By BOB LABRIOLA

Steelers.com

As the final preseason game for both teams, Steelers vs. Panthers on Thursday night is an afterthought for many fans, but Coach Mike Tomlin doesn't want that to be so for his players.

This isn't to imply that Tomlin will go all-out to win this fifth of five preseason games, but it does mean he expects his players to respect the process. Tomlin even has forbidden players from beginning to study videotape of the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers' opening day opponent, even though he admitted to doing some preliminary work on that himself.

"It's just having a singular focus," said Tomlin. "I don't want to be hypocritical in terms of how I address things with this football team. What I mean is I expressed to them the first day I got here that, 'It's the journey, not the destination', meaning that every step along the way is important and [will] produce the end result that we're looking for, in terms of where we want to go as individuals and where we want to go as a team.

"Reality is that we got a game Thursday night. I know that the season is about to kick off; I know there is general excitement involved in that, but it's an exercise of mental toughness to be where we are and to respect this process and do what we need to do to prepare ourselves for Thursday night. If we do it, and we do a good job of it, it'll do nothing but prepare us for when we have a short week later in the year."

The Steelers do indeed have a period during their regular season schedule that will be identical to what they've experienced during the final two weeks of their preseason. Last Sunday night, the Steelers hosted the Philadelphia Eagles, and they travel to Carolina for Thursday night's game against the Panthers. On Sunday, Dec. 16, the Steelers host the Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 p.m. and then travel to St. Louis to face the Rams on Thursday night, Dec. 20.

After the Steelers conclude their preseason with that game against the Panthers, Tomlin and his staff will have to make 22 roster moves by 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1 to get down to the mandatory limit of 53 players.

Tomlin's first experience as a head coach on a roster cut-down day came on Aug. 27 when the Steelers released 10 players, including veteran running back Kevan Barlow.

"It's always difficult because you've spent quite a bit of time with these men and people don't see the sacrifice they make and the level of commitment it takes to even be in the position that they're in at this point," said Tomlin. "Forget talent, it is a tremendous commitment, physically and emotionally, and a lot of other areas. You appreciate what they do from that standpoint. It makes it difficult regardless of whether or not they were extremely close to making it or they weren't. These guys are pursuing dreams that they've been dreaming about for an extremely long time. You can sympathize with that [because] you have an understanding of what its about. Those days are always tough."

For some guys in Steelers uniforms, Thursday night is a last chance to do something to get themselves among the 53.

"Thursday night is the next opportunity for us to go play this game that those guys have a personal relationship with. That's what its about," said Tomlin. "Every time you put on a helmet and step on the other side of that white line, you're talking about your relationship with the game of football. The passion that you have for the game has got to show through. Whether or not these guys are fighting for roster spots or not, I have a level of expectation that they portray that when they play."