Washington 16 – Pittsburgh 7: Post-Game Analysis & Player Breakdowns

The Washington Redskins (1-0) defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) 16-7 and outplayed the Steelers in just about every facet.

Washington outgained Pittsburgh, 452 to 186, gaining 27 first downs to Pittsburgh’s 12.

“That team was better prepared than us, ” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. “We have a lot of ground to cover.”

The Steelers were sloppy at times offensively and struggled against the pass. Redskins QB Rex Grossman was 19 of 27 for 207 yards and 1 touchdown, playing the entire first half.

The Redskins used a lot of play-action and movement, attacking the Steelers first team defense with a short to mid-range passing game against a Troy Polamalu and James Harrison less defense, as both players did not play.

Polamalu and Harrison are not yet 100 percent and Tomlin said after the game that neither player had enough practice time.

“Those guys of course coming of off-season injury, have not practiced enough, particularly to my liking, ” Tomlin said. “We’re going to continue to work with those guys and hopefully they’ll be ready to go next week.”

The Steelers first team defense made some stops but were pushed around at times. Injuries happened early for the Steelers.

Ike Taylor suffered a broken thumb, Ryan Clark was nicked up in the first series and the Steelers had a scare in the second quarter when Lawrence Timmons collided with Ryan Mundy on a hit in the middle of the field.

Timmons and LaMarr Woodley both surprisingly played into the second quarter.

Taylor’s availability for the season opener remains up in the air as he might need surgery.

Ryan Mundy who started in place of Troy Polamalu, led the team with 8 tackles.

Inside linebacker Mortty Ivy had a strong game, collecting six solo tackles.

QB Ben Roethlisberger as expected played one series, going 2 of 3 for 22 yards. Roethlisberger missed a wide open Mike Wallace on a deep ball for an easy six, his only incomplete pass.

The Skins got to Roethlisberger quickly and he was banged up after one series, suffering a hand and hip injury. The injuries are minor.

The Steelers opened up the game with a three back set, as Heath Miller and David Johnson joined Rashard Mendenhall in the backfield. That’s a formation the Steelers intend to use this season and have been working on in camp.

The Steelers first team offensive line from left to right was Jonathan Scott, Doug Legursky, Maurkice Pouncey, Chris Scott, Willie Colon. The starting wide receivers were Antonio Brown (4 REC – 64 Yards) and Mike Wallace (1 REC – 3 Yards). Arnaz Battle (2 REC – 22 Yards) was the No. 3 receiver and had several easy drops in the game.

Hines Ward dressed but did not play.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown continues to shine and had 4 receptions for 64 yards, hauling in a 29 yard reception from Byron Leftwich in the second quarter. Brown was targeted 5 times in the game and had the first reception of the game.

Isaac Redman rushed for 42 yards on 5 carries, scoring a 22 yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Byron Leftwich was effective, going 6 of 7 for 70 yards.

Charlie Batch was the No. 3 quarterback and threw the ball well, going 2 of 4 for 16 yards.

Dennis Dixon showed nothing and was 1 of 10 for 29 yards.

The Steelers were 2-11 on third downs.

Wide receiver Limas Sweed dressed but did not play. Several practice squad type receivers saw action, including Wes Lyons (suffered concussion), Terrence McCrae (1 REC – 10 Yards) and Eric Greenwood (1 REC – 29 Yards).

The Steelers are off on Saturday and return to camp on Sunday.

*RG Chris Scott started at right guard and played the entire first half and then some in the second half. Scott who has emerged as a candidate for the starting right guard job was completely overwhelmed against the Redskins No. 1 and No. 2 defensive units. Scott struggled with quick reads and the Redskins got constant pressure against him. It’s early but Ramon Foster can sleep a little easier tonight.

* CB Keenan Lewis (5 tackles) played most of the game and while it’s early, he did nothing to show that he’s ready to emerge as a top-3 corner. Lewis continues to struggle with his reads and concerns mount whether he has the football sense to be a viable corner. He left in the 4th quarter with a left calf injury. Stallworth and Moss each had success against Lewis. Donovan Warren who’s had a solid camp, was much more noticable then Lewis.

*LT Tony Hills was very impressive, especially on the Steelers scoring drive, springing Isaac Redman for a 22 yard touchdown run.

*OLB Jason Worilds(0 tackles) started in place of James Harrison and really struggled at times. He had troubles getting a push and was neutralized against the run. His strength is rushing the passer but his overall game still has a ways to go. It should be noted he has been bothered wth a hamstring injury.

*DE Cameron Heyward (3 tackles) was the most impressive rookie on the field. He showed great lateral movement and strength. His athleticism was also on display.

RB Jonathan Dwyer (7 Yards on 5 Carries) was largely a disappointment. The offensive line was very good in front of him but he showed no burst and didn’t read his blocks well.

RB Isaac Redman (42 Yards on 5 Carries, 1 Touchdown) has gained 12-to-15 pounds, playing at 245 pounds and has run the ball extremely powerful in camp and that showed tonight.

LB Baraka Atkins (1 tackle) has made some noise in camp of late but he did not have the type of game he needed. He needed a Mortty Ivy type of game, who was all over the field.