Tuesday with Tomlin

Mike Tomlin today didn't sound very optimistic about the chances of wide receiver Antonio Brown playing Monday night against the Chiefs.

Tomlin said Brown has an ankle injury and that he will "keep the door open" for the receiver, but I don't expect Brown to play.

Tomlin also said Troy Polamalu and Marcus Gilbert should return to practice at some point this week, but he does not expect them to play against the Chiefs, either.

The same is likely true of Rashard Mendenhall.

With the Ravens coming up in two weeks, the Steelers are going to play things safe.

@ Jonathan Dwyer is expected back this week, though Tomlin wouldn't commit to a starter at running back.

He did say that the guy who is running the ball the best is going to get the ball.

@ Chris Rainey has a rib injury that Tomlin admitted is going to be painful. But the Steelers' head coach said the injury might not keep Rainey from playing this week.

@ Though Tomlin said the Steelers don't necessarily need to activate a wideout if Brown does not play, they would only have three active if that is the case.

That's not going to happen.

Look for David Gilreath, who could serve as an emergency return man, to be activated.

Post-Giants thoughts

The Steelers didn't necessarily need a signature victory at this point in the season, but they got one Sunday against the Giants.

By beating the defending Super Bowl champions on the road, the Steelers announced their presence with authority to the rest of the NFL.

The Steelers are a team to be reckoned with.

And the Steelers didn't just win this game; they dominated it.

Holding that offense to 182 total yards and 13 points is the kind of effort you can hang your hat on.

If not for some questionable defensive penalties - a pass interference on Keenan Lewis and a supposed helmet-to-helmet hit call on Ryan Clark in the end zone - the Steelers would have given up less than that.

More importantly, the Giants had three possessions in the fourth quarter and went three-and-out in all three.

@ Speaking of Keenan Lewis, he played yet another outstanding game.

Everyone has been talking about who the Steelers need to re-sign this offseason as they head into free agency.

Lewis might now be at the top of that list.

@ Apparently, since offensive coordinator Todd Haley simplified the runs and run blocking schemes, it doesn't matter who the Steelers put back there.

All Isaac Redman did Sunday was run for 147 yards and a score as the Steelers got their third consecutive 100-yard rushing game from a running back.

There's a good chance they go four-for-four next Monday night against Kansas City, which might be the worst team in the NFL.

@ Antonio Brown suffered a "minor" high ankle sprain and Chris Rainey suffered a rib injury.

Both should be held out of the game against the Chiefs.

Emmanuel Sanders did a fine job in the return game - and catching the ball - while Jerricho Cotchery showed why the Steelers resigned him in the offseason with some big catches as well.

@ The special teams return game was a big difference maker against the Giants.

@ I don't necessarily have a problem with Mike Tomlin's decision to run a trick play on a field goal attempt.

The Steelers work on that play all the time.

And with the way the defense was playing, why not go for the jugular there.

But it would have made more sense to run Redman in that situation. The Giants couldn't stop the run all day.

Steelers-Giants game day thread

A lot has been made of the Steelers' travel today. I don't think their travel schedule affects this game any more than the Giants' issues with having players and their families displaced by Hurricane Sandy for much of the week.

Remember, the Giants were unable to do anything as a team until Wednesday. Injured players couldn't even really get treatment until then.

@ Here are the Steelers' inactives for today: Charlie Batch, Jonathan Dwyer, Rashard Mendenhall, Troy Polamalu, Stevenson Sylvester, Marcus Gilbert and Alameda Ta'amu

Who I like, Giants version

It has been no secret that the Steelers have struggled on the road this season, particularly on defense, where they are not nearly as good as they are within the friendly confines of Heinz Field.

But the numbers are alarming.

At home, the Steelers have given up an average of 12 points per game. On the road, that number climbs to just over 26 points per game.

That's not a good trend, especially when facing a high-powered offense like the Giants on the road.

But Ben Roethlisberger has also been at his best on the road this season as well, throwing eight touchdown passes in those four road games - against just three interceptions - while averaging 317.5 yards per game.

And because of Roethlisberger working against a banged up Giants' secondary, the Steelers will keep this game close and have a chance to win it at the end.

This game has all the looks of one that will go to whichever quarterback has the ball last.

Eli Manning owns 23 career fourth quarter comebacks, including an astounding nine since the start of the 2011 season.

Roethlisberger has 29 such comebacks on his resume, though just three in the last season and a half.

Part of the reason for that is because New York's pass defense has been so bad - and the offense will go an entire half without doing anything.

Witness last week's 29-24 win at Dallas for an example. The Giants built a 23-0 lead in the first half thanks to a bunch of Cowboys' turnovers, then had to rally to win after falling behind 24-23 in the fourth quarter.

But the Steelers have gone through some similar lulls with Roethlisberger. The Steelers have built leads in all three of their losses this season, only to see them slip away when the offense stops scoring and the defense can't hold up.

The Giants are favored by 3 1/2 points in this one and that half point just might be the difference.

Take the Steelers to cover in a 27-24 loss.

@ LaMarr Woodley was back on the practice field today for the Steelers and will play against the Giants.

That's the good news.

The bad is that running back Jonathan Dwyer, coming off back-to-back 100-yard games, was unable to practice and is doubtful to play.

With Rashard Mendenhall also doubtful, Isaac Redman will get the bulk of the carries for the Steelers.

Newsy day on the South Side

It was a busy day at the Steelers practice facility on the South Side Wednesday. Here's a rundown of what was going on.

@ Safety Ryan Clark was cleared by doctors to return to practice Wednesday morning. Clark was on the practice field in the afternoon, the next step in coming back from a concussion suffered Sunday against Washington.

The final step for Clark will be to pass another test on Friday that will allow him to play this Sunday against the Giants.

@ A sure sign that Clark is fine? The Steelers released safety Damon Cromartie-Smith from the active roster to make room for nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu, who was activated from the reserve/suspended list.

As for Ta'amu, he had this to say about his arrest for DUI and a bevy of other charges three weeks ago on the South Side, “It was a big mistake, one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in my life. It won’t happen again.”

@ Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said he has been summoned to the NFL offices on Saturday when the team travels to New York to talk about his injury two weeks ago in a win over Cincinnati.

Sanders grabbed his hamstring and went down while the Steelers were in a no-huddle late in the game, summoning team trainers onto to the field. One play later, he was back out there.

His quick recovery from what he called cramps has caused some to say he was faking the injury to give the Steelers and extra timeout. Trouble is, the Steelers had timeouts remaining at that point.

I don't know whether Sanders was faking an injury or not, but it will be awfully tough for the league office to prove otherwise. And why would Sanders fake an injury when the Steelers still had timeouts remaining?

@ Jonathan Dwyer didn't practice Wednesday but said he intends to go on Thursday.

When asked who the team's starting running back is, Dwyer simply replied "RAC," the team's nickname for Rashard Mendenhall.

With Mendenhall likely out again this week, expect Dwyer to get the start again in New York.

Tuesday with Tomlin

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin would not commit to a starting running back today, saying only that he expected Isaac Redman back at practice Wednesday, while Rashard Mendenhall has been cleared to return to individual drills.

Jonathan Dwyer, who has started the past two games - gaining over 100 yards in each - is expected to sit out practice Wednesday and return Thursday.

Tomlin said he'll wait until later in the week to make a decision on who starts, but the feeling here is that Dwyer starts, Redman serves as a third-down and short-yardage back and Mendenhall sits out again while he gets that Achilles' tendon 100 percent healthy.

@ Troy Polamalu and Marcus Gilbert are out again, while Stevenson Sylvester is also looking doubtful with a hamstring.

@ Ryan Clark will have to pass concussion tests but should be OK.

LaMarr Woodley's hamstring is still a little sore and the Steelers will be limited at practice early in the week.

@ Tomlin said he expects that the league is keeping a close eye on the situation in New York this week with the weather.

There's been extensive flooding in the New York/New Jersey area, making travel around the city difficult.

Things aren't expected to get back to normal for several days and I wouldn't be surprised if this game was bumped to Monday night to allow an extra day for cleanup.

UPDATE: As of Tuesday, the NFL is not moving the game from the 4:30 p.m. Sunday start. But, according to an NFL spokesman, the league is continuing to monitor the situation.

@ If you're looking for some insight into what the Steelers are planning to do with rookie nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu, look no further than the move they made Tuesday.

The Steelers released practice squad defensive tackle Corbin Bryant and signed John Malecki and tight end/fullback Jamie McCoy to the practice squad.

That tells me that they are planning on activating Ta'amu to the active roster and releasing a tight end.

Post-Washington thoughts

And to think, there were people who actually thought this would be a close game.

The Steelers set the tone defensively in this one on their first series.

The Redskins ran a reverse at James Harrison and Brett Keisel for nine yards on first down. They then ran Alfred Morris at them again on second and third downs. Result? Minus three yards and a punt.

Harrison continually manhandled the tight ends the Redskins kept running at him, sealing the edge on play after play.

So much for him having lost something.

Harrison is playing his way back into game shape and is starting to get there.

@ The Steelers are now 14-1 against rookie quarterbacks since Dick LeBeau became defensive coordinator in 2004.

Rookie quarterbacks are, after all, still rookie quarterbacks.

Not that Robert Griffin III played poorly, but he wasn't great, either. Yes, his receivers dropped a bunch of passes, but Griffin - I refuse to refer to him as Griffin III as the press box announcer did Sunday - also had just eight yards rushing on six carries.

The Steelers kept him in the pocket for the most part and limited his big plays.

@ Morris, by the way, came into the game second in the NFL in rushing and left with 59 yards.

He was more effective running the ball than Griffin, but also got stopped - like in the first quarter - as often as he ripped off a 10-yard run. And he had a few of those.

@ Todd Haley continues to come up with new wrinkles in his offense. Sunday, it was a fake bubble screen that allowed Heath Miller to slip downfield for a 25-yard gain.

It was well designed and future opponents are going to have to take a look at that before they jump up to bite on those bubble screens.

@ Haley is also doing exactly what was asked of him when he was hired - keeping Ben Roethlisberger upright.

In fact, after being sacked five times in the opener at Denver, Roethlisberger has been sacked just eight times in the past six games, a span of 228 passes.

When did you ever think you'd see Roethlisberger sacked once every 25 pass attempts?

And this is with pretty much the same group of guys the Steelers have been getting things done with the past few years, you know, the guys who couldn't block a toilet.

Goes to show that a different offense can lead to different results.

Of course, the Steelers head to New York to face the Giants this week, so that line will be tested greatly.

@ Speaking of Haley and Roethlisberger, the Steelers had three TD passes Sunday, two to tight ends, one to a fullback.

That was a season's worth of TD passes to those positions under Bruce Arians.

@ In their past 12 home games, the Steelers are 11-1 and have given up 126 points.

Steelers-Redskins game-day thread

It's chilly and wet in Pittsburgh today, but at least it's not raining - for now.

That shouldn't affect the play of the game.

Isaac Redman is inactive for the Steelers, meaning Jonathan Dwyer should get the bulk of the carries.

DeMarcus Van Dyke is also down, with Damon Cromartie-Smith active in his place.

Who I like, Washington version

This is a game the Steelers have to have for a number of reasons.

First, this team needs to prove to itself it can win two games in a row. The Steelers haven't done that yet and need that for some peace of mind.

Second, with a game at New York against the Giants next week, a loss here would be trouble.

Third, given the team's early road struggles, the Steelers have to go 7-1 or 8-0 at home if they hope to get to 10 or 11 wins.

I think they'll take care of business.

While Washington's defense has been opportunistic, picking off 10 passes, it's not very good in the secondary.

Ben Roethlisberger and company should have a field day there.

And the Steelers, who have given up 104 points in their past 10 home games, will come up with enough defense to slow Robert Griffin III and company enough to force them into a pure passing mode late in the game.

Also not to be discounted: Washington has already changed kickers once this season, going to Kai Forbath. Forbath has made all four of his field goal attempts this season, but this is about the time of year when Heinz Field starts to get a little tricky.

For an inexperienced kicker, it can be tough.

With the Steelers getting Maurkice Pouncey and Isaac Redman back this week - though Jonathan Dwyer will get the start at running back - Pittsburgh is inching closer to full strength.

Take the Steelers, 31-17

It's looking like Dwyer

It's looking like Jonathan Dwyer will get his second consecutive start this week against Washington as Rashard Mendenhall sat out practice again Thursday, while Isaac Redman was limited.

That's not necessarily a bad thing.

Frequent readers of this blog know that I've thought all along that Dwyer was a better all-around player than Redman - though I like Redman as well.

And given Washington's shoddy defense, letting Mendenhall sit another week isn't a bad thing.

@ I've had to laugh when I hear the topic of the Steelers having to sit either Redman or Dwyer once everyone's healthy.

Were people not listening to what Mike Tomlin had to say about his special teams units on Tuesday.

As Tomlin said, once everyone's healthy, there may be some special teams regulars on the bench if they continue to draw penalties.

We know Baron Batch plays teams, so, in effect, he doesn't necessarily count as a running back. Same goes for Chris Rainey.

The Steelers could keep all five running backs on their roster active on game day with no real problems.

What does Leonard Pope really do, anyway? Same goes for DeMarcus Van Dyke if he continues to draw penalties.

Tuesday with Tomlin

Mike Tomlin said today that he expects to have Maurkice Pouncey back at practice Wednesday after he sat out Sunday's game at Cincinnati with an MCL sprain.

Isaac Redman, Rashard Mendenhall and Chris Carter are all expected to practice at some point this week and could be ready to go against Washington on Sunday.

Safety Will Allen, who has started the last two games at strong safety, could be limited with an ankle injury.

That could be big because Troy Polamalu will be out again as he continues to deal with a calf injury.

Marcus Gilbert will also be out again this week, meaning rookie Mike Adams will get another start at RT.

@ Tomlin said he is troubled by the continued penalties the Steelers are drawing on special teams and that some of the repeat offenders might find themselves on the bench when the team gets in position to do so from a health standpoint.

That could be coming this week if Carter is back.

DeMarcus Van Dyke would be the biggest offender to this point.

Lolley's post-Cincinnati thoughts

The Twittersphere was erupting when the Steelers got in a 14-3 hole to open this game following a Ben Roethlisberger sack and fumble - where the QB stepped right into the waiting arms of several Cincinnati pass rushers.

The season was over. It was time to start thinking about the draft, yada, yada, yada.

And just like that, the Steelers took back the momentum.

They also kept it, thanks to Keenan Lewis.

It was Lewis, on the opening possession of the second half, who peeled off his coverage after reading Andy Dalton's eyes and came back to help Ike Taylor in the end zone on A.J. Green.

If Lewis doesn't tip that ball away, it's a touchdown and a 21-14 Cincinnati lead.

Instead, the Bengals kicked a field goal and then gained a total of 28 yards on 17 plays the rest of the way.

@ I wrote on this blog last week that everything was still right there to accomplish for these Steelers.

It most certainly is now.

That was a signature defensive performance against what has been a pretty good offense.

Yes, the Steelers failed to record a sack, but they had consistent pressure throughout the evening to keep Dalton off balance.

And after the opening drive by the Bengals, the Steelers adjusted and kept Cincinnati from further gouging them on the ground.

It was also the first time this season that the running game looked competent.

I know, they ran the ball with some effectiveness against the Jets, but not as effectively as they did Sunday night against the Bengals.

@ Willie Colon showed some real nasty in this game. It's what everyone had been waiting for when the Steelers moved him inside to guard.

@ If not for some dropped passes, and some ill-timed penalties, this game would have been a 20-point blowout.

The biggest penalty to me was a holding call on DeMarcus Van Dyke - at least the third special teams penalty on him this season - that negated an Antonio Brown punt return to midfield.

That set up Roethlisberger stepping up into a fumble that handed the Bengals their second touchdown - on A.J. Green's only catch.

@ Taylor did a nice job on Green, following him around throughout the game.

I don't think that was originally the plan - or at least that's what Ryan Clark said.

Clark said he went to Mike Tomlin and asked that Taylor be put on Green one-on-one.

Taylor had help a lot of times with Green, and there's nothing wrong with that.

The way the current NFL rules are, it's damn near impossible to play defensive back in this league.

Steelers-Cincinnati thread

With the Ravens getting pounded today in Houston as expected, the AFC North race is wide open again.

In fact, you could argue that the winner of tonight's game - particularly if it is the Steelers - is in the driver's seat in the division.

While Cincinnati has already lost to Baltimore - and Cleveland - in the division, the Steelers still get to play Baltimore twice.

The way the Ravens are headed - with perhaps more injuries than the Steelers - they could fall apart.

@ Maurkice Pouncey won't play tonight for the Steelers. Doug Legursky will start in his place.

Will Allen will get his second start at strong safety.

Who I like, Cincinnati version

I know the Steelers are 0-3 on the road this season. I know they've given up fourth quarter leads in all three of their road games. And I know they will be playing without their top two running backs.

But for some reason, I like this team this week.

Actually, there are several reasons.

First and foremost is the fact that Cincinnati is converting just 27 percent of its third downs - 20 of 75.

The Steelers are allowing opponents to convert at a 49.2 percent rate, but even if that number is somewhere in the middle this week - let's say 36 percent - the Steelers will win.

So long as the Steelers don't let anyone get behind them - and despite their struggles, they lead the league in fewest explosive plays allowed (everybody's defense stinks) - they should be OK.

Another factor that makes me favor the Steelers is Cincinnati's offensive line.

The Bengals have allowed quarterback Andy Dalton to be sacked 17 times in 232 pass attempts, an average of one every 13.6 dropbacks. And if you throw out a game against pitiful Jacksonville in which the Bengals didn't allow a sack in 31 pass attempts, that number falls to one every 11.8 attempts.

With LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison on the field together, the Steelers - who had eight sacks against the Bengals in 2011 - will generate some pressure. In fact, Woodley has eight sacks against the Bengals, his most against any opponent.

The final thing favoring the Steelers is the desperation factor. This is a team that was in shock after losing at Tennessee, but part of that shock could have been from Mike Tomlin's decision to attempt a 54-yard field goal with just under one minute remaining.

That decision, more than anything, cost the Steelers. When Shaun Suisham missed the kick, it gave the Titans the ball in excellent field position, needing just 20 or so yards to get into field goal range.

That's a tough spot to put any defense in, let alone one that is struggling.

Finally, there's this: The Steelers are 11-2 all-time at Paul Brown Stadium.

The Steelers are 1 1/2-point favorites to win this one and will do so.

Take Pittsburgh, 24-20

See how far we've come

In Ben Roethlisberger's rookie season, if he missed any time during practice, the local TV stations would break into their regular programming with breaking news of the injury.

Eight years later, it's become just another day at the office.

Roethlisberger rolled his ankle at practice Thursday, sitting out the remainder of the session.

And the world didn't end.

Of course, that didn't stop some reporters from asking offensive coordinator Todd Haley if Byron Leftwich was capable of executing the offense if Roethlisberger didn't play - where have they been the past eight years?

BREAKING NEWS
Roethlisberger is fine and Leftwich isn't going to play.

@ Maurkice Pouncey gave it a go at practice Thursday and appears to be on track to play Sunday at Cincinnati.

Of course, Friday will be the big day. If Pouncey's injured right knee swells up, the Steelers would be forced to play Doug Legursky against the Bengals.

Not a lost season ... yet

Fans tend to focus on only their own team - hence the term fans.

But those writing the Steelers off aren't looking around at the rest of the AFC right now.

Who's any good in the AFC? Seriously?

Houston, the supposed best team, just got spanked at home by what was a struggling Green Bay team.

Baltimore? The Ravens have been fortunate to win their last two games. I know, good teams find ways to win, but Kansas City fumbled five times last week - including once at the Baltimore 1, and Dallas really outplayed the Ravens Sunday.

The defense has given up more than 400 yards rushing the past two weeks and just lost its middle linebacker and top corner for the season.

New England? Stuck with a group of seven other AFC teams at 3-3.

Cincinnati? The Bengals have lost to the Dolphins - at home - and Browns - on the road - in the past two weeks. Nobody is going to confuse the Dolphins and Browns for good teams.

Fact is, every team in the AFC has its flaws at this point.

Do the Steelers have some as well? Certainly.

But we tend to forget that they are still learning this offense, whether they admit it or not.

And the defense isn't nearly as good as it has been in recent years. But it might be good enough if the offense stops kicking field goals and starts scoring more touchdowns.

Look at it this way, if the Steelers score one more touchdown per game, rather than kick a field goal, they are 4-1 right now rather than 2-3.

That's a play here or there. It's that close.

Busy, busy couple of days

It's been a busy weekend for the Steelers, starting with the release of tight end Wes Saunders on Friday.

Saunders was coming back from a suspension for violation of the league's substance abuse policy and, given how well rookie David Paulson has progressed, there just wasn't any room for a player the coaching staff doesn't trust.

@ While Paulson has stood out, fellow rookie Alameda Ta'amu, a fourth-round draft pick, struggled throughout training camp.

But since the Steelers need a nose tackle in the future to replace Casey Hampton, Ta'amu was on scholarship this season. All he needed to do was learn his position, learn how to be a pro and keep his nose clean.

That ended Saturday night on the South Side, when Ta'amu played drunken bumper cars, ran from police - at least as fast as a 350-pounder can run - and added an assault charge to his other issues.

I can't see Ta'amu hanging on the roster after this.

@ Word is that Rashard Mendenhall's Achilles' tendon tightened up in Tennessee, which is good news.

He should be ready to play at Cincinnati next week.

There's good news on the Maurkice Pouncey front as well. His MCL sprain isn't considered serious. He might play at Cincinnati as well.

The Steelers could also get linebacker LaMarr Woodley back for that game.

I'm now hearing that it could be another two weeks for strong safety Troy Polamalu.

Post-Tennessee thoughts

Mike Tomlin said following this latest road loss that you could blame him for the missed field goal attempt from 54 yards by Shaun Suisham.

No kidding.

You certainly can't blame Suisham there. Even with his make from 52 yards moments before Tomlin sent him on the field with the game on the line, Suisham is just 5 of 12 from 50-plus yards in his career.

And yet Tomlin sent him onto the field to attempt what would have been a career long kick.

Seriously.

I thought when Tomlin called timeout after initially sending Suisham onto the field, it was because he had second thoughts - rightfully - about what he was about to do.

Trying to convert the fourth-and-7 or punting in that situation would have made more sense. Tomlin elected to kick.

That gave the Titans the ball back at their own 45, pretty much needing one play to win it. They got that on third down when a Steelers blitz failed to get to Matt Hasselbeck and he found tight end Jared Cook on a crossing pattern with James Harrison - Pittsburgh's best pass rusher - trailing.

Seriously.

You can't make this stuff up.

I'm sorry, but if it's me and I'm facing a situation where I really, really need to get to the quarterback, I'm having James Harrison try to get there rather than dropping him into coverage.

I know that it's easy to second-guess decisions after the fact, but really, these are such no-brainers, you have to scratch your head and wonder.

@ Ike Taylor is playing with zero confidence right now, which is leading to all of the clutching and grabbing.

Grab, grab, grab. That's all he's doing out there.

Taylor's stat line of six tackles and two pass defenses really doesn't tell the story. Three defensive penalties - one of which was declined because the receiver made the catch anyway - there's your true stat line.

Taylor is better than that.

@ The Steelers actually found a way to make Chris Johnson look like something other than a Milli Vanilli castoff.

Johnson averaged 4.8 yards per carry against this once-vaunted defense, with a long run of 13 yards. That tells you exactly how effective Johnson was. He was consistently banging out five or so yards every carry.

@ I'm going to the stats again on this one. The stat sheet says Ben Roethlisberger threw for 363 yards, which would presumably mean he had a good game.

But a closer look shows that he completed just 10 of 20 passes to his wide receivers, with 14 receptions on 19 attempts to his backs and tight ends. That's Flacco-like.

Isaac Redman made some things happen after the catch, but realistically, who would you rather have with the ball in his hands in the open field, Redman or Antonio Brown.

Brown, by the way, had his worst game in a long, long time, finishing with four receptions for 20 yards despite being targeted 10 times.

The bottom line? Roethlisberger wasn't very sharp in this one.

@ Realistically, I blame this one on the special teams as much as anything.

Not only did the Steelers get a punt blocked to set up a 1-yard touchdown, but DeMarcus Van Dyke had a huge holding penalty on Tennessee's final kickoff to put the ball at the Pittsburgh 11 rather than the 22.

Think those extra 11 yards would have helped Suisham?

Greetings from Nashville

It looks like great weather in Nashville right now, though there is a chance of rain later on this evening.

The Steelers will start Will Allen at strong safety tonight in place of Troy Polamalu.

The move shows that the team has been displeased with the play of Mundy - though Mundy could still see some time rotating with Allen.

Jason Worilds, as expected, will start in place of LaMarr Woodley.

The Steelers' inactives include Charlie Batch, Jonathan Dwyer, Polamalu, Woodley, Adrian Robinson, Kelvin Beachum and Alameda Ta'amu.

Who I like, Tennessee version

What a busy week it's been, what with a game on Sunday and having to travel on Wednesday.

It really doesn't offer time for a whole lot of analysis, but here's what we know.

Troy Polamalu and LaMarr Woodley won't play Thursday night for the Steelers.

Woodley should be back when the Steelers travel to Cincinnati Oct. 21, while Polamalu could be back for that game - though the following week against Washington is more likely.

It says here that it won't matter against the Titans.

Tennessee's biggest issue has been scoring. The Titans allow way too many points and score way too few.

Tennessee is averaging 17.6 points per game and allowing 36.2. You don't often see a 20-point disparity like that in the NFL, which shows just how bad the Titans have been playing.

Yes, the Steelers have had some issues on the road this season as well, giving up 65 points in two road games - both losses - but that shouldn't matter here.

The addition of running game should help.

Part of Pittsburgh issue in its two road losses has been stopping opponents in the second half. The Steelers have given up eight scores in nine second half possessions.

A running game would really help limit some of those second half touches for opposing teams, and Rashard Mendenhall showed Sunday against Philadelphia that he can be a game-changer in that respect.

I think the Steelers build a nice early lead in this one and actually get some stops in the second half.

Take Pittsburgh to win, 31-13

@ On the subject of Polamalu, it's ridiculous that some are ready to jettison one of the team's greatest players.

"He's too injury-prone, blah, blah, blah," the critics say.

I pretty much tune them out when they start that garbage.

Last I checked, Polamalu played all 16 games in 2011. He played 14 games in 2010, when he won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

Yes, he missed 11 games in 2009, but really, that was the exception, not the norm.

This is a player who is as special as any man who has ever put on a uniform, not just for the Steelers, but for any team.

He'll go out on his own terms. And he will be back this season and will again be a difference maker.

In fact, many of the same bozos saying this is the end for Polamalu were probably the same people saying the Steelers should release Mendenhall.

Polamalu's all-out style of play is going to lead to an injury here or there. But he's still one of the biggest difference makers in the league.

Post-Eagles thoughts

We got a good look at what life without Mike Wallace could look like for the Steelers on Sunday as Wallace did a nice impersonation of the invisible man against the Eagles.

Oh, he was out there, as could be judged by his two catches for 17 yards and a couple of dropped passes. But it was certainly not one of the better games in Wallace's career.

With Wallace blanketed and struggling, the Steelers were forced to look elsewhere. That got them Antonio Brown missing a catch in the end zone and Jerricho Cotchery stumbling his way to the 2-yard line on what should have been a touchdown.

@ The people who wanted to get rid of Rashard Mendenhall need only look at the game tape from Sunday to see the difference between Mendenhall and the other backs on the Pittsburgh roster.

I have to admit - even though I wasn't one of the dump Mendenhall crowd - that I didn't think the dropoff between him and Isaac Redman/Jonathan Dwyer was as great as it actually is.

But there it was right in front of me Sunday at Heinz Field, as Mendenhall showed the burst that Redman and Dwyer just don't have.

Though he is in his fifth NFL season, it's easy to forget that Mendenhall is still just 25 years old.

@ Funny what a running game - or at least the threat of one - can do to a pass rush.

The Eagles didn't record a sack Sunday and rarely even seriously pressured Ben Roethlisberger.

@ I asked Mike Tomlin after the game if he is concerned about his defense giving up another fourth quarter lead.

He simply replied, "No."

But it has to be troubling.

Pittsburgh allowed Philadelphia to gain just 246 total yards and gave up only two touchdowns. But both came in the second half.

Certainly, Philadelphia got 30 yards of their first TD drive on a pair of personal fouls and had to convert a pair of fourth downs on the second one, but the Steelers have to find a way to get stops in those situations.

@ James Harrison made his presence felt in this one, even if his stat line didn't show all that much - two tackles, three QB hits.

It was especially important considering that LaMarr Woodley is out for the time being with another hamstring injury.

You have to figure that the Steelers will be without Woodley and Troy Polamalu on Thursday night against Tennessee. Polamalu left in the first half as well after his calf injury flared up.

Couple that with the possibility - and I'm saying possibility here since who knows how the NFL will rule this - that backup safety Ryan Mundy could get a one-game suspension for his second helmet-to-helmet hit on a receiver in the past two games, and the Steelers could be down to Ryan Clark and Will Allen backed up by rookie Robert Golden at safety against the Titans.

Who I like, Philadelphia version

With their backs against the wall a bit, the Steelers are finally healthy, as all 53 men on the team's active roster practiced this week for the first time this season.

In fact, Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles will mark the first time since last year's opener that the Steelers will have their projected starting defense on the field at the same time.

That game didn't work out so well as the Ravens pounded the Steelers, 35-7, in Baltimore.

But this game is at Heinz Field, where, quite frankly, the Steelers don't lose often to NFC teams.

In fact, the Steelers have won their past seven games at Heinz Field against NFC opponents, with the last loss being a 21-14 defeat at the hands of the New York Giants in 2008.

Despite Antonio Brown calling out Eagles' nickel corner Brandon Boykin, the Steelers will probably have more of a running-based attack in this game - at least early on.

Pittsburgh feels like Philadelphia's wide sets with its defensive ends will allow Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman some running lanes.

There will be some losses in the running game since Philadelphia's stunts sometimes lead them into the right hole, but the Steelers feel that with Ben Roethlisberger playing so well, they can offset that.

The Steelers are 3-point favorites in this one and should win and cover that spread, beating a Michael Vick-quarterbacked team for the first time. Vick is 1-0-1 against the Steelers, making him the only current starting quarterback with at least 100 career games that Pittsburgh hasn't beaten.

Take the Steelers, 24-16

Boykin responds to Brown

On Wednesday, Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown called Philadelphia nickel corner Brandon Boykin the "candy bar" of the Eagles defense and said whoever is matched up against Boykin in their game had better win that matchup.

Thursday, Boykin responded.

"That's his opinion," Boykin told the Philadelphia media. "That's funny to me. We're just going to continue doing what we've been doing as a secondary, and me as well."

"We'll see on Sunday. The game's on Sunday. There's no point in rah-rahing in the media on Thursday. I'll let my game do the talking."

Boykin even went as far as to say he hadn't heard of Brown, a Pro Bowl player in 2011, before this week.

"I don't know too much about Antonio Brown," Boykin said. "I just found out who he was this week."

 @ The Steelers had all 53 players on their active roster on the field again Thursday, though defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said he might have to pick his spots with injured stars Troy Polamalu and James Harrison coming back.

Harrison, in particular, hasn't played in a game since last year's playoff loss at Denver.

"They might not be able to play the whole game but we’ll get a lot of quality snaps from them. They both looked real well in the practices the last few days, and I’m anxious to see them play," LeBeau said.

@ Offensive coordinator Todd Haley said offensive lineman David DeCastro is now pain-free and rehabbing well from the knee injury he suffered in the preseason.

DeCastro hasn't even needed a knee brace for the past week, though he's not able to return to practice for about another month.

The Steelers placed DeCastro, their top draft pick, on the injured reserve list with the intent on bringing him back later in the season using the new rule that permits teams to do that with one player.

Steelers finally healthy

The Steelers are expected to have their projected starting defense on the field Sunday against Philadelphia, marking the first time since the opener last year in Baltimore that will have happened.

Head coach Mike Tomlin listed neither Troy Polamalu or James Harrison on the team's injury list and expects both to play Sunday against the Eagles.

The Steelers had their starting 11 on the field together just once in 2011 for the first game against Baltimore. Cornerback Bryant McFadden was among that group, but was injured in that game.

You could argue that McFadden wasn't a starter - since he couldn't get on the field after his return - but even at that, the Steelers lost defensive end Brett Keisel the following week against Seattle.

The next guys to go down were Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton and Harrison at Houston. Smith was lost for the season - and his career - while Hampton missed three games and Harrison four.

By the time Harrison returned to play against Baltimore Nov. 11, fellow linebacker LaMarr Woodley was out of the lineup, having suffered a hamstring injury the previous week in a win over New England.

What does all of this mean?

We really haven't seen the Pittsburgh defense at its projected full strength in quite some time.

That's all part of the game as players age - they become more injury prone - but it will be interesting to see if the troubles the Steelers have had closing out games the past two seasons are solved by having a defense at full strength - or at least as close to it as they have been in some time.

Ziggy Hood has taken over on a full-time basis for Smith and isn't of Smith's caliber, at least not at this point in his career.

Though the Steelers haven't blamed injuries for their issues, it has certainly been pointed to by many, including myself, as a reason for some of their problems.

@ The only player Tomlin listed on his injury report was offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert, who is expected to return to practice today despite a groin injury.

Harrison back at practice

He didn't really want to talk about it, but James Harrison was a surprising participant at practice today for the Steelers as they got back to work following their bye.

The Steelers remain optimistic that Harrison, who hasn't played yet this season, will be ready to play against Philadelphia Sunday.

Harrison practiced for the first time since training camp began last Tuesday, but sat out again on Wednesday as he continues to try to work his way back onto the field following knee surgery in August.

Coupled with the return of Troy Polamalu, who again practiced Monday, the Steelers could be getting two key veterans back.

@ It should come as no surprise to the readers of this blog, but Rashard Mendenhall is also expected to return against the Eagles.

As I have been saying for several weeks, the Steelers were shooting for a return date of after the bye for Mendenhall, who has not played since tearing his ACL last Jan. 1.

Steelers take some days off

The Steelers got their final practice of their bye week in today with one conspicuous absence - linebacker James Harrison.

After practicing Tuesday, Harrison left the team facility on Wednesday before the team completed its late morning session.

That doesn't bode well, but it's not crushing, either.

It might come down to pain management for Harrison, who has shown in the past that he has a high tolerance.

On the positive side, strong safety Troy Polamalu was out there again for the second consecutive day and appears to be on track to play when the team returns to the field Oct. 7 against Philadelphia.

@ Ryan Mundy got rung up to the tune of $21,000 for his hit on Darrius Heyward-Bey last weekend in Oakland.

Given the one-game suspension of Denver's Joe Mays this week for illegal hits in back-to-back games, Mundy could be looking at a similar penalty for another illegal hit this season.

Good news for Steelers

It appears that both James Harrison and Troy Polamalu will be back on the field for the Steelers when they return to action against the Philadelphia Eagles.

That's good news for a defense that has been cheesy soft on the road.

There has been some question as to how much Harrison can help this team because of his health.

Remember, this is a guy who started last season at about 50 percent due to two offseason back surgeries.

Harrison on one leg is better than 75 percent of the pass rushers out there.

Post-Oakland thoughts

This game reminded me of on in Chicago in 1995 when the Steelers got into a shootout with the Bears. The last team to have the ball was going to win it.

Only that Steelers team had a great defense to go along with an emerging offense.

This team has established stars all over on offense and Ben Roethlisberger is playing the best football of his life.

As for a great defense, not so much - at least on the road.

As Brett Keisel said after this one, this team needs to find a way to win on the road if it is going to get to where it wants to go.

That being said, Denver and Oakland are two tough places to open. There are easier road games coming, and the Steelers had to be pleased that they put up 31 points in a very hostile environment.

But the defense allowed scores on five consecutive possessions. Can't somebody, anybody, make a play?

While the Steelers have spent some big money on offensive players in recent years, they've also dropped some heavy coin on a couple of defensive players - LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons - as well.

They're not getting their money's worth right now.

Sure, Woodley had the team's lone sack Sunday and also had a tackle for a loss. But he finished with four tackles.

That was still better than Timmons, who had three tackles. In fact, after recording seven sacks and four forced fumbles in 2009, Timmons has five sacks and two forced fumbles - in the past two-plus seasons.

At this point, he's not even as impactful on a game as Larry Foote, who doesn't have nearly the athleticism of Timmons.

Often times, tackles are a matter of opportunity. But there's something to be said about players who make their own opportunities as well.

@ If you had any question about Mike Tomlin's faith in his defense to stop the Raiders in the second half, you only needed to see him go for a fourth-and-1 at his own 29.

At that point, it was the right call. As we saw, the Steelers couldn't stop Oakland's offense.

With that in mind, I'd have given serious thought to going for it on fourth-and-9 from the 36 as well.

@ Ben Roethlisberger played an outstanding game, leading the team to 31 points while continuing his hot play on third downs, where the Steelers converted 8 of 14 for the game.

But he once again had a chance to lead a fourth quarter, game-winning drive and failed.

In the past two seasons, Roethlisberger has led exactly one game-winner, and that came against lowly Indianapolis last season.

In his first seven seasons, Roethlisberger led 26 such drives, many of which came when he was, you know, just a game manager.

@ This is still a pretty good team with a chance to get much better coming out of the bye when it gets Rashard Mendenhall, Troy Polamalu and James Harrison back.

Mendenhall has looked good in practice and has to be able to give the team something better than the 2.6 yards per carry it's currently averaging.

Polamalu is still Polamalu, while even a one-legged Harrison would give this team some kind of pass rush outside of Woodley.

The Steelers are on pace to allow more touchdown passes (32) than they have sacks (27).

You want to know what's wrong with this defense? That's it in a nutshell. The lack of pressure is killing it.

@ That was a bad fumble for Jonathan Dwyer. With Mendenhall coming back and Barron Batch showing a little something as a third-down back Sunday, Dwyer could find his opportunities dwindling quickly.

@ On the positive side, with the return of Mendenhall, this offense has a chance to be one of the more dynamic ones in the NFL. If the defense can play average football the rest of the way and the offense continues to click, the Steelers still have the look of a 10 or 11-win team.

But unless they figure out how to win a big game on the road, any hopes of another Super Bowl run are just that, hopes.

Greetings from Oakland

It's a beautiful day here in Northern California and a perfect day for football.

Inactive for the Steelers today are Rashard Mendenhall, James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, Stevenson Sylvester, Charlie Batch, Alameda Ta'amu and Mike Adams.

No surprises there, but Adams being inactive means that Kelvin Beachum is the third tackle today. I would expect that if the Steelers have an injury at tackle, though, they would bring in Legursky and slide Ramon Foster to right tackle.

Who I like, Oakland version

The last time the Steelers visited Oakland, Ben Roethlisberger threw four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, in a 20-13 Raiders victory.

The Steelers have manhandled the Raiders twice since that time - both at Heinz Field - including a 35-3 dismantling in 2010.

Like those two other teams the Steelers beat up on, this Oakland team looks like a mess.

The Raiders can't run the ball, putting up 68 yards in their first two games, can't stop the run, allowing 142 yards per game on the ground, and can't rush the passer, picking up just two sacks.

Other than that, they're fine.

Troy Polamalu and James Harrison will sit out again for the Steelers, but Roethlisberger and his receivers are healthy.

The Steelers haven't had much of a running game themselves, but they'll find one against the Raiders as they adjust from all of the outside runs they've attempted in the first two weeks to a more straight-ahead style.

Take Pittsburgh, which is favored by four points, to win this one, 24-13.

Thursday news, notes

The good news for the Steelers is that Marcus Gilbert, Jonathan Dwyer, Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders were all back at practice today after sitting out Wednesday.

That wasn't altogether unexpected for any of those players.

But James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, Heath Miller and Mike Adams were all sitting out.

I don't expect Harrison or Polamalu to play again this week. There's no reason with a bye waiting. The Steelers want those two healthy for the long haul.

Miller should practice - at least in some form Friday - and play Sunday. The needle cures a lot of ills, especially torn rib cartilage.

As for Adams, his missing practice might be the most serious.

The Steelers' top backup tackle, it's unlikely the Steelers dress the rookie unless he practices Friday. He's sitting out with a sore back.

With Gilbert also suffering from a strained groin, that could leave the team short at tackle.

The guess here is that if push comes to shove, they will move Ramon Foster to right tackle and put Doug Legursky at guard if something happens to Gilbert Sunday at Oakland.

Rookie Kelvin Beachum didn't show anything in the preseason to warrant getting any playing time.

@ Interesting to note that the line on this game has dropped to 4 points after the Steelers opened as 6-point favorites.

But there is some basis. The replacement officials have called home teams for 44.9 percent of the penalties. Compare that to a 51-49 split for the regular officials.

Possibly because of that, home teams are 23-9 straight up and 19-12-1 ATS through two weeks this season.

On average over the previous three seasons, the home teams were 19-13 straight up and 16-15-1 ATS.

Coincidence? Maybe. It's something we'll keep an eye on this week.

Tuesday with Tomlin

It was a short Mike Tomlin press conference today. And since more than half of that was eaten up by Tomlin heaping praises on the Raiders, there wasn't a lot of information passed.

But we did learn that Rashard Mendenhall will get some contact this week, a big step forward for the running back as he comes back from a torn ACL.

With the Pittsburgh running game struggling, the Steelers might be tempted to bring Mendenhall back sooner than they originally planned.

The plan when he was activated off the PUP was to wait until after the bye, but that could change to at least get Mendenhall a handful of carries this week and see how he responds.

The results couldn't be much worse than what we've seen.

@ Tomlin said the Steelers will take a similar approach with Troy Polamalu and James Harrison as the one they took last week when neither wound up playing against the Jets.

But what Tomlin meant is that the Steelers will take things day to day.

Like Mendenhall, the plan with Harrison was to bring him back after the bye.

The Steelers have been playing along with Harrison telling him he had a chance to play because that's how Tomlin feels you handle great players. You never tell them never.

But when it comes down to it, Tomlin is going to protect the player from himself. He's not going to allow him to come back too early just because his competitive fire is pushing him to do so.

As for Polamalu, I'm not going to be so quick to write him off.

If he practices by Friday, he'll play. If he doesn't he won't. It will be that simple.

@ Stevenson Sylvester will return to practice at some point this week and could possibly play Sunday.

Heath Miller has torn cartilage between his ribs. The Steelers will rest him in practice this week, but he'll play through the pain.

Post-Jets thoughts

Lawrence Timmons takes a lot of heat on Steelers message boards - some of it deserved - for his lack of big plays.

But he might have made the biggest play in Sunday's win over the Jets when he decked quarterback Mark Sanchez just after the QB had scrambled toward the line of scrimmage and released a pass.

Prior to that hit - which drew a penalty - Sanchez had completed 4 of 5 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. After the hit, Sanchez was 6 of 22 of 58 yards.

Coincidence? I think not.

Timmons will likely be fined for his hit - which was much like the one James Harrison put on Colt McCoy last season - but it says here his teammates should kick in some money.

Without Harrison and Troy Polamalu in the lineup, the Steelers needed a tone-setting hit - even if it did cross the line. Timmons provided it.

@ I have defended the replacement officials thus far as not being all that much different than the regular officials.

But Sunday's game was a travesty.

Not only were their several bad calls made against both teams, but there seemed to be a huddle anytime a flag was thrown.

Referee Jerry Frump also took  f...o...r...e...v...e...r every time he went under the hood for a replay.

The stat sheet said this game took just 3:08 to play, but it seemed more like three days with all of the stoppages.

@ I like the Steelers' new-look offense. Ben Roethlisberger seems to have bought into it as well.

He's spreading the ball around and using a lot of different options.

I also might add that while Roethlisberger was completing 16 of his 21 passes Sunday to his wide receivers for 192 yards and a touchdown, Joe Flacco was connecting on 4 of 11 for 79 yards to his wideouts.

@ I was a little surprised the Steelers didn't use their four wideout sets a little more to take advantage of not having Darrelle Revis on the field.

After all, wouldn't you think they would want, say, Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery matched up on 5-9 Ellis Lankster and 5-8 Isaiah Trufant, the Jets' third and fourth corners?

@ Will Johnson is proving to be a weapon out of the backfield and will continue to be so. He's a matchup nightmare for linebackers - especially when they don't cover him as the Jets failed to do.

@ Drew Butler has placed four of his first eight punts inside the 20. The kid's going to be all right.

@ Shaun Suisham banged a pair of 45-yard field goals at Heinz Field. Suisham struggled from the 40 to 50-yard distance last season, so that was a good sign.

@ The Steelers scrapped their outside running attack in the second half and started running right at the Jets.

It says here they should continue along that path until Rashard Mendenhall comes back and shows he's healthy.

Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer are not east-west runners.

Game day thread

As expected, Troy Polamalu and James Harrison are inactive for the Steelers.

With New England looking like a loser today against the Cardinals - go figure - the Steelers have a chance to run their winning streak in home openers to an NFL-best 10.

New England had won its past 10 home openers.

Who I like, Steelers-Jets

This game could be all about who is not playing as much as it's about who is on the field.

For the Jets, All-Pro corner Darrelle Revis, tight end Dustin Keller and outside linebacker Bryan Thomas are out.

For the Steelers, it appears highly unlikely that Troy Polamalu and James Harrison will play. Both missed practice again Friday and are listed as questionable. But considering they haven't practiced all week, they are likely out as well.

While not having Polamalu and Harrison will obviously affect the Steelers, it says here that the Jets not having Revis and Keller is a much bigger deal.

The Jets defense is built to shut down opposing passing games with their three solid cover corners. And Revis is the best in the business.

Because the Jets don't generate much of a pass rush, they count on those corners covering. That won't happen now.

And Keller is New York quarterback Mark Sanchez's security blanket. Not having him on the field will be a major blow for New York's offense.

The Steelers will miss Polamalu and Harrison for sure, but with the Jets defense at much less than full strength, Pittsburgh should have a big advantage, especially playing at home.

Take the Steelers, 27-17

Thursday news and notes

James Harrison was not on the practice field today as he continues to sit out with knee soreness. At this point, it doesn't appear as if Harrison is going to play again this week against the Jets.

Troy Polamalu was also out again Thursday with a calf strain. I would be surprised if he doesn't suit up this week.

As for good news, Jonathan Dwyer was back today and appears to be on track to receive more playing time - he could even start against the Jets.

Left tackle Max Starks had to sit out practice after suffering an allergic reaction to some medication. He'll be fine.

@ For the Jets, All-Pro corner Darrelle Revis continues to sit out with a concussion. This will be a tricky one for the Jets.

Because he has a concussion, Revis must be cleared by a neurologist before he's permitted to return to practice.

Rex Ryan said Thursday that if Revis isn't cleared before their plane leaves on Saturday, he's not playing because he won't be making the trip to Pittsburgh.

Tueday news and notes

Mike Tomlin correctly said today that the Steelers' biggest problem was not so much stopping Peyton Manning in the no-huddle offense, but stopping Denver's run game.

Willis McGahee averaged 4.0 yards per carry and consistently gained yardage. That left the Broncos in a lot of second and third-and-short, allowing Manning to throw a lot of short stuff, negating the Pittsburgh pass rush.

Add to that a QB such as Manning, who has a quick release and is accurate, and you have a recipe for disaster.

@ Tomlin also said that Jonathan Dwyer has earned more playing time. Look for Dwyer to be the primary ball carrier this week against the Jets.

The Steelers have been working in that direction for a couple of weeks now.

Of course, Rashard Mendenhall is also getting closer to a return. After watching Adrian Peterson rush for 84 yards and two scores last week, the Steelers might be a little more inclined to allow Mendenhall to come back.

Peterson tore his ACL a week before Mendenhall last year.

@ James Harrison ran on Monday and didn't experience any discomfort. He'll do the same Wednesday, with an eye on returning to practice Thursday or Friday.

@ Marcus Gilbert (hyperextended knee) and Ramon Foster (orbital migraine) checked out OK and are expected to return to practice at some point this week. Same goes for Troy Polamalu (calf strain).

Post-Denver thoughts

Sunday's game was about missed opportunities for the Steelers.

The Steelers recovered a fumble in the first quarter at the Denver 47, made a first down and then punted from the Denver 45.

You have to turn that into some points.

If the Steelers at least get a field goal there, they go into the half up 13-7 and have the ball to open the third quarter.

That changes the entire complexion of the game.

@ Through three quarters, Ben Roethlisberger was 10 of 11 for 129 yards on third downs and the Steelers converted 10 of 16 third downs.

Roethlisberger converted his first third down in the fourth quarter - a 3-yard TD pass to Mike Wallace - but then missed Heath Miller on third-and-three on his next attempt, giving the ball back to the Broncos.

That allowed Peyton Manning and company to eat up a bunch of clock on a field goal drive.

When you're playing a future Hall of Fame quarterback on the road, you've got to be nearly perfect. Roethlisberger was just short of that on third downs.

@ I thought it was a curious decision that Casey Hampton got so much playing time over Steve McLendon.

Not that Hampton necessarily played poorly, but McLendon is more of a pass rusher than Hampton, who had barely played in the preseason.

Speaking of pass rush, where was it? Larry Foote had a sack and a couple of QB hits and Jason Worilds had a sack and hit, but that was it.

Nothing from anyone else.

Peyton Manning completed just one pass more than 20 yards down the field, so they were getting the ball out quickly. But how about knocking a ball or two down at the line of scrimmage?

@ The Steelers gambled with their offensive line, keeping just eight healthy guys and going into Sunday's game with just seven guys active.

Ramon Foster got poked in the eye and was unable to return, while Marcus Gilbert suffered a hyperextended knee.

They were one injury away from Heath Miller playing tackle.

@ I've been beating this drum for a while now, but Jonathan Dwyer has got to get the ball more than Isaac Redman.

@ I have no problem with Mike Tomlin challenging Eric Decker's 17-yard catch at the 1. The ball was fumbled through the end zone and the Broncos hurried to the line of scrimmage to run another play before Tomlin or any of his coaches upstairs could see a replay.

If Decker had fumbled out of the end zone, it would have been Pittsburgh ball with a 19-14 lead. It was a risk worth taking.

Steelers inactives

Steelers inactives for tonight's game include James Harrison, Rashard Mendenhall, Ryan Clark, Kelvin Beachum, Charlie Batch, Alameda Ta'amu and Stevenson Sylvester.

Baron Batch is active - presumably as a third back and special teamer.

Who I like, Steelers-Broncos

This is an interesting matchup in that Denver will be breaking in 12 new free agent players.

Typically, teams that add that many veteran free agents take some time to gel. Of course, one of those free agents is QB Peyton Manning, so perhaps he will make up for some of those issues.

The Steelers will be without James Harrison and Ryan Clark on defense, which makes them a little vulnerable. But you can bet that Dick LeBeau will come up with something different on his 75th birthday to help make up for who's missing.

The Broncos will be without guard Chris Kuper (arm) and linebacker D.J. Williams (suspension). The absence of Williams is a big one. He's been tough on the Steelers over the years.

I like the Steelers, 24-20.

@ The Steelers finally placed rookie guard David DeCastro on injured reserve on Friday when they signed cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke.

DeCastro will be eligible to return in eight weeks.

Van Dyke, meanwhile, will be used to help bolster the special teams unit, which was spotty in the preseason.

With that move, the Steelers now have just eight active offensive linemen and 10 defensive backs. That means a move could be coming next week when safety Ryan Clark is ready to play against the Jets.

There's no way the Steelers are comfortable having rookie Kelvin Beachum as one of their active players at this point.

Wednesday news, notes

The Steelers held their second practice of the week Wednesday and it wasn't all good news.

Linebacker James Harrison was limited Wednesday as he continues to work his way back from knee surgery.

Harrison shooed reporters away from his locker after practice, saying he would let everyone know Friday what his status is.

Harrison could still wind up playing, but at this point, it doesn't look good.

On the other hand, Jason Worilds was back as a full participant and looks like he's ready to go. Worilds, who had offseason wrist surgery, is listed as the top backup to LaMarr Woodley, but has more experience than Chris Carter.

@ Isaac Redman was back as a full participant on Wednesday and looks to be ready to go against the Broncos.

Redman said he doesn't know if it will be him or Jonathan Dwyer as the starter in Denver.

@ Linebacker Larry Foote was out today with an ankle issue, but it was just as likely the team wanted to get Brandon Johnson as many snaps as possible at Foote's spot inside.

@ The fact the Steelers haven't done anything with David DeCastro yet in terms of injured reserve tells me that they are indeed looking to bring in a veteran to replace him.

That veteran is likely Trai Essex, despite some reports to the contrary. Right now, they have just three healthy backup linemen. And two of those are rookies Mike Adams and Kelvin Beachum.

I can guarantee you they aren't confident in putting Beachum in a regular season game at this point.

Essex will be back next week when the Steelers won't be on the hook for his entire salary.

Tuesday news and notes

Pretty much everyone was left on the table as a possibility to play Sunday against the Broncos by head coach Mike Tomlin Tuesday, including running back Rashard Mendenhall.

I wouldn't expect Mendenhall to play - I'm still hearing they want to wait until after the bye week - but Mendenhall has looked good in practice coming off the ACL injury and is making the decision a tough one.

James Harrison, on the other hand, made it through practice Monday OK and looks as if he will play.

@ Tomlin said Keenan Lewis will be the starting CB, while Cortez Allen will be the third corner.

That's not exactly surprising. Allen has plenty of upside, but still needs some polish.

@ It's beginning to look like Mike Wallace will start over Emmanuel Sanders. That's a surprising move by Tomlin, who usually likes to send messages through his actions.

I'm sure the fact that Wallace spent all day Friday and Saturday with receivers coach Scottie Montgomery had something to do with the decision.

@ The Steelers, by the way, continue to try to bang out a new deal for Wallace.

This could go down to the wire. A couple of years ago, the Steelers had strong safety Troy Polamalu sign his new deal on the plane before takeoff for their regular season opener.

Steelers make roster cuts

The Steelers have placed rookie linebacker Sean Spence on their Reserve/Injured List and released 21 others, reducing their roster to the league-mandated 53 players, the team announced today.

Spence suffered a left knee injury in the Steelers’ preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers and will miss the 2012 season.

Two veterans that have spent time with the Steelers who were released today are offensive lineman Trai Essex and punter Jeremy Kapinos (Waived/Injured List). Essex has played in 76 career games for Pittsburgh (28 starts) while Kapinos has been the team’s punter for most of the past two seasons.

The other 19 players released include defensive backs Damon Cromartie-Smith, Terrence Frederick and Josh Victorian, linebackers Brandon Hicks and Marshall McFadden, defensive linemen Corbin Bryant, Igbinosun Ikponmwosa and Jake Stoller, quarterback Jerrod Johnson, running back DuJuan Harris, wide receivers Tyler Beiler, Toney Clemons, David Gilreath, Marquis Maze and Derrick Williams, and offensive linemen Ryan Lee, John Malecki and Chris Scott.

The Steelers will likely bring Essex back on the 53-man roster after rookie guard David DeCastro is placed on injured reserve using the league's new designation. Essex must first clear waivers.

With the release of Beiler, Clemons, Gilreath, Maze and Williams, the Steelers are carrying only four wide receivers.

Post-Carolina thoughts

I would not want to be making the decisions about who to cut on this roster.

With the injuries and inexperience among the backups, this could be one of the toughest Steelers cuts in some time.

Add in the fact we just don't know what a Todd Haley offense will look like/need from its roster, and you have a lot of unknowns.

Do the Steelers keep two QBs or three?

Charlie Batch put his best foot forward Thursday night, going 11 of 14 for 102 yards and a TD. But Jerrod Johnson also looked good again, going 7 of 10 for 78 yards and a score.

Johnson did make a mistake down at the goal line, waiting too long to call a timeout and costing the Steelers five yards, but he made up for it by zipping a pass for a TD to Wesyle Saunders.

Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich are locks, but who knows what the Steelers do after that.

@ Speaking of Saunders, despite his suspension, his play the last couple of weeks has put him back on this roster.

Saunders has been inconsistent in training camp and the coaching staff wasn't happy with that. But when you see him get open - as opposed to, say Leonard Pope - you see a player who could be No. 2 behind Heath Miller coming back from the suspension.

I'm not quite sure what Pope brings to the table.

@ The Steelers gave Jonathan Dwyer 13 first-half carries to see if he could handle that kind of load.

Could it be that Dwyer will be the starter in Denver, with Isaac Redman playing more of a short-yardage/third-down role? You betcha.

@ I like what I saw of all the Steelers running backs tonight.

Baron Batch showed more cutting ability than he had shown throughout the preseason, while newly signed DuJaun Harris showed a nice jump stop and power.

@ I don't know that Chris Rainey is going to give the Steelers a lot in their base offense as a ball carrier. But as a return man, he's scary dangerous.

@ It appears that rookie Sean Spence's season is over after he suffered a torn ACL and dislocated knee.

Too bad. The kid would have been a special teams ace this season.

The Steelers' special teams coverage units are going to be a problem this season.

@ The Steelers will use the new IR designation on first-round pick David DeCastro. They expect him to be out eight weeks.

Mike Wallace has ended his holdout

If you had any question about whether his teammates would welcome Wallace back into the fold, it was answered almost immediately.

No sooner had Wallace reported than he was doing a podcast with linebacker James Harrison. Then, there was Wallace on the sideline during practice, shaking hands with teammates and coaches.

All was forgiven - at least by everyone with the notable exception of Mike Tomlin.

Tomlin talked briefly with Wallace before he spoke to reporters after practice and wouldn't commit to Wallace being ready to play next week in Denver - at least not until he sees him practice.

Wallace, on the other hand, said he should be ready.

Tomlin was downplaying things purposely. He wants to put up a front to show his unhappiness with Wallace's holdout. But the first time Wallace gets into the end zone this season, you can bet Tomlin will be the first guy there giving him a high five.

@ With James Harrison and Jason Worilds coming off the PUP list Tuesday, they will both be back at practice when the Steelers return on Monday.

Harrison said today that he feels great. I wouldn't bet on him not playing - at least on a limited basis. Then again, Harrison doesn't do anything limited.

Worilds, meanwhile, has been running a lot and working with team trainers on his conditioning.

Steelers make cuts

The Steelers released 15 players today, reducing their roster to the league-mandated 75 players prior to today’s 4 p.m. deadline.

The 15 players released include linebacker Ryan Baker, defensive tackle Mike Blanc, wide receiver Paul Cox, cornerback Andre Freeman, kicker Daniel Hrapmann, linebacker Mortty Ivy (Waived/Injured List), offensive lineman Kyle Jolly, long snapper Matt Katula, tight end Jamie McCoy, cornerback Walter McFadden, tight end Justin Peelle, safety Myron Rolle, wide receiver Juamorris Stewart, defensive tackle Kade Weston and wide receiver Jimmy Young.

@ In other news, wide receiver Mike Wallace isn't at the team practice facility today. Wallace must wait three days - per NFL rules - before practicing after signing his contract, so he's basically avoiding the media.

Post-Buffalo thoughts

Tough break for the Steelers, who possibly lost rookie David DeCastro for the season with a torn ACL in Saturday night's preseason victory over the Bills.

DeCastro, who started the game at right tackle, regardless of what Bob Pompeani and Edmund Nelson said, was going to be the team's starting right guard in the opener at Denver.

It wasn't even in question and handn't been in several weeks. He had performed that well.

Watching DeCastro's injury several times, it appears he could have been tripped up by right tackle Marcus Gilbert. If that was the case, Gilbert has now taken out two starters this preseason. He fell across fullback David Johnson's legs in the opener, ending his season with a torn ACL.

Ramon Foster will plug back in to the right guard spot, meaning Willie Colon will be the lone upgrade for the Steelers on their line this season.

Colon, by the way, had a tough game against the Bills. He can play better than he did in this one, as he allowed consistent pressure and got pushed into the backfield several times.

@ The news was a little better on Brett Keisel, who left with a slight high ankle sprain.

Keisel will be held out against Carolina Thursday night, but should be ready to go against Denver in Week 1.

@ After a slow start, the offense heated up in the second quarter. The defense did as well.

The defense consistently pressured Buffalo QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, mixing in a number of blitzes this time around.

Did you see Lawrence Timmons level Fitzpatrick in the first quarter on a ball nearly picked off by LaMarr Woodley?

Ouch.

@ That's six interceptions in three preseason games. If the Steelers can carry that over to the regular season, they'll be very good.

@ Mike Adams took a nice step forward at left tackle in this one.

Max Starks played OK for his first time in game action. He'll be the starter, but Adams looked a little more like the future against the Bills than he had in the previous two preseason games.

Look for the Steelers to give him more work at guard moving forward, especially with DeCastro possibly out for the season.

Although, I've got to tell you, you won't see too many 6-8 guards.

But if he's going to be active on game days, he needs to be position flexible, as Mike Tomlin likes to say.

@ The Steelers threw some deep balls in this one for the first time this preseason. It was if they wanted to let Mike Wallace know that the other guys could get deep, too.

Steelers fire Everest

The Steelers on Thursday fired special teams coordinator Al Everest after just two seasons.

The move came as a surprise since the special teams units had performed well under Everest, who took over for former coordinator Bob Ligashesky following a horrendous 2009 season in which the team allowed four kick returns for scores.

Everest will be replaced by Amos Jones, who has been the team's assistant special teams coach since 2007. Jones and head coach Mike Tomlin go way back, having been on the same coaching staff at the University of Cincinnati in 1999 and 2000.

“We are continually evaluating our coaching staff and support staff, and we have decided to go in a different direction with respect to the coaching of our special teams,” Tomlin said in a statement. “I want to thank Al for his contributions and efforts, and I wish him well in the future.”

Busy day for Steelers

It was a busy day at the Steelers offices.

First, all the TV and radio guys picked up on the stories that Mike Wallace will be reporting soon.

I actually wrote the same thing for Tuesday's Observer-Reporter, but when the Post-Gazette reported on its web site the same thing, suddenly, the world was abuzz.

The best was when I was listening to talk radio on the way home and one of the local sports talk stations said, "The Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette broke the story that Mike Wallace might be returning to the Steelers sometime this weekend."

Think about that statement for a second.

Now, certainly Ed's story was a little more specific than mine, saying that Wallace would report sometime this weekend after the Steelers' game in Buffalo.

But the statement Wallace "might" be in this weekend isn't really breaking news and really isn't what Ed wrote. Wallace might run for president as well - though I doubt it.

It's not a big deal and it's certainly semantics, but I found it funny.

@ The second big news story of the day came once the locker room opened and Max Starks announced he would be working with the first-team offense.

It wasn't a surprise that Starks would be practicing. But putting him out with the ones was certainly newsworthy.

@ After that, it was on to James Harrison, who said he should be ready to go once the regular season opens.

That wasn't surprising either, but Harrison looked fine walking around and was moving with no issues.

@ Finally, running back Issac Redman said his MRI last week revealed his problem wasn't a groin as thought, but a hip issue near his groin.

That seemed to put him a little more at ease and he was back working Tuesday.

@ It doesn't happen often, but while the Steelers were on one field Tuesday, Pitt came out and practiced on the field right next to them - there are five total fields outside at the facility.

This allowed for the Pitt players to get a good look at the Steelers practice when they were on their way out and running back Ray Graham was all eyes as he walked by.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin yelled at him, "Hey, keep your eyes off this practice," or something to that affect, and they shared a smile and a laugh.

Tomlin then said, "I love to mess with the kids."

It gives you a little insight into why Tomlin is so respected. Yes, he's a no-nonsense kind of coach. But he's also not afraid to mix it up a little as well.

@ One other thing caught my eye after practice. Five of the team's tackles - Starks, Marcus Gilbert, Trai Essex, Mike Adams and Kelvin Beachum - were working on their sets after practice with one of the linebackers rushing against them.

The linebacker? Rookie Adrian Robinson.

Robinson goes hard 100 percent of the time and his teammates see that. It's a big reason he's going to make this team.

Initial thoughts from the Colts game

The first-team offense and defense both looked pretty good against the Colts in their first extensive action.

Ben Roethlisberger threw a bad pick and Chris Rainey fumbled - he might be too small for the beating he'll take in the NFL - but, overall, it wasn't a bad showing.

The Steelers came into this game trying to work on their running game a little bit - they wanted to give Willie Colon an opportunity to pull - and were effective doing that.

The defense gave up a drive, but it also put seven points on the board. And remember, they weren't throwing a lot of different stuff at the Colts defensively, so even that one drive might have been avoided in the regular season with an exotic blitz or two.

@ It was a preseason game, so the main thing was to get out of it unscathed, which the Steelers did.

@ Rookie punter Drew Butler didn't have the kind of game he did against Philadelphia, but he was solid, averaging 44.8 yards per attempt.

@ How bout the hands on Ike Taylor?

I've covered Ike since his start here and don't remember him coming out of a break too many times and actually catching the ball.

@ Guys who helped themselves:

David Gilreath led the team with four receptions for 78 yards working against a team that had him on its practice squad in 2011. (Point of interest, Gilreath is sharing a locker with some guy who wears No. 17. Didn't see that player here though).

Jerrod Johnson looked much more comfortable at QB, completing 4 of 5 passes for 65 yards and scrambling three times for 11 more yards. Was poised during the game-winning field goal drive.

Justin Peelle caught one pass for 21 yards and isn't Leonard Pope.

Jonathan Dwyer rushed eight times for 43 yards, including a 23 yarder. Didn't get hurt.

Guys who didn't help themselves:

Kelvin Beachum had two more penalties. I know he's wearing 68, but that doesn't mean he has to play like Chris Kemoeatu as well.

Chris Rainey lost a fumble. That was the knock against him at Florida - too small to play in the NFL - and losing fumbles isn't going to help. He's not in danger of being cut, but he's not helping his cause to be a bigger part of the offense.

Marquis Maze averaged just 1.5 yards on a pair of punt returns. He really needed to do something special and failed to do so.

Leonard Pope completely whiffed on his block on Antonio Brown's touchdown catch and run. Don't know what he brings to the table other than being familiar with Todd Haley's offense.

Steelers make somewhat surprising move

The Steelers on Friday activated a pair of players off the PUP list.

But one of them wasn't somebody many were expecting to be activated at this time.

Rashard Mendenhall and Casey Hampton came off the PUP on Friday, opening the door for both to return to practice on Tuesday when the Steelers return to their facility on Pittsburgh's South Side.

Hampton's activation wasn't a surprise. Though he had offseason surgery to repair his ACL, the team expected him to be ready for the opening of the regular season, at least on a limited basis.

But Mendenhall was a different story. Though he was, by all accounts, ahead of the curve in his recovery from a torn ACL,

The team had continued to say that it expected him to open the season on the PUP, meaning he would be out the first six weeks.

Now, he will have to open the season on the 53-man roster.

The Steelers obviously feel Mendenhall is ready, or they wouldn't have activated him. But he's also not ready to shoulder a full load.

The issue, in my eyes, is that once the season begins, there really is no easing a player back into practice. Either you're ready to go or you're not. In-season practices are used to get ready for the next opponent, not get somebody ready to return to the field.

So the Steelers activated Mendenhall now to give him a couple of weeks of training camp.

Also at issue are the injuries to the other running backs on the roster. Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer have both been banged up.

Probably more so in the case of Dwyer, the Steelers are sending a message that they're not happy with the status quo.

What does this mean for the roster? Hampton was considered a given to take a spot on the 53-man roster. Mendenhall was not.

The guess here is that the team either goes with four receivers - including Mike Wallace, who should report any day now - and use Chris Rainey and Heath Miller in certain situations, or go with two tight ends and use Will Johnson or Jamie McCoy as an H-back type.

Cutting not the problem

Cutting this year's roster for the Steelers won't be the problem. Stopping, however, will be.

The Steelers are solid with their front-line talent.

But the retirements and releases of a number of veterans during the offseason have left this team with very little depth - at least not as much as in previous years.

Here's how I see the 53-man roster breaking down now that we're through three weeks of training camp:

QB (3)
Ben Roethlisberger, Byron Leftwich, Charlie Batch - Jerrod Johnson can go on the practice squad. The team likely won't cut Batch because he's been such a good soldier over the years.

RB (5)
Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer, Baron Batch, Chris Rainey, Will Johnson - I wouldn't be surprised to see a veteran added here after other teams start cutting guys loose. All of the backs except Redman have practice squad eligibility. Rashard Mendenhall goes on the PUP.

WR (5)
Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Jerricho Cotchery, Tyler Beiler - Wallace will rejoin the team before the start of the season. Beiler has been the best of a ho-hum bunch. Toney Clemons or Marquis Maze or both to the practice squad?

Offensive line (9)
Max Starks, Willie Colon, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Marcus Gilbert are your starters. Mike Adams, Ramon Foster, Doug Legursky and Trai Essex are the backups - When camp began, the team was concerned that rookie Kelvin Beachum would look so good they wouldn't be able to sneak him onto the practice squad. That won't be a problem after his play against the Eagles. Rookie Ryan Lee could also head to the practice squad.

Tight end (3)
Heath Miller, Leonard Pope, Jamie McCoy - Wes Saunders only shows up sometimes. Add that to his pending suspension and there's no reason for him to make the roster. Pope could be pushed off by new signee Justin Peele, but it will be tough since Peele will only be here a few weeks. McCoy makes it because of his ability to play some fullback. Will Johnson isn't much of a blocker at this point.

Defensive line (7)
Brett Keisel, Steve McClendon, Ziggy Hood, Cam Heyward, Casey Hampton, Al Woods, Alameda Ta'amu - With Hampton unlikely to be ready for the opener and Ta'amu not ready for prime time, Woods makes it because they will need five linemen heading to Denver. I don't think Hampton goes on the PUP.

Linebacker (9)
James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, Lawrence Timmons, Larry Foote, Jason Worilds, Chris Carter, Stevenson Sylvester, Brandon Johnson, Sean Spence - It's a tough cut. Adrian Robinson goes to the practice squad

Defensive back (9)
Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, Ike Taylor, Keenan Lewis, Cortez Allen, Curtis Brown, Will Allen, Ryan Mundy, Robert Golden - Only four corners? Why not. Walter McFadden and Terrence Frederick aren't the players that Golden is and if you're down to your fifth corner, you're screwed anyway. Plus, since Clark won't play in the opener, they'll need and extra safety.

Specialists (3)
Shaun Suisham, Greg Warren, Drew Butler - Butler is winning the punting job by default over injured Jeremy Kapinos. Plus, he's actually kicked pretty well

Moving along

The Steelers on Tuesday activated Max Starks from the PUP list, meaning he will likely be ready to start the season at left tackle for them - at least that's their hope.

In the meantime, the Steelers will continue to work Marcus Gilbert at LT as their emergency plan with rookie Mike Adams out with a knee injury.

Starks won't fully practice until Friday and won't see action against Indianapolis in their preseason game Sunday. But expect him in the lineup when the Steelers travel to Buffalo Aug. 26.

@ Running back John Clay apparently tore his quad muscle at practice Sunday and was waive/injured Tuesday.

With the roster space, the Steelers added former Houston Texans running back Jay Ford, a 5-10, 238-pound fireplug.

Ford looks like a fullback, though I can't find a lot of background info on him.

Eventful weekend

It was an eventful two days for the Steelers as they began their final week of work at Saint Vincent College.

First, due to a knee injury to second-round draft pick Mike Adams suffered in the preseason opener against Philadelphia, the team had to shuffle the deck with its offensive line.

Adams, who is expected to be out a week or so, had started against the Eagles at left tackle. With him out, the Steelers slide right tackle Marcus Gilbert over to left tackle.

That allowed them to keep rookie David DeCastro at right guard - where he will stay - and put Ramon Foster at right tackle.

With Willie Colon back at left guard, the Steelers' starting offensive line for their second preseason game will look like this from left to right: Gilbert, Colon, Maurkice Pouncey, DeCastro and Foster.

It will likely stay that way until Max Starks is ready to come off the PUP list, at which point, he will move to left tackle, sliding Gilbert back to the right side.

Starks is expected to be activated within the next two weeks after having offseason knee surgery.

@ With Isaac Redman (groin) and Jonathan Dwyer (shoulder) sitting out practices, the Steelers got more bad news at running back Sunday, when John Clay went down with a hip injury.

Already thin with Rashard Mendenhall on the PUP list, that left the Steelers with just Barron Batch, Chris Rainey and Will Johnson - now the starting fullback following David Johnson's season-ending knee injury against the Eagles - to carry the football.

That didn't work out so well in Sunday's goal-line drills as the Steelers tried to pound the ball into the end zone with Batch (210 pounds) and Rainey (178).

Rainey scored once by leaping over the top of the line, but the defense had the better of it overall.

@ For the second time in this training camp, Antonio Brown and Ike Taylor got into a fight, this time during a red zone drill.

This one got a little more heated than their previous dust up last week as the two continued to jaw at each other after practice.

Don't expect any long-lasting effects, however.

Brown and Taylor are both competitors and neither wants to give an inch. And they've been going against each other on a daily basis now for three weeks. It can get a little irritating.