Steelers Keep Losing QBs in Loss

The worst news from Pittsburgh's 17-13 loss to the Redskins was the news that third-string quarterback Dennis Dixon joined Ben Roethlisberger on the injured list. While it's not know yet how severe Dixon's injury is, by the end of Saturday's game, Pittsburgh had two healthy quarterbacks: Charlie Batch and rookie Mike Reilly.

Here's a look at what stood out from Saturday night.• Stefan Logan went from a roster longshot to a legitimate contender for the Steelers' return jobs in three hours. Logan averaged nearly 40 yards a pop on four kick returns, including a 60-yarder. On the other hand, his competition, Joe Burnett, fumbled for the second time in two weeks, Logan all of a sudden has to be considered in the middle of the battle to be the Steelers' kick and punt returner. That wasn't the only bad news for Burnett, he was also beaten for a touchdown as a cornerback.

• Defenders of the Steelers' offensive line have said that it's Ben Roethlisberger's tendency to hold onto the ball that causes the pass protection problems. But it's worth noting that with Charlie Batch working behind the first-team offensive line, the same problems were still there--Max Starks was flagged for holding on Pittsburgh's first snap and Batch spent much of the first quarter running for his life.

But the worst night of any Steelers lineman had to be turned in by backup left tackle Tony Hills. Hills was beaten off the corner for a sack, was flagged for a false start and an illegal formation and also needed double-team help to block Brian Orakpo.

• Ziggy Hood got his second sack in two preseason games, and this one was much more impressive. Last week's sack was just a case of an assignment screw-up that left Hood unblocked. This week he beat his man to the outside for a solid sack. Fellow rookie defensive end Sonny Harris showed some solid pass-rushing moves and also managed to drive his man into the backfield on a running play.

• Like Nate Washington before him, it seems like Steelers fans will just have to accept that Limas Sweed will drop a catchable pass a game, although hopefully he'll catch enough to make up for it. Sweed dropped a pass that hit his hands on Saturday. It was his second dropped pass in two games, but he also had a 17-yard catch in a couple of quarters of action. He just seems like a big play/blown play kind of guy.

That being said, it's hard to see how Sweed will hold off Mike Wallace for too long. Wallace may be the Steelers' fastest receiver, but he's also shown he's not just a guy to run fly patterns. He's comfortable running crossing routes and taking hits while showing a solid pair of hands.

• If Dixon's shoulder injury is serious, that would be an extremely disappointing blow as Dixon has shown flashes this preseason of developing into a solid quarterback. He holds the ball too low, which leads to a Byron Leftwich-esque wind-up, but he has shown arm strength and some accuracy to go with his excellent speed when he decides to tuck and run.

Issac Redman has been one of the stars of training camp, but you wouldn't know if from Saturday night's game. Redman had to wait until late in the fourth quarter to get a carry as Justin Vincent served as the third-string runnng back behind Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall. he ended up getting only two carries at the very end of the game, but he did convert a first down on third and one.