It wasn’t pretty, but then again, when is August football ever a thing of beauty?
For the defending champion Steelers, it must have been strange to look over across the field and see the same team they beat six months ago for their sixth Super Bowl title. The result of that February game in Tampa was the same, as the Steelers opened the preseason with a 20-10 win over last year’s NFC champion Arizona Cardinals.
The game had little to speak of in the time the starters made their contributions, as Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner, the teams two starting QB’s, combined to throw 16 passes, and neither made an impact with any sort of a scoring drive.
Roethlisberger was 4-for-6 for 33 yards, while Warner was 6-for-10 for 53 yards. The Steelers most effective QB was second-year thrower Dennis Dixon, who was 10-for-19 for 112 yards as he played the entire second half.
The Steelers defense did an excellent job holding the Cards offense down for most of the night, as Arizona managed 329 yards, but only one touchdown, and that came with 3:30 left and the Steelers ahead 17-3. Pittsburgh iced the game when kicker Piotr Czech nailed a 44-yard field goal with 1:41 left to finish off the 20-10 win.
The Steelers also got a 50-yard field goal from regular kicker Jeff Reed, and two touchdowns from backup running back Isaac Redman, one from three yards out and the other from five yards out. Neil Rackers 29-yard field goal tied the game at three at the half.
Mike Tomlin said post game that there would be plenty of mistakes to watch in the game film, and that the team still has a long way to go, which is what August football is all about. He’s right, but for the most part, the team is where it needs to be with three preseason games left and most practice sessions to go.
The Steelers will play their second preseason game in nine days in Washington vs the Skins. The Cardinals will be at home for the San Diego Chargers on August 22nd.
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Jay
August 14, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Would like some feedback on this please….Just wondering why the second team O-Line looked WAY better than the first team O-Line…Now, I know, I know, I know, I know that it’s only preseason and our starters were going up against their starters but…Is their (Arizona) second and third team front seven on D really THAT much worse than their first team D’s front seven? Because, Tony Hills, that undrafted rookie Foster, Urbik and Capizzi looked really good….AGAIN, I have been watching football my whole life and USUALLY NEVER remark on these things because of the simple fact that it is preseason and coaches are vanilla and players play against dudes who, in a couple of months, will be on the street….But, like last year while watching a couple of preseason games of the Panthers and saying, “Wow, DeAngelo Williams looks really good this year; the way he moves and cuts, etc. I think I’ll take him in my fantasy league (which I did in the 9th round— a steal)…Very eerily similar watching the way Hills and company blocked; weird. Someone please tell me I smoked my breakfast today so I don’t get my hopes up and wonder if any of these guys will supplant the kemo’s, Starks, Colons, etc.
Jay
August 14, 2009 at 10:35 pm
I was wondering if anyone else liked the play of the second string offensive unit? I TOTALLY realize it’s preseason and that out second string offensive unit was up against guys who, for the most part, won’t be a part of the Cardinals roster in a few weeks. But, Hills looked good as did Capizzi and Foster, Urbik. I typically don’t mention these things because it is preseason and I know, I know, I know it means very little and that the competition is not what it will be when the regular season starts but, last year I remember noticing DeAngelo Williams in the preseason; how he ran and put his foot in the ground. People laughed at me when I drafted him in the eighth round (of fantasy). I’m just saying, the competition notwithstanding, Hills blocked really well and so did the rest of that second unit. They actually LOOKED better than the first unit. Did anyone else see this…Again I totally get that the first unit played Arizona’s first unit but, is Arizona’s first unit THAT much better than their second and third unit(s)????