Forget about the preseason.

Now the Mike Tomlin Era is

really here.The Steelers begin the 2007 regular season in Cleveland this weekend and many are wondering what kind of season they will have.A preseason record of 4-1 means nothing. A bunch of vanilla plays run by a bunch of backups or players who have since been cut produced that record.Now that we're playing for keeps, here's a breakdown of how things may go in Steel Town this year:•

Positive:Ben Roethlisberger is primed to have a productive season. He's totally healthy and is excited about having more responsibility thrown his way. With two solid receivers and a more involved tight end, a Pro Bowl season out of Roethlisberger isn't out of the question.•

Negative:Kendall Simmons got his money and Alan Faneca did not. Can Faneca keep his mind on playing quality football and keep his mind off getting out of town? I doubt it. Faneca feels unappreciated, disrespected and could turn into a cancer in the locker room.•

Positive:Santonio Holmes. He is a talent and is ready to emerge as Hines Ward's successor as the next stellar Steelers receiver.•

Negative:Dan Kreider is not going to be on the field with Willie Parker all the time. This is likely to affect Parker's productivity in the running game and, with all due respect to Najeh Davenport, Carey Davis and Gary Russell, Parker is the Steelers' running game.•

Positive:Even with the loss of Joey Porter, the Steelers' linebacker corps of James Farrior, Larry Foote, Clark Haggans and James Harrison remains among the NFL's best.•

Negative:Oh, those cornerbacks. Ike Taylor and Deshea Townsend make you nervous. And it really makes you nervous that Ricardo Colclough and Bryant McFadden haven't been able to beat them out.The Steelers have a rookie punter who might develop quickly into one of the league's best. They also have some of their starters playing on special teams, something Bill Cowher rarely did.The prediction here is the Steelers will finish at 10-6 and will win the AFCNorth. The Baltimore Ravens are beginning to age on defense and lost one of the best defensive players in the league — linebacker Adalius Thomas — in free agency to New England.There are no guarantees when it comes to Steve McNair's health and he's another year older as well.Cincinnati has one of the most potent offenses in football — and one of the worst defenses to go with it. That's an organization that doesn't subscribe to the theory that defense wins championships — which could explain why the Bengals have never won a championship.Cleveland is slowly putting together some young talent and the Browns are counting on a rejuvenated Jamal Lewis to jump-start the running game. Unsettled at quarterback, they're still a year or two away.Tomlin and the Steelers will make the playoffs. They just won't do much once they get there.