KARMA NOT MADE OF STEEL DEFENDING CHAMPS' MISFORTUNES MAKE AFC AN OPEN FIELD.

Byline: BILLY WITZ Staff Writer

It took a lot for the Pittsburgh Steelers to become the first sixth-seeded team to ever win a Super Bowl.

It took Kimo van Oelhoffen turning Carson Palmer's knee ligaments into linguini. It took Nick Harper's wife with a knife to slow him down. It took Mike Vanderjagt showing a bit of Dutch courage.

And, finally, those hankies that officials threw in Detroit looked suspiciously like Terrible Towels.

To those who believe that what goes around comes around, then it has in Pittsburgh, where bad news has been raining on the Steelers like Super Bowl confetti.

Bill Cowher, born and bred in Pittsburgh, moved his family to North Carolina, sending everyone into a tizzy that he'll walk away after his contract expires at the end of this season.

Ben Roethlisberger, who laughed about riding a motorcycle without a helmet, had his jaw, nose and eye socket put together by a surgeon after crashing his bike on the city's streets.

Santonio Holmes, the first-round pick from Ohio State who is supposed to replace receiver Antwaan Randle El, is awaiting trial on domestic abuse charges after his girlfriend -- and the mother of his three children -- called 911 to say Holmes pushed her down stairs and beat her.

On the field, Hines Ward, the Super Bowl MVP, has been slowed by the most famous hamstring north of Dallas. Duce Staley, the heir apparent to Jerome Bettis, showed up at camp out of shape. And then Sunday, Roethlisberger underwent emergency surgery to repair his appendix after spending the morning vomiting. That news, and the ensuing announcement that Charlie Batch would line up at quarterback Thursday night against Miami, left Steelers fans wretching.

This is no way to begin a defense of a Super Bowl title, but then again this one may be just as much up for grabs as last year.

The usual suspects, the New England Patriots, return Rodney Harrison -- the secondary's knuckle buster -- and they still have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, but did they allow dollars to get in the way of sense by letting Adam Vinatieri walk away and playing hardball with former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch?

The Indianapolis Colts, who lured Vinatieri, don't have to get so jittery about close games anymore and their defense should continue its gradual improvement, but we'll see whether all the talk of Edgerrin James as the key to the offense for all those years was just lip service.

If Carson Palmer's knee and the rest of the roster's character prove sound, the only question about the Cincinnati Bengals is Who Dey? The Baltimore Ravens believe with Steve McNair they'll chase down Cincinnati and Pittsburgh in the AFC North, but for the Lewis Boys -- Ray and Jamal -- their time has passed: Nevermore. With Willie McGinest, Joe Andruzzi and Ted Washington in residence with the Browns, Cleveland is home to more ex-Pats than a Left Bank cafe.

Jacksonville has designs on ending the Colts' reign in the South. After a month, they won't. The first four games -- Dallas, Pittsburgh, at Indianapolis, at Washington. In Tennessee, until Vince Young is ready, at least there is Hope (safety Chris). In Houston, the Bush backers finally lost an election.

In the East, Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban declared the season over in November after getting waxed by Cleveland. The Dolphins then won their last six games, the longest streak in the league next to Pittsburgh. Now, the Dolphins are a chic pick to knock off the Patriots. But that assumes that Daunte Culpepper is the same with Chris Chambers as he was with Randy Moss.

Another Belichick protege, Eric Mangini, takes over the New York Jets, but they're as fragile as Chad Pennington's shoulder. As for the Buffalo Bills, too bad Marv Levy couldn't bring Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas back with him.

No division has more unsettled questions than the West. The Denver Broncos have the same old one facing them -- Jake Plummer. Another handicap may be the schedule -- they play the Patriots and Colts, while the Chargers play the Bills and Titans. In San Diego, they're hoping that the new parts -- Philip Rivers, Antonio Cromartie, Marlon McCree, Brandon Manumaleuna and now, linebacker Shaun Phillips -- play together better than Marty Schottenheimer and A.J. Smith.

In Kansas City, Dick Vermeil, Willie Roaf and John Welbourn are all retired. So, too, sadly for the Chiefs, is Otis Taylor. In Oakland, if they remember the Art Shell era as the good old days, it's because the Raiders were in Los Angeles back then.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) When opening night rolls around in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Joey Porter, left, will be there for the Steelers, but Ben Roethlisberger will not.

Photo courtesy of WireImage.com

(2 -- color) Despite some defections, New England Patriots' Bill Belichick aims to lead the team back to its past Super Bowl glory this season.

Jim Rogash/WireImage.com

(3 -- color) If quarterback Jake Plummer, right, struggles early, Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, left, could turn to rookie Jay Cutler.

G. Newman Lowrance/WireImage.com

(4 -- color) The Cincinnati Bengals' hopes in the AFC North rest on how quarterback Carson Palmer's knee holds up during the season.

Darron Cummings/Associated Press