Step One of Operation Hold Your Ground was a success Sunday.

How the other three steps go is entirely up to the Steelers.

Without its $100 million quarterback for the first four games, the team is trying to hold down the fort until Ben Roethlisberger returns from a suspension.

Like him or not, the Steelers' best chance to make the postseason or the Super Bowl will ride on Roethlisberger's shoulders.

The thinking of most observers is that if the Steelers can go 2-2 in their first four games — against the Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Baltimore Ravens — they could be in decent shape.

With so many playoff-caliber teams in the AFC, the Steelers can ill-afford to be 1-3 a quarter of the way through the season.

After defeating the Falcons 15-9 in overtime Sunday, the Steelers took a big load off their minds. Now, the squad has to win just one of their next three games to get to 2-2 as opposed to trying to winning two out of the next three.

There's nothing that says the team couldn't squeak out another win somewhere else and go 3-1, but that may be wishing thinking.

Sunday's victory against an Atlanta team with a lot of offensive weapons was huge. Plus, it was a home game, which is also very important to secure.

With the inexperienced Dennis Dixon at quarterback, it was apparent the running game was going to take on a little more significance — and in the end it did.

Rashard Mendenhall's 50-yard burst in overtime gave Pittsburgh the win and showed at least a little more commitment to the running game.

Mendenhall finished with 120 yards on 22 carries, but had 70 tough yards in regulation. Still, the Steelers didn't abandon the run like it had in the past couple of seasons.

Running the ball to take some of the pressure off Dixon might be the apparent game plan over the next three weeks, and they had a promising start with it.

With losses by Cincinnati and Cleveland Sunday, the win gave the Steelers an added boost as well as an early one-game lead in the AFC North along with Baltimore, who downed the New York Jets Monday.

Granted, it's still early, but the Steelers couldn't afford to fall behind in the division. The win wasn't pretty, but any win in the NFL, especially against a good team, is a thing of beauty.

For the Steelers, everything is going according to play.

So far, so good.

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.