PITTSBURGH — When center Jeff Hartings left the Detroit Lions to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2000 season, both franchises looked to be on the verge of breakthroughs. Each team was coming off a 9-7 season and had barely missed the playoffs. Each looked to be ready to win big in the future.

How the two teams handled good but not-good-enough seasons soon gave Hartings an understanding of why the Steelers are one of the NFL's elite franchises and why the Lions are, well, the Lions.

Five years later, two of the NFL's oldest franchises are in contrasting but familiar roles as they wrap up the regular season Sunday: the Steelers priming themselves for the playoffs, the Lions looking only to go home.

"It's worked out all right," Hartings said of a move he has never regretted. "They were going to basically clean house, and I didn't know at the time if I wanted to be involved with something like that, especially when we were not very far away from becoming very competitive."

Back in 2000, the Lions chose to gut almost everything rather than simply patching up their weaknesses and keeping a promising team nearly intact.

Out went the offensive and defensive coordinators. Coach Bobby Ross was already out, having left midway through the season. His replacement, Gary Moeller, was gone before the 2001 season started. Quarterback Charlie Batch stayed only one more season despite having been given a $10 million contract extension. New team president Matt Millen was handed control of everything, even though his only work the previous season was done in a TV broadcast booth.

And what did the Steelers do after missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season in 2000, an unexpected run of failure that followed six consecutive playoff appearances and three AFC title games in four years? Compared to the Lions, almost nothing.

It didn't take Hartings long to see the differences in the two franchises.

Steelers owner Dan Rooney was around nearly every day, chatting with players, all without meddling with coach Bill Cowher. In Detroit, Hartings had rarely seen anyone from the Ford ownership group, although the owners didn't hesitate to spend money or to make moves they thought would benefit the franchise.

"When the guy who is signing your check is in the locker room asking about your family and cares about every minute detail, it sends a message to the coach, to the general manager and that trickles down to the players," Hartings said. "I don't know exactly how to put it. I don't want to say it's respect, because I think in Detroit there's a great deal of respect for the Ford family and their willingness to spend any amount of money to bring a championship caliber team there.

"I guess the difference is the Rooney family is directly involved with the team here."

The Steelers went 13-3 in 2001 and the Lions tumbled to 2-14. Since the Hartings move, the Steelers are 54-24-1, with a 10-5 record and three consecutive wins this season. The Lions are 21-58, with five losses in six games and a 5-10 record this season that represents their fifth consecutive losing season and their sixth in eight years.

The Steelers will return to the playoffs if they beat the Lions, though they could have a playoff spot secured by kickoff. The Lions will head off into another playoff-free January, perhaps further away from being a contender than they were when Hartings left.

No matter what happens Sunday, it will be the Lions' final game of the season and the Steelers' final home game. That's a new feeling for these Steelers, only one of whom — cornerback Willie Williams — was with them the last time they were a wild card in 1993.

"We know we're going to be the underdogs and we probably like that role a little more," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said.

That's a feeling the Lions take into almost every game. They might have a chance to keep the Steelers out of the playoffs, although a Lions win in Pittsburgh under those circumstances would rank as one of the biggest upsets in either team's long history.

The Steelers have additional incentive, too, as it may be running back Jerome Bettis' final home game. Bettis is the fifth-leading rusher in NFL history, but is expected to retire after being a backup all season.

Since losing three in a row, the Steelers have outscored the Bears, Vikings and Browns by a combined 80-12 to secure a fourth double-digit victory season since 2001. The Lions haven't had such a season since 1995.

"We're playing against a playoff-caliber team," Lions cornerback Dre' Bly said. "People always remember your last game so, with everything that went on this year, with the coach (Steve Mariucci) getting fired and us not living up to our expectations, it means a lot to us to win against a playoff-caliber team."