Tomlin: Steelers better embrace facing Patriots

The New England Patriots are notorious for downplaying regular-season games, but the same can't be said for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"It's good to be in big games," head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday while previewing his upcoming opponent, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. "It's better to be in big games than ones nobody's watching. We better be appreciative of this spot and not resistant in any way, but embrace it. This is what we've been fighting for since March, to be in these types of games against these types of people. Why would you fight that? It's an awesome thing."

The Steelers will host the Patriots on Sunday, and the winner will gain an inside track to the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture. Historically, the Steelers have struggled mightily against the Patriots with Tom Brady, who owns a 10-2 career record against Pittsburgh and hasn't been picked off by a Steeler since 2005.

Pittsburgh and New England last met in the AFC championship a year ago, where Brady picked apart the Steelers' patented zone defense en route to a blowout victory.

"They are really good, they've got great continuity, Tom Brady's Tom Brady - you can talk all day about that," Tomlin said. "What are we going to do at the line of scrimmage prior to the ball snapping? What are we going to do to improve our overall readiness and detail in our play? I think therein lies the discussion. You can waste a lot of man hours and not getting a lot accomplished worried about what he's going to do prior to the snap."

After last season's playoff meltdown, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suggested that some of his teammates may not have understood the magnitude of facing the Patriots in the AFC championship game.