SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Two struggling perennial playoff teams meet Monday night in a crucial interconference game as the San Francisco 49ers host the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Since 1992, the 49ers and Steelers have been regular members of the postseason party, combining for 13 division titles and 17 playoff appearances.
But entering this contest, each team finds itself under .500 and fighting for its postseason life. The Steelers are 1 1/2 games behind first-place Baltimore and Cincinnati in the AFC North while the Niners are 2 1/2 in back of Seattle and St. Louis in the NFC West.
Without a victory here, the Niners may have real trouble at securing a playoff spot since they play four of their next five contests on the road.
Coming off their bye, the Niners likely will not have starting quarterback Jeff Garcia for the second straight game due to a partially torn ligament in his left ankle.
Two weeks ago, Tim Rattay shined in his first career start, completing 19-of-29 for 236 yards and three touchdowns in the Niners' 30-10 rout of St. Louis.
The Niners also received a huge performance from their defense against the Rams. They forced five turnovers and held the Rams without a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh finally snapped its five-game losing streak - it's longest since 1999 - last Sunday with a 28-15 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
Tommy Maddox threw three touchdown passes - two to Hines Ward in a 67-second span of the third quarter to lead the Steelers.
Maddox does have one of the best receiving corps in the NFL , featuring Ward, Plaxico Burress and Antwaan El Randle. They will match up with corners Ahmed Plummer, Mike Rumph and nickel back Jimmy Williams.
San Francisco leads the series, 9-8.
