BALTIMORE -- No, Levon Kirkland wasn't kicked in the head yesterday and knocked senseless.
"I don't think we've played our best football yet," Kirkland said. "But that's cool. We want to get better as we go. We want to be playing our best in January."
That's January, as in the playoffs.
It's no longer an insane thought for the Steelers.
The first four victories in their improbable five-game run "back to respectability" -- Bill Cowher's words -- didn't convince me. Not when Jacksonville's offensive line was so beat up. Not when the New York Jets lost Vinny Testaverde on the first play. Not when Cincinnati was in its usual, sorry early-season state. Not when Cleveland lost Tim Couch three days before they came to town.
But the 9-6 win against Baltimore yesterday made me a believer.
It's not so much that the Steelers hit the season's halfway point at 5-3, tied with Kansas City for the sixth-best record in the AFC. They were 5-3 last year and lost seven of their last eight. They were 5-3 in 1998 and lost six of the last eight.
It's not even so much their five-game winning streak, although, with the NFL spelled p-a-r-i-t-y, that's truly remarkable.
It's the way they're winning. They are playing terrific defense. They are running the ball effectively. Their quarterback du jour isn't beating them with turnovers. They have a wonderful punter and adequate special teams.
"Nothing fancy," Bill Cowher said. "Just solid, fundamental football."
Playoff-caliber football.
There's no question the Steelers will be playing in January if they keep playing defense like this. You can argue they had yet another soft touch with the Ravens, who, at this point, must think Kordell Stewart or Kent Graham would be a serious upgrade at quarterback. Trent Dilfer started in place of Tony Banks yesterday and lost a fumbled snap at the Steelers' 9 and threw an interception from the Steelers' 42.
But to blame Dilfer and the Ravens' offense, which has now gone five games without a touchdown, for the outcome would be a disservice to the Steelers' defense. Yesterday made it four consecutive games that it has not allowed a touchdown. It has given up the fewest points in the league.
"It's the mentality of these guys," nose tackle Kimo von Oelhoffen said. "They want to be the best and work to be the best.
"When we get on the field, we want to take it over."
Virtually to a man, the Steelers said they thought they were capable of such defense as far back as the first Cleveland game Sept. 17 even though they blew a fourth-quarter lead and lost. They said they were convinced the next week against Tennessee. They blew a fourth-quarter lead that day, too, to fall to 0-3, their 18th loss in 24 games going back to 1998.
"I knew then we would win a lot of games," von Oelhoffen said.
No, he wasn't kicked in the head, either.
"If you look at it realistically, it was just a play here and a play there that was beating us," Kirkland said. "I think after Tennessee we just got really tired of it. We started playing better football. We played with more discipline. We started doing the little things ...
"I'm just real proud of these guys for the way they responded."
This latest win left all of the Steelers emotional.
One reason is all of the losing they did in 1998, '99 and early this season. "It's been such a long, hard struggle to get back to this point," Kirkland said, quietly.
A bigger reason is that the victory came against a division rival that had whipped them, 16-0, in the opener Sept. 3. After that game, Ravens tight end Shannon Sharpe delivered the ultimate insult by expressing his pity for the Steelers and their "problems." Cowher couldn't wait to respond sarcastically yesterday. "Tell Shannon Sharpe I appreciate his concern, but we're fine over here."
But the biggest reason for the energy after this win is because it set the stage for the Steelers to play meaningful games in the second half. That 0-3 start was long forgotten when they turned their attention to the rematch Sunday at Tennessee.
Get this: If the Titans lose at Washington tonight, that game will be for a share of first place in the AFC Central.
If this is all a dream, please don't wake me up.
Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com.
Cook: Is Steelers' best yet to come? 
E-mail this story 
