The Pittsburgh Steelers shut out the Buffalo Bills 17-0 with the starters seeing their most significant action since Super Bowl XLIII.
Showing no signs of injury, Ben Roethlisberger went 15-19 and led the team on two scouring drives. 2008 first round pick Rasshard Mendenhall also won praise from the Post-Gazette’s Ed Bouchette despite losing another fumble and being held to a three yard per carry average. Mendenheall did score the team’s first touchdown and did post a nice 12 yard run. Overall, he was 16 for 48 on the evening.
Backup quarterback Charlie Batch also looked sharp, going 7 for 9 for 79 yards, and fourth string quarterback Mike Riley went 3-3 for 35 yards.
Consistency Elusive for Isaac Redman
Isaac Redman, an undrafted rookie free agent from Bowie State University in Maryland, was the star of the team’s first preseason game against Arizona. Against the Cardinals, the previously unknown Redman scored twice during goal line situations. He followed that up with an impressive showing against Pittsburgh’s first team defense in goal drills at St. Vincents.
Since then, however, Redman has struggled to find consistency. Against the Redskins in the second preseason game of the year, Redman had two carries for 3 yards. Last night against the Bills Redman got his most extensive work carrying the ball 13 times for 31 yards for a 2.4 yard average.
The game was not broadcast in Steel Curtain Rising’s neck of the woods (Buenos Aires, Argentina), so we’ll add the caveat that these stats could be misleading.* But judging purely on the numbers, it does not appear that Redman has managed to build any momentum for his case for making the team. (Perhaps he’s a good candidate for the practice squad?)
Stefan Logan, All About Momentum
Another once dark horse candidate to make the team, Stefan Logan, seems to be making the most of his opportunities.
Logan, a small but fast CFL stand-out, caught attention during training camp with his return abilities. Last week against the Redskins, Stefan Logan tore it up as both a punt and kick returner. The Steelers coaches gave him another look as a punt returner, and he returned four kicks for 63 yards, including one which he brought back for 27 yards.
Logan did not get a chance to return any kicks – but that is certainly not an indictement of what the coaches think of him – the only time the scoreless Bills kicked off was to open the game!
Scott Brown Getting Upper Hand in ‘Battle of the Beat Writers?’
Earlier in the preseason Steel Curtain Rising commented on the fact that the beat writers for the Pittsburgh’s rival news papers, the Post-Gazette and the Tribune-Review had offered dueling assessments of Logan’s chances of making the team.
Ed Bouchette, dean of the Steelers press corps, did not think Logan had much of a shot while the Tribune Review’s Scott Brown thought highly of Logan.
At this point it looks like Scotty Brown has the upper hand over Bouchette.
*Hey folks, I am sure that plenty of you saw the game. Let us know what you think about Redman, Mendenhall, Logan, or any other Steeler hopeful. Click here to leave a comment.
