Monday Practice Report: Tomlin names Dixon starter for week 1

By Dale Grdnic

PITTSBURGH -- When third-year pro Dennis Dixon was told to step in with the first team during practice Monday afternoon, it was the first time he knew for sure that he would be the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting quarterback in the regular-season opener against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday at Heinz Field.

Dixon took all the first-team reps Monday, while 13-year veteran Charlie Batch again will be relegated to a backup role. For Dixon, it's a dream come true to be a starting quarterback in the NFL, and both he and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin believed there would be no constraints like there were in his one start last year.

"I think the playbook is totally wide open now,'' Dixon said. "We'll come in on Wednesday, get our game plan and go from there. I'm going to take pride in playing quarterback for the Steelers and work hard with my teammates to make sure that we're always on the same page.

"I feel real focused on the game now. I feel mentally focused on the game, and the No. 1 thing is communication, getting a feel for things with the guys, and I'm going to take all of that very seriously. ... The other guys have been there, done that in this league, and I'm going to take advantage of that.''

Tomlin noted that Byron Leftwich was listed as doubtful, as his sprained left knee heals over the next 2-4 weeks, and also discussed what went into his decision to start Dixon.

"Dennis has had a very productive preseason and training camp,'' Tomlin said. "He went into the training camp as a young guy, second in the pecking order behind Byron Leftwich. He did a nice job and made it extremely competitive. He waged a battle and got some first-team reps in some preseason games.

"Largely, we've been very impressed with how he's handled himself in game situations. ... There was a specific pecking order in camp, and Charlie's durability or lack of durability added into it. This is a guy who's been on IR a little bit the past couple years, but he also requires very little snaps to be prepared to play football at an acceptable level.''

Batch wasn't thrilled with the decision, but he played the good soldier that he's always been.