PITTSBURGH: The Pittsburgh Steelers closed in on a division title and a bye in the first round of the NFL playoffs as they found little resistance from the Carolina Panthers in a 27-3 win late Thursday. “It's definitely playoff football right now,” Steelers safety Ryan Clark said. “We want that bye, at least one game on our home field.” Pittsburgh, bouncing back from Sunday's 22-17 loss to the New York Jets, will wrap up the AFC North division and the bye if it beats the Cleveland Browns on Jan. 2. The Browns could end the division race even earlier than that if they upset the Baltimore Ravens at home Sunday. “There's some hardware out there for us, the AFC North title, and that more than anything is what we're focused on,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger found Mike Wallace on a 43-yard scoring play and Emmanuel Sanders on a 35-yard completion to set up Rashard Mendenhall's 1-yard touchdown run as the Steelers opened a 20-0 halftime lead. Roethlisberger ended 22 of 32 for 320 yards and no interceptions. It didn't seem that close and it wasn't, not with Pittsburgh outgaining the Panthers by 408 yards to 119 while controlling the line of scrimmage, the clock and a Jimmy Clausen-led Carolina offense. “It's good to be in the clubhouse before everyone else this weekend with a necessary win,” Tomlin said. It hasn't been much of a season for the Panthers, who have lost eight of nine and are the NFL's only winless team on the road, and this wasn't much of a game. Panthers back Jonathan Stewart, who averaged 115 yards in his previous four games, was held to 71 yards by a defense that has allowed one 100-yard rusher in 49 games. Sanchez has MRI on shoulder New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez underwent an MRI on his throwing shoulder Monday but coach Rex Ryan said he had no doubts the signal caller would be available for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears. Ryan said Sanchez admitted that he felt some discomfort after running with the ball on the second drive of New York's 22-17 win Sunday over the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Monday's test revealed no structural damage, Ryan told reporters at the Jets' training facility in Florham Park, New Jersey. “He's sore, but he'll play, obviously, Sunday,” said Ryan, who was not sure whether Sanchez would be limited in practice. “It was just that kind of game, a tough, hard
