STEELERS TOP SAINTS
Heyward and Gilbert injuries mar victory
The Steelers' Antonio Brown, who caught a first-quarter touchdown pass, signs autographs before his team defeated the Saints, 27-14, Friday in a preseason game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Game coverage in
NEW ORLEANS – The third preseason game long has been the most significant in the NFL as starters see their most extensive playing time before the regular season.
It can be significant for many reasons, some of which the Steelers discovered again Friday night.
Offensive stars Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell looked in tip-top form in their only preseason
appearance so far, but another significant event occurred when defensive end Cam Heyward was carted into the locker room with a high right ankle sprain. The Steelers also lost tackle Marcus Gilbert to a left elbow injury.
Both significant players, though, might be ready for the Sept. 12 opener at the Washington Redskins.
“I’ll be there Week 1,’’ Heyward declared, his right foot encased in a protective boot.
And coach Mike Tomlin said Gilbert’s injury was not serious, although the tackle left the locker room with his arm in a sling.
Back to even more positive news for the Steelers, who beat the New Orleans Saints, 27-14: The offense that is supposed to be perhaps their most powerful in history and best in the league, played together for the first time this summer and exploded in Mercedes Benz Superdome.
Roethlisberger played two series and threw two touchdown passes. He completed 12 of 17 passes for 148 yards and was gone after the first 8:07. One touchdown went for 5 yards to his new tight end, Jesse James. Another went 57 yards to his old friend, Antonio Brown (whose agent, by the way, met with general manager Kevin Colbert Thursday night here). Roethlisberger’s passer rating was 136.4, all but one play from the nohuddle or short “muddle.”
“We worked a lot on it at camp,’’ Roethlisberger said. “It just came together tonight.’’
Brown caught four passes for 87 yards with a mere 21.8yard average. Bell ran three times for 21 yards and caught five passes for 37 yards in one half. The halfback who almost never fumbles lost one, though, at the Saints 22, and it cost his team a chance for three points in the first quarter.
Roethlisberger, 34, had not played in a game since the Steelers’ playoff loss in Denver. Rust? Uh-uh. Well, yes, maybe on his first pass on the first play of the game when he threw behind James on a short slant.
After that, everything was near perfecto. He threw 12 more passes, missing on two. He ran the no-huddle and from the shotgun on all 14 plays after the first one. He ran from the empty set, from one wide receiver with three tight ends and three wide receivers with one tight end. It was Roethlisberger in mid-season form. He even shook away from one pressure — on his final play, moving to his right to elude the Saints and hitting James smack in the middle of the end zone.
“We were looking for some production, and he gave us some production,’’ Tomlin said of his quarterback. “And we got him in and we got him out.”
The Steelers first-team defense got off to a good start, too, stopping Drew Brees and Company on three downs in the Saints’ first series before Roethlisberger took his offense on another roll.
This time, it took four plays to cover 79 yards. It started with Brown catching a quick screen for 15 yards and ended with him catching a deep ball on the sideline for a 57-yard touchdown even after rookie cornerback De’ Vante Harris was called for bumping Brown before he caught the ball.
And that was that for Roethlisberger and Brown. Thank you and good night. Bell played off and on throughout the first half with DeAngelo Williams, also making his first preseason game appearance.
“We got great continuity in that group,’’ Tomlin said of his first-team offense. “We’ve been pleased with their work in practices.’’
Understudy Landry Jones took over from there, and he had his best of three preseason games. He completed 19 of 22 for 206 yards (120.8 rating), playing into the fourth quarter. He threw a touchdown pass to Sammie Coates of 8 yards. Coates beat his man easily to the right corner to snag the toss from Jones.
Roethlisberger and Jones combined for 264 yards passing and a 130.2 rating in the first half when most of the first teams were still playing and the Steelers led, 21-7.
Jones led another scoring drive in the third quarter — Chris Boswell’s 40-yard field goal. Boswell kicked another one from 48 late in the game.
Jones’ play after throwing four interceptions last week should cool down the anybody-but-Jones-for-back-up-quarterback faction of Steelers fans.
Tomlin said he was eager to see how his defense played against Brees, one of the NFL’s elite. The result was some good, some not so good. Brees had that rough first series, but he completed 9 of 12 passes for 78 yards and one gorgeous 17-yard touchdown throw to Willie Snead, who beat rookie Sean Davis in the back right corner of the end zone.
Brees played three series that extended into the second quarter.
Cap space climbs
Over the past few days, the Steelers created more than $5 million in room under their salary cap, according to NFL Players Association figures, by restructuring the deals of Gilbert and safety Mike Mitchell.
The team’s salary-cap space has climbed to $7,415,167 as of Friday morning, according to the union. One reason the team created the room was to meet obligations they have with a slew of injury settlements coming due.