Character, teamwork define Steelers' 4-1 start

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It's not surprising the Pittsburgh Steelers are 4-1 and already have a two-game lead in the AFC North Division. After all, they don't really enter the brutal part of what is the NFL's toughest schedule until the Super Bowl champion New York Giants come to town in two weeks.But the Steelers should not be surprised as much as they should be thrilled with their position.Consider: They have managed to post the second-best record in the league with injuries to at least five starters, an offensive line that has been ineffective at best and confused at worst, and a sore-armed quarterback who has been banged up and banged around."Looking at the total picture, you couldn't ask for a better situation to be in," inside linebacker James Farrior said. "To be 4-1 with all the injuries we have, things are going good right now. We have to keep it together."The Steelers have a chance to get four of their starters back and continue their good start when they resume play Sunday in Cincinnati, where they have won their past seven games. One of those expected to return is Pro Bowl running back Willie Parker, who has missed the past two games with a sprained knee.Yet, even without Parker and four other starters, the Steelers were dominant in their 26-21 victory in Jacksonville, Fla., outgaining the Jaguars in the first half, 300-49, and holding them to 14 first downs and 38 yards rushing.How do they manage to do it?"It's testament to the character of this team and the players we have waiting to come in and play," said defensive end Brett Keisel, who will return against the winless Bengals (0-6) after missing three games with a calf injury. "When they get their opportunity and they come in and play and we win, it says something about this team.""It shows the dedication and preparation every player on this team has, no matter if they're a starter or a backup," outside linebacker James Harrison said. "If a starter does go down, you got a guy who can come in and play to that level, if not better, on some occasions."One of those is nose tackle Chris Hoke, who has started the past two games for injured Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton (groin). In both games he played, Hoke was double-teamed in much the same manner the Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens would have double-teamed Hampton.The Jaguars coaches conceded after watching film on the game that their inability to block Hoke, an eight-year veteran, was one of the reasons their running game struggled."The depth is probably as good as I've seen it," said Farrior, an 11-year veteran. "We have a lot of guys who can come in, we've already seen guys come in and take over starting roles and excel. I feel like this is one of the best, as far as depth, that we've had around here."But it wasn't just Hoke.After already playing without Keisel, the defensive line also lost backup Nick Eason (groin), forcing Orpheus Roye, 36, to be part of the rotation against the Jaguars.Offensively, the Steelers were playing without Parker, guard Kendell Simmons (torn Achilles/injured reserve), fullback Carey Davis (ankle sprain) and rookie running back Rashard Mendenhall (broken scapula/injured reserve). In the second half, they also lost left tackle Marvel Smith because of cramps, forcing Trai Essex into the game.And yet the Steelers finished with 129 yards rushing on 26 carries -- statistically, their second-best performance of the season; but, given their injuries, likely their most impressive. Mewelde Moore had 99 yards on 17 carries and combined with Gary Russell to produce three runs of 15 yards or longer -- one more than they had in the first four games combined."It's the expectation we have -- you don't drop when you go in there," said inside linebacker Larry Foote. "It's just contagious around here because of the way we are, the way we play. No matter how much money you make, when your number is called we're going to look for you to play."The Steelers have done that, and find themselves in an enviable position -- at least for now -- because of it."Any time you have starters down and you're able to go in there and do well and get your guys back without having too much damage done to your record, it's good," Harrison said.E-mail Gerry Dulac at gdulac(at)post-gazette.com.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)