Opening Statement: So much has happened since the final 2009 season game against Miami and the start of the season must be a welcome sight for the Steelers players and coaches. The preseason was a bit of a blur and was overall a success until quarterback Byron Leftwich went down with a MCL injury in the final game against Carolina. The roster has been paired down to 53 and features 8 rookie draft picks and 17 players 30 years of age or over, 10 of which are defensive players.

The picture heading into the 2010 season is pretty clear for the Steelers as franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will miss the first four games of the season as punishment for violating the NFL personal conduct policy. The debate will go on for a while if the punishment met the crime or in this case, the alleged crime, but it is what it is at this point. The injury to Leftwich means that 3rd year quarterback Dennis Dixon will open the season under center, that center being rookie first-round draft pick Maurkice Pouncey. Pouncey is the the first Steelers offensive lineman to start the season opener of his rookie year since tackle Marvel Smith started at right tackle in 2000. Pouncey also is just the second offensive lineman ever to start as a rookie for the club. He also becomes the sixth rookie to start his first career game since 2000. Dixon is making his second career regular season start with his first being last season against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore. On that night, Dixon completed 12 of 26 passes for 145 yards and one touchdown with one interception and rushed for 27 yards on three carries, including a 24-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that gave the Steelers a brief lead. The interception to defensive end Paul Kruger set up a 29-yard field goal that ultimately gave the Ravens a 20-17 victory.

The Steelers 2010 season basically breaks up into four mini seasons within a season. The first mini season starts with the first four games minus Roethlisberger in which the Steelers play Atlanta, Tennessee, Tampa Bay and division rival Baltimore. The Steelers at worst need to come out of these first four games with a 2-2 record. A record better than that and the Steelers very well could be leading the division or at worst, tied for the lead. A 1-3 or 0-4 start would likely be too large of a hole to climb out of in the tough AFC North, but not impossible mind you. If a 1-3 record is achieved, it would be nice if the lone win came against either Baltimore or Tennessee, both of whom are of course in the AFC, but preferably it would be against the division foe Ravens.

The second mini season begins with the week 5 bye as the Steelers will get Roethlisberger back and have several practices to gear up for their second division game against Cleveland and then play on the road against Miami. I consider this only a 2 game mini season and think the Steelers almost have to go an undefeated 2-0 in theses games, especially if they were under .500 in the first mini four game season. If they happen to escape over .500 in the first mini season, a split in these two games would not kill them as long as the win comes against the Browns. These two games should be enough to get Roethlisberger back into a full rhythm and the offense clicking on all cylinders. The worst the Steelers record can dare be at this point of the season is 3-3 as the meat of the schedule is yet to come.

The third mini season is the eight game stretch starting in New Orleans. The Steelers could make a huge statement on the road and in front of a prime time audience by beating the defending Super Bowl champs in their own house. A win there could be a huge catalyst heading into the second half of the NFL season. It also could be the back breaker game depending on the record coming out of the first six games. The third mini season continues on and features both meetings with the Bengals, a second meeting with Baltimore at their place and closes out with the tough New York Jets at Heinz Field. Also sprinkled in that eight game mini season are the Patriots, Raiders and Bills. The Steelers very easily could come out of this stretch 6-2 or 2-6 as there are some tough games in this portion of the schedule.

Finally the last mini season features only two games against Carolina and Cleveland and it could be two must win games to lock up a playoff spot or just merely playing out the string. Regardless, both of these games should be very winnable looking ahead right now.

Position Breakdown: Before I give my prediction, I will give a brief summary of the team by position heading into the season.

Quarterback: It is sink or swim for Dennis Dixon now. Go 2-2 or better in the first four games and he is the hero of Pittsburgh, go 0-4 and he will be run out of town on a rail. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians needs to use him up, by letting him use his feet. It is only four games and it is not a win-win situation for Dixon. His whole career going forward will likely be decided by how he plays in these potential four starts. Ben Roethlisberger looked sharp in the preseason and looks like he is in the best shape he has been in for quite a while. Maybe it was nerves; maybe he has come to the realization that this can all be gone in an instant. I am not worried about how he will play coming off of the suspension, I just hope the offensive line can protect him better this year. He has the tools around him and hopefully the hole is not dug too deep before he returns. If you see Byron Leftwich in the first four games, it is because Dixon is hurt or not playing well. Leftwich may be asked to beat Tampa and Baltimore to get the Steelers back to .500 before Roethlisberger takes back over. Leftwich is capable, but will now not play if Dixon is healthy and winning as it is has become Dixon or bust since the Leftwich injury. Charlie Batch is fragile, but a great leader on the sideline. Hopefully he stays on the sideline.

Running Back: Rashard Mendenhall will be leaned on quite a bit early on as the Steelers will want to run and run often in the early portion of the season. Ball security is the only concern with Mendy going forward as he has the talent to be a 20 plus carry a game back in the NFL. He must know the details and help be a leader on and off the field. 1500 yards is not out of the question for Mendenhall, but 1300 is more realistic. Mewelde Moore is a third down back and a contributor on special teams. At this point in his career, I do not consider him a change of pace back or a back to spell Mendenhall for a series. Moore is a hard nosed player, but his role is about touching the football perhaps just 3 times a game. If Mendenhall goes down injured, Isaac Redman should be the main ball carrier with Moore getting most of his work on 3rd and longs. Redman will get plenty of initial opportunities early on for the short yardage and goal line work along with looks as the lead blocker in the pony backfield formation. Do not be surprised to see 500 yards and 8 touchdowns at the end of the year as he has excelled in bettering every area of his game. Rookie Jonathan Dwyer is red shirted this year. Baring injury, expect to see him on 16 straight game day inactive list as he learns the other part of being a NFL running back besides carrying the football.

Wide Receiver: Papa Smurf Hines Ward has quite a few little smurfs in tow this year. Mike Wallace had a great rookie year, but now must run the routes ran last year by Santonio Holmes. We know Mikey can go long on the plays drawn in the sand; it is his route running in the intimidate area that will be most scrutinized this season. Hines Ward is Hines Ward. He is the possession guy and must be the leader on the field and keep Dixon and company settled. He really will be counted on being Papa Smurf for sure in 2010 on and off the field. Look for another 70 catch season for Hines. Antwaan Randle El must do what he did in his first go around with the Steelers. A solid 35 catches, especially on key downs will be more than enough. He is a veteran of the game now and must help Hines get the other kids up to speed. Arnaz Battle is mostly a special teams guy who needs to make his contributions in that way on the field. Barring injury to other receivers, he will get an occasional snap or three in four wide receiver sets. Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders are rookies. Do not expect the same type of numbers from them that Mike Wallace put up last year as a rookie. Brown will have his hands full in the return game and needs to worry about that first. He too will get looks in four wide receiver sets when active. Sanders will likely be the odd man out on game days early in the season, but will be up in a minute should an injury happen. He could easily bypass Battle or El as well as the season progresses. Look for most of his play to come later in the year.

Offensive Line: I mentioned Pouncey early in the article. He will make rookie mistakes, but is clearly an upgrade over Justin Hartwig at center. The Dermontti Dawson comparisons are real. This kid has all the tools and should only get better. The more he has to run block early on, the better. Max Starks and Chris Kemoeatu are not “all world” left side lineman, but they are very capable, especially as run blockers. They both seem energized under new offensive line coach Sean Kugler. Penalties and pass blocking are the biggest concerns with these two, but I think you will see improvement by both this year. Flozell Adams has made steady improvement as he attempts to switch from left tackle to right tackle. False starts and edge pass blocking are his weak suits, but the more snaps he gets into the season, the more adjusted to the right he should get. What do you want me to say about Trai Essex? He is the weakest link in the line, but every line has one. Hopefully he holds his own this year. Doug Legursky is the swing man inside and can play both guard spots and of course back up Pouncey at center. He very well could start on other teams if given the chance. Tony Hills looks to finally have the light come on, but I am not too sure he is an every down left tackle. Jonathan Scott and Ramon Foster are both backup guys, with Foster offering a bit more position flexibility than Scott. Essex and Adams hold the key to the line success this year. Pouncey should make quite a few highlight reels this year with pancake blocks. Hopefully the line gets lots of run block opportunities early in the season.

Tight Ends: Heath Miller is one of the best in the game. He could very easily total 90 catches this year if things go right. He could just as easily tally half that number if things go bad. Miller does everything and is the most underrated player on offense. Say what you will about Matt Spaeth and David Johnson, but they bring their lunch boxes to work. It showed tremendously in preseason. Both contribute heavily on special teams as well. They do the dirty work most do not see and hopefully their strong preseason play carries over into the regular season. Johnson will get most of the traditional fullback looks, if any.

Linebackers: Very experienced bunch with some youth now sprinkled in. Left to right it is LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons and James Harrison. This is a nasty, nasty group. Timmons looks ready to make a huge jump in 2010 and Larry Foote was brought back to help spell Farrior inside and occasionally Timmons. Keyaron Fox mostly contributes on special teams, but is also capable of covering sideline to sideline. Three rookies will be eased in mostly on special teams in the form of second rounder Jason Worilds, fourth rounder Thaddeus Gibson and fifth rounder Stevenson Sylvester. All three will likely compete weekly for a game day hat with Sylvester being the most useful on special teams thus far in preseason. This is the best linebacking group in the league if you ask me and the strongest part of the defense.

Defensive Line: Nose tackle Casey Hampton seems reinvigorated by his new deal and in great shape. At ends, both Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel are just asked to hold the edges and push on passing downs. Neither players are going to tally big sack numbers. They both know their role in the Dick LeBeau defense and only battle father time as a main opponent. Second year man Ziggy Hood will get a heavy increase of playing time this year and will spell Smith the most on the left end. He needs to make a huge jump and prove his worth as a first rounder this year. He flashed in training camp, but not so much in preseason games this year as hoped. Nick Eason looks like a different player following his near death medical problems this offseason. He will be asked to rotate in for Keisel without a drop off in play. One word describes him, capable. Chris Hoke will spell the Big Snack a couple series a game at nose tackle. Except for Hood, this line has some age on it, but looked above the line in preseason. Hopefully the rotation will keep them fresher and healthy all season.

Defensive Backs: Troy Polamalu is back. Need I say more? He looked a bit rusty in preseason, but showed he still has burst. His ability and freedom to freelance is what makes him deadly. Offenses always have to account for him and he is a play maker and catalyst on defense. He must stay healthy this year as there is just no replacement for his style of play. With Polamalu back, it makes free safety Ryan Clark even better as Clark has less area to cover. He remains a heavy hitter on defense and adequate in pass coverage and reading defenses. They are perhaps the best safety combo in the NFL. Behind them are Will Allen and Ryan Mundy. Allen is an upgrade over Tyrone Carter from last year and Mundy has another full camp under his belt. At right corner it is a contract year for Ike Taylor and he will be auditioning for a final payday in 2011. He still has the skills, but does take a play off every now and again. He is still one of the better corners in the league though. Bryant McFadden is back on the left side after a rocky year in Arizona in which the defense did not match his skill set. McFadden will be pushed by the improving, yet inconsistent second year Keenan Lewis. It looked like Lewis was primed to unseat McFadden in the preseason, but he melted down in his preseason start in Denver and must start over earning his way back. William Gay goes back to his nickel job, where he is better suited as his time at left corner in 2009 was a disaster. Anthony Madison and rookie Crezdon Butler round out the defensive backs with Madison returning more for his special teams play than anything else. It will not be surprising to see Butler crack the lineup sooner than later. He has the complete skill set and may unseat Gay for the nickel job should he stumble out of the blocks. Butler looks to also be the heir apparent to Taylor at right corner and also got some work in camp at safety.

Special Teams: Punter Daniel Sepulveda got a chance to unseat Jeff Reed as the kickoff guy, but could not do it. Sepulveda can boom punts fine and Reed is deadly from 43 yards and in, so nothing really changes there. Both players are in their final years of their contracts this season and Greg Warren returns as the long snapper as long as his knees hold up. Arnaz Battle and Will Allen were brought in to help on special teams and Anthony Madison returns in his role as well. Rookie Antonio Brown gets first crack at the return job and one hopes the addition of new special teams coach Al Everest can help map out better coverages. A few rookies will be mixed in as well, so this could go either way as far as kick coverage goes. If Reed could nut up and kick out of the endzone, it sure would help things. It would also get him a big payday in free agency.

Prediction: OK, I bleed black and gold and have done so since the age of 4. I am also good at seeing things clearly by taking off my Steeler Nation glasses. The 2010 Steelers are a talented bunch; they will be handicapped by not having Big Ben the first four games. I do think that 2-2 is not out of the question until he returns for the 5th game versus the Browns. I think two straight wins is doable following the bye and will have the Steelers at 4-2 entering the key eight game stretch. 4-4 or better in that stretch is certainly attainable with season splits against both Baltimore and Cincinnati. After 14 games the Steelers would be 8-6 and looking at two relatively easier games to end the season on. I think they close out winning both and end the season at 10-6 and an AFC Wild Card spot. As we all know, anything can happen in the playoffs. I am not bold enough to say it is a Super Bowl year, but if the team is healthy come playoff time, you have to like their chances. If indeed it plays out this way, head coach Mike Tomlin certainly deserves Coach of the Year consideration.

Here is to a run for a 7th Lombardi. Let the season begin!

Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go!

Hope you have not purchased your Jonathan Dwyer, Crezdon Butler or Stevenson Sylvester jerseys yet as they have already changed numbers. It is not uncommon after the 53 man roster has been set for rookie to scavenger through the numbers of released players and change numbers. On Monday, Dwyer was wearing No. 27 formerly worn by Joe Burnett, Butler is now No. 28 formerly worn by Justin Vincent and Sylvester is the new No. 55, formerly worn by Patrick Bailey. In a surprising twist, rookie Emmanuel Sanders is all set to stick with No. 88. If I need to tell you who that number belonged to, well you just might be on the wrong blog. Make sure to buy and customize your own uniform at NFLShop.com.

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We are down to 53 players on the Steelers active roster after the cuts made this afternoon and assuming the Steelers do not make any other add and drops from the waiver wire, I thought it would be fun to take a real early look at who likely will not dress week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday. The Steelers will have 8 inactive players as they are only allowed to play 45 players on any given game day. Fresh off of my 53 for 53 roster prediction, I will push my luck and layout the 8 inactives and reasons below.

QB Byron Leftwich - This should be pretty obvious concerning his MCL injury. He will likely get the #3 emergency QB tag, but do not read too much into that. He is out plain and simple.

RB Jonathan Dwyer - He can run with the ball, but that is it. He has a long way to go before he sees the active gameday roster. Barring injuries, expect to see him here all season unless released for a roster spot.

CB Crezdon Butler - Butler is a rookie and the numbers at corner makes him the odd man out on gameday. I certainly would not be surprised to see him off of the inactive list by midseason. Especially the more practice and special teams work he gets under his belt. Great corner late in the draft. A true ball hawker.

WR Emmanuel Sanders - It looks like Antonio Brown won the return job, so he will be the 5th game day receiver, because of it. Sanders will not be stuck here all season long as he is too talented.

T Tony Hills - This could go either way between him and Jonathan Scott. Scott backed up Flozell Adams all preseason at right tackle and Ramon Foster can swing the left side at both guard or tackle in a pinch. Scott tweaked his ankle in the final preseeason game so this could just as easy be him in this spot. We are going to assume he is healthy enough to play week 1.

OLB Jason Worilds - Lots of learning to do and quite a few linebackers ahead of him. He will get active later in the year. Inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons will back up James Harrison at the right outside spot in case of injury to start the season.

ILB Stevenson Sylvester - Same situation as Worilds. Too many bodies right now. Any injury to an inside linebacker and Sly will be up.

OLB Thaddeus Gibson - Another young linebacker that must pay his dues for a little while.

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Oh how things can change so quickly. One play of the preseason even. As it stands right now, it looks like Byron Leftwich has some MCL damage. Early reports say it is torn, but that is not confirmed. This 53 man roster prediction of mine assumes he will be placed on IR. If not, I get one mulligan before the cuts are made Saturday. Here is the 53 man prediction from last week and I will note the changes and why I made them.

First I added Kraig Urbik back because I feel he has improved greatly over the last 2 weeks. This takes me from 9 to 10 lineman. The next change is the releasing of Joe Burnett for Crezdon Butler. Burnett has slid way down the depth chart, while Butler has really flashed as I thought he would. I have also seen Butler on special teams a few times and Butler also adds more position flexibility.

Ra'Shon Sunny Harris has shown me nothing this preseason. Nick Eason clearly has beaten him out in my opinion. The final few decision tough cuts were Patrick Bailey, Tyler Grisham and Stefan Logan. Bailey played great Thursday night, but the first 3 preseason games did not impress me. Too much is tied up in draft picks to keep Bailey just for special teams play. Grisham and Battle was a tough choice as well as I think Grisham is the better route runner and receiver, but Battle offers more flexibility and is a known special teams contributor. He also has a bigger contract involved with a bigger signing bonus. Stefan Logan is just not needed any longer. Brown and Sanders showed they can do the job on returns.

I went against my better judgment and kept Jonathan Dwyer. I drank the Isaac Redman Kool-aid last year thinking there was no way he could be cut. Dwyer beats out Frank Summers merely because Frank has no upside. Dwyer can run, we have seen that, but he has a long way to go though and is likely the 52nd man on the roster right now. I would not rule out a free agent running back being signed when cuts are made either. For now Dwyer reluctantly makes my list. I also found a way to keep Anthony Madison. He is the 53rd player right now. He has position flexibility, albeit not strong at any of them, but is the heart of special teams.

The last choice that was hard was long snapper. Matt Stewart was off the mark in the Denver game a few times and really this was a coin flip. Anyone that claims to have info that Stewart will unseat Greg Warren is just guessing. Only Mike Tomlin and Al Everest know this for sure. If I miss one it could be something stupid like this. I kept Warren.

All in all I like my chances at nailing all 53. I think I have a great shot at nailing at least 50 of 53. There are always surprises though. Always.

EDITED TO ADD: FRIDAY 9/3/10 12:06 PM Central - If indeed Leftwich is kept on the active roster and not placed on IR or PUP, I think Kraig Urbik becomes the final player cut. So there you have my IF/THEN scenario on the Leftwich injury.

2010 Steelers 53 Man Roster Prediction

64	Doug Legursky	C
53	Maurkice Pouncey	C/G
73	Ramon Foster	T
66	Tony Hills	T
72	Jonathan Scott	T
78	Max Starks	T
71	Flozell Adams	T
79	Trai Essex	G
68	Chris Kemoeatu	G
65	Kraig Urbik	G
40	Crezdon Butler	CB
22	William Gay	CB
23	Keenan Lewis	CB
20	Bryant McFadden	CB
24	Ike Taylor	CB
37	Anthony Madison	DB
25	Ryan Clark	FS
29	Ryan Mundy	FS
26	Will Allen	S
43	Troy Polamalu	SS
98	Casey Hampton	NT
76	Chris Hoke	NT
93	Nick Eason	DE
96	Ziggy Hood	DE
99	Brett Keisel	DE
91	Aaron Smith	DE
51	James Farrior	ILB
57	Keyaron Fox	ILB
47	Stevenson Sylvester	ILB
90	Thaddeus Gibson	OLB
92	James Harrison	OLB
56	LaMarr Woodley	OLB
97	Jason Worilds	OLB
50	Larry Foote	LB
94	Lawrence Timmons	LB
16	Charlie Batch	QB
10	Dennis Dixon	QB
41	Jonathan Dwyer	RB
34	Rashard Mendenhall	RB
21	Mewelde Moore	RB
33	Isaac Redman	RB
85	David Johnson	TE
83	Heath Miller	TE
89	Matt Spaeth	TE
81	Arnaz Battle	WR
84	Antonio Brown	WR
82	Antwaan Randle El	WR
88	Emmanuel Sanders	WR
17	Mike Wallace	WR
86	Hines Ward	WR
3	Jeff Reed	K
60	Greg Warren	LS
9	Dan Sepulveda	P

Reserve Suspended

7

Ben Roethlisberger

QB

Injured Reserve or PUP

4	Byron Leftwich	QB
69	Steve McLendon	DT

Released Signed To Practice Squad

77	Dorian Brooks	OG
87	Eugene Bright	TE
42	Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith	S
77	Ra'Shon Harris	DE
95	Doug Worthington	DT
67	Kyle Jolly	OT
44	Frank Summers	RB
19	Tyler Grisham	WR

Released Outright

62	Justin Hartwig	C
27	Joe Burnett	CB
48	Renauld Williams	LB
55	Patrick Bailey	LB
45	Matt Stewart	LS
71	Scott Paxson	NT
28	Justin Vincent	RB
11	Stefan Logan	RB
46	Justin Thornton	S
49	Sean McHugh	TE
15	Brandon London	WR

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The Steelers beat the Carolina Panthers 19-3 in the 4th and final preseason game of the 2010 season, but may have lost quarterback Byron Leftwich in the process. Below are my notes and nuggets I kept on the game along with my observations. I have much more coming on this game and am working through the night. These are initial reactions of mine as I am about to watch the game a second time and begin working up tape selections. Below are the notes I compiled throughout the game. remember these are initial reactions one time through the game.

Byron Leftwich injury looked like a whip to the knee. Early reports are he is out for the year. Looked bad and saw doctors testing knee structure on trainers table.

Once again Lawrence Timmons was all over the field starting at right outside linebacker in place of James Harrison.

Panthers played mostly second teamers to open the game.

Opening drive by Ben Roethlisberger and company was off kilter. Got better in second drive.

Stevenson Sylvester and Patrick Bailey really had nice games at linebacker. Bailey was worked at both inside and outside positions. Not sure room for Bailey on 53 with all the linebackers. Sylvester is a keeper.

Kick coverage units looked inconsistent.

Jeff Reed is still dependable at Heinz Field.

Jonathan Scott injury was a freak ankle roll when he stepped on a Panthers foot.

Scott injury could save the job of Kraig Urbik who is noticeably improved.

Keenan Lewis looked back comfortable in relief of William Gay.

Joe Burnett I think has been kidnapped.

No way Frank Summers makes the 53 man roster. I will really be shocked.

David Johnson does absolutely everything. 3rd tight end and in on all special teams. Really works hard.

I will be shocked if Nick Eason is cut.

Kyle Jolly and Dorian Brooks both got tons of work tonight. I can't wait to go through the tape.

Isaac Redman and Mewelde Moore are ready for the season. Both play a ton on special teams as well.

Thaddeus Gibson and Jason Worilds show promise, but still look confused at times.

Rookies Emmanuel Sanders and Crezdon Butler both flashed tonight. Butler made one bone head play not wrapping up, but I think both will make the 53 man roster for sure.

No doubt rookie running back Jonathan Dwyer can run, it is the little things that will keep him on the practice squad.

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Thursday night the Steelers play the Carolina Panthers in the fourth and final preseason game of the 2010 season. Per my normal routine, I have listed below 10 things to look for Thursday heading into the game.

Manny Time On Returns? - According to head coach Mike Tomlin, rookie wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders will get his turn to show what he can do in the return game. Manny better be perfect, because any bobble might allow Tomlin to give Antonio Brown or Stefan Logan the remaining reps. Also just because Tomlin said that was the plan, means absolutely nothing.

The Amazing Crezdon - 2 years from now, Crezdon Butler may be considered the second best pick in this draft next to Maurkice Pouncey. Butler has been worked at both corner spots, nickel, dime and at safety all through camp according to reports. He is very close to perhaps grabbing the 52nd or 53rd spot on the roster and a strong game versus Carolina could seal it. We could use an heir to Ike Taylor, hopefully Butler is it.

Dwyer Details - We know Jonathan Dwyer can run, but as I have shown you, it is the other details that will likely keep him off of the 53 man roster and headed for the practice squad. I do not expect things to be fixed in just a few days, but any improvement will be noticeable for him as I expect he will get quite a long look.

Kan Keenan Komeback? - After a horrid first preseason start at left cornerback, Kennan Lewis will likely be the 2nd man in behind William Gay this week with Bryant McFadden expected to sit again. Hopefully the second year kid can get his confidence back before the season starts. An pick six would do wonders for his mental state.

Hotel Part 4 - Flozell Adams showed considerable improvement against Denver albeit against questionable foes. Thursday will be the final tune up for Adams to get the move to right side finalized. He likely will only get 12 or so snaps as well, so every one of them must be quality.

Getting Ziggy With It - After all the hype this training camp on Ziggy Hood, I was hoping to see much more than I have seen from him this preseason. He is just not flashing over the competition thus far. He has not been bad mind you, I just want to hear is name called more.

Practice Squad Lineman Audition - Hopefully Dorian Brooks and Kyle Jolly get playing time this week. They have only seen a handful of snaps on the line through 3 games with most coming against Detroit. One if not both of these guys could make the practice squad and it would be nice to have some more tape on them.

Bennis Batwich Monster Rotation - The four headed quarterback monster made up of Ben Roethlisberger, Byron Leftwich, Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch will be another surprise rotation this week for sure. Perhaps Hines Ward, Antwaan Randle El and Mewelde Moore can get an attempt in as well.

Jeff "Robo Skippy" Sepulveda - Perhaps our other two headed kicking battle will get another workout this week as well. Somewhere Roy Gerela and Craig Colquitt are shedding tears at the money these two make and neither can kick it out of the endzone.

No John Norwig or Dr. James Bradley - In case you did not know, John Norwig is the Steelers Head Athletic Trainer and Dr. James Bradley is the Steelers team Orthopedic Physician. Hopefully this is the last time you hear these names until preseason game 4 next year.

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A reader emailed me this afternoon and wanted to know of the 75 players on the active roster, which ones are eligible to be signed to the practice squad and what constitutes eligibility. First we go to the NFL rules on this:

What makes a player eligible for an NFL practice squad?

(a) The practice squad shall consist of the following players, provided that they have not served more than two previous seasons on a Practice Squad: (i) players who do not have an Accrued Season of NFL experience; and (ii) free agent players who were on the Active List for fewer than nine regular season games during their only Accrued Season(s). An otherwise eligible player may be a practice squad player for a third season only if the Club by which he is employed that season has at least 53 players on its Active/Inactive List
during the entire period of his employment.

(b) A player shall be deemed to have served on a Practice Squad in a season if he has passed the club’s physical and been a member of the club’s Practice Squad for at least three regular season or postseason games during his first two Practice Squad seasons, and for at least one regular season or postseason game during his third Practice Squad season. (A bye week counts as a game provided that the player is not terminated until after the regular season or postseason weekend in question.)

Going by the rules above the Steelers have 22 players that qualify to be signed to the practice squad. This off course includes all (10) 2010 draft picks and the (4) undrafted free agents still on the roster. Also still eligible are (4) of the 2009 draft picks and (4) other 2009 undrafted free agents still on the roster. Rookie Chris Scott was placed on active PUP today and would be eligible for the practice squad if released following the 1st 6 weeks of season and clears waivers.

Eligible for 2010 Practice Squad
C/G Maurkice Pouncey
OLB Jason Worilds
WR Emmanuel Sanders
OLB Thaddeus Gibson
T Chris Scott - Placed on PUP 8/31
CB Crezdon Butler
ILB Stevenson Sylvester
RB Jonathan Dwyer
WR Antonio Brown
DE Doug Worthington
G/C Kraig Urbik
CB Keenan Lewis
RB Frank Summers
RDE Sunny Harris
DT Steve McLendon
RB Isaac Redman
WR Tyler Grisham
TE Eugene Bright
G/C Dorian Brooks
T Kyle Jolly
S Justin Thornton
S Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith

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On the way to the locker-room following the game, cornerback Keenan Lewis punched a sign that was encased in glass, shattering the glass in the process. This of course drew more ire from head coach Mike Tomlin.

Rookie wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders twice failed to come back to the ball on sideline routes and ran the wrong route that resulted in the Charlie Batch interception returned for a touchdown by cornerback Syd-Quan Thompson late in the game.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger reportedly is expected to meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after the team's final preseason game on Thursday to see if his suspension will be reduced from six games to four. Roethlisberger said he has heard of no such meeting being set as of yet.

Steelers.com has a few post game quotes up from last night of Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger, Dennis Dixon, Byron Leftwich, Isaac Redman and Chris Hoke.

Scott Brown blogged his thoughts about the quarterback situation following the loss last night to Denver on the road. Brown calls the position, unsettled and unsettling.

Post Gazette beat writers Ed Bouchette and Gerry Dulac filed a video wrap up in Denver following the loss last night and Ed posted to the PPG blog this morning from the Denver airport.

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Sunday night the Steelers will travel to Denver to play the Broncos in the third preseason game of the 2010 season. Per my normal routine, I have listed below 10 things to look for Sunday heading into the game.

Brown Sanders Flip Flop X & Z - The education of rookie wide receivers Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders continues this week as both will play their opposite positions this week as Brown moves from the z flanker position to the x split end spot and Sanders moves from split end X spot to the Z flanker position. Sanders mostly played the slot and flanker in college and looks to be the heir apparent to Hines Ward down the line and the number 3 receiver in the nearer future. It should be noted that Brown will also get his second look in as many weeks as the return man on both punts and kickoffs.

Hartwig Playing Time - Yes, I know Maurkice Pouncey will start at center and we certainly will be watching that first and foremost, but we are more curious to see if Justin Hartwig comes in as the number 2 center or gets any work at guard. If Hartwig is destined to be released next week, one would think he may not get any snaps versus Denver, so that he does not run the risk of injury and be forced to be placed on IR or released with an injury settlement. If Hartwig does play, he might actually still be in the running for a backup roster spot. Do the Steelers really need to see him play though? I don't think so. We will be snap counting, but expect Pouncey and Doug Legursky to get most of the center work and for Hartwig to keep his uniform clean.

Is There A Long Snapping Battle? - Out of nowhere the Steelers re-signed Matt Stewart last week. Stewart was with the Steelers prior to training camp and also has spent time working at linebacker in the NFL. Mike Tomlin said Friday that Stewart will get an in-game look against Denver as a long snapper and was brought in as competition and to push Greg Warren. By all reports, the veteran Warren is pretty concerned about Stewart being brought back as well. Tomlin said he wanted to carry Stewart in training camp, but injuries forced them to need the roster spot early on and thus Stewart was released. Stewart is much more mobile and a better tackler that Warren and it could signal the end to the injury prone Warren if Stewart proves he can snap flawlessly on punts and kick tries. Watch for any work Stewart gets on other special teams units besides just long snapping.

Quirky QB Rotation - I do not pretend to understand what method is behind the quarterback rotation that Mike Tomlin is expected to use against Denver. Normally the 3rd preseason game is a dress rehearsal for week 1 of the season, but Tomlin said Friday that Ben Roethlisberger, Byron Leftwich and Dennis Dixon will all see time with the first team Sunday night. Early word is that Roethlisberger will start and Dixon will follow, but none of this is locked in stone. Stay tuned.

Do We Get Another Look At The Pony? - Bruce Arians showed us the pony backfield of Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman last week against the Giants and we will be looking to see if it makes another appearance again Sunday night. The pony backfield opens up the play book to several different possibilities if indeed used going into the season.

Robo-Kicker II "Thin Air Beware" - Steelers punter Daniel Sepulveda got his first chance to kickoff last week versus New York and all signs point to him getting a second chance in the thin air of Denver. Hopefully Danny Boy kicks them all out of the endzone in the Mile High City.

Keenan Getting Keener - Bryant McFadden will sit out this week with a right pectoral muscle injury suffered agains the Giants and second year corner Keenan Lewis will start at left cornerback in his spot. Lewis continues to make a huge jump and looks to make a statement Sunday that he is NFL ready. He is still not expected to jump McFadden on the depth chart, but is right on the heels of BMac and continues to push him.

Free Safety Replacements - Starting free safety Ryan Clark will sit out as a precaution because of his sickle cell issue, so Will Allen and Ryan Mundy will share plenty of time at free safety opposite Troy Polamalu. Both Allen and Mundy have had great camps and the extra time will do them both good with the first team defense.

Hotel Getting Right On The Right - Free agent tackle Flozell Adams is slowly making the transition from left tackle to right tackle and it shows in his pass blocking. Hopefully another week of practice and study will show some improvement against the Denver pass rush. The season is getting closer and the Hotel is running out of practice snaps to get it right on the right side.

Is That You Jonathan? - Rookie running back Jonathan Dwyer is expected to return to game action this week as he has been practicing all week after sitting out the Giants game with a shoulder injury. I think he is playing for a practice squad spot at this point and needs to show late in the Denver game what he has learned thus far if indeed given any snaps.

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About 10 days ago we thought rookie wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders would be using the Denver game to test out his return skills. Instead, we will get a look at how he can adapt to the flanker position as Mike Tomlin said Thursday that Sanders will get an extensive look at flanker this week instead of split end. Tomlin loves position flexibility and Sanders seems to be better than fellow rookie Antonio Brown in the route running category and especially in the blocking category. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians commented Thursday that Sanders has shown a physicality in his blocking that's really been impressive.

Sanders will get his time to show his return abilities in week 4 of the preseason against Carolina now as Tomlin wants to give Brown another look again as a return man in Denver after his impressive performance last week in New York. Sanders is a virtual lock to make the 53 man roster and his progress of learning multiple receiver positions combined with the play of Brown, might make veteran Arnaz Battle expendable and free up another spot on the 53 man roster. That would mean the Steelers would then likely only keep 5 receivers and could think about trying to get Tyler Grisham signed back to the practice squad once again. Speculation sure, but not totally out of the question still.

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