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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.

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.

(Sports Network) – After nearly posting the first 3-0 start in club history,
the Houston Texans must rebound this week against a Pittsburgh Steelers team
that is still in the process of putting an embarrassing season-opening loss
behind them.

The Steelers will likely have to contend with Arian Foster this Sunday at
Reliant Stadium, and Texans head coach Gary Kubiak thinks the former rushing
champ has finally put behind a nagging hamstring injury that has held him out
of two of Houston’s three games this year.

“He’s fine. Like I said, he should be okay heading into the rest of the season
now hopefully,” Kubiak said mid-week. “We’ll keep our fingers crossed. He’s
chomping at the bit and ready to go.”

Houston won its season opener without Foster, then overcame his early exit to
down Miami in Week 2. The 25-year-old then sat out last Sunday’s back-and-forth
meeting with the New Orleans Saints, one that ended in a 40-33 defeat for the
Texans.

The two clubs traded the lead five times, but the Texans suffered from
multiple missed opportunities after settling for four Neil Rackers field goals
from within 40 yards. Houston lost despite posting nearly 500 yards of offense
and punting only twice.

“We had more than enough chances in the red zone [last week], and when you do
that you’ve got to come away with sevens and not threes,” said quarterback Matt
Schaub, who threw for 373 yards with three touchdown passes. “We just settled
for too many field goals [last week] and we’ve got to figure out a way to come
away with touchdowns.”

Houston can still put together its first three-game winning streak at home
since Dec. 13, 2009-Sept. 12, 2010, and will try to do so against the Steelers,
who are just happy to be 2-1 after escaping with a 23-20 win at Indianapolis
last weekend.

The Colts hung tight despite playing without quarterbacks Peyton Manning and
Kerry Collins in the game’s late stages, and Pittsburgh triggerman Ben
Roethlisberger shook off three turnovers to pass for 364 yards. That included
an 81-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Mike Wallace.

The Steelers broke a 13-13 tie when James Harrison forced a fourth-quarter
fumble that Troy Polamalu scooped up and took 16 yards for a score. Indy
countered to pull back even later on, but Shaun Suisham was good on a 38-yard
field goal with four seconds left to put Pittsburgh ahead.

“I don’t care how it looks, we just want to get out of stadiums with wins,
particularly road stadiums and AFC ones,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin
said. “We made the necessary plays on offense and defense and special teams.”

Pittsburgh picked up a second straight win following a 35-7 defeat to
Baltimore in Week 1, but has a turnover ratio of minus-9 on the season. Tomlin
knows his team must protect the ball better this weekend.

“This is why they concern me: we are not doing a good enough job of protecting
the ball, and we are not doing a good enough job of getting it,” Pittsburgh’s
head coach said. “Those two things together make you extremely uncomfortable.”

Not helping matters for Tomlin is an offensive line that could be without
tackle Jonathan Scott (ankle) and guard Doug Legursky (shoulder) this weekend,
while tackle Marcus Gilbert could play despite a shoulder ailment.

SERIES HISTORY

The Texans and Steelers have faced one another three times previously in
regular-season play, with Pittsburgh winning the two most recent matchups
following a 24-6 home loss to Houston in 2002. The Steelers exacted revenge
via a 27-7 rout in 2005 in their only all-time visit to Reliant Stadium, and
also defeated the Texans by a 38-17 count at Heinz Field in the 2008 season
opener.

Pittsburgh’s 2008 win over Houston marked the first head-to-head meeting
between Tomlin and Kubiak, as well as each’s only prior encounter with his
counterpart’s respective team.

WHEN THE STEELERS HAVE THE BALL

Despite Roethlisberger (942 passing yards, 3 TD, 4 INT) having accounted for
eight turnovers through the first three weeks, the Steelers’ passing attack
still ranks eighth overall in the league at 294.7 yards per game. That is
because Wallace (21 receptions, 2 TD) continues to come into his own as one of
the most dangerous wideouts in the game. He posted a career-high 144 yards a
week ago, his sixth straight 100-yard receiving game, and needs one more outing
of surpassing the century mark to tie former Houston Oiler Charley Hannigan
(1961) and ex-Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin (1995) for the longest streak in NFL
history. Roethlisberger did throw for a career-high 171 yards in the first
quarter of last week’s matchup and engineered his 24th career game-winning
drive. He is three touchdown passes shy of becoming only the second quarterback
in Steelers history to reach 150 in a career (Terry Bradshaw, 212). If Wallace
isn’t open, Roethlisberger will look towards tight end Heath Miller (9
receptions), who made a season-best five grabs versus the Colts for 71 yards.
Wide receiver Antonio Brown (10 receptions) was also one of nine Pittsburgh
receivers to make a catch, ending with four for 75 yards. Of course,
Pittsburgh’s high passing totals have come at the expense of the run game, with
Rashard Mendenhall (148 rushing yards, 1 TD) totaling just 37 yards on 18
carries versus the Colts.

The Texans only allowed 20 points in winning their first two games before the
Saints doubled up that number in last weekend’s meeting. Houston struggled
against New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, who passed for 370 yards and three
touchdowns. The Texans’ did pick off Brees twice, but saw the Saints add
another two scores on the ground, including rookie Mark Ingram’s 13-yard
scamper with 2:42 to play. Houston is still tied for ninth overall in points
allowed per game and is 14th in total defense at 332.0 yards per game.
Cornerback Johnathan Joseph (12 tackles, 2 INT) was brought in to help
improve the secondary and has done just that, having picked off passes in two
straight games. He last logged three straight interceptions from Sept. 27-Oct.
11, 2009. Defensive end Antonio Smith (7 tackles, 3 sacks) has notched a sack
in all three games this year, while rookie end J.J. Watt (13 tackles, 1 sack)
also had a sack versus New Orleans. Cornerback Kareem Jackson (13 tackles)
matched safety Glover Quin (16 tackles) with eight tackles last week, but is
questionable for Sunday with a knee injury. Linebacker DeMeco Ryans (13
tackles) piled onto his tackle total with six stops against the Saints and
safety Danieal Manning (12 tackles, 1 INT) also had a pick last week.

WHEN THE TEXANS HAVE THE BALL

Fate seemed to be on Houston’s side when Schaub’s late fourth-quarter pass was
deflected right into the hands of Kevin Walter (4 receptions, 1 TD) that the
wide receiver turned into a 20-yard score, but the Texans couldn’t hold the
short-lived lead. Schaub (823 passing yards, 6 TD, 3 INT) still put together a
great game and can match his own club record of 12 straight outings with a
touchdown pass in this one. Wide receiver Andre Johnson (21 receptions, 2 TD)
can also reach a milestone after making seven catches for 128 yards last
weekend. He is six catches shy of 700 and will play in his 119th game this
Sunday. If Johnson reaches the mark versus the Steelers, he would be the
second-fastest ever to do so, behind only former Colt Marvin Harrison (114
games). Tight end Owen Daniels (9 receptions, 2 TD) added five catches for 76
yards and a score last week, while fullback James Casey was an unexpected
source of offense for the ninth-ranked unit after making five catches for 126
yards. The bulk of that total came on a 62-yard catch. Even with Foster
returning, Ben Tate (301 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 1 TD) has likely earned a
role in the Houston offense. He totaled 82 yards on 19 carries versus the
Saints.

While Tomlin wants to see his club force more turnovers, he got a big one from
Polamalu (17 tackles, 1 sack) last week. It was the fourth defensive touchdown
of the safety’s career, and he needs one more to tie for the second-most in
club history. His fumble recovery came off a big sack from Harrison (20
tackles, 2 sacks), who also led the team with seven tackles. Safety Ryan Clark
(16 tackles) added six and cornerback William Gay (9 tackles) had five tackles
in his second straight start for the inactive Bryant McFadden, who could return
this week. Defensive end Brett Keisel (5 tackles), though, is questionable
after suffering a knee injury in Week 2 that held him out of Sunday’s win.
Pittsburgh didn’t allow a touchdown to the Colts until the fourth quarter,
ending its string of eight straight period without allowing the other team to
reach the end zone. The Steelers rank first overall against the pass (164.0
ypg) despite having yet to grab an interception and are the second-ranked
defense overall at 263.3 yards allowed per game.

KEYS TO THE GAME

Pittsburgh’s offense has struggled holding onto the ball, and Houston could
give it fits early. The Texans have forced six turnovers and allowed only 13
points in the first half, with 10 of those coming last week versus the Saints.

Who makes the big play? Both Wallace and Johnson are capable of breaking off a
long game-changer at any moment, and both Roethlisberger and Schaub will battle
to draw first blood in that department.

Ground control to Major Tom: The Texans have been running just fine without
Foster and could really eat up the clock if the standout back isn’t limited and
can find space to run. However, the Steelers like to lay out the big hits on
defense, and Foster will have a target on his back.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The Texans began last season 3-1 before dropping nine of their final 12 games.
A loss here could start a similar slide, especially with upcoming games
against the Raiders, Ravens and Titans, all of whom are 2-1 and share at least
a tie of first place in their division. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, looked to have
hit its stride with a Week 2 shutout of Seattle, but didn’t impress with a slim
victory over an Indianapolis club that was without Manning. Houston’s secondary
was its Achilles’ heel last year, but Joseph could make a difference if he can
slow down Wallace.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Texans 27, Steelers 21

The Sports Network

Whether they clash in the playoffs or early September, when the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are on the same field, emotions run high and the collisions are violent.

That’s what makes it the best rivalry in the NFL.

The last time they met, a trip to the AFC championship game hung in the balance. The consequences won’t be nearly as significant in Sunday’s opener because, after all, each team will still have 15 games left in the regular season.

Try telling that to Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs.

“The stakes are the same. The stakes are always the same,” Suggs said.

Part of the incentive to win Sunday is taking an early lead in the AFC North. Most of all, it’s about beating a fierce rival.

“It’s always a very physical game, it’s usually close and usually very low scoring,” Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “It’s two very, very good defenses going against each other, it’s in the division. So I think that adds a little something extra to it.”

The names change from year to year, but the intensity remains the same. Todd Heap, Derrick Mason, Le’Ron McClain, Willis McGahee and Kelly Gregg — all of whom played a significant role with Baltimore last season — are gone.

It makes no difference to Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who has been a participant in this heated duel since 1996.

“I tell people all the time that there are no better games to play for your legacy,” Lewis said. “When people across the world hear Baltimore and Pittsburgh, everyone is going to have a front row seat because they know exactly what they’re going to get. The players and the people outside the league really care for you because of playing in those rivalries.”

Redskins-Cowboys? Packers-Bears? Anyone who’s been a part of Steelers-Ravens knows there is no comparison to this rivalry.

“It’s the best in sports,” Suggs declared. “Everything the fans want to see out of a rivalry is in this game — the hatred between the two teams, the physicality between the two teams.”

Steelers-Ravens. It’s a double chin-strap game for all the participants, and even that occasionally isn’t enough. In the AFC championship two years ago, McGahee was knocked senseless from a hit by Ryan Clark. Last year in Baltimore, Roethlisberger had his nose broken on the game’s third play.

“I keep telling our guys to stop all the Tweeting stuff, because I’m the one who feels the brunt of it — not our defensive guys,” Roethlisberger said. “I hate playing them, and I hate going down there to play them. But that’s not a knock on them. It’s because they’re so good. I guess if there’s a good thing about playing them first, it’s a chance to get that out of the way and move on to the rest of the season. I guess it’s almost like its own season when we play those guys.”

Roethlisberger has won seven straight starts against Baltimore, but it hasn’t been easy. Five of the last eight games between the teams have been decided by three points, another was 13-9, and Pittsburgh rallied behind Roethlisberger for a 31-24 win last January to end the Ravens’ season.

Close, physical games between two similar teams. That’s what Steelers-Ravens is all about.

Former Cowboys center Andre Gurode, who signed with Baltimore last weekend, didn’t need more than a couple of days to learn what facing the Steelers means to the Ravens.

“I asked a few of the guys on the team about the rivalry and how deep the disgust between the teams exists. That’s a nice way of saying it,” Gurode said. “The Redskins-Cowboys rivalry is pretty serious, but I don’t think I have ever seen anything like a rivalry like this.”

Nor has Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu, whose blitz against Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco forced a fumble that enabled the Steelers to win in Baltimore last season — a key victory that got the Steelers home-field advantage in the postseason. That’s what Suggs meant when he said the stakes are always the same.

Asked if Steelers-Ravens is something like facing UCLA or Notre Dame, Polamalu, who played at Southern California, replied, “That was so long ago. Rivalries are just that. It’s the biggest thing at the present moment, and the Steelers and the Ravens are the biggest thing going right now in the NFL.”

It’s been that way for a long time, actually. Lewis remembers when the Ravens beat Pittsburgh 16-0 in the 2000 opener, a victory that started Baltimore on its way to its lone Super Bowl title. You think that game meant nothing to the Ravens because it was played in September?

“I’ll never say this is too early,” Lewis said. “It’s an AFC team, it’s in your division. Deal with what you’ve got to deal with right now.”

Lewis and Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward have been going at it for years. Neither of them are ready to invite the other over for dinner.

“I respect all those guys, but I wish Ray would retire one of these years,” Ward said. “They’re great competitors, and we have a great rivalry with them. It’s going to be a hard-fought game, and in the AFC North it always comes down to either us or them. In the playoffs, we got the best of them the past couple of times. So, with that, and the media coverage between the two teams with the trash-talking, those things are what makes the rivalry what it is.”

It’s the best the NFL has to offer.

____

AP Sports Writer Will Graves in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger understands the third exhibition game is the closest thing to the real thing as the NFL preseason gets.

Still, when asked what he’s looking for on Saturday night when the Steelers host the Atlanta Falcons, Roethlisberger didn’t hesitate.

“Health,” he said.

Keeping stars off the trainer’s table hasn’t been much of an issue for the defending AFC champions. The same can’t be said for the largely anonymous offensive line, which has been so unstable during camp the Steelers re-signed veteran Trai Essex on Monday just a few weeks after Essex appeared to have eaten himself out of a job.

Tackles Jonathan Scott and Marcus Gilbert and guard Chris Kemoeatu have all missed practice time with injuries, though Gilbert will be healthy enough to start at left tackle if Scott is unable to go after hyperextending his knee in the first quarter of a 24-14 victory over Philadelphia last week.

On a team with few question marks, who will protect Roethlisberger and open up holes for running back Rashard Mendenhall when the regular season begins in Baltimore on Sept. 11 remains a bit of a mystery.

Though Roethlisberger takes solace in the fact the faces will be familiar.

“I don’t think you can ever have enough linemen as fast as sometimes they seem to drop around here,” said Roethlisberger, who encouraged the Steelers to reach out to Essex after keeping in close contact with him during the lockout. “The thing is to just get that chemistry going.”

The starters for both teams will play a half, though the Steelers could find it difficult to one-up their performance against the Eagles, when the offense scored three touchdowns and the defense picked off Philadelphia’s Michael Vick three times in two quarters of regular season worthy play.

Even normally picky coach Mike Tomlin is having a hard time looking for areas where he needs to see improvement. He’ll be more focused on individual efforts with the first roster cuts coming next week.

“This is a big step for us, for a lot of people,” Tomlin said. “The clock is ticking on some men making a statement or making a move.”

On a team loaded with proven veterans at nearly every position, there are precious few spots open on the depth chart. The punting competition between Daniel Sepulveda and Jeremy Kapinos remains up in the air, as does the fight at backup tight end and secondary reserves.

The game could also be vital to Pittsburgh backup quarterbacks Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon. The team will only carry three quarterbacks into the regular season, with Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich locks to stay with the team.

Batch has the experience, but Dixon’s mobility brings an added dimension to the position. Tomlin hasn’t set his rotation against the Falcons, but Dixon could get extensive looks in hopes of drawing interest from another team.

Atlanta, like Pittsburgh, has few roster concerns and no major injuries, though wide receiver Roddy White and cornerback Dunta Robinson will all sit out with relatively minor problems.

The Falcons, who went 13-3 and were the NFC’s No. 1 seed last year, haven’t been quite as sharp as the Steelers during the preseason. They’re eager for the competition Pittsburgh will provide.

“It really is nice to have a good physical test like this,” Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan said. “It’s going to get us right (for) when we gear up and go in September.”

Save for trading up to get Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones in the NFL Draft and landing free agent defensive end Ray Edwards, the Falcons have remained largely quiet, re-signing their own players in hopes of keeping together a core group that’s led the team to consecutive winning seasons for the first time in franchise history.

Drafting – and then keeping – homegrown talent has been an overriding theme in Pittsburgh for years, one the Falcons are starting to follow.

“They’re a team that has sustainability,” Atlanta coach Mike Smith said, “and that’s what we’ve talked about since we got here is about being a team that can sustain from year to year.”

Atlanta’s main goal on Saturday will be looking to gain some confidence after a pair of so-so games against Miami and Jacksonville, both losses. Ryan is 13 for 25 for 206 yards and two touchdowns in the preseason and tight end Tony Gonzalez has just one reception so far. The veteran and future Hall of Famer knows it’s time to start ironing the kinks out.

“We have an opportunity here to go against a great defense,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a good chance to see how we stack up. It can only help us. It’s a real positive for us from the way I’m looking at it. As long as we respond to it and go out there and play the way we are capable of playing. We are a good team.”

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

(Sports Network) -

REPORT DATE: July 28th

SITE: Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA

CAMP OBJECTIVES: After having to withstand a media firestorm surrounding the
Ben Roethlisberger controversy during last year’s camp, the Steelers will have
far less drama to deal with when they make their annual pilgrimage to Latrobe
this summer. With valued cornerback Ike Taylor likely to be re-signed, the
primary area to watch regarding the reigning AFC champions during the training
period will be an offensive line that was hit hard by injuries all throughout
the 2010 Super Bowl run. Starting tackles Max Starks and Willie Colon (an
unrestricted free agent) are coming off neck surgery and an Achilles’ tear,
respectively, while outstanding young center Maurkice Pouncey fractured an
ankle during the playoffs. With veteran defensive mainstays such as safety Troy
Polamalu, outside linebacker James Harrison and end Aaron Smith also battling
various ailments throughout last season, look for most of Pittsburgh’s starters
to see only sporadic action during the preseason. That should give ample
opportunity for defensive end Cameron Heyward, the club’s 2011 first-round
draft choice, and other rookies such as offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert,
cornerbacks Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen and running back Baron Batch to make
strong first impressions. Batch in particular may be offered a long look, as
the Steelers have a need for a third-down running back with previous title-
holder Mewelde Moore uncertain to return.

PRESEASON SCHEDULE (All Times Eastern):

Aug. 11 – at Washington, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 18 – vs. Philadelphia, 8 p.m.
Aug. 27 – vs. Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
Sep. 1 – at Carolina, 8 p.m.

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