Steelers blogger Chase Kenderes coated Thursday night's Steelers-Panthers sport from Heinz Field.

Despite possessing a beard more time than many people have their hair, Brett Keisel isn't probable to be mistaken for Santa Claus.

For starters his hair is much much too dark, an extremely un-Santa like mixture of blonde and brown. And he's not close to rotund adequate to fill out the purple go well with the way in which St. Nick does. But following the Steelers' 27-three or more stomping of the practice wreck referred to as the Carolina Panthers Keisel did sound somewhat like Father Xmas.

"Merry, merry Christmas Steeler Nation," Keisel explained in reaction to acquiring Christmas off. "It's a fantastic weekend for us."

The Steelers' secure in excess of Carolina puts them within the driver's seat for any No. 2 seeding inside the playoffs as well as another AFC North Division championship, which would be their third less than fourth-year mind coach Mike Tomlin.

"That was our first Christmas existing," claimed linebacker James Farrior. "An enormous win on Thursday night time."

But even bigger than Thursday's win is possessing Xmas weekend away from.

Inside the NFL, not taking part in on Xmas weekend is usually a rare occurrence. Unless of course Xmas happens in the center with the 1 week, players will likely be spending a minimum of a single evening absent from their families around the holiday. Fifty percent of your league will be to the street and unable being with their households in the least must Xmas fall on the Saturday or Sunday, like it does this year.

So in the event the NFL program-makers gave the Steelers a home game two times prior to Xmas, some gamers had this day circled on their calendar.

"It's a blessing. In the event the schedules came out I used to be like 'Hey guy, we're gonna be house for Christmas,'" mentioned security Ryan Clark. "I haven't been house for Christmas in eight years."

Other players haven't been so lucky.

"I can't bear in mind man," Farrior claimed on in the event the very last time he acquired Christmas away from. "Most likely again when I was in faculty. That was a protracted time back, traditional record."

Certain getting dwelling is nice, but on Sunday the Steelers can get a late Xmas present from their former rivals the Cleveland Browns. When the Browns defeat the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers will clinch the AFC North and a initially-round bye.

But that might indicate Clark goes to spend Xmas weekend rooting for your Browns, appropriate?

"No. I won't," Clark said issue-of-factly. "I'm rooting to the Pittsburgh Steelers. We possess a probability to complete this ourselves. We don't need to be concerned about other men and women."

So if cheering within the Browns is out from the Clark family, what on earth is Clark looking ahead to performing? "It's gonna be enjoyable [to] chill with all the household," Clark mentioned. "You recognize daddy, he always gets the cheapest items, simply because dad makes the cash. That's why [the presents] necessarily mean essentially the most."

Ah sure, presents. Greater than one Steelers participant mentioned that their weekend could well be occupied with children and presents but perhaps none had been as straightforward about it because the so-referred to as dirtiest player for the workforce.

"My approach for Xmas is to keep in your own home and unwrap these animals and watch my son engage in with them," said linebacker James Harrison, whose son sat nearby.

When requested what he wished for Christmas, Harrison's small son, James, was reluctant to solution, hiding his deal with in his father's shoulder. "He's digital camera shy," explained his father.

So because the Steelers get a considerably-wanted weekend away from to relaxation and reflect on what this season has been and what this season still might be, there's no mistaking that the players notice how essential this gain was. Now it's time to delight in it.

"It's gonna be a great weekend, a good holiday, great Christmas for everybody inside locker place," mentioned Farrior.