SteelerWatch

The Steelers won in convincing fashion, shutting down the Saints at all points throughout the game.  It's too early to make any predictions, but the team looked exceptionally crisp for such an early outing.  Their performance is a credit to the hard work and tough drills that Mike Tomlin brought to his first training camp.

Overall Grades

Quarterbacks: A+
Roethlisberger, Batch and St. Pierre combined to finish 14-for-25, 253 yards and a touchdown.  All three looked crisp and on target.  There were no really questionable decisions made.

Runningbacks: A-
As a group they averaged 4.9 yards per carry.  Najeh Davenport (6 car., 14 yds.) and Kevan Barlow (7 car., 13 yds.) disappointed, but they were overshadowed by Larry Croom (6 car., 29 yds.) and Gary Russell (8 car., 41 yds.), as well as an absolutely outstanding performance by Carey Davis, who put up 68 yards on seven carries, including a 56-yard scamper after bouncing outside the right tackle.  He also added a 33-yard reception on a screen pass, giving himself an early edge in the battle for the backup runningback position.

Receivers: A-/B+
I'm giving out a lot of A's here, but the offense really looked that good.  Five receivers caught passes, with Cedrick Wilson leading the way on a four-catch, 99-yard performance that included a 55-yard bomb on the first drive.  Santonio Holmes added three catches, including a 41-yard strike from a very effective St. Pierre, and one touchdown.  Walter Young also had a 26-yard grab.  The only thing that didn't look great was Nate Washington dropping several passes early, something he struggled with last season.  Tight ends were a non-factor aside from a penalty on Jon Dekker.

Offensive Line: B
The line looked good at times, and shaky at times.  The Saints managed three sacks, but they all came in a very short span late in the first quarter, when Max Starks had moved from the right side of the line to the left.  He played very well in his usual right tackle position, which is a good sign after the dismal season he had in 2006.

Defensive Line: B
The Steelers didn't manage any sacks, but they kept nearly constant pressure on Saints' quarterbacks.  New Orleans had a mere 15 yards rushing in the first half, and didn't add a whole lot in the second half.

Linebackers: B
Again, there was constant pressure from the front seven, the running game was shut down, and linebackers even made some kep plays, like LaMarr Woodley batting down a third-down pass about 15 yards downfield on the Saints' first drive.  The only really shaky point for the group was the goal-line stand that resulted in a Saints touchdown, as the catch was made by the fullback.  A sack or two could have pushed this group up to an A-.

Secondary: A+
Arguably the biggest concern for the team, the defensive backs had an excellent game.  Wide receivers only managed seven catches, and the guys were hitting hard.  The Saints biggest plays were a pair of 18-yard catches that both came in the second half against reserve players.  Drew Brees left the game after the third offensive series, managing only one completion on six attempts.  And the only turnover of the game was William Gay's well-played interception.  Anthony Smith nearly had a huge play in the backfield, almost getting to the quarterback before he even handed the ball off.  They played extremely well at all levels of the squad.

Coaches: A
Aside from a few mental errors, including an outburst by Bryant McFadden that resulted in a 15-yard penalty, the coaching staff kept the players in check and focused.  And when it was all said and done, Mike Tomlin won his first NFL game in convincing fashion, pre-season or not.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 5th, 2007 at 10:22 pm and is filed under Game Time!. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.