When the Steelers play the Miami Dolphins in a preseason game tonight at Heinz Field, a position to keep an eye on is quarterback, specifically backup quarterback. Veteran Tommy Maddox was first off the bench to replace starter Ben Roethlisberger in the opener Monday. He is having a solid training camp, and, if the season started today, he'd likely hold down the No. 2 job. That said, former Detroit Lions star Charlie Batch, who's played in just three games the past three seasons, and 2003 fifth-round draft pick Brian St. Pierre continue to fight. Coach Bill Cowher said it is too early to make a final evaluation on the three backups, but he said Maddox, who opened last season as the starter, has looked "excellent" thus far.
In the preseason opener, Maddox went 7 of 11 for 87 yards, Batch went 5 of 9 for 89 and St. Pierre went 3 of 3 for 14 yards, including a 7-yard score. Roethlisberger was 2 of 4 for 13 yards.
Dolphins running back Ricky Williams brings his act to town tonight. He went into "retirement" last season -- arguably costing Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt his Miami head coaching job -- before making his return this season under new Dolphins boss Nick Saban. Williams enters as the Dolphins leading rusher after two games, with 47 yards on 11 carries. They are 0-2 this preseason; the Steelers are 1-0.
These preseason games might have no impact on the regular season, but many jobs are at stake. Teams must cut their rosters to 65 on Aug. 30 and to 53 (the final roster) by 4 p.m. Sept. 4. A day after the final roster is submitted, teams may establish a practice squad of eight players.
Steelers rookie guard Chris Kemoeatu, a sixth-round pick out of Utah, was strong in his debut last Monday against the Eagles. He had three pancake blocks on special teams and hammered the Eagles' Hugh Douglas. "He knocked a lot of people on the ground; that's a good thing," coach Bill Cowher said. "There's no numbers game. We just have a pretty good offensive line, our first five. After that, there is some inexperience. I like what I see with him. He played a solid game. It's still a transition. He'll have a good test this week against (the Dolphins)."
The Steelers have two preseason games remaining, both on the road. They play at Washington on Friday and at Carolina on Sept. 1. The regular-season opener is 1 p.m. Sept. 11 against Tennessee at Heinz Field.
The running game averaged just 1.9 yards per carry against the Eagles five days ago, which means the Steelers will likely try to establish a ground game against the Dolphins. Rookie Noah Herron , a seventh-round pick out of Northwestern, had a team-high 39 yards on 13 attempts against Philadelphia.
