After Steelers CB Keenan Lewis took two personal-foul penalties and busted a glass-encased sign in the locker room, coach Mike Tomlin was candid: “That’s what you call young and dumb right there. Watch your step. [No.] 23 is playing bad and doing stupid stuff as well.”
Tomlin also was blunt in his assessment of QB Dennis Dixon and other players; “He didn’t play well. But a lot of players didn’t. Guys were presented opportunities, and quite frankly, they didn’t take advantage. That’s the nature of preseason football.”
The head coach was happy with QB Ben Roethlisberger’s performance: “I thought he was sharp. We moved the ball. He did some nice things. I thought he did well playing on the road . . . [playing in a] hostile environment. We thought he did well.”
Roethlisberger wants to play in the preseason finale: “I’d like to work on the no-huddle [offense]; it’s a lot easier at home. You can use the cadence, and I think it would have been hard to do it tonight. I’d like to get a couple of series doing that, even though I don’t want to keep those O-linemen in there too long.”
Steelers LB James Farrior left Sunday night’s game early with the latest NFL badge of honor: the Frankenstein forehead gash.
Steelers QB Byron Leftwich doesn’t know when he’ll find out whether he’ll be the Week One starter; “I’m quite sure they will let us know sometime soon,” he said. “September is really right around the corner. They’ll let us know sometime soon. I’m glad we’re getting closer to that day, and we’ll see.”
It looks like the Broncos already are pushing QB Tim Tebow to avoid running the ball.
With rookie CB Perrish Cox making an impact in the preseason, the Broncos may not need Champ Bailey come 2011.
Rookie CB Syd’Quan Thompson is getting noticed, too; “Every time he gets an opportunity, he makes the most of it and I think that’s what you want a rookie to do,” coach Josh McDaniels said.
Broncos QB Kyle Orton downplayed the wicked hit he took from Steelers LB James Harrison after a fumble that was later ruled an incompletion; “I just got the wind knocked out of me, you know, and felt pretty good afterwards,” Orton said.
RB LenDale White celebrated his debut in his hometown with a touchdown; “So many emotions going through me right now,” he said after the game. “I don’t know whether to smile, cry, whatever it is. I’m happy to be home in Denver. . . . I’m so happy to be on the field with a team that wants me and be playing football. God is good.”