Steelers Ravage Eagles In Second Preseason Game
The Steelers weren’t the ideal preseason opponent, because they basically laid the blueprint for how to take the stinger out of this Eagles defense.
By force.
The physical, run-based style that Pittsburgh deploys proved effective against Juan Castillo’s defense, as the Steelers dropped the Eagles, 24-14.
Jim Washburn’s “Wide 9” style was pierced with some up-the-gut totes by Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman. That put the linebackers on display, and the showcase did not go particularly well. Casey Matthews and company had trouble shedding blocks, as the Steelers moved the ball at will.
The first drive took 7:36 off the clock and ended with Asante Samuel getting badly beat by Antonio Brown on a 29-yard touchdown toss by Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh then went on a 14-play, 96-yard march that was capped by Roethlisberger’s second TD pass of the night, this one to Hines Ward for a 14-0 lead.
The offense struggled as well, even with DeSean Jackson back in the fold. Michael Vick, who has been sharp all camp, went 5-for-12 for 47 yards with three interceptions. He forced the ball into double coverage, and did not show command against the blitz — the main area of focus this offseason.
“Obviously tonight I didn’t make the best of decisions, and you have to learn from it,” Vick said. “I’m usually pretty good in that department, so I’m very heartbroken right now.”
Vince Young took over in the third quarter and joined the turnover party, throwing an interception to Larry Foote. He went 5-of-8 for 35 yards.
If there was a bright spot for the Eagles, it was the running backs. LeSean McCoy averaged over six yards a carry in limited action, while Ronnie Brown carried the ball six times for 25 yards. Rookie Dion Lewis had 67 total yards but did lose a fumble. He quickly made up for it with a shifty 40-yard catch and run with about five minutes remaining, setting up a touchdown pass from Mike Kafka to Gerald Jones.
The tandem hooked up again in the closing seconds to round out the scoring.
Some other notes:
– Jason Avant left the game with a knee contusion.
– Samuel made up for his breakdown in coverage with a field goal block. The Eagles special teams played well overall headed by punter Chas Henry, who finessed a punt down to the four yard-line.
– King Dunlap seemed to hold his own at right tackle, though the offensive line overall was less than stellar. Pittsburgh blew a couple plays up by penetrating the backfield, and sacked Vick once.
– On Vick’s third interception, he threw a shoulder into Troy Polamalu to bring the safety to the ground. While effective, he also banged his head against Polamalu’s leg in the collision. It seemed to be a move out of frustration, but could have really gone badly for Vick and the Eagles.
– Jaiquawn Jarrett contributed with a tackle for a loss. He has made plays in each of the Eagles’ two preseason games.
– Sinorice Moss was the primary kick returner, a role than Johnnie Lee Higgins held in the first preseason game.
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