PITTSBURGH - Flu, schmoo.

The Steelers' top-ranked defense would rather make Chad Pennington queasy during and after Saturday's divisional playoff game. The more Pennington throws it, they say, the better their chances of winning.

"It's our job to go out there and put the game in Pennington's hands," said Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter, second on the team with seven sacks. "We want to try and stop Curtis (Martin) and (LaMont) Jordan early and make Chad pass it to get to where they want to go."

Linebacker James Farrior, the ex-Jet and runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year, seconded that thought.

"That's probably our biggest challenge to stop their running game," said Farrior, who one-handed one of three interceptions of Pennington in the first game. "We're going to have to stop those two running backs in order to have any chance to win the game and we'll take our chances with Chad beating us."

The Steelers' defense finished the season No. 1 overall, ranking No. 1 against the run (81.2 yards per game) and No. 3 against the pass.

The Jets ran for 107 yards in the regular-season meeting with Pittsburgh (76 by Curtis Martin), the third most the Steelers gave up against any team. The Jets have been pointing to a second-quarter run by Jordan that would have gone for 30 yards to the Steelers' 20 if not for a questionable holding call an Anthony Becht. They feel that's proof they can run on the Steelers.

Porter had a response for that as well on Thursday.

"It didn't even count. He didn't even get a yard for that," he noted, not realizing that Jordan was actually credited with a 1-yard carry.

Porter gave Martin and Jordan some kudos but when asked to compare the Jets' tandem to Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley, he drew a distinct line.

"It's a lot different. They don't have bruisers like we do. We have guys who are going to hit it up in there, grind you out with the three and four (-yard carries). They have a good back in Curtis Martin and a good back in LaMont Jordan but at the same time, the two battering rams we have ... people don't want to tackle them in the fourth quarter. It's a big difference. I've seen teams just turn it down."

As for Pennington, the Steelers were amused that the QB's one-day absence from practice was back page news in New York. In Pittsburgh, Porter and fellow linebacker Kendrell Bell were too sick to practice Wednesday and it barely got noticed. They expect Pennington to at least be healthy enough start the game.

"Michael Jordan had the flu one time and had the greatest game of his career," cornerback Deshea Townsend said. "A competitor is going to come out and compete no matter what happens.

"I'm sure they're doing what's best for the team, keeping him home, not getting anybody else sick."

Added Porter, who, unlike Bell, returned to practice Thursday: "You want to get everyone's best regardless. This is the playoffs and guys are going to come out to play. The time is now, the talk is over."

Indeed, as game time approaches, there is a quiet confidence throughout a very relaxed Steelers locker room.

"We feel like we have a feel for them. Obviously, they feel like they have a feel for us to guarantee victory and stuff like that," Porter said. "No matter what, all the talking that you do is going to have be done (Saturday). We've put ourselves in position to be ready for it."