We find out starting today whether the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense really is getting old and creaky.

The statistics say Pittsburgh’s defense is rock solid. The Steelers rank third in both yards and points allowed and second against the pass. But the Steelers have benefited from a soft schedule. Their five wins are against teams with a combined record of 8-24. Their two losses were to Baltimore and Houston.

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots roll into Heinz Field today in what looks like a bad matchup for the Steelers. Brady is 6-1 in his career against Pittsburgh with 14 touchdown passes, three interceptions and a 104.8 passer rating.

The Pats don’t worry about balance in the least against Dick LeBeau’s Pittsburgh defense. In Brady’s last six games against Pittsburgh, the Pats have passed on 67 percent of their plays. New England is around 55 percent passing overall in the Brady era.

The Pats simply refuse to bang their heads against a brick wall — Pittsburgh’s stout run defense. Pittsburgh always has won without superstar cornerbacks. Pressure on the QB and zone coverage is their style. The Pats will take their chances matching up their receivers with Pittsburgh’s unspectacular corners — Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden and Randall Gay (a Pats castoff).

Steelers sackman James Harrison is hurt. LeBeau likes to sit back and play coverage against Brady. He may be forced to attack more, but that will expose the corners to more one-on-one coverage. It’s a problem for Pittsburgh, which has a bunch of key defenders getting well into their 30s (James Farrior, Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, Brad Keisel, Chris Hoke, Larry Foote and Taylor).

After this week, Pittsburgh has a grudge rematch at home against Baltimore and then plays at Cincinnati. (Baltimore beat Pittsburgh in the opener, 35-7.) We’ll know if the Steelers are slipping significantly by then.

Regardless of whether the Steelers are fraudulent title contenders, they stand a fair chance to make the playoffs, even if they lose the next three straight. The AFC North benefits from the “soft crossovers” on the schedule — facing the AFC South and NFC West. Pittsburgh probably can get to 10 wins even if it loses to the Pats, Ravens and Bengals.

Chiefs rebound

The Chiefs have won three straight after a miserable start. After opening with lopsided losses to Buffalo (41-7) and Detroit (48-3), and then losing their third game, Chiefs coach Todd Haley gave his team some inspiration from the 1989 Pittsburgh Steelers. He showed them that team’s NFL Films highlight video. The Steelers that season lost their opener, 51-0, to Cleveland and then dropped their second game, 41-10, at Cincinnati.

But in one of Chuck Noll’s finest coaching jobs, they rebounded to finish 9-7 and win a playoff game. Haley’s father, Dick, was director of player personnel for that Pittsburgh team.

“I thought it was such a great picture of how low and as much despair as you could feel, and you could see it on the tape,” said Todd Haley.

“You were hearing some of the same things that we had heard. And to see how it ends, with the pure joy of guys — grown men jumping up and down who were able to turn a really bad, bad start into a great season.”

Now for a dose of reality. The Chiefs have rebounded by beating Minnesota, Indianapolis and Oakland. The Vikes and Colts are a combined 1-13. Oakland was in disarray last week due to injuries.

Monday night’s home game against San Diego (4-2) is huge for the Chiefs, because it starts a three-game home stretch (Miami and Denver are next up). San Diego should cruise to the AFC West title if it beats the Chiefs because it would be hard for the Chargers not to get to 10 wins. But if the Chargers don’t win, the West may be a horse race to the end.

The great AP

Minnesota back Adrian Peterson leads the league in rushing yards (712) and rushing touchdowns (eight) this season. Peterson, who has made the Pro Bowl the last three years, needs 38 rushing yards today at Carolina to get his fifth consecutive season with at least 750 rush yards and eight touchdowns. Only Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Emmitt Smith and Jet LaDainian Tomlinson have done that.

Onside kicks

- With a victory today, Buffalo would become the eighth team in NFL history to win its first four home games after starting the previous season 0-4 at home. It has been done four times since 2000.

- Dallas’ offense is producing, but the Cowboys need to be worried about their “middle three” against the strong defenses. Dallas is shaky at center (Phil Costa) and guard (Bill Nagy and Kyle Kosier). Costa and Nagy had a rough time with the big Pats defenders a couple weeks ago.

- NFL teams are averaging 44.9 points per game. That’s the most through seven weeks since 1970. Nine teams are averaging at least 25 points per game, on pace to tie 2008 for the highest number of teams at that level.

- Rex Ryan gave his Jets six straight days off on the team’s bye this week. Coaches are required to give their players four straight days off. New York will be rested for the Bills next Sunday.

- Baltimore’s Lee Evans was expected to miss his sixth straight game today due to a badly sprained ankle. The Ravens visit Pittsburgh next week and would love to have the ex-Bill back for that rivalry.

- The Patriots are allowing 8.47 yards per pass attempt this season. That’s worst in the league and the worst since the 0-16 Lions in 2008 (8.82).

mgaughan@buffnews.comnull

NORTHBROOK, Ill. (STATS) – While the Indianapolis Colts offensive line
finally had the kind of day to which Peyton Manning(notes) grew accustomed, the
Pittsburgh Steelers picked an opportune time to give Ben Roethlisberger(notes) the
protection he’s not used to getting.

Though the Colts remained winless, it was hard to blame an offense that had
its best game of the season. The Steelers, meanwhile, put a halt to their
struggles in the trenches and rolled to victory.

The much-maligned offensive lines for Indianapolis and Pittsburgh came
through with impressive efforts in Week 5, finishing as the top two teams in the
New York Life Protection Index.

The NYLPI is a proprietary formula created by STATS LLC which measures pass
protection by using metrics such as length of passes, penalties by offensive
linemen, sacks allowed and quarterback hurries and knockdowns.

If anything positive came out of Indianapolis’ 28-24 home loss to Kansas
City on Sunday, it was that Curtis Painter(notes) remained upright nearly the entire
game.

Pressed into service for his second straight start because of the neck
injury to Manning and a concussion suffered by backup Kerry Collins(notes), Painter
threw for 277 yards as the Colts set season highs in points and total yards
(355). The third-year pro was not sacked, hurried only one time and knocked down
once.

The Colts’ makeshift offensive line did not commit a false-start penalty and
was whistled for holding once to grade out with a week-high 99.6 NYLPI rating.
That’s 25 points higher than the previous season-best mark for an offensive line
that had long been considered among the league’s best when Manning was under
center.

Pittsburgh’s front five also had been mostly dreadful this year, letting
Roethlisberger get sacked 14 times through four games. His mobility was further
limited Sunday by a sprained left foot, but the Steelers’ O-line stepped up to
key a 38-17 win over Tennessee.

That unit did not commit a false start or a holding penalty en route to a
98.3 NYLPI rating. Roethlisberger was sacked only once, hurried twice and
knocked down twice, and that solid protection helped him match a career high
with five touchdown passes.

“What this does for us, I think, is set us up for the rest of the season,”
guard Ramon Foster(notes) said. “We’ve found out through five games who can play where
on the O-line and what we can do if we’re healthy, what we can do even if we’re
not completely healthy, for that matter.”

What made the offensive line’s performance particularly impressive was that
Max Starks(notes) started at left tackle just five days after re-signing with his
former team.

“He stepped up,” Roethlisberger said. “We brought him to town this week …
and it’s like ‘OK, let’s see how we’re going to use him.’”

One week earlier in a 17-10 loss at Houston, Big Ben was sacked five times,
hurried five more and knocked to the ground on eight occasions for a season-low
22.0 NYLPI rating.

Ravaged by injuries, the revamped front five also played a big role in the
Steelers rushing for a season-high 174 yards this week. They piled up those
yards without injured star Rashard Mendenhall(notes) in the backfield, as Jonathan
Dwyer(notes) rushed for 107 yards on 11 carries in his second NFL game.

“They answered the bell,” Dwyer said of the offensive line. “They answered
the challenge that everybody gave them. … They showed the league what we’re
about.”

As many holes as Dwyer found thanks to the Pittsburgh O-line, the Colts
could not find the same kind of success in the ground game – a big reason why
they remained among the NFL’s three winless teams.

Indianapolis ran for 78 yards on 27 carries, dropping its season average to
82.0 rushing yards per game – 30th in the league.

“We just need to execute that better,” coach Jim Caldwell said. “That’s my
job to get them to play better.”

The Colts blew a 17-0 lead to start 0-5 for the first time since losing 10
straight to open the 1997 season.

“The reality is we haven’t finished, we haven’t won games and we’re 0-5
because of it,” center Jeff Saturday(notes) said. “If we finished games we’d be
1-and-something or 2-and-something.”

The good news for the Colts is they may have found a comfort zone with the
front five despite everything the unit has been through this season. Injuries to
right guard Ryan Diem(notes) (ankle), starting left tackle Anthony Castonzo(notes) (ankle) and
backup left tackle Ben Ijalana(notes) (knee) have forced Indianapolis to juggle its
already inexperienced offensive line.

Chicago also has done its fair share of mixing and matching along the front
five, and that unit’s struggles continued Monday night in a 24-13 loss at
Detroit. The Bears committed a whopping nine false-start penalties – no other
team had more than four this week.

“We were going against a loud crowd, but that isn’t an excuse,” coach Lovie
Smith said. “Pre-snap penalties kill you.”

Jay Cutler(notes) was under constant pressure once again as he was sacked three
times, hurried seven and knocked down six.

“Jay was under a lot of pressure,” Smith said.

Still, the Bears’ 38.1 NYLPI rating wasn’t the worst of the week. The two
teams that were below them, however, came through with victories.

Oakland’s offensive line committed three holding penalties and was
responsible for quarterback Jason Campbell(notes) being knocked down 12 times for a
week-low 20.0 rating.

Despite the poor performance up front, Campbell was on his feet enough to
throw for two touchdowns and help the Raiders stun the Texans with an emotional
25-20 road win – one day after owner Al Davis died.

Interestingly enough, the Raiders’ season-low NYLPI rating came one week
after they tied for the best mark of the season at 109.6 in a 31-19 home loss to
New England.

The Seahawks have not had that kind of success in any game, a trend that
continued Sunday with a 31.6 rating, but they pulled off a shocking 36-25 road
win over the New York Giants. Tarvaris Jackson(notes), who eventually left the game
with a strained pectoral muscle, and backup Charlie Whitehurst(notes) were sacked a
combined six times and knocked down nine.

Though Drew Brees(notes) was sacked twice and hurried four times, his offensive
line committed just two false start penalties as New Orleans recorded a 93.3
rating in a 30-27 win at Carolina on Sunday. The third-best mark of the week
helped propel the Saints to the top spot of the NYLPI season rankings at 85.9.

Roethlisberger at practice in April.
(Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH (AP)—If Ben Roethlisberger(notes) is going to help turn the Pittsburgh
Steelers around, he’s going to have to do it on one foot.

Again.

The quarterback underwent an MRI on his left foot Monday following a 17-10
loss to Houston. His status for Sunday’s game against surprising Tennessee (3-1)
remains uncertain.

Roethlisberger injured the foot in the fourth quarter but stayed on the
field until the final seconds. He wore a protective boot while gingerly making
his way out of the locker room.

If he plays—and Roethlisberger insists he will do everything in his power
to be on the field—it won’t be the first time he’s given it a go with a bad
wheel. He played the second half of the 2010 season with a broken bone in his
right foot and managed to lead Pittsburgh to the AFC title.

“We saw I had to do that last year, I casted up my foot for the last half
of the year,” he said. “If we have to do it, I’ll do it.”

The Titans are expecting Roethlisberger to play, boot or not boot.

“We all know what he’s accomplished and what a great player he’s been in
this league and how he’s played with injuries,” said coach Mike Munchak.
“We’re assuming he’s going to be healthy and ready to go.”

Pittsburgh (2-2) certainly needs him under center. If Roethlisberger can’t
start then 36-year-old Charlie Batch(notes) would get the nod against the Titans.

While Batch helped the Steelers to a 3-1 record at the beginning of last
season—including a 19-11 win over Tennessee—while Roethlisberger served a
suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, he did it behind
an offensive line with some semblance of stability.

This year there are no such luxuries.

Injuries to tackles Willie Colon(notes) and Jonathan Scott(notes) and guard Doug Legursky(notes)
have forced the Steelers to start four different offensive line combination in
as many games.

None of the have clicked.

Roethlisberger has spent the first quarter of the season under siege,
getting sacked 14 times and knocked around others. The three biggest hits he’s
absorbed this season came on plays in which he got the ball out before getting
punished. Twice he’s been drilled in the knees by defensive linemen after
releasing the pass and on Sunday his foot got crunched during Pittsburgh’s
penultimate possession.

That didn’t stop him from returning to the game for a last-gasp drive and
ending up completing 16 of 30 for 206 yards and a pick.

Wide receiver Mike Wallace(notes), shut down in the second half, didn’t notice a
difference in Roethlisberger’s presence other than the noticeable limp with
which he walked to the line of scrimmage.

“He was his usual self—still trying to make plays, still trying to get
guys going,” Wallace said. “But we just didn’t get it done.”

On either side of the ball.

Only a pair of Houston touchdown returns called back—one a blocked field
goal, the other an interception—kept the game close.

The Texans dominated long stretches, including a club-record 19-play,
95-yard drive to start the game. Arian Foster(notes) rushed for 155 yards, the most the
Steelers have given up to a single player since Curtis Martin ran for 174 yards
against them in 2003.

Linebacker James Harrison(notes), who missed part of the game with an eye injury,
wasn’t in the mood to take any solace in the fact the Steelers kept it close
during a game in which they were thoroughly outplayed.

“We played like garbage, period,” Harrison said. “We stink right now.”

There’s time to turn it around, though the way the Steelers have lost
decisively to a pair of AFC contenders is cause for alarm.

“We were just missing a whole bunch of tackles, and we’ve got to go back to
the basics and figure out how to get people down,” defensive tackle Casey
Hampton(notes) said. “It’s uncharacteristic of us.”

The running game showed signs of life, but isn’t 100 percent either.

Rashard Mendenhall(notes) went out with a hamstring injury and missed the fourth
quarter. Isaac Redman(notes) and Mewelde Moore(notes) provided a boost, but Moore was walking
around the team’s practice facility on Monday in a boot of his own.

The backs could be more important than ever if Roethlisberger can’t play.
The two-time Super Bowl winner, however, hopes it doesn’t come to that.

“You know me, if I can be out there, I’m going to be out there,” he said.
“That’s for next week too.”

AP Sports Writer Teresa Walker in Nashville contributed to this report.

By Will Graves
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers can’t run the ball. They can’t hold onto the ball. They can’t take it away from opponents.

Coach Mike Tomlin can’t even remember how many timeouts he has at his disposal in critical situations.

Through three somewhat bumpy weeks, the defending AFC champions hardly look the part, though they’re hardly concerned.

The Steelers are 2-1 despite being last in the league in turnover margin and 26th in running the ball. In the end they say winning games are all that matters, not the sometimes ugly numbers in the box score.

Tomlin says it takes time for each team to find an identity even though the Steelers returned all 22 starters from the squad that lost to Green Bay in the Super Bowl and the Steelers are still working out the kinks.

Follow AP Sports Writer Will Graves on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WillGravesAP

By Will Graves
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers can’t run the ball. They can’t hold onto the ball. They can’t take it away from opponents.

Coach Mike Tomlin can’t even remember how many timeouts he has at his disposal in critical situations.

Through three somewhat bumpy weeks, the defending AFC champions hardly look the part, though they’re hardly concerned.

The Steelers are 2-1 despite being last in the league in turnover margin and 26th in running the ball. In the end they say winning games are all that matters, not the sometimes ugly numbers in the box score.

Tomlin says it takes time for each team to find an identity even though the Steelers returned all 22 starters from the squad that lost to Green Bay in the Super Bowl and the Steelers are still working out the kinks.

Follow AP Sports Writer Will Graves on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WillGravesAP

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Here’s all you need to know about the Pittsburgh Steelers state of mind: The shuffleboard table is still busy.

Moments after fielding a series of questions on why the Steelers don’t exactly look like themselves through the season’s first three weeks, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger joined cornerback Ike Taylor at the table to take on a couple of teammates in what is becoming a weekly battle for locker room supremacy.

To the players, Pittsburgh’s so-so 2-1 start is just that, a start. They judge seasons around here by what happens in January, not September.

“I think we’re a team that’s trying to figure out ourselves,” tight end Heath Miller said. “Hopefully, we can do it sooner rather than later.”

There’s plenty to be concerned about, to be sure. The running game is in a rut. The offensive line is banged up and will go into Sunday’s game at Houston (2-1) with its fourth different combination in as many weeks. The defence can’t seem to get the ball back.

Even the coach is off his game.

Mike Tomlin lost track of how many timeouts the Steelers had in the final minute of Sunday’s 23-20 win over Indianapolis. He called a timeout with eight seconds and the team in field goal range figuring if there was a botched snap all holder Dan Sepulveda had to do is fall on it and the team would get another shot.

One problem. The Steelers didn’t have any more timeouts in case disaster struck. The issue was moot when Shaun Suisham of Wallaceburg, Ont., drilled the winning boot. The surprising mental gaffe, however, was not lost on Tomlin.

“I have to get better too,” he said. “I am a guy in development from a game management standpoint. I don’t run away from that.”

And the Steelers aren’t running away from their problems, even if they’re winning in very un-Steelerlike fashion. The franchise that leads the NFL in rushing since the 1970 merger is throwing it all over the lot.

Sure, Roethlisberger has more weapons at his disposal now than at any time in his career. Still, the inability to running back Rashard Mendenhall is an issue.

Mendenhall has just 148 yards through three games, or 184 yards less than he had through the same period a year ago when opponents were lining up to stop him while Roethlisberger served a suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

The fourth-year back acknowledges he’s frustrated. He benefited last year when owner Art Rooney mandated the team return to bruising running game that’s become part of the franchise’s trademark.

He’s not ready to say the offence has gone back the other way even if he didn’t exactly endorse offensive co-ordinator Bruce Arians’ gameplan.

“We’re just running what’s called,” Mendenhall said.

Tomlin stressed there’s not enough of a sample size to say the Steelers can’t run the ball.

“I’ll acknowledge that we didn’t do well the other night and that we better improve in that area and improve in a hurry because we desire to be balanced offensively,” Tomlin said.

Having enough healthy bodies along the offensive line would help. Marcus Gilbert (shoulder), Doug Legursky (shoulder) and Jonathan Scott (ankle) all spent time on the sidelines against the Colts after getting injured. Legursky and Scott didn’t practise Wednesday though Gilbert returned and is expected to play against the Texans. Trai Essex would start at left tackle if Scott can’t go while Ramon Foster will fill in if Legursky is forced to sit.

Though the linemen continue to live by their “the standard is the standard” mantra, having different guys line up in different spots every week doesn’t do much for cohesion.

“I feel like we lose linemen around here more than any other team and I don’t know why,” Roethlisberger said. “Those guys need to get into a rhythm but the nice thing is they’re not off the street.

“They know each other and they can play together.”

The familiarity hasn’t exactly led to success in pass protection either. Roethlisberger spent most of the Colts’ game looking over his shoulder for defensive ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney and now faces a Houston defence led by former No. 1 overall pick Mario Williams.

“They can fly around,” Roethlisberger said.

It’s something the Steelers defence has done for years. While the numbers are good — Pittsburgh is second in the league in yards allowed — the veteran, Pro Bowl-laden unit has just one takeaway in three games.

There are signs of life, however. Linebacker James Harrison is rounding into form while recovering from a pair of off-season back procedures and produced the game’s biggest play against the Colts, a sack of quarterback Curtis Painter that turned into a fumble return for a touchdown by Troy Polamalu.

The unit dubbed “old, slow” and “over” by former player turned analyst Warren Sapp has turned the phrase into a battle cry.

They’re fine and they insist they’re going to be fine.

Do they look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders? Maybe not yet. It’s still September, remember.

The Steelers understand the nitpicking. They’d like to play better. Yet they’re 2-1 despite their flaws. There’s a lot of teams that wish they could say the same.

“It tells you how mentally and physically tough they are as a team,” said Houston coach Gary Kubiak. “When you have the confidence you can win all kinds of ways … that’s what every team is searching for is a way to win all kind of ways and they’ve been able to do that for a number of years.”

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Marcus Gilbert and Doug Legursky’s left shoulders appear to be fine. Maybe. Jonathan Scott’s left ankle remains tender but not terrible. Probably.

Still, if you’re an out-of-work offensive lineman, there could be a call from the Pittsburgh Steelers in your near future.

Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday the Steelers are “open to looking to maybe bring someone in” this week to provide the team with some much-needed depth after three starters had to be helped off the field during Sunday night’s 23-20 victory over Indianapolis.

Tomlin stressed the team is looking for depth, not someone to show up Wednesday and be ready to play in Sunday’s game at Houston.

“It would just be for practice purposes only,” Tomlin said.

At least, as of now. Given the perpetual state of flux the line has been for the last two seasons, Tomlin knows it’s too early to rule anything out.

If Scott can’t go, veteran Trai Essex — signed off the street earlier this month — will be in charge of protecting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s blind side at left tackle against the Texas (2-1).

His job? Try and hold off a Houston pass rush led by Mario Williams. Not exactly the player the Steelers want to see after allowing Indianapolis defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis wreak havoc in the backfield in front of a national audience, sacking Roethlisberger three times and forcing him to put it on the ground twice.

Tomlin gave credit to Freeney and Mathis rather than point fingers at his players, though he acknowledges the line needs to get better if the Steelers want to take some of the pressure off Roethlisberger.

The running game is 20th in the league in yards per game (85.7) and 26th in yards per attempt (3.3). Not exactly the formula the franchise typically uses to win games.

Tomlin would like the offence to be more balanced but refuses to place blame on the line or running back Rashard Mendenhall.

“We’re still very much a team in development in that area,” he said. “I’m trying not to frame it.”

Plugging holes along the line is almost an annual challenge for the Steelers. They did it with aplomb last year, using seven different starting combinations en route to a Super Bowl appearance.

If Scott can’t play, the line will have its fourth different lineup in as many games.

There haven’t been nearly as many injuries on defence, and there’s proof the Steelers are starting to round into shape after getting whipped in Baltimore in the season opener.

Pittsburgh shut out lifeless Seattle and held the Colts to 241 yards even though Indianapolis managed a late touchdown drive to tie the game at 20 behind lightly experienced backup quarterback Curtis Painter.

The defence could get a boost Sunday if defensive end Brett Keisel’s sprained knee continues to improve. Keisel sat out last week while third-year man Ziggy Hood held his own.

Although Tomlin says the run defence could be better, the Steelers have been solid against the pass, allowing a mere 164 yards per game. Linebacker James Harrison continues to round into form as he comes back from a pair of off-season back surgeries, registering a sack and forced fumble that safety Troy Polamalu returned for a touchdown.

Tomlin laughed when asked if there’s evidence the 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year appears to be getting healthier.

“He’s a sandbagger,” Tomlin said, “we expect that.”

The Steelers also expect their turnover problems to end. Pittsburgh is minus-9 through three games, easily the worst turnover ratio in the league.

Despite the mistakes, they’re still 2-1 on the season. The mistakes so far have been visible but not damaging.

“We were not perfect by any stretch,” Tomlin said. “We’re very much a team in development … but it’s encouraging to see necessary plays in all three phases of the game.”

Marcus Gilbert and Doug Legursky’s left shoulders appear to be OK. Maybe. Jonathan Scott’s left ankle remains tender but not terrible. Probably.

Still, if you’re an out-of-work offensive lineman, there could be a call from the Pittsburgh Steelers in your near future.

Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday the Steelers are “open to looking to maybe bring someone in” this week to provide the team with some much-needed depth after three starters had to be helped off the field during Sunday night’s 23-20 victory over Indianapolis.

Tomlin stressed the team is looking for depth, not someone to show up on Wednesday and be ready to play in Sunday’s game at Houston.

“It would just be for practice purposes only,” Tomlin said.

At least, as of now. Given the perpetual state of flux the line has been for the last two seasons, Tomlin knows it’s too early to rule anything out.

If Scott can’t go, veteran Trai Essex — signed off the street earlier this month — will be in charge of protecting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s blind side at left tackle against the Texans (2-1).

His job? Try and hold off a Houston pass rush led by Mario Williams. Not exactly the player the Steelers want to see after allowing Indianapolis defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis wreak havoc in the backfield in front of a national audience, sacking Ben Roethlisberger three times and forcing him to put it on the ground twice.

Tomlin gave credit to Freeney and Mathis rather than point fingers at his players, though he acknowledges the line needs to get better if the Steelers want to take some of the pressure off Roethlisberger.

The running game is 20th in the league in yards per game (85.7) and 26th in yards per attempt (3.3). Not exactly the formula the franchise typically uses to win games.

Tomlin would like the offense to be more balanced but refuses to place blame on the line or running back Rashard Mendenhall.

“We’re still very much a team in development in that area,” he said. “I’m trying not to frame it.”

Plugging holes along the line is almost an annual challenge for the Steelers. They did it with aplomb last year, using seven different starting combinations en route to a Super Bowl appearance.

If Scott can’t play, the line will have its fourth different lineup in as many games.

There haven’t been nearly as many injuries on defense, and there’s proof the Steelers are starting to round into shape after getting whipped in Baltimore in the season opener.

Pittsburgh shutout lifeless Seattle and held the Colts to 241 yards even though Indianapolis managed a late touchdown drive to tie the game at 20 behind lightly experienced backup quarterback Curtis Painter.

The defense could get a boost on Sunday if defensive end Brett Keisel’s sprained knee continues to improve. Keisel sat out last week, though third-year man Ziggy Hood held his own.

Though Tomlin says the run defense could be better, the Steelers have been solid against the pass, allowing a mere 164 yards per game. Linebacker James Harrison continues to round into form as he comes back from a pair of offseason back surgeries, registering a sack and forced fumble that safety Troy Polamalu returned for a touchdown.

Tomlin laughed when asked if there’s evidence the 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year appears to be getting healthier.

“He’s a sandbagger,” Tomlin said, “we expect that.”

The Steelers also expect their turnover problems to end. Pittsburgh is minus-9 through three games, easily the worst turnover ratio in the league.

Despite the mistakes, they’re still 2-1 on the season. The miscues, while highly visible, haven’t damaged the season. Yet.

“We were not perfect by any stretch,” Tomlin said. “We’re very much a team in development … but it’s encouraging to see necessary plays in all three phases of the game.”

There may be no nastier rivalry than the one shared by the Pittsburgh
Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, two teams whose already physical approaches
are only intensified when they face one another.

As long as Ben Roethlisberger’s(notes) been available, though, it’s been rather
one-sided.

A wild comeback on their way to Super Bowl XLV was the seventh straight time
the Steelers have beaten Baltimore with Roethlisberger under center, a streak
certainly on the minds of both teams heading into Sunday afternoon’s season
opener at M&T Bank Stadium.

Smash-mouth defense and stellar running games have defined Pittsburgh and
Baltimore for years, but it’s been a quarterback who’s made the difference in a
rivalry that Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis(notes) sums up as “get hit or be hit.”

Both finished 12-4 in 2010 after winning on their opponents’ home field in
the regular season, though Roethlisberger – serving a league-mandated four-game
suspension – missed a 17-14 loss in Week 4.

He was back to engineer a 13-10 win at Baltimore in Week 13 that propelled
the Steelers to the AFC North title, then was at his best in the teams’
divisional playoff meeting at Heinz Field. With Pittsburgh down 21-7 at
halftime, Roethlisberger threw two second-half touchdown passes, then set up the
winning score with a 58-yard strike to Antonio Brown(notes), enabling Rashard
Mendenhall(notes) to score with 1:33 left to cap a 31-24 victory.

“He may not be (Tom) Brady or all those other guys, but when I see him in
the huddle I know we’ve got a chance to win,” said Steelers receiver Hines Ward(notes),
who added the Ravens would be “ticked about this (loss) for a long time.”

“He’s a proven winner. And history shows he’s a proven winner against
Baltimore.”

Roethlisberger has thrown 12 touchdown passes and just three interceptions -
posting a 93.9 passer rating – during his personal seven-game winning streak
against the Ravens, twice helping Pittsburgh knock them out of the playoffs
since 2008.

Not that he relishes facing one of the league’s most ferocious defenses.

“I hate going to Baltimore, I hate playing there, and I hate playing them in
general just because they are good,” Roethlisberger told the Steelers’ official
website. “That’s not a knock on them; it’s giving them a lot of credit because
they are such a good football team. … This is almost like its own season when
we play those guys.”

Joe Flacco(notes), who’s been under center for six of those losses, has thrown five
TDs, seven interceptions and had a 59.2 QB rating.

It’s those two in January, though, that have stuck with Ravens linebacker
Terrell Suggs(notes), one of the more active participants of trash talk in a series
full of them.

“They spoiled our Super Bowl dreams for two out of three years,” Suggs said.
“We have to switch that, you know? … I’m tired of having a sick feeling in my
stomach for a whole year. Game one. Let’s go.”

Roethlisberger was considerably less impressive in the Steelers’ 31-25 loss
to the Packers in the Super Bowl, throwing two interceptions – including one
that was returned to put Pittsburgh in a 14-0 hole.

But after making it to the NFL’s biggest stage for the third time in six
seasons, the Steelers largely sat out the league’s frenzied but brief offseason.
A flirtation with Plaxico Burress(notes) didn’t pan out, and Pittsburgh eventually
settled for Jerricho Cotchery(notes) to be its fifth receiver.

Its biggest move was to re-sign cornerback Ike Taylor(notes), who will play Sunday
despite breaking his left thumb in the team’s preseason opener.

“Tell me where to go, give me a time, pick a place and I will be there,”
Taylor said of facing the Ravens.

Taylor, Troy Polamalu(notes) and the rest of Pittsburgh’s secondary will find
another speedy target to cover. Baltimore traded a fourth-round pick to Buffalo
for Lee Evans(notes), hoping the veteran can provide a downfield threat to complement
Anquan Boldin(notes).

Evans is hardly the only new face, however. The Ravens brought in 20 new
players, with fullback Vonta Leach(notes) and veteran offensive linemen Bryant McKinnie(notes)
and Andre Gurode(notes) among those expected to give Flacco and running back Ray Rice(notes)
some help.

Gone are Willis McGehee, Todd Heap(notes), Derrick Mason(notes) and nose tackle Kelly
Gregg(notes).

Lewis isn’t sure which team’s approach – the Steelers’ stay-put mentality or
the Ravens’ flurry of changes – will pay off Sunday.

“You can look at it for them and say, ‘keeping their core together is an
advantage for them,’” Lewis told the Ravens’ official website. “And then you can
come on the flip side for us and say, ‘the different changes we did make, we
didn’t make changes to get worse, we made changes to get better.’”

Eight of the last nine meetings have been within a touchdown, with five of
those being decided by a field goal.

The Steelers haven’t lost on opening week since 2002, the league’s longest
active streak. Baltimore has won its past three openers.

PITTSBURGH (AP)—Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu(notes) wants to remain
in black and gold the remainder of his career.

How much green it will take, and how quickly he’ll start to see it, is still
up in the air.

Polamalu said Wednesday contract talks with the Steelers are between his
agent, Marvin Demoff, and the team. The 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the Year is
in the final season of a five-year deal that will pay him about $6.4 million
this season.

The perennial Pro Bowler has said he’d love to stay, but limited salary cap
space could be an obstacle to getting a deal done before the season.

Either way, it’s unlikely Polamalu would leave considering his fondness for
the team, and the city, and the organization’s habit of keeping homegrown stars.

The Steelers have already signed linebackers Lawrence Timmons(notes) and LaMarr
Woodley(notes) to lengthy extensions and return all 11 defensive starters from a unit
that led the league in points against a year ago.

Woodley said last month it’s only natural that Polamalu is next in line to
get a new contract, but the soft-spoken safety would rather not do his
negotiating in public.

“I’ll leave all contract discussions between the Steelers and my agent,”
Polamalu said. “It’s just better that way, so that things don’t get
misconstrued.”

The 30-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, finishing with
seven interceptions, 64 combined tackles and a sack. Yet he was slowed by an
Achilles injury late in the season and admits he wasn’t 100 percent during the
playoffs or the 31-25 loss to Green Bay in the Super Bowl.

He’s paced himself during training camp, though he showed flashes of
brilliance in a preseason win over Philadelphia three weeks ago, intercepting
Michael Vick(notes) and going on a freewheeling return that included a fake pitch and
an abrupt ending after Vick drilled Polamalu in the knees.

The Steelers rarely negotiate during the season, but would likely give
Polamalu the franchise tag next year while it works on a new deal for him, a
tactic they used this spring before re-signing Woodley.

If the talks are weighing on him, it doesn’t show. He’s too concerned with
Sunday’s opener against the Baltimore Ravens. Polamalu demurred when asked who’s
the best safety in the league, himself or Baltimore star Ed Reed(notes).

“I’ve always considered Ed Reed to be the best safety in the NFL and
perhaps ever,” Polamalu said. “So, we can clear that up right away. But the
truth about it is that defenses always come down to how the secondary plays. So,
whatever defense plays best in this game, usually comes out with the win.”

The Steelers should be at full strength as both Ike Taylor(notes) (broken left
thumb) and Bryant McFadden(notes) (hamstring) practiced on Wednesday. Yet it’s clear
Polamalu is the defense’s biggest playmaker, his instincts have a habit of
bringing him in contact with the ball with stunning regularity.

Taylor has been so impressed during camp he felt the need to declare
“Troy’s back.” Actually, Taylor said, he never went anywhere in the first
place.

“Sure, he missed a couple games,” Taylor said, “but the games he was in
there, he had like seven picks in six games.

“So, Troy is Troy.”

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu wants to remain in black and gold the remainder of his career.

How much green it will take, and how quickly he’ll start to see it, is still up in the air.

Polamalu said Wednesday contract talks with the Steelers are between his agent, Marvin Demoff, and the team. The 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the Year is in the final season of a five-year deal that will pay him about $6.4 million this season.

The perennial Pro Bowler has said he’d love to stay, but limited salary cap space could be an obstacle to getting a deal done before the season.

Either way, it’s unlikely Polamalu would leave considering his fondness for the team, and the city, and the organization’s habit of keeping homegrown stars.

The Steelers have already signed linebackers Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley to lengthy extensions and return all 11 defensive starters from a unit that led the league in points against a year ago.

Woodley said last month it’s only natural that Polamalu is next in line to get a new contract, but the soft-spoken safety would rather not do his negotiating in public.

“I’ll leave all contract discussions between the Steelers and my agent,” Polamalu said. “It’s just better that way, so that things don’t get misconstrued.”

The 30-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, finishing with seven interceptions, 64 combined tackles and a sack. Yet he was slowed by an Achilles injury late in the season and admits he wasn’t 100 percent during the playoffs or the 31-25 loss to Green Bay in the Super Bowl.

He’s paced himself during training camp, though he showed flashes of brilliance in a preseason win over Philadelphia three weeks ago, intercepting Michael Vick and going on a freewheeling return that included a fake pitch and an abrupt ending after Vick drilled Polamalu in the knees.

The Steelers rarely negotiate during the season, but would likely give Polamalu the franchise tag next year while it works on a new deal for him, a tactic they used this spring before re-signing Woodley.

If the talks are weighing on him, it doesn’t show. He’s too concerned with Sunday’s opener against the Baltimore Ravens. Polamalu demurred when asked who’s the best safety in the league, himself or Baltimore star Ed Reed.

“I’ve always considered Ed Reed to be the best safety in the NFL and perhaps ever,” Polamalu said. “So, we can clear that up right away. But the truth about it is that defenses always come down to how the secondary plays. So, whatever defense plays best in this game, usually comes out with the win.”

The Steelers should be at full strength as both Ike Taylor (broken left thumb) and Bryant McFadden (hamstring) practiced on Wednesday. Yet it’s clear Polamalu is the defense’s biggest playmaker, his instincts have a habit of bringing him in contact with the ball with stunning regularity.

Taylor has been so impressed during camp he felt the need to declare “Troy’s back.” Actually, Taylor said, he never went anywhere in the first place.

“Sure, he missed a couple games,” Taylor said, “but the games he was in there, he had like seven picks in six games.

“So, Troy is Troy.”

AP Photo/Bob Leverone

Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton (1) scrambles past Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ryan Mundy (29) for a long gain during the first quarter of a preseason NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011.

The Carolina Panthers never asked Cam Newton to save them — just lead them.
Now it’s time for him to show he can do it in a game that matters.
The Panthers declared Newton their opening day starter following their 33-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night in the preseason finale.
That came after he threw his first touchdown pass as a pro.
“We didn’t draft Cam to be the savior,” coach Ron Rivera said. “We drafted him to help lead this football team.”
The Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 draft pick out of Auburn played only the first series, and was 3 of 5 for 25 yards with the 10-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey.
That came against a Steelers defense that rested Troy Polamalu and several other key players — and it certainly won’t be the case Sept. 11 when Newton faces Arizona in his regular season debut.
“Even with this position given, it doesn’t stop here,” Newton said. “I can’t just sit back and say, ‘I’ve arrived,’ because we’ve got a long way to go. … The record begins now.”
Charlie Batch started for Pittsburgh and was 6 of 8 for 59 yards and led a touchdown drive while playing roughly one quarter. He and Dennis Dixon are competing to back up Ben Roethlisberger, who also sat this one out.
“We asked them to come in and run some different things, with some different personnel, and I think they both showed great poise in that,” said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who called it “a good ending to a nice preseason for us.”
Not many starters played for either team during what essentially was one last audition for players battling for roster spots and position on the depth chart, with cuts coming Saturday.
Polamalu, James Harrison and many of the other Pittsburgh starters didn’t see the field for a unit that last season ranked second in the league in total defense, was its toughest against the run and helped the Steelers make their eighth Super Bowl appearance.
And without them standing in the way, Newton appeared quite comfortable.
He took just nine snaps, but that was enough to show off the combination of speed and arm strength that has the Panthers hoping he can revive the league’s worst offense in 2010.
He led the Panthers 71 yards to a touchdown, and his only carry of that drive was a 19-yard run in which he took off from the pocket and made a nifty cut left to the Pittsburgh 22.
That set up the touchdown pass four plays later, when he dropped back and hit Shockey with a quick strike inside the 10.
The veteran tight end slipped out of Ryan Mundy’s grasp on his way to the end zone to make it 7-all.
“Tonight went just how we would like it to go, with our offense playing one series,” tackle Jordan Gross said. “Cam looked like he was playing his best football.”
Newton’s most impressive play, though, might have been his first incompletion.
As Larry Foote was bringing him down during a rollout, Newton managed to fling the ball roughly 30 yards near the sideline to Shockey before Mundy broke up the pass.
“I had him in the grasp, but he’s really strong,” Foote said. “I struggled getting him down.”
Notes: The Panthers finished the preseason 1-3 and lost three straight. The Steelers were 3-1 and won three straight. … FB Jerome Felton, claimed by Carolina off waivers from Detroit earlier in the day, not only was in uniform but had a 3-yard carry on the opening drive. … Steelers CBs Cortez Allen and Bryant McFadden were in uniform for the first time this preseason. … Panthers backup LT Garry Williams injured his lower left leg early in the second quarter and did not return. … Pittsburgh’s Shaun Suisham kicked a 52-yard field goal, and Swayze Waters kicked a 53-yard field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter.

The Panthers declared Newton their opening day starter following their 33-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night in the preseason finale.

That came after he threw his first touchdown pass as a pro.

“We didn’t draft Cam to be the savior,” coach Ron Rivera said. “We drafted him to help lead this football team.”

The Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 draft pick out of Auburn played only the first series, and was 3 of 5 for 25 yards with the 10-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey.

That came against a Steelers defense that rested Troy Polamalu and several other key players — and it certainly won’t be the case Sept. 11 when Newton faces Arizona in his regular season debut.

“Even with this position given, it doesn’t stop here,” Newton said. “I can’t just sit back and say, ‘I’ve arrived,’ because we’ve got a long way to go. … The record begins now.”

Charlie Batch started for Pittsburgh and was 6 of 8 for 59 yards and led a touchdown drive while playing roughly one quarter. He and Dennis Dixon are competing to back up Ben Roethlisberger, who also sat this one out.

“We asked them to come in and run some different things, with some different personnel, and I think they both showed great poise in that,” said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who called it “a good ending to a nice preseason for us.”

Not many starters played for either team during what essentially was one last audition for players battling for roster spots and position on the depth chart, with cuts coming Saturday.

Polamalu, James Harrison and many of the other Pittsburgh starters didn’t see the field for a unit that last season ranked second in the league in total defense, was its toughest against the run and helped the Steelers make their eighth Super Bowl appearance.

And without them standing in the way, Newton appeared quite comfortable.

He took just nine snaps, but that was enough to show off the combination of speed and arm strength that has the Panthers hoping he can revive the league’s worst offense in 2010.

He led the Panthers 71 yards to a touchdown, and his only carry of that drive was a 19-yard run in which he took off from the pocket and made a nifty cut left to the Pittsburgh 22.

That set up the touchdown pass four plays later, when he dropped back and hit Shockey with a quick strike inside the 10.

The veteran tight end slipped out of Ryan Mundy’s grasp on his way to the end zone to make it 7-all.

“Tonight went just how we would like it to go, with our offense playing one series,” tackle Jordan Gross said. “Cam looked like he was playing his best football.”

Newton’s most impressive play, though, might have been his first incompletion.

As Larry Foote was bringing him down during a rollout, Newton managed to fling the ball roughly 30 yards near the sideline to Shockey before Mundy broke up the pass.

“I had him in the grasp, but he’s really strong,” Foote said. “I struggled getting him down.”

Notes: The Panthers finished the preseason 1-3 and lost three straight. The Steelers were 3-1 and won three straight. … FB Jerome Felton, claimed by Carolina off waivers from Detroit earlier in the day, not only was in uniform but had a 3-yard carry on the opening drive. … Steelers CBs Cortez Allen and Bryant McFadden were in uniform for the first time this preseason. … Panthers backup LT Garry Williams injured his lower left leg early in the second quarter and did not return. … Pittsburgh’s Shaun Suisham kicked a 52-yard field goal, and Swayze Waters kicked a 53-yard field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

At least, as happy as he can be. The truth is, Dixon explored his options. He spent the first week after the NFL lockout ended hoping another team would tender the restricted free agent an offer. One never materialized, however, and the fourth-year player ended up signing a one-year deal to return to Pittsburgh.

“Obviously if choices were to come my way, it would have been presented to me,” Dixon said. “But (the shortened free agency period) was too fast, too quick and the lockout pretty much forced everybody’s hand as to what they want to do.”

Leaving Dixon with little choice on what he has to do over the next four weeks if he wants to stay in the NFL.

The former Oregon star and veteran backup Charlie Batch are fighting to be the team’s No. 3 quarterback behind Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich, and both reserves expect to get plenty of reps Friday when the Steelers open the preseason at Washington.

Batch’s job will be helping the young players who will be on the field with him get comfortable playing at the NFL level. Dixon’s job? Proving to the Steelers — or perhaps a team with some instability at the top of the depth chart — that he’s ready to run the show.

“He feels like he’s ready to be a starter,” Batch said. “He wants to compete and unfortunately it’s not going to happen here and everybody knows that. You have Ben here. He’s going to be here. He’ll probably retire here.”

Leaving the 26-year-old Dixon with a choice, try and hang around Pittsburgh working as Plan B or move on. He’s not ready to talk about it, but his teammates are well aware this is probably his last season in black-and-gold.

“I think Double D, he can be a great player in this league if someone just picks him up and lets him loose,” wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said. “I know he’s going to ball in the preseason because he knows what’s at stake.”

Dixon downplays the importance of the next four weeks, but allows that he’s “pretty low on the totem pole.”

It’s a spot he’s grown a little too accustomed to during his three years in the league. He was one of the most electrifying players in the nation during his senior year with the Ducks in 2007 only to have his season end with a torn ACL.

The injury sent him tumbling down draft charts and he wound up going in the fifth round to the Steelers. He spent two years learning the system and working on his passing mechanics when he appeared to have the opening he needed last fall following Roethlisberger’s suspension for violating the NFL’s player conduct policy.

Dixon’s mobility helped him beat out Batch, long entrenched as Roethlisberger’s main backup, and Leftwich for the interim starting job. He played efficiently in a 15-9 season-opening win over Atlanta before tearing the meniscus in his left knee against Tennessee a week later.

By Will Graves, Associated Press

LATROBE, Pa. — Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin turned toward practice field No. 2 at Saint Vincent College just before 5 p.m. on Thursday and yelled “suit’em up!”

And just like that, offensive tackle Willie Colon went back to work.

While fellow lineman Doug Legursky sprinted to grab his helmet and shoulder pads — singing Aerosmith’s “Back in the Saddle” as he did it — Colon took his time. He ran his hand through his braids and slowly made his way to his spot in the stretching line with the rest of his teammates.

The 28-year-old Colon and other free agents across the league were finally allowed to practice Thursday when the NFL lockout officially ended after the NFL Players Association ratified the new collective bargaining agreement with owners, ending 4½ months of posturing, negotiating and uncertainty.

Colon’s wait was longer. Much longer. He hadn’t hit someone in more than 13 months and wondered if he’d ever be the same after tearing the Achilles’ tendon in his right leg in June 2010.

His journey back to the field has been arduous at best and frustrating at worst. It’s why he didn’t race over to the rest of his teammates. He wanted 30 seconds to appreciate the start of the rest of his football life.

“I’ve been ready for this,” Colon said. “I know how hard I worked.”

Even if Colon wasn’t exactly thrilled with the circumstances.

As anxious as he was to start earning the five-year, $29-million deal he signed last week, he wasn’t so eager that he was going to rubber-stamp the CBA. Colon voted against ratifying the new deal.

He was joined by several other members of the defending AFC champions who were concerned about the way the negotiations were handled and the autonomy NFL commissioner Roger Goodell maintained when it came to doling out player discipline.

“We felt like it was getting shoved down our throats,” Colon said. “Our player (representative) wasn’t comfortable with it. We’re a strong locker room. We’ve been through too much. We’re not going to just file it away the way other teams do. We do what we want, we make our own rooms and we said ‘no.’”

Pittsburgh player rep Ryan Clark declined to confirm whether the team voted as a whole against the new CBA, as did quarterback Charlie Batch, a member of the NFLPA’s executive committee.

Still, Clark acknowledged the team had issues with Goodell’s ability to serve as judge and jury when it came to handing out punishment for illegal hits. The Steelers were a favorite target last season, with linebacker James Harrison fined four times by the league for illegal contact.