 before it all fell apart.Haley has resurrected his career calling plays for the Steelers, who are poised to lead the league in total yardage for only the second time in team history behind Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back LeVeon Bell.Its heady territory for a franchise traditionally built from the defence up. Not so much anymore. If anything, its the Chiefs who have adopted Pittsburghs formula for success.Kansas City relies on steady if unflashy play from Smith, a one-two punch of Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis at running back and a swarming front seven led by outside linebacker Justin Houston, whose 17 sacks are tied for the NFL lead.Houston is close friends with Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones, a bond forged when they played together at Georgia. Houston serves as a mentor of sorts to Jones, who has dealt with injuries issues in his first two years in the league. Jones describes Houston as a freak and one who happens to have something Jones has yet to experience: a playoff game. Jones can fix that problem on Sunday.Its starting to come together, Jones said. A lot of us young guys, this is our first go-round with this. Its why were here and we hope were ready.Other things to look for as the Chiefs search for their first victory in Pittsburgh since 1986.DO IT ALL: Charles has been one of the NFLs most versatile backs in his seven seasons in the league. Pittsburghs LeVeon Bell appears ready to join the group. Bell is second in the AFC in yards rushing and second in the NFL in total offence. The one thing Bell is still learning to do is finish drives. Thats never been a problem for Charles, who has 14 total touchdowns.PLAYING IT SAFE: Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce has been dynamic with the ball in his hands. The problem is making sure it stays there. Kelce has four fumbles this season, including a costly mistake against Arizona two weeks ago that cost the Chiefs a shot at a victory.BROWN DELIVERS: Antonio Brown is nine receptions away from the second-greatest season by a receiver in league history. Brown already has a club-record 115 catches this year, remarkable considering the massive amount of attention he receives.You name it theyve tried it, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. But its a testament to him. But not only just him but the balance that weve been able to strike with our offence.GETTING HEALTHY: The Steelers have been forced to get creative with their linebackers. Jones, James Harrison and Ryan Shazier have all missed extended time due to various injuries, but they are all expected to play against the Chiefs. That should give defensive co-ordinator Dick LeBeau with plenty of fresh legs to experiment with as Pittsburgh tries to disrupt Kansas Citys methodical offence.ONE DIMENSIONAL: Kansas Citys inability to throw touchdown passes to wide receivers has become a bit of a running joke. A Chiefs wideout hasnt scored in a regular-season game in more than a year, though thats hardly slowed Kansas City down. If anything, it makes the effectiveness of Charles and Davis even more impressive.The fact that theyre still winning games and havent been able to have passing touchdowns like that, it shows that theyre a very resourceful team, Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats said.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Louis Domingue Lightning Jersey . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Yanni Gourde Jersey . The Tinkoff-Saxo rider was still dealing with the right shin he broke in a crash which ended his Tour de France on Stage 10. He hoped to defy his doctors and race in the home Grand Tour he won in 2008 and 2012, but he says there have been complications in his recovery. http://www.lightninghockeystore.us/Braydon-Coburn-Jersey/. The league announced Thursday that Tom Higgins is leaving that post effective immediately. Ryan McDonagh Jersey . The veteran fighter will be squaring off with Henderson in a five-round lightweight bout as part of another network televised card at the United Center on Saturday night. Steven Stamkos Jersey . Erik Logan, president of the network, said Friday that the postponement was made after meetings with the St. Louis Rams.NEW YORK -- Yankee Stadium is already a home run haven for Wil Myers -- whether he hits the ball over the fence or not. Myers had an inside-the-park homer, his latest big blow against the New York Yankees, and drove in four runs as the Tampa Bay Rays battered an ineffective CC Sabathia in a 5-1 victory Sunday. Erik Bedard earned his first win as a starter since last June, and Evan Longoria had an early RBI double to help the Rays finish 5-5 on a trying trip that included a doubleheader sweep Thursday in Boston and a 14-inning win Friday night in New York. "One of the best weve ever had," manager Joe Maddon said. "We talked about the possibility of getting a little bit of a bump from the three games in Boston. Apparently, we have." Desmond Jennings, who homered in his previous three games, had three hits and Logan Forsythe scored twice. Tampa Bay has taken consecutive series for the first time this season, and won eight of its last 10 games in the Bronx. Myers knocked in three runs with his homer off the top of the centre-field fence and then chased Sabathia with a ringing RBI double in the fourth. Asked if he remembered the previous time he hit an inside-the-park homer, Myers said: "I dont know. Not since I was 8?" The struggling Sabathia (3-4) gave up 10 hits and five runs in 3 2-3 innings, his shortest start since lasting 2 2-3 innings on Oct. 2, 2009, at Tampa Bay. He was late covering first on a potential double play and got booed during an outing that raised his ERA to 5.75. "I would have booed myself today, too. I wouldnt want to come to the ballpark and watch that," Sabathia said. Peyton Manning and his brother, Eli, showed up to watch buddy Derek Jeter play one last time during his final season. The star quarterbacks sat in Jeters suite along the first base line but didnt see much of a show -- a slumping Jeter went 0 for 4 and stranded four runners. He was 4 for 30 (.133) on New Yorks 3-5 homestand and is hitless in 13 at-bats. Bedard (1-1) pitched six-plus effective innings for his first win as a starter since June 26 for Houston against St. Louis. He had been 0-9 in 15 starts since, though he did win in relief on Sept. 4 against Minnesota. "I didnt realize how long its been," Bedard said. "But yeah, its nice." Forsythe, the first batter Sabathia faced, doubled off the wall in left and scored on Longorias ground-rule double to right. "HHe was out of sync from the get-go," Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild said.dddddddddddd "He didnt warm up particularly well. I was kind of watching to see what we could do, but there wasnt much." With runners at first and second in the third, Myers sent a long drive to right-centre beyond the reach of Jacoby Ellsbury. The ball hit the top of the wall near the 385-foot sign, caromed off a leaping Ellsbury and rolled away along the warning track. Last seasons AL Rookie of the Year jogged out of the batters box, then turned it on while rounding first base. He scored standing up without a play after second baseman Yangervis Solarte couldnt handle a one-hop throw from right fielder Carlos Beltran, who was late backing up. "Off the bat, I thought it was gone," Myers said. "Wasnt stoppin. Wasnt stoppin." It was Tampa Bays 11th inside-the-park homer and first since Ben Zobrists against Toronto at Tropicana Field on Sept. 25, 2011. The previous player to hit an inside-the-park home run at Yankee Stadium was Jeter against Kansas City on July 22, 2010, according to STATS. Myers also homered Saturday and had a tiebreaking single in the 14th inning of the series opener Friday night. He has hit safely in all 13 of his games at Yankee Stadium, the longest streak to start a career at the new or old versions of the ballpark. Myers is batting .375 with four homers and 14 RBIs in seven games against New York this season -- compared to .202 with no homers and four RBIs against everyone else. Seven of his 17 career homers have come against the Yankees. Solarte tied it at 1 with a sacrifice fly in the second, but it was all Rays after that. Jake McGee, Joel Peralta and Grant Balfour finished with scoreless relief. "We didnt really hit at all," Yankees cleanup man Mark Teixeira said. "That was a pretty lacklustre performance all the way around." Alfredo Aceves, called up from the minors Saturday, relieved Sabathia and pitched shutout ball the rest of the way, saving New Yorks bullpen. NOTES: Maddon rested the slumping Zobrist to give him consecutive days off, including Mondays off day. Tampa Bay opens a six-game homestand Tuesday night against Baltimore. ... Longoria made his first start of the season at DH, with Forsythe replacing him at third base. ... Yankees INF Brendan Ryan (spine) is close to coming off the DL, manager Joe Girardi said. ' ' '