Pittsburgh Steelers. Game Story News Clippings

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1 Pittsburgh Steelers Game Story News Clippings

2 Steelers nip Panthers, stay healthy - Tribune-Review Page 1 of 3 8/29/2008 Steelers nip Panthers, stay healthy By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, August 29, 2008 Strong safety Troy Polamalu played and didn't get hurt. The same goes for the rest of the Steelers' starters. Reserve linebacker Arnold Harrison was lost for the season Thursday to a torn ACL, but the Steelers emerged from their final preseason game relatively unscathed. That alone made the night a success. Yesterday's game didn't represent a final tune-up for the regular season as much as it did a last chance for players fighting for spots on the 53-man roster to state their cases. Ben Roethlisberger didn't play long enough to make it into the final box score. Both passes he threw were negated by penalties in the Steelers' win over the Carolina Panthers. Willie Parker, meanwhile, carried the ball just four times in front of an announced crowd of 50,485. Parker did break loose for a 26-yard run, which represented exactly half of what he had rushed for in three previous preseason games and set up the only touchdown of the game. "We're ready," Parker said. "I know that I feel good and I can speak for the team. It's time to put what we've been practicing to work." Established veterans like Parker no doubt slept better than players who are trying to make the team and have to be wondering how much they helped -- or hurt -- themselves against the Panthers. For example, how much weight will the Steelers' coaches put on two Paul Ernster punts that traveled a combined 55 yards as they decide whether he or Mitch Berger handles punting duties this season? Also, did Dallas Baker separate himself from Willie Reid -- the two appear to be battling for the last wide receiver spot on the roster -- the way he did from the Panthers' defensive backs on a 33-yard reception in the second quarter? The answers to these and other questions regarding who makes the team will be answered over the next two days, as the Steelers have to set their roster for the regular season by 6 p.m. Saturday.

3 Steelers nip Panthers, stay healthy - Tribune-Review Page 2 of 3 8/29/2008 Steelers coach Mike Tomlin indicated that the team would make some cuts today. "It has been a pleasure working with this group of guys," Tomlin said, "but it is that time of year where we need to make tough decisions." The Steelers still have to find answers to a couple of vexing questions when it comes to their top two draft choices from this year. Running back Rashard Mendenhall, who fumbled twice last Saturday night at Minnesota, lost another one against the Panthers. The first-round pick turned over the ball after getting hit from behind at the end of a 12-yard run. The fumble overshadowed an otherwise solid performance by Mendenhall (a game-high 79 rushing yards on 21 carries). Wide receiver Limas Sweed, who has also had trouble hanging onto the ball during the preseason, dropped a pass that would have gone for a long gain at the end of the first half. Cloudy skies and the fact that starters play sparingly, if at all, in preseason finales accounted for Heinz Field being half-empty at kickoff. Even late-arriving fans did not miss much. The Steelers went three-and-out, not to mention backward, on their first possession. After two short runs by Parker, new starting center Justin Hartwig snapped the ball before Roethlisberger was ready. The ball sailed over Roethlisberger's head and the Steelers lost 21 yards on the play. "That's what we wanted to get ironed out," Roethlisberger said of the miscommunication between him and Hartwig. Taking advantage of excellent field position, the Panthers marched inside the Steelers' 20-yard line before settling for a 32-yard John Kasay field goal. The Steelers wasted little time in answering that score. On the first-string offense's final possession of the preseason, Parker ripped off his biggest run of the preseason. Two plays later, a pass interference penalty on Carolina turned into a 37-yard gain. That led to a 6-yard touchdown run by Carey Davis, and the Steelers built a 16-6 lead before the Panthers rallied to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. Dennis Dixon engineered a drive that resulted in a game-winning 43-yard field goal by Jeff Reed.

4 Steelers nip Panthers, stay healthy - Tribune-Review Page 3 of 3 8/29/2008 "The team is ready to go," said Steelers inside linebacker James Farrior, whose team opens the regular season against the Texans on Sept. 7. "We're going in with a lot of confidence." Scott Brown can be reached at sbrown@tribweb.com or Images and text copyright 2008 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co. Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com

5 Steelers defense 'kicks' Vikings - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Page 1 of 2 8/24/2008 Steelers raise intensity against Vikings By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Sunday, August 24, 2008 MINNEAPOLIS Apparently no one wanted to answer to outside linebacker James Harrison. Seeing its most (and probably last) extensive action of the preseason Saturday, the Steelers defense played with the kind of urgency and intensity that Harrison said - well, huffed is more like it -- had been noticeably absent during the team s first two exhibition games. The Vikings managed just one touchdown in the almost three quarters they played against the Steelers first-team defense. And the Steelers dominated the line of scrimmage, shutting down Minnesota s running back tandem of Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor while sacking quarterback Gus Frerotte three times in a win over the Vikings in front of a sellout crowd of 62,625. Jeff Reed kicked a 47-yard field goal at the end of the game to deliver the victory. Unfortunately for the Steelers (2-1 in preseason games), their offense hardly put on a clinic as it mostly sputtered amidst the ear-splitting noise inside the Metrodome. And its struggles probably left Mike Tomlin rubbing his temples more than anything in what amounted to something of a homecoming for the Steelers coach. The Steelers couldn t establish the run Saturday night and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger probably had to sidestep Minnesota s pass rush too many times for Tomlin s liking. We wanted to control the ball and move it a little bit and play grimy football and make sure we controlled time of possession, said Tomlin, who served as a defensive coordinator for the Vikings before becoming coach of the Steelers. We expected it to be a close, hard-fought game that was going to be decided in the fourth quarter. Willie Parker rushed for just 18 yards on 10 carries Saturday night but at least the Pro Bowler hung onto the ball. Rookie first-round pick Rashard Mendenhall fumbled on his second carry of the game - the first of two he had Saturday -- and the Vikings recovered the loose ball at the Steelers 47-yard line late in the first quarter.

6 Steelers defense 'kicks' Vikings - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Page 2 of 2 8/24/2008 Frerotte, starting for the injured Tarvaris Jackson, completed three straight passes, moving the Vikings inside the Steelers 5-yard line. And Peterson broke a scoreless by diving into the end from the 1-yard line. The Steelers went three and out on their ensuing possession but Ike Taylor gave them excellent position when he intercepted a Frerotte pass at Minnesota s 34-yard line. The offense netted only 18 yards during a nine-play drive and the Steelers had to settle for a 35-yard field goal by Jeff Reed. The Steelers only have one more exhibition game before the start of the regular season. And the starters on both sides of the ball figure to play sparingly Thursday night when the Panthers visit Heinz Field. Roethlisberger completed 10 of 17 passes against the Vikings but he managed just 65 yards passing. The top three Steelers wide receivers combined for two catches for 17 yards. Santonio Holmes did not have a reception. Harrison and fellow outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley each sacked Frerotte while defensive end Aaron Smith also recorded a take down of the Ford City native. We came out with a totally different attitude, Harrison said. Not laid back and just going out there to get our plays. We did a lot better than we have in the previous two preseason games. We did what we had to do in this third preseason. I feel a lot better. The news was not all good on the defensive side of the ball as starting inside linebacker Larry Foote left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury and did not return. Tomlin said he didn t think the injury was serious. In the second half, Mendenhall rushed for 75 of his game-high 79 yards but he lost another fumble with the Steelers trailing by a point late in the fourth quarter and driving. Reed, however, bailed him out with the game-winning field goal that came with less than four seconds to play. He does have great running instincts and cutting ability," Tomlin said of Mendenhall. "But fundamentals of being a pro and understanding how guys are going to go after the ball in this league is big. What happened to him validates what we ve been talking about since he s been here. Scott Brown can be reached at sbrown@tribweb.com or Images and text copyright 2008 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co. Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com

7 Reed the only kick in offense Page 1 of 2 8/24/2008 SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL Reed the only kick in offense Kicker converts four field goals, the final one from 47 yards with :04 left, as Roethlisberger and company sputter in win vs. Minnesota Sunday, August 24, 2008 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Peter Diana Despite the efforts of Lawrence Timmons, Minnesota's Adrian Peterson soars over the pile to score from 1 yard out in the second quarter last night in the Metrodome. MINNEAPOLIS -- The Steelers played indoors under a fabric roof made of Teflon, yet their first-team offense looked as if it were playing beneath a wet blanket. It took prized rookie Rashard Mendenhall to breathe some kind of life into an otherwise lifeless Steelers offense last night, but even that was spoiled when he lost two fumbles. Yet the Steelers defense played its best game, and backup quarterback Byron Leftwich led a late drive that ended with Jeff Reed's fourth field goal, from 47 yards with four seconds left, to lift the Steelers to a victory at the Metrodome. Mendenhall had runs of 21, 18 and 16 yards in the second half and had 79 yards on 15 carries. But one of his fumbles led to the only touchdown of the game, and the other came on a first-down run after he reached the Vikings' 25 late in the fourth quarter. He also lost a previous fumble this preseason. "It's something we were concerned about, something we made him aware of,'' Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "It's part of being a ball-totter in the National Football League. It's a little different and he sensed that. He has the skill set to be successful but the prerequisite is ball security and he has to shore up that element of his game." The Steelers' first teams played their most extensive stretch in their third preseason game against the Vikings, and their No. 1 offense got bogged down against the NFL's No. 1 defense against the rush last season. With both teams using first stringers throughout the first half, the Steelers' defense put on a better show, but they were undershadowed by an offense that produced just 76 yards on seven series. Reed kicked field goals of 35, 43 and 37 yards before his winner. Adrian Peterson ran for a 1-yard touchdown and Ryan Longwell added a 37-yard field goal for the Vikings. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, near perfect in two brief appearances before last night, completed 10 of 17 passes in the first half for 65 yards and was sacked twice. The running game did little as well with Willie Parker running 10 times for 18 of the Steelers' 26 yards on the ground for the first unit. Next Game: Steelers vs. Carolina Panthers in preseason finale. When: 7 p.m. Thursday. Where: Heinz Field. TV: KDKA & FSN Pittsburgh.

8 Reed the only kick in offense Page 2 of 2 8/24/2008 Mendenhall covered nearly that much on one sweet 21-yard run in the third quarter, and followed later in that quarter with an 18-yarder against Minnesota's backups. Of note: Rosters must be down to 75 by Tuesday. It was a bittersweet night for the rookie back. "This league isn't easy,'' Mendenhall said. "It definitely feels good to contribute, that's what they brought me in for and I want to do that." As to what happened on the two fumbles, Mendenhall said, "I'm not real sure, it just came out and hit the ground. It never should have happened." Roethlisberger never threw a deep pass in his full half of work. The first deep pass was not delivered until Leftwich dropped back from the 44 and pitched one incomplete to Willie Reid at the goal line. Leftwich played all of the second half as the Steelers seemed to want to get him ready for the regular season. He completed 16 of 23 for 129 yards, including his final one of 11 yards to Dallas Baker that set up Reed for the winning kick. Tomlin said he stuck with Leftwich the entire second half because, "We thought at the time the situations were invaluable... part of his growth and development as a Steeler." The Steelers' first offense was sluggish in its first half of play with Roethlisberger often having to throw under heavy pressure and throwing short passes when he did have the chance. Roethlisberger threw away a third-down pass under pressure from Jared Allen to end the first series and had to go to some short, quick passes on the second series. The Vikings broke a scoreless tie early in the second quarter when Peterson dived high and in from 1 yard away. After the play, cornerback Ike Taylor took a swing at a Vikings player and was flagged 15 yards for it. Minnesota quarterback Gus Frerotte, a native of Ford City, completed four passes on his team's first scoring drive that came at the Steelers' 47 when Mendenhall lost his first fumble. The big play on the scoring drive came from the 29. Linebacker Larry Foote left the game with what appears to be a minor knee injury, and on the first play in which Lawrence Timmons replaced him, Frerotte went right after the young linebacker. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe beat Timmons down the middle and Frerotte hit him for a 26-yard completion to the 3 on the final play of the first quarter. Reed kicked a 35-yard field goal at 6:40 of the second quarter but the Steelers' scoring "drive" left a lot to be desired. Taylor redeemed himself for his earlier penalty when he intercepted a Frerotte pass in the second quarter to give his offense the ball at Minnesota's 34. A 9-yard Willie Parker run and a 12-yard facemask penalty committed against Parker by Vikings linebacker E.J. Henderson were the only big plays of the drive. The penalty gave the Steelers a first down at the 12, but a quick pass to a slanting Santonio Holmes was slightly behind him for an incompletion, Parker was crushed by 375-pound tackle Pat Williams for a 4-yard loss on a screen pass, and Roethlisberger threw inside as Nate Washington leaned to the outside for another incompletion. The half ended with Minnesota ahead, 7-3. HOW DID THEY DO? A look at key Steelers defensive numbers in their first three preseason games. Did they show the hoped-for improvement last night when the first team played about a half? Stat G1 G2 G3 Points First-half points First downs Net yards Yards play Sacks Time of poss.30:29 31:23 23:37 The Vikings stretched their lead to 10-3 when Longwell kicked a 37-yard field goal with 10:06 to go in the third quarter. Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com. First published on August 24, 2008 at 12:00 am

9 Starting defense yields 2 early TDs Page 1 of 2 8/15/2008 SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL Starting defense yields 2 early TDs Starters give up 2 TDs on 2 series; kickoff team burned late in the third Friday, August 15, 2008 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Peter Diana/Post-Gazette Santonio Holmes catches touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger in the second quarter against Buffalo's George Wilson at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. TORONTO -- The Steelers and Buffalo Bills played an exhibition game in Canada last night and it looked early on as if they were playing under the wide-open CFL rules. The Bills scored touchdowns on their first two drives and the Steelers responded with a big-play scoring pass of their own, before things bogged down under the backups, although Steelers rookie quarterback Dennis Dixon ran 47 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Buffalo ultimately prevailed, The game ended with Dixon tossing a Hail Mary pass from the Buffalo 43 that 6-foot-6 wide receiver Micah Rucker touched in the end zone but could not hang on. The one troubling fact coming out of the game for the Steelers (1-1) -- besides allowing a 95-yard touchdown on a kickoff return -- was the play of their first-team defense. Those starters were on the field for two series and Buffalo drove 67 yards on the first and 90 on the second. Quarterback Trent Edwards ended both drives by throwing touchdown passes to tight end Robert Royal, one for 7 yards and the other for 13. That's three series in two games for the first-team Steelers defense, which allowed two touchdowns and a field goal. It might be troubling for their coaching staff, although they played mostly straight-up, using no exotic defense they normally would deploy during a regular-season game. Still, the Bills averaged 6.1 yards rushing in the first half and Edwards looked like Jim Kelly, completing 9 of 11 passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns. "We weren't at our peak," said Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton, playing for the first time after coming off the physically-unable-to-perform list Sunday. The first-team Steelers offense did its best work against Buffalo's second-team defense. After being shut out on their first two series -- Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted to end the first drive -- the quarterback struck back in the second quarter. Roethlisberger threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, the second touchdown pass for the duo in two games. Steelers Forum Based on the first two preseason games, should the Steelers have any concerns about their run defense? Post your comments in our Steelers Forum. "Coming into the huddle, Ben told me it's a fly, get back outside," said Holmes, who sped past the cornerback to get wide

10 Starting defense yields 2 early TDs Page 2 of 2 8/15/2008 open in the end zone. Roethlisberger also was 9 of 11, for 142 yards before giving way to newcomer Byron Leftwich (5 of 11, 41 yards). In the Steelers' first preseason game, the Philadelphia Eagles marched 70 yards on their opening drive but were stopped at the 10 and settled for a 28-yard field goal. Buffalo's first drive carried 67 yards on 10 plays and began with a 23-yard pass completion to Lee Evans. As they did in their first game, the Steelers' first-team offense also moved readily, but a holding penalty and then an interception snuffed out the scoring chance. Roethlisberger completed passes of 13 yards to Holmes and 19 to Hines Ward. Then, on third-and-one at Buffalo's 27, Willie Parker picked up two yards. But Justin Hartwig, starting at center for the first time with the Steelers, was called for holding on the play. On the next, safety Donte Whitner made a diving catch of a Roethlisberger pass for Ward. The Bills' second drive looked a lot like their first, only this one was longer. The Bills moved 90 yards on 11 plays. the crucial one occurring when the Steelers had them pinned back on their 7 on third down and 12. Edwards was nearly sacked near the goal line, stepped up and ran through a wide-open field for 22 yards and a first down. Buffalo's second touchdown came on another third down when Edwards passed to Royal on the right and he broke through Ryan Clark and Larry Foote for a 13-yard touchdown and a 14-0 Buffalo lead. That's when Roethlisberger responded, as coach Mike Tomlin kept his first offense on the field against the Bills' secondteam defense. The quarterback hit Ward quickly on first down on a skinny post for a 24-yard gain. Four plays later, Holmes ran deep on the left and undressed cornerback Ashton Youboty. Holmes broke free and Roethlisberger hit him in the middle of the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown pass that was 55 yards in the air. "It was a little high, but he got under it," Roethlisberger said. Leftwich replaced Roethlisberger with 4:12 left in the first half, running the second-team offense. On his first play as a Steelers quarterback, Leftwich rifled a 24-yard pass to Nate Washington. However, not only did that drive bog down at the 24, but Jeff Reed sent his 42-yard field goal try wide to the left. Rian Lindell kicked a 43-yard field goal to give Buffalo a 17-7 lead in the third quarter. The Steelers accepted a gift from Buffalo late in the third quarter and made the Bills pay. Linebacker Donovan Woods recovered a muffed Buffalo punt at the 18. Rookie Rashard Mendenhall picked up all of the yards on five straight carries. He broke a tackle on the first play for nine yards. On his fifth carry, he took a deep handoff from Leftwich and ran six yards untouched off the right side for the touchdown. That closed the Buffalo lead to with 1:51 left in the third quarter. But never count out those Steelers special teams. Reed kicked off to the 5 and Leodis McKelvin sprinted up the middle for a 95-yard return for a Buffalo touchdown at 1:38 that pushed their lead back to Dixon ran a bootleg on fourth-and-one around right end and behind blocks by rookie back Limas Sweed, and tight end Dezmond Sherrod ran unscathed 47 yards for a touchdown. That shaved Buffalo's lead to with 4:31 left. Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com. First published on August 15, 2008 at 12:00 am

11 Steelers win against Eagles - Tribune-Review Page 1 of 2 8/10/2008 Steelers win preseason opener By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Saturday, August 9, 2008 The Steelers were actively trying to sign a veteran quarterback Friday night after losing Charlie Batch for at least a month to a broken right collarbone in their win over the Eagles at Heinz Field. Batch left the game early in the second quarter after rushing for 6 yards on a broken play. Coach Mike Tomlin said he is expected to miss four to six weeks. "Unfortunate incident," Tomlin said, "but our approach is it's part of football. We'll regroup and make necessary adjustments." The loss of Batch leaves the Steelers with two rookies, fifth-round pick Dennis Dixon and undrafted free agent Mike Potts, behind Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback. Their inexperience is why the Steelers were working the phones right after they beat the Eagles in the preseason opener for each team. Batch ended up with the ball in the Steelers' backfield after Mewelde Moore went the wrong way on a running play. He broke a couple of tackles but paid dearly for the surprising gain he made. "The competitor got the best of him, and he lowered his shoulder," Tomlin said. "The end result was a broken collarbone." Said Moore, who signed with the Steelers in March, "I'm wearing it. Nobody's trying to make mistakes like that. It's tough" Willie Parker had been the story before the Steelers announced the severity of Batch's injury. Playing in his first game since breaking his lower right leg last December, Parker gained 20 yards on three carries. His night ended long before the sun went down -- and even before Santonio Holmes capped the Steelers' opening drive with a 19-yard touchdown reception. "It was big for me personally, getting on that field and running and getting everything all back," Parker said. "It's just like a dream come true. I've been

12 Steelers win against Eagles - Tribune-Review Page 2 of 2 8/10/2008 thinking about this for a long time." The Steelers turned Roethlisberger into a spectator even before the first quarter had ended. Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense made it look easy the one series the starters did play together. The Steelers marched 80 yards in just eight plays and gave the Eagles a steady dose of Parker and rookie running back Rashard Mendenhall. Roethlisberger completed both of his pass attempts for 38 yards before giving way to Batch. On the Steelers' first touchdown, Holmes caught a short pass in the flat, put a couple of jukes on safety Brian Dawkins and raced past the perennial Pro Bowler as if he were a statue. "It was a big statement about what our offense is going to be like in the games to comes," Holmes said. Indeed, the Steelers' opening drive gave a glimpse into how many weapons Roethlisberger might have at his disposal. That is especially true with Parker looking like he has fully recovered from the injury that ended his season in 2007 when he was leading the NFL in rushing. If Parker's leg holds up and Mendenhall emerges as a true complement, the Steelers' running game could be robust this season. Mendenhall, the Steelers' first-round pick in this year's draft, made a good first impression. He ran with authority and banged out 34 yards on seven carries in the first half. "We ran the ball really well," Roethlisberger said. "I think it was awesome that the offensive line did a great job of run blocking." Scott Brown can be reached at sbrown@tribweb.com or Images and text copyright 2008 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co. Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com