After the Pittsburgh Steelers were beaten by the still-undefeated New England Patriots Sunday, it seems everything is going according to plan.

In all honestly, I did not mind that the Steelers lost the game. Perfect.

Everything leading up to it was great, but my thinking was it benefited the Steelers to lose, only to face the Patriots again in the AFCplayoffs in Foxborough, Mass.

Before you send an angry e-mail, hear me out.

I've always been of the belief that two very competitive football teams will most likely split a series if they play twice in one season. They say it's tough to beat a good team twice. I believe that.

Therefore, the Steelers' loss (although the Patriots pulled away convincingly) could result in a Steelers win come January.

Not possible you say? Look at the factors.

Exhibit 1: When Steelers safety-moron Anthony Smith shot off his mouth and guaranteed a victory, I was bewildered. Who is this guy becoming the spokesman for the team?I thought it would serve the Steelers' best interest to sneak in and do all the things Smith said they would do. Knowing this, the Patriots weren't about to let that happen to them at home.They were motivated (something the Pats don't need) and played at an incredibly high level. Smith was burned for two touchdowns.

Exhibit 2: The Steelers played without strong safety Troy Polamalu and offensive tackle Marvel Smith and got very limited action from receiver Santonio Holmes. Missing some key players is always beneficial if you have them the second time around.When they're out, it's hard for the opponent to gauge what difference they could have made.This year's Patriots will have to contend with three prominent starters back at full strength. Let 'em wonder.

Exhibit 3: Now that the Steelers have seen first hand what the Pats can do (film never does a team justice), I'm sure defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau can make a few adjustments to slow down New England.

Exhibit 4: The Steelers had a lot of pressure coming into this game from all media outlets: "If anyone can stop the Patriots from going undefeated this year, it's Pittsburgh."All eyes were on this game and the Steelers failed. I still think the New York Giants could pose the biggest problem on the final weekend of the regular season.The next time around, the Steelers will be decided underdogs and will not have the pressure surrounding them as much as last Sunday's game.

Exhibit 5: Karma. The Patriots have derailed the Steelers in the postseason a few times when the Patriots won their three Super Bowl championships. Pittsburgh had been a favorite in those games and fell woefully short.Also, the cheating label on the Pats could come back around to haunt them. You think the football gods are going to let them win the Super Bowl?This could just be wishful thinking on my part, but we'll wait and see. I'm still trying to justify that loss to the New York Jets.I might need a little more time figuring that one out.