Streaking Steelers aim to pass the Brady test

PITTSBURGH • The soul searching began the moment the Pittsburgh Steelers walked off the field last January at snowy Foxborough following painful three hours watching Tom Brady and the New England Patriots toy with them in a onesided 36-17 victory in the AFC title game that didn’t even feel that close.

While the Patriots moved on to the Super Bowl and ultimately another championship, the Steelers lurched into an off-season wondering what it was going to take to end nearly two decades of torment at the hands of Brady, Bill Belichick and New England’s seemingly endless string of role players turned difference makers.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger openly pondered retirement while simultaneously challenging the front office to upgrade the talent around him.

Coach Mike Tomlin and defensive co-ordinator Keith Butler set about revamping a secondary that looked confused and overmatched as Brady picked it apart.

Roethlisberger opted to return for a 14th season. Pittsburgh grabbed wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in the second round of the draft and welcomed Martavis Bryant back from a yearlong suspension and signed two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden in August with an eye specifically on New England.

A chance to see how far the Steelers have come in 11 months arrives Sunday when the AFC North champs host the Patriots (10-3).

“It’s better to be in big games than ones that nobody is watching,” Tomlin said. “We better be appreciative of this spot and not resist it in any way, but embrace it because this is what we’ve been fighting for since March.”

The Steelers (11-2) haven’t