Facing Steelers "just another game" for Harrison

Part of what makes the buildup to James Harrison's first game against the Steelers on Monday so interesting is that even beyond the reunion and the stakes of the game, no one seems to know exactly what to expect from Harrison.
Per usual. 
And just the way Harrison likes it. 
Harrison's age (35) and high salary-cap number essentially left the Steelers no choice but to release him last winter with one year left on his contract. A three-time All-Pro and the 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Harrison has found a home in Cincinnati with the Bengals, who are trying to take the next step after consecutive quick playoff exits.
The Steelers having to part ways with such a productive player and a key to so much success is simply part of the business in the NFL, as is Harrison signing with a division rival. As for what might happen between the lines Monday, when Harrison could get his first cracks at Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in an NFL game or what might transpire when he tangles with Pittsburgh's offensive line, stay tuned. 
Harrison plans to let his play do the talking. 
"We talk before the game, (say) good luck and that's about it," Harrison said this week. "I was never a talker to begin with."
An undrafted special teams player who spent time on the practice squad and in NFL Europe before catching his big NFL break, Harrison's longtime reputation as one of the NFL's toughest players is well earned. That he's also one of the toughest to read and one of the most likely to deliver monster hits might actually help his tough-guy reputation. 
The last time he really got a hit on Roethlisberger was more than a decade ago, in Harrison's final college game at Kent State. The box score shows that Harrison had 5 sacks, including 2 on the last series, as Kent State beat Roethlisberger's Miami-Ohio team. 
"It’s definitely different seeing him in anything other than black and gold, and it’s going to be different lining up across from him," Roethlisberger said. "I’m just thankful that I’ve had so many years of him on my team so I didn’t have to face him for 10-12 years."
Harrison started 95 of the 131 games he played for the Steelers, registering 64 sacks and playing in 12 postseason games, including two Super Bowl victories. His 100-yard interception vs. Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII is one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history. 
That, of course, meant little when the Steelers had to crunch cap numbers following a disappointing 2012 season. Harrison said he knew his release was coming and focused on getting healthy for his new start, which began when the Bengals signed him in April. 
With the Bengals he's a new, intimidating face in a relatively young locker room. He's also in a 4-3 defense that's totally new to him after playing right outside linebacker in the Steelers famous 3-4 front. Harrison picked his moments to ham it up for the Hard Knocks cameras during the preseason but has been back to his usual, low-key self this week in discussing his first game against the organization that rewarded him with a new contract before it had to when he started to emerge and signed him to a $51 million deal in 2009. 
"(Monday night) is another game on the schedule," Harrison said. "It's a divisional game so it means a little more than the rest, so that's about it." 
Asked by Pittsburgh reporters why he ended up signing with the Bengals, Harrison said, "I liked (Bengals coach) Marvin (Lewis), actually. That was one of the bigger things and it was still close to home. Still right in Ohio; I'm from Ohio. My parents can still come down. It's a good situation and I felt like the Bengals were on the rise. They're a good defense, looked like they were headed in the right direction. Hopefully I can help them."
This is the business. When the Steelers announced Harrison's release, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin said, "James has played a major role in the success of this organization during his time in Pittsburgh. I appreciate everything he has done in my six years as head coach and wish him nothing but the best in the future."
When asked about going against Harrison for the first time, Tomlin earlier this week said, "When I step into the stadium, they’re nameless gray faces to me once we get started. That’s just part of today’s NFL. There’s movement in this business and just about every week you’re running across a guy you’ve had a professional and personal experience with in the past. James is a special guy who did special things here but from that standpoint you’ve got to move on."
Both organizations have moved on, and both suffered disappointing Week One losses. So Monday's game is big because it's an AFC North Division game and because one team is really going to be hurting at 0-2. 
And because Harrison -- like he was for the Steelers long before Hard Knocks -- is going to be looking to hit someone. 
"(From the tape) he does appear to be James and we all know and understand how James plays," Tomlin said. "He bring physicality to the table. He’s a guy that plays with great passion. He can inspire his teammates. We expect James to be James in the stadium."
And certainly worth watching.