Aug 14, 2011 5 min read

From the notebook of a sportswriter who understands that even Rex Grossman can beat you when six of your first seven cornerbacks are injured:

n Not to mention both starting safeties.

n But that doesn’t excuse the Steelers after getting whipped by the Redskins in the preseason opener — even if the Redskins did leave their starters on the field for two quarters as opposed to the Steelers’ one series.

n Ben Roethlisberger picked himself up from where he left off. He dropped back to pass four times Friday and was hit three times. On the only clean play, he overthrew Mike Wallace for what should’ve been a touchdown and a happy ending for the first-team offense.

n The officiating picked up from where it left off, too. Replays showed the referee looking straight at Roethlisberger as he was hit late on his first throw.

n That throw was completed to Antonio Brown, but Roethlisberger’s hand was hurt by the late hit.

n Roethlisberger was sacked later when the group of run blockers up front couldn’t protect him in the empty set. Again.

n The exceptions up front were Maurkice Pouncey and Willie Colon. Colon might be having a better camp than anyone not named Brown.

n That said — and signing Colon was the right move — it’s still worth noting that the Steelers revamped the right side of their line when that side was clearly superior to the left side in the Super Bowl, and the entire season.

n It’s just that the stats from the Super Bowl clearly bear this out.

n Dan Sepulveda’s mighty 62-yard punt set the defense up for its first series at the Washington 1-yard line. But the Redskins drove 89 yards behind Grossman and Tim Hightower. Sad, sad words indeed.

n On three consecutive plays, Hightower: 1.) ran around a prone Jason Worilds for a jaunt down the sideline; 2.) ran over Ryan Clark and sent him to the sideline for the night; and 3.) broke Ike Taylor’s thumb. It accounted for 35 yards in gains.

n On the next play, both Lawrence Timmons and Troy Polamalu’s replacement missed open-field tackles of a fullback.

n It was as good a play as any to provide commentary that Polamalu, at 30, should be the negotiating priority over the 25-year-old Timmons.

n For all that I enjoy about Timmons’s run-and-hit skills, it’s time for him to start making plays. Looking good while narrowly missing sacks and turnovers isn’t enough.

n Of course, the front office needs to see Polamalu play before carrying forward with that plan. Make sure the burst is back.

n Brett Keisel was the first-team defense’s best player. He showed that his Pro Bowl selection was no fluke. Casey Hampton and LaMarr Woodley also played well for the first-team defense.

n Cameron Heyward flashed a bit for the second team. He blew up a running play and later pressured the quarterback. I liked the nimbleness he showed on a third play when he sorted through the trash to get down the line and help make a tackle.

n The underappreciated Larry Foote played extremely well for the second team. Smart, heady, tough, humble — the type of athlete Pittsburgh normally embraces more than it has Foote over the years.

n Just to get back to Sepulveda, the Zanesville Times Recorder reported that he punted four times for a 46.3 average, and that Jeremy Capinos punted three times for a 45-yard average. I read this article because the paper was lamenting the lack of action Friday by hometown boy Aaron Bates — who’d been cut eight days previous. Read all about it in “Aaron Bates’ debut will have to wait.”

n With cornerbacks dropping like flies, you wonder if Jerricho Cotchery can play a little defense for them.

n The Steelers like their rookie pass coverers, and Keenan Lewis and Donovan Warren played well in Washington, but the team should consider bringing Anthony Madison back. If nothing else he could at least tackle return men who bring the ball out from eight yards deep in the end zone.

n Obviously, the new kickoff rule is silly. Anything that keeps Brown from touching the ball is silly.

n Brown did make the block of the night on Isaac Redman’s touchdown run. But you wonder how many snaps Brown will lose out to Cotchery. And that would be silly, too.

n No worries about Rashard Mendenhall having to carry too much of the load. It became clear on goal-line day — when Redman wasn’t used because “we know what we have” — that Redman is looming large in the coaching staff’s plans this year.

n Chris Scott got off to a shaky start at right guard.

n Tyler Grisham couldn’t get open.

n John Gilmore was better than advertised, but Reggie Kelly will be the next Jonathan Hayes.

n David Johnson missed too many blocks.

n The two backup free safeties, Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith and Brent Greenwood, played well. The latter was exceptional on special teams in the fourth quarter. But Greenwood wasn’t the Steelers’ best rookie on the field in the fourth quarter. That was undrafted defensive end Corbin Bryant. Go back and watch No. 71 dominate the line of scrimmage.