Do. Not. Panic.

Rinse, then say it again, Saints fans. It is way too early to run into the streets screaming over a single loss, even a loss to a team coached by Eric Mangini. The NFL is just too balanced this season, and the gap between 10-6 and 4-12 is about the width of an envelope. Losses to teams like the Browns happen, even if it difficult to watch when the league’s No. 1 team plays like it is running into piles of No. 2.

That said, the Saints’ 30-17 loss to the Browns in New Orleans was definitely a head-scratcher. Four Drew Brees interceptions, two of them brought back for touchdowns. Cleveland, of all teams, using razzle-dazzle plays that confounded the NO defense. Sean Payton on the sidelines doing a Norv Turner imitation. All weird stuff, one week in advance of Halloween.

There isn’t much time for the Saints to contemplate their navels, however, as the 5-1 Steelers come to town for a Sunday nighter in what probably passes for the biggest game so far in a season in which no clear favorite to win the Super Bowl has emerged. If Cleveland can win in New Orleans, then what will the Steelers do? (Las Vegas oddsmaker Peter Korner, however, points out frequently that every game in every season is situational, and it makes no sense to shoot at shadows. Pittsburgh, for the record, opened as a 1-point favorite, which means the books have no clue who will win this one.)

If there is a high ground in the one-size-fits-all NFL, it is occupied by the Steelers. They have their quarterback back, they are once again death to run against, and the remainder of the schedule has enough two-foot putts to allow for an occasional slipup. Ben Roethlisberger brings fresh legs (and hopefully a fresh off-the-field persona) to the game. He has thrown 5 TDs passes in two games since returning from the suspension, and his quarterback rating (122) would be by far the best in the league if he had played in enough games.

The Steelers treat opponents in pretty much the same way that Attila the Hun dealt with terrified villagers, so it’s incumbent on the Saints to be able to get down and dirty in this one. Chris Ivory has been NO’s best runner this season, but he was stuffed by the Browns, and once Cleveland got the Saints running game under control, they teed off on Brees. Ivory won’t run for 100 yards -- no one does that against Pittsbrugh -- but if he can give the Saints offense a viable alternative, it can keep Brees on his feet and out of the hospital.

There are still miles to go before the AFC North and NFC are put to bed, but this game will help give one of these two teams a big lift headed into the final two months of the season.