It's the preseason, but you always want to see your team win. So tonight was a good night for Steelers fans, even if it was the third-team Steelers beating the third-team Cardinals 20-10. But since it was the preseason, individual efforts were much more important than the final score.
In the first game at least, there was more good than bad for Pittsburgh.
The Good
Dennis Dixon looked extremely good in his first test of the preseason. He made good decisions, showed solid accuracy and even demonstrated excellent pocket presence when he stepped up to connect on a third-down pass to Shaun McDonald.
The first look at speedy wide receiver Mike Wallace went about as well as any Steeler fan could have hoped. He caught two passes for 35 yards and also beat the Cardinals defense deep on a pass that Dixon underthrew. He also showed a little bit of wiggle on a 35-yard kick return in the final minutes of the game.
Speaking of receivers, Limas Sweed showed the big-play ability the Steelers want from him as he came back to the ball to make a 45-yard catch. Of course he also managed to show why you can't get too excited about Sweed as he dropped a pass that hit his hands later in the game.
Isaac Redmond was an unknown when training camp began, but he began to get some notice when he scored during the goal line drill at practice. By scoring two touchdowns with plenty of hard running on Thursday night, his long shot hopes of making the 53-man roster took a nice step forward.
The battle for the backup outside linebacker jobs is going to be a fierce one. Patrick Bailey is a special teams ace, Donovan Wood has versatility and a nice burst off the edge. Arnold Harrison has been solid when he's gotten a chance to play and Bruce Davis showed a little something on Thursday--he picked off a deflected pass, forced a holding call and generated some pressure.
Punter Daniel Sepulveda was excellent, as good as anyone could have hoped.
The Bad
Yes, first-round pick Ziggy Hood did record a sack, but don't get too excited. A missed assignment on the Cardinals line meant he came through unblocked--it's nice, but it's the kind of sack that any competent NFL defensive lineman should make.
The first-team offensive line didn't show any signs of significant improvement. Max Starks was beaten for a pressure early in the game and almost allowed a safety on another pass play--he was bailed out by a Ben Roethlisberger scramble. The first-team line struggled in general in run blocking.
Rookie cornerback Joe Burnett set up the Steelers' first touchdown by doing a good job of reading Cardinals' quarterback Brian St. Pierre eyes to step in front of a pass. But that only made up for an unforgiveable sin, as he fumbled a punt return earlier in the game. If Burnett is going to be the team's punt returner, that better be his last fumble of the preseason.
Rashard Mendenhall didn't have many holes to run through, but he also didn't make much of his opportunities. He finished with nine carries for 24 yards with a long run of seven yards. He didn't really have a memorable play despite playing most of the first half.
