Steelers vs. Redskins: 5 Things to Watch During NFL Preseason Week 1 Matchup

Redskins quarterbacks against the Pittsburgh defenseNow thatDonovan Pittsburgh Steelers Authentic Jerseys McNabbhas been traded to theMinnesota Vikings, quarterback is a question mark for the Washington Redskins.John Beckis the anointed starter who had a few starts in his 2007 rookie year and hasn't seen the field since.Beck's 2011 training camp got off to a rough start, where he developed a sore throwing arm and had to be shut down a few days. Washington brought back veteran journeyman Rex Grossman, who gave up a defensive touchdown the first time he touched the ball last year. This did not stop him from recently declaring the Redskins would win the NFC East this year, where most pundits expect them to dwell at the bottom of the standings.ThePittsburgh Steelersarefull of skilled defenders who have helped the team reach two ofthe last three Super Bowls. Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau, the innovator of the zone blitz, is 73 years young and has been a member of theNFLsince 1959.Called "Coach Dad" by his players, LeBeau is trusted and beloved by the Steelers defenders. He has a knack for putting players in the right positions to make plays, as well as unearthing gems other teams overlooked.Whoever is behind center for the Redskins should expect a few blitzes and pressure while trying to unload the football. Beck will try to avoid meeting 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the YearTroy Polamaluin every way for the limited snaps the Pro Bowl strong safety will play for the Steelers. Trench battleThere are changes on both teams' offensive lines that have each franchise headed in a youthful direction. Washington cut veteran center Casey Rabach and Pittsburgh released veteran tackle Max Starks.Cameron Heyward, the son of the late Pro Bowl fullback Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, is Pittsburgh's first-round draft pick this year. He will get a good look to see how much he can push veterans Brett Keisel and Ziggy Hood at defensive end. Aaron Smith is a 35-year-old defensive end who has been a Pro Bowler and Steelers' defensive end for 13 seasons, but injuries have limited him to 11 games the past two years and he is now fighting to keep a job.The Redskins have added veteran defensive lineman Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen, while drafting Jarvis James Harrison Jersey Jenkins and Chris Neild. Lousy versus the run in 2010, Washington is trying to get better at that area this year. First-round draft pick Ryan Kerrigan will get his first look as a linebacker after spending his collegiate career at defensive end, a similar move made by Redskins Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Orakpo in 2009.Washington will have a few new faces on the offensive line, but new starting center Will Montgomery's first snaps will come against wily veteran nose tackle Casey Hampton. Marcus Gilbert and Kevin Williams are a pair of rookie blockers the Steelers plan to work hard to get their feet wet.Redskins' many wide receivers take on a ton of Steelers defensive backsPittsburgh has an idea of who will start in its defensive secondary this year, but improving the depth chart is its goal. The Steelers will have 15 defensive backs suited up for this game, possibly the only game some players will ever get into.Washington has 11 wide receivers three were drafted and two veterans were signed as free agents. Yet the one player who may be most under the microscope is fourth-year pro Malcolm Kelly. Kelly's best move since being drafted in the second round of the 2008 draft has been cashing an undeserved paycheck.These could be the final games of his career, but Washington has hopes for the 6'4" Kelly because he is by far the biggest receiver on the team. The hope is that he can add a dimension to the Redskins' attack, especially in the red zone.Suisham's revengePlacekicker Shaun Suisham played for the Redskins from 2006to 2009. He was replaced by Graham Gano after 12 games in 2009despite the fact he had missed just three field goals. Gano missed eight field goals Mike Wallace Jersey in 2010 and is now being challenged in camp by veteran Shayne Graham, who grew up in the same town as Redskins legend Gary Clark in Radford, Va.Suisham played seven games for Pittsburgh last year after veteran Jeff Reed had an off year. Suisham missed just one kick in 15 attempts for the Steelers during their Super Bowl run. He is one of just three players in in NFL history to kickfour field goals of 40 yards or longer in one game.Washington attempts to find its 2011 running backsDrafting two halfbacks in 2011 is a sign Washington wants to improve this area. Trading for the versatile Tim Hightower hammers in that point even further.Who Will Win?Who Will Win?Steelers25.3%Redskins50.5%Who Cares?24.2%Total votes: 91While 2010 was a pleasant surprise by the effectiveness of Ryan Torain, he once again went down to injuries. He has been carrying thelabel of being injury prone since college. Undrafted Keiland Williams was also a nice find in his rookie year, showing to be an effective receiver.James Davis has had a disappointing NFLcareer since being drafted in 2009. He has also dealt with several injuries since college. Rookie Roy Helu is another halfback who struggled with injuries in college.Rookie Evan Royster isthe only Penn State running back with three 1,000-plus yard seasons, a school that produced such legends as Hall of Famer Franco Harris, Lydell Mitchell and 1973 Heisman Trophy-winner John Cappelletti.He could be standing tall at the end if the competition goes down with injuries yet again.While some expect Hightower to start this year, his reserves need to be settled.Williams has fullback experience, which improves his value. With the history of injuries most of the running backs in camp have, choosing the right reserves is both a gamble and critical to the success of the 2011 season.

Steelers bar in Hoboken booked for the big game; fans seeking alternative place

Courtesy of Steelers in HobokenSteelers in Hoboken at last week's Steelers Authentic Jerseys divisional game against the New England Patriots.For most Pittsburgh Steelers fans in Hoboken, Texas Arizona on River Street is the only place to watch the games. But with New York Jets taking them on in Sunday's AFC Championship game on Sunday, the place is already booked by the team's biggest fans.The Steelers in Hoboken, an unoffical fanclub over two hundred members strong, has every one of 205 seats in the bar reserved.Texas Arizona became the official host of the Steelers in Hoboken in2005, according to the bar's manager Greg Anzano. Since then, the club has reserved the bar for most games."We're number one," Anzano says. "People who come from Pittsburgh say there's nothing like this place here," he said.And the bar flaunts it, serving up "black and gold" shots of Jgermeister and James Harrison Jersey Goldschlger and buckets of Iron City Beer, a Pittsburgh brew.But according to Ray "Lunatic" Powers, the club's president, one bar is no longer enough to support the burgeoning membership."In the past we've been able to send our members who can't attend to other satellite bars in the area," Powers said.But this game is different, he says. Hoboken has a strong, dedicated Jets following, and most bars are expected to be filled to capacity with the fans in green. With the game just days away, Powers isn't sure where to send the overflow of fans.Last year, Powers said that Steelers fans could go to The Dubliner on River Street, but this year they will have to contend for that space with Jets fans."The Dubliner doesn't favor any team," said one of the establishment's LaMarr Woodley Jersey bartenders. "We don't take reservations, but everyone is welcomed."Steelers fans, where are you going on Sunday for the game? Share your favorite spot in the comments.

BTSC 2011 Community Mock Draft Round Two

Brown had a great scene in which he faked out his defender by stopping on a Steelers Jerseys dime for a huge gain, and had another nice catch in front of Keenan Lewis. Brown continues his roller coaster camp in which he has easy drops and is not on the same page with his QB, only to come back and make great plays. He had some huge plays in scrimmage while playing with the first team, including the above-mentioned TD, as well as an amazing play in which he was covered by Ike Taylor who knocked the ball out of his hands, only to adjust extremely well, still catch the ball, and turn the play into a huge play. He also had a couple of nice plays on returns in which he got to show off his speed. And he even made some fair catches when needed! Mike Wallace missed part of the scrimmages because he was being stretched, but returned for the end. He had some nice catches, but also dropped one in the WR drills only to come back and make a leaping catch his next turn. Additionally to his nice catches in the WR drills, Sweed had a couple of catches in 7 on 7 and 11 on 11, one of which was a catch at the ground. Another, on a throw by Leftwich in the 2 minute drill, was a great backwards catch along the sidelines that unfortunately was ruled out of bounds. Still, great effort. Finally, Sweed also got some work as a gunner on punt returns, where seemed to do a pretty good job getting down the field. Tight Ends: Weslye Saunders had a couple of good catches in scrimmage, but also fumbled the ball on a violent hit by Ra'son Harris in the 'reverse goal-line drill' mentioned above. Heath Miller had an uncharacteristic drop in 7 on 7s, as did David Johnson in scrimmage plays - however, both also made some nice catches as safety valves for their QBs. UDFA Jame McCoy held his own against Timmons and Chris Ellis in backs on backers, but also got beat a few times - as did Saunders, who as far as I could tell did not repeat his surprise victories from Sunday. McCoy also was used on punt returns, and I was impressed by his effort on one Rashard Mendenhall Jersey occasion where he was the first person down the field to would-be-tackle the returner.Offensive Line: The first team offensive line had two variations for walk-throughs and scrimmages. The first was (right to left) Jonathan Scott, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, Doug Legursky, and Willie Colon, while the second variation substituted Chris Scott for Legursky. As far as I could tell, the first team line did well blocking for both Ben and the running backs, opening some nice holes. The OL and DL also had what seemed like an intriguing drill going on behind the 7 on 7 scrimmage, in which an offensive lineman was matched up against a defensive counterpart similar to backs on backers. Unfortunately, because of the 7 on 7 drill, I was unable to watch what was going on there. Defensive Line: As with the offensive line, I didn't see a lot. Harris did have the nice hit for a fumble on Saunders, and Aaron Smith continues getting first team reps and warrants them with the HOF play that we have come to expect from him. Aside from that, not much to report here.Linebackers: You heard it here first (probably not, but it sounds good) - Stevenson Sylvester is a star in the making, and was easily the star of practice on Friday night. He dominated in backs on backers, winning against the likes of Mendenhall, multiple times against John Clay, Jonathan Dwyer, Redman, and others whose numbers I couldn't see. Additionally, he made some great Chris Kemoeatu Jersey plays in scrimmage, including snuffing out a RB screen for what would have been an easy safety. Larry Foote also did well in backs on backers, beating Mewelde Moore and David Johnson, as did James Harrison and Lamarr Woodley.

Gerry Dulac's Week 5 NFL Rankings

This weekLast weekTeam (2005 Record)Comment1.1.Indianapolis Colts (4-0) Sittsburgh Steelers Jerseys About time Peyton started looking like Eli2.4.Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)McNabb Philly cheese steaks: Tough to beat3.3.STEELERS (2-1)Only two losses in last 19 games - both to Patriots4.2.New England Patriots (2-2)Only one explanation: Steelers took the fight out of 'em5.5.Atlanta Falcons (3-1)Defense generated more sacks than cement factory6.6.Cincinnati Bengals (4-0)Combined record of teams they've defeated: 3-107.7.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-0)Pirates have other vehicles in the garage beside a Cadillac8.13.Washington Redskins (3-0)Skins: Unbeaten, untied and unimpressive9.15.Denver Broncos (3-1)That's three impressive victories in a row for the Ponies10.17.San Diego Chargers (2-2)Tomlinson-Gates best SD combo since Torrey Pines-Jake's11.11.Carolina Panthers (2-2).If Pack came back, it was drats for Cats12.16.New York Giants (3-1)Manning-Burress best NY tandem since Felix-Oscar13.9.Kansas City Chiefs (2-2) .Defense is starting to get that old familiar look14.10.Seattle Seahawks (2-2) Ben Roethlisberger Jersey Like most traveling businessmen, Hawks dislike the road15.8.Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2)Jax facts: First non-losing team to face Bengals16.14.Dallas Cowboys (2-2)Shell-shocked corners: From Randy Moss to Terrell Owens17.18.Miami Dolphins (2-1)Fish platter: Can run, pass and play defense18.24.Baltimore Ravens (1-2)Burning Beltway Buzz: What's wrong with Jamal Lewis?19.12.New York Jets (1-3)Pretty soon it will be Vi-Vi-Vi-Vinny and the Jets20.22.Oakland Raiders (1-3)Surprising stat of the season: Kerry Collins, 0 interceptions21.19.Detroit Lions (1-2)Hey, Mooch: Gotta get the ball to those wide receivers22.20.St. Louis Rams (2-2)Secondary parted like Martz's hair for Plex23.25.New Orleans Saints (2-2)San Antonio was dome, sweet, dome for Saints24.21.Buffalo Bills (1-3)Offense has even bigger worries this week: Dolphins defense25.23.Minnesota Vikings (1-3)Only thing missing from Culpepper's jersey is a bullseye26.26.Green Bay Packers (0-4)No matter how you slice the cheese, the Pack is still 0-427.27.Tennessee Titans (1-3)After four '04 playoff teams, finally a breather28.28.Chicago Bears (1-2)In case you haven't noticed, they're still the division leader29.31.Arizona Cardinals (1-3)Just what Cards needed - a little home cooking in Mexico30.30.Cleveland Browns (1-2).Dilfer looks like best Cleveland pickup since David Justice31.29.San Francisco 49ers (1-3)No surprise: Defense got sizzled like a fajita in Heath Miller Jersey Mexico32.32.Houston Texans (0-3)Defense gets a "W;" team gets another loss.

2011 NFL Mock Draft: New Mock Has Steelers Picking Aaron Williams, James Carpenter

Walter Football's newest NFL Mock Draft has Cam Newton, Marcell Dareus and Sittsburgh Steelers Jerseys Von Miller going with the first three picks, as has been common recently. They have the Steelers picking Texas cornerback Aaron Williams recently, and that pick, too, has been very common:This is a tough spot for the Steelers. General manager Kevin Colbert takes the best players on his board, but the top prospects available are running backs, wide receivers and 4-3 personnel. The best player who makes sense for the Steelers is Aaron Williams. Williams is a better fit for Pittsburgh's defense than Brandon Harris, and he can play free safety in addition to cornerback. So, if he fails Heath Miller Jersey at corner, he could always replace Ryan Clark down the road (think Antrel Rolle). Hines Ward Jersey Looking further into later rounds, Alabama offensive lineman James Carpenter goes to the Steelers in the second round. They then take Miami lineman Colin McCarthy in the third, and Stanford nose tackle Sione Fua in the fourth. These picks all meet Steelers positional needs, and it shows they're paying attention - both Williams and Carpenter visited the Steelers recently.

Santonio Holmes Still Working Out With Former Steelers Teammates

He may have been shipped out of town by the Pittsburgh Steelers front brass, Steelers Jerseys but Santonio Holmes still has ties the most successful franchise in NFL history. At least to the the players still in Pittsburgh that is. At the outset of a lengthy interview with ProFootballFocus, Holmes name-dropped several Steelers players when asked what he's been up to this offseason and how he's kept in shape while the lockout remains in place.Steve Wyremski (SW): How’s the offseason going so far? What have you been up to?Santonio Holmes (SH): Mostly laying low. Training as usual throughout the mornings… every day five days a week. [I’ve been] spending some time with the family. Just sitting back and resting, man. Waiting to see what’s going to happen with the season.SW: Your workout schedule right now. Take me through a typical day.SH: I arrive at workouts at about 8:30 LaMarr Woodley Jersey in the morning. I go through normal lift days [and] depending on what day it is… upper body or lower body. The workout is about an hour / hour and a half in the weight room. We leave the weight room and go out to the football field and do football specifics whether we’re cutting, doing agilities, running through cones, doing bungee cords, working on the track, speed work, going through the sand pit, [and] jogging 2-3 miles a day. That’s pretty much it.SW: I saw you’re out training with a bunch of other guys Chris Johnson, William Gay you guys all training out there together?SH: Yeah, we’ve been training together for the past three years. I’ve been in the league six years now, so I’ve been there the past six years. It’s myself, Ike Taylor, James Farrior, just to name a few guys I’ve been training with.I was aware of Farrior, Taylor and Gay all working out together in Florida. Perhaps Holmes was in the car as well during this recent Taylor interview during which he mentioned rolling with Farrior and Gay.Anyway, it's unfortunate that Holmes' errors in judgment forced the Steelers hand just weeks before the 2010 NFL Draft. In just four years in Pittsburgh, Holmes already had Santonio Holmes Jersey developed into one of the game's best receivers. And of course, his late-game heroics in Super Bowl XLV is a permanent part of Steelers lore. The scary (and disappointing) thing is that Holmes can and likely will still improve.

Steelers Sign Pair Of NFL Draft Picks

The Sittsburgh Steelers Jerseys signed two of their 10 picks from the NFL Draft,according to the official team site.Thaddeus Gibson (6-2, 243), who was unable to participate in the Steelers' recent organized team activities (OTA) due to class requirements at Ohio State, was Pittsburgh's fourth-round pick (116th overall) in this year's NFL Draft. Gibson played defensive end for the Buckeyes and earned second-team all-Big Ten honors in 2009 with four sacks and 13 tackles for a loss.Doug Worthington (6-5, 292) was the Steelers' seventh-round selection (242nd overall) in this year's Draft and also played on the defensive front for Ohio State. He had 42 tackles his senior Rashard Mendenhall Jersey season, including two sacks, and helped the Buckeyes rank seventh in the NCAA in holding opponents to 90 rushing yards per game.Michael Bean from Behind The Steel Curtain believes Worthington could be better than his seventh round selection suggests.I hate to do this often, but I have a 'feeling' that Worthington may pan out quite nicely for a 7th round pick. I say a 'feeling' because I haven't exactly studied hours and hours of tape of him during his solid career at Ohio State. He just looks like he's big, sturdy and durable Chris Kemoeatu Jersey guy who will be able to handle gap clogging duties very nicely.With 10 total players drafted, this is really just a small drop in the bucket - but a decent start nonetheless.