Patriots-Steelers has playoff implications

New England and Pittsburgh have met twice this decade in AFC championship games. Their game in Foxborough, Mass., today isn’t as critical as those were, but it certainly has serious playoff implications, especially for the Patriots.

New England enters this game at 7-4, a game behind the Jets in the AFC East. If the season ended now, the Patriots would be just behind Indianapolis and Baltimore for a wild-card playoff spot. The season doesn’t end now, of course, but with five games left, every game gets more important.

The Steelers are 8-3, a game ahead of the Ravens in the North. But they still have a game in Baltimore and a tough closing schedule that also includes the Cowboys and Titans.

In other words, nothing is secure for either team.

The Patriots are coming off a 48-28 win over Miami in which Matt Cassel passed for 415 yards, his the second straight 400-yard game.

The Steelers come into this game with 10 days rest; they beat Cincinnati 27-10 on Nov. 20. The rest is a good thing for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has been playing with a sore shoulder.

This is the seventh time these teams have met this decade, with New England winning five of the previous six, including those two title games.

Vasher’s season over

The Chicago Bears placed Nathan Vasher on injured reserve Saturday with a broken right hand, ending the defensive back’s season.

Vasher fractured his hand in Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Rams.

Corey Graham is expected to move into the his starting role.

Giants’ Knight on IR

The New York Giants veteran safety Sammy Knight will miss the rest of the season because of a hip problem.

With starting defensive tackle Fred Robbins battling a shoulder injury, the Super Bowl champions signed defensive tackle Jeremy Clark off their practice squad.