Steelers Team Report

[falcon057]

Steelers Team Report

Yahoo! Sports - 5 hours, 43 minutes ago

The Steelers may look like a desperate team when they open the season as underdogs at home to the Atlanta Falcons Sunday. With quarterback Ben Roethlisberger out the first four games, and No. 2 quarterback Byron Leftwich injured and out at least for the next two, they will try to pull out all the stops with Dennis Dixon making his second start in three seasons.

In Dixon's first start at Baltimore last November, coach Mike Tomlin put constraints on him. They had no real backup then -- signing Tyler Palko only that week -- and they could not afford to have Dixon get hurt. So they told him not to run unless he absolutely had to.

It will be a different case Sunday against the Falcons. Dixon will get the green light.

"We just want him to do what comes natural," Tomlin said. "If he's playing on instinct and knowledge it's like running water. I think if you give him too much instruction in regards of things you're discussing then it's not going to be natural. It's not going to be fluid. It's not going to be comfortable. And those are things I want his performance to be."

Dixon ran for 583 yards at Oregon in 2007 but he also was an accomplished passer in college. He finished as Oregon's career passing efficiency leader with a completion rate of 63.9 percent, topped off by his school record 67.7 percent in 2007.

He did well in the preseason in that area too, completing 23 of 32 (7.19 percent) for 327 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions, one of them a poor decision into Denver's end zone in the third preseason game.

"We're going to do the things that highlight his skills and have a normal size package of plays that we would have at this point of the year," Tomlin said. "Granted, you might have a smaller size packet at this time of year than you would in November and December, but that's just the nature of football as you play. If it's limited, it's because it's the first time out, and not because Dennis is not our quarterback."

Longtime veteran Charlie Batch, 35, is the only healthy backup with wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, a quarterback at Indiana University, serving as the emergency quarterback. Tomlin has no plans to use Batch in relief unless either Dixon really has trouble or is hurt.

"That's not our plan at this juncture," Tomlin said. "We are going to play Dennis."

Byron Leftwich would have started during Ben Roethlisberger's four-game suspension except he sprained the MCL in his left knee in the final preseason game. Leftwich is hoping for some fast healing so that he might be available in the second or third game. Dixon's play will determine whether he remains at quarterback even once Leftwich heals.

"It depends on how he plays," Tomlin said. "And that's the nature of the NFL. I think anybody who suggests anything different is misinformed or misleading you. Injuries are a part of the game. They are unfortunate, but they also provide opportunities for others. What those others do with the opportunities often times determine what happens going forward."

SERIES HISTORY: 15th regular-season meeting. Steelers lead the series, 11-2-1, including 5-0-1 at home. Their past two meetings both ended in overtime with a 41-38 Falcons victory in Atlanta in 2006 and a 34-34 tie in Heinz Field in 2002.

This game will be determined by turnovers. Who wins that battle will win the game. Hopefully Dixon is presured all day and makes the rookies mistakes. I think we will see Moore shadow (335 def) him and take his head off if he trys to run all day.

should be fun to watch!

[nobkowski]

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B.

This game will be determined by turnovers. Who wins that battle will win the game. Hopefully Dixon is presured all day and makes the rookies mistakes. I think we will see Moore shadow (335 def) him and take his head off if he trys to run all day.

should be fun to watch!

Did you mean Spoon? Moore won't be playing except on special teams unless Coleman gets injured.

[LouDog]

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B.

This game will be determined by turnovers. Who wins that battle will win the game. Hopefully Dixon is presured all day and makes the rookies mistakes. I think we will see Moore shadow (335 def) him and take his head off if he trys to run all day.

should be fun to watch!

Did you mean Spoon? Moore won't be playing except on special teams unless Coleman gets injured.

I bet we will rotate our safteys similar to the way we do our Dline. Moore will see his fair share of playing time.

[falcon057]

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B.

This game will be determined by turnovers. Who wins that battle will win the game. Hopefully Dixon is presured all day and makes the rookies mistakes. I think we will see Moore shadow (335 def) him and take his head off if he trys to run all day.

should be fun to watch!

Did you mean Spoon? Moore won't be playing except on special teams unless Coleman gets injured.

NOPE when we go to a 335 def Moore IMOP will be inserted at safety .

[vafalconfan]

There are a lot of keys to winning this game and a lot of opinions, but if our line does not pass block better than last year it's going to be a long day for Ryan. If we protect him we win this game going away.