One stoked fan cheers the Steelers’ 42-21 bashing of the Bengals Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium. — GETTY

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

I like these Steelers, though I see that’s uncool.

I like that they’re 8-5, with a foothold in the AFC North, with their fate in their hands, with the most fantastic offense the franchise has put forth since … wow, ever?

But yeah, I also see and hear and read fans describing this team in the most pained tones. Tune in to any discussion anywhere in the Nation at large, and it’s invariably about the worst secondary in human history or a lack of toughness or Mike Mitchell’s loose coverage or Mike Adams’ lousy blocking or Ben Roethlisberger’s occasional inaccuracy or Todd Haley’s occasional insanity or how every Towel-waving blasting of ‘Renegade’ now results in a deflating 80-yard bomb or, really, just about anything related to Mike Tomlin.

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Le’Veon Bell tosses his gloves to Steelers fans at Paul Brown Stadium after the game. — GETTY

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

CINCINNATI — Football doesn’t lend itself to individual dominance.

One hundred and six players will step into any given stadium on any given NFL Sunday, and they’ll do so with highly specific roles, a hard separation between offense and defense, and a headstrong adherence to playcalling that’s more akin to choreography.

Football often demonstrates individual excellence, within those guidelines.

But dominance?

No, that sort of category should be reserved for what Le’Veon Bell has been doing for the Steelers these past three weeks, capped by singularly swinging a 42-21 score his team’s way on this particular Sunday against the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium.

That’s singularly. I use the term advisedly.

“He’s doing so much in the run game, pass game, blocking game … and I don’t even know how many checkdowns he had today,” Ben Roethlisberger was saying. “His game right now is at a very high level, and it’s a lot of fun to watch.”

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Le’Veon Bell breaks free against the Saints’ defense on his way to 254 total yards last Sunday at Heinz Field. — GETTY

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

CINCINNATI —  The Steelers will win the AFC North Division if they win Sunday.

And the Sunday after that.

And the Sunday after that.

And the Sunday after that.

No, really, they will. It’s a hard fact. Because the Steelers (7-5) would have swept the Bengals (8-3-1) right out of first place and, even if the Ravens (7-5) and Browns (7-5) keep pace, the Steelers would take the second tiebreaker — the first, of course, is head-to-head — against both those teams because of a better record inside the conference.

So there it is: Just win out, baby!

Right, gentlemen?

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The Saints’ Benjamin Watson catches a second-quarter touchdown Sunday with Willie Gay miles away. — GETTY

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Brett Keisel looked the other way.

The Steelers’ defense had just taken to Heinz Field, still at least theoretically within range of the Saints after a Le’Veon Bell touchdown closed the deficit to eight. The place had actually begun hoping, even hopping with the requisite PA blast of of Styx’s ‘Renegade’ aimed, as always, at sparking a defensive stand.

“It was a big moment,” Ike Taylor would recall later. “We all felt it.”

Not all. No way. Because there was Keisel pacing, slowly, purposefully toward the south end zone, as the Saints’ offense had set up in the north. The helmet was off, the Beard was jutted forward, and his distant, skyward gaze gave it away: Something was wrong. Really wrong.

And as my eyes caught this, as if a Greek chorus had felt compelled to chime in, right there in the background, one scene overlapping the other, Drew Brees connected on a 69-yard sideline strike for a Kenny Stills touchdown, with Taylor torched in his wake.

The end, indeed, huh?

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Ryan Shazier and Jarvis Jones both have missed the Steelers’ past eight games to injury. — GETTY IMAGES

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

“Gang’s all here!” Ike Taylor fairly shouted as the Steelers strode off their South Side fields Monday.

The picture was thousand-words perfect, too.

It was the first practice since saying bye-bye to the bye week.

The first step toward bracing for Drew Brees and the Saints next weekend.

The first chance to focus on the challenge of rising above in the airtight AFC North.

And above all, the first time in two months and two days that Troy Polamalu, Ryan Shazier, Jarvis Jones and Taylor partook in drills together.

A third of the starting defense.

“Imagine that,” Jones would say afterward. “Crazy, huh?”

Yeah, it is, actually. And maybe it’s been forgotten in all the week-to-week angst over what’s ailed the defense that, well, it sure helps to have all the players you’d like to have. Or even most of them.

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