Steelers 13 Redskins 17
When I think of Steelers vs. Redskins, I think of last year when Byron came in to save the game when Ben went down. After that, many people called for Ben’s head and that Byron should be the new starter. Of course that didn’t happen, and both teams went in opposite ways at the end of the season. The Steelers went 4-1 in their last 5 games, and the Redskins went 1-4, finishing at the bottom of the NFC East.
So here we are again, but this time it means nothing. No Ben to get hurt during the game, since he’s already hurt before the game, and no more Byron, unfortunately. This wasn’t all that exciting of a game to watch, but really, most preseason games aren’t. Let’s look at the game’s grades shall we?
Grades
Charlie Batch/Dennis Dixon – C+
Both of us are scared about Charlie being our backup QB. He didn’t look all that great this game. Dennis, however, did look pretty decent. He had some nice throws that threaded through the D, but he still seems too raw to be backing up Big Ben. We are scared to death of Big Ben getting seriously injured.
Rashard Mendenhall/Willie Parker – B
Rashard looked a lot better than last game, but the O-line still had trouble giving him some holes. But Willie looked like he had a chip on his shoulder when he was playing. He seemed to want to tell everyone that he isn’t done yet.
Offensive Line – C-
Looked about the same as last game. Not much push for the running game, and there was some crumbling of the pocket when passing.
Backup receivers – B
Limas made up for his first drop by making a great sliding catch later in the game. His inconsistency drives us crazy, so I can’t imagine what he’s doing to Tomlin. Mike Wallace is still looking pretty. We hope he gets more balls thrown to him this preseason. Finally, Shaun McDonald is looking like a great possession receiver. I’m liking him more and more each game.
First Defense – B+
Forcing Jason Campbell to go 1 for 7, knocking down passes, a goal line stop, it looked good for the Steeler D. However, they did let through a few nice runs.
Stefan Logan – A+
He had his chance to show Tomlin what he could do, and he took advantage. He had 157 return yards on four kickoffs (39 yards per return), and would have had a touchdown on the one had he not tripped over his teammate’s feet.
Ziggy Hood – A-
He did a nice job filling holes and pushing the line. A pair of sacks doesn’t hurt either.
Play that made you get off your couch and yell
Unlike last week, when it was the pass interference call, this week you screamed for a good reason. Stefan Logan’s almost return for a touchdown had every Steeler fan screaming. After he tripped up, you know you went, “Awwee, almost”.
Surprise of the game
Other than the fake punt for the Redskins, on the Steelers’ side, it was Skippy missing back to back long field goals. You’re just so used to him being money that after his first miss, you would have bet your first born child that he would make the next one. Unfortunately, if you did that, you’d be one kid short.
Guy we’d love to see in a Steelers’ uniform
Brian Orakpo. That kid is a beast. He would be great to have as an extra depth player in our linebacker corp. He’s an athletic freak that gets to the QB quickly.
The final word
The Steeler D seems to have continued where they left off. The offense seems to have some great potential in their wide receivers, however, their offensive line doesn’t look that great still. Every game seems to bring out a player looking to make their spot on the roster. Last week it was Isaac Redman, this week it was Stefan Logan, we’re looking forward to see who’s going to be next week’s big player.
Think we got our grades right? Let us know in the comments.
