PITTSBURGH -- Something feels right about football here when the weather turns cold -- yellow towels waving and gloved hands clapping rhythmically while Renegade pulses out across three rivers in the fourth quarter.Something feels right about the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens hitting the three-quarter mark of the NFL season in a flat-footed tie, even if theyre each a ho-hum 7-5 and have both gone through four-game losing streaks.Something feels right about ugly in the AFC North, where the teams are built for chilly crunch time and each fan base in the division outside of Cleveland has come to expect not just big-time December football, but the January football that follows.So it was that on the first weekend of December, the Steelers took the field here against a New York Giants team that came in on a six-game winning streak and?found a way to win?despite?12 penalties and a pair of turnovers. This just a few hours after the Ravens ended the Miami Dolphins six-game winning streak in Baltimore.The 2016 editions of the AFC Norths black-and-blue bloods are by no means perfect. But in the cases of Pittsburgh and Baltimore, they appear to be putting things together at the right time -- and setting themselves up for a fun (if flawed) division race.Hopefully, we can build upon this performance as we move forward, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Sunday night.And thats the right way to look at what the Steelers did here Sunday. Beating the Giants, who came in with the leagues fourth-best record, was no small accomplishment. But the way they did it was by no means perfect. You couldnt watch the Steelers on Sunday and think this was a team clicking on all cylinders. Some cylinders? Sure. More cylinders than were clicking earlier in the season? Absolutely. But this doesnt look like the elite AFC title contender most people thought they could be in 2016.Too many penalties. Too many odd playcalls that stalled promising drives. Not much rhythm. A workmanlike victory built on screen passes and the breakout performance of tight end Ladarius Green, whose season just got going a couple of weeks ago after a rash of injuries delayed his Steelers debut.Hes finding a comfortable seat on a moving train, Tomlin said of Green. And we need him to.The Steelers know theyre a work in progress. They have the benefit of a quarterback/coach combination that has built teams into playoff contenders and even Super Bowl champions as difficult seasons have gone along. In that way, theyre a little bit like their rivals in Baltimore -- even if they insist theyre not paying attention to what the Ravens are up to.Were trying to focus on being inside our own stadium and taking care of what we need to take care of, linebacker Ryan Shazier said. Well see them soon enough.They will. In their own stadium. On Christmas Day. The Ravens beat the Steelers in Baltimore earlier this season, which is why they are currently listed atop Pittsburgh in the AFC North standings despite their identical records. But depending on what happens the next two weeks -- which see the Ravens play at New England and home against Philadelphia, and the Steelers go to Buffalo and Cincinnati -- that Dec. 25 game is going to be more than enough reason to take a three-hour break from A Christmas Story reruns and tune in for an AFC North slobberknocker.The Steelers have the better quarterback and appear to have the softer schedule. The Ravens have the more dominant defense. Pittsburgh has won three in a row. Baltimore has won four of its last five. They each beat one of the leagues hottest teams Sunday. This race sets up nicely for a lot of reasons. But the very best is the two teams pedigrees.Its that time of year that we have to be our best self, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said.Lots of sayings bounced around the Pittsburgh locker room Sunday night. That thing about be inside our own stadium is clearly something Tomlin is preaching, because he said it and so did several players. The be our best self thing also got echoed in a few different corners of the locker room. Youve got to find those mantras that work, and youve got to make sure you have the people in place to make sure they dont end up just being empty words.The Steelers can do that, and so can the Ravens, which is what makes their burgeoning December division race so much fun. Neither is perfect, and at this point, neither appears to be great. But they have the players to help them get there, and the experience to know how. And whether they roll or limp through the tough tests they face over the next two weeks, Ravens-Steelers?should be quite a present for NFL fans to find under the tree. Diego Reyes Jersey . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Jonathan dos Santos Jersey . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. http://www.soccermexicojerseysteamstore.com/ . The lawyers filed a 33-page amended complaint Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan, expanding on the suit originally filed Oct. 3 in New York Supreme Court. Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz last week refused to compel Selig to testify in the grievance, and Rodriguez then walked out of the hearing without testifying. Jose de Jesus Corona Jersey . -- Five former Kansas City Chiefs players who were on the team between 1987 and 1993 filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming the team hid and even lied about the risks of head injuries during that time period when there was no collective bargaining agreement in place in the NFL. Edson Alvarez Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. The No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide landed multiple players on this years list of finalists for individual college football awards.Senior defensive lineman Jonathan Allen is up for the Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player of the year). He will run against linebacker Jabrill Peppers of the Michigan Wolverines and lineman Myles Garrett of the Texas A&M Aggies.Allen has 46 total tackles, including seven sacks for a Crimson Tide defense that is allowing an average of just 10.4 points through its first 12 games this season.Alabamas junior offensive lineman Cam Robinson and senior tight end O.J. Howard allso received finalist nominations.ddddddddddddRobinson is in the running for the Outland Trophy (most outstanding interior lineman) against Pat Elflein of the Ohio State Buckeyes and Cody OConnell of the Washington State Cougars. Howard is a finalist for the John Mackey Award (outstanding tight end), and his competition includes Michigans Jake Butt along with Jordan Leggett of the Clemson Tigers.Howard has caught 30 passes for 359 yards and two touchdowns this season. ' ' '