Stefan Logan dazzles with a punt return TD
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- If he hadn't locked up a spot on the 53-man roster prior to Thursday, Stefan Logan left little if any doubt that he will open the regular season with the Steelers.
The team's most dazzling player of the preseason returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown less than two minutes into last night's 21-10 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Logan, the smallest player on the Steelers, may have stood tallest among those making their final argument to belong on the 53-man roster. In addition to his return, Logan gained 27 yards on a pair of reverses, showing the coaches that he also might add some big-play capability to the offense in addition to special teams, where the Steelers desperately need it.
"I don't make decisions," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of putting the roster together. "They make decisions with how they play. It's obvious he wanted to make a decision for me. I appreciate it."
Tomlin said he will announce all of the Steelers cuts today at a 4 p.m. news conference so the Steelers can start preparing for their regular-season opener next Thursday against the Tennessee Titans.
Running back is a position where some hard decisions will have to be made.
Isaac Redman, a rookie undrafted free agent, scored his third touchdown of the preseason last night, and it came on as impressive a run as the Steelers have had in exhibition play.
Redman broke several tackles on the way to a 10-yard score that helped stake the Steelers to an early 14-0 lead at Bank of America Stadium.
Redman's touchdown run was set up by outside linebacker Arnold Harrison, another player who finds himself squarely on the cut line.
Harrison gave the Steelers excellent field position in the first quarter when he knocked the ball out of quarterback Josh McCown's right hand and recovered the fumble at the Panthers' 34.
In the second quarter, Harrison and safety Ryan Mundy combined to stuff Mike Goodson for no gain behind the line of scrimmage on fourth and one from the Steelers' 23.
Last night's preseason finale was crucial for players such as Logan, Redman, Harrison and Mundy, the Woodland Hills High School graduate who helped his cause with several big plays, including an interception that he returned 31 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter.
Starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger played just one series and threw one pass before swapping his helmet for a baseball cap and a spot on the sideline.
Like the starters on offense, the Steelers' first-team defense also spent minimal time on the field.
After the Steelers forced a three-and-out on the opening possession of the game, Tomlin made wholesale substitutions on defense.
By then, the Steelers led the Panthers 7-0 thanks to the dynamic Logan.
The 5-foot-6, 180-pounder fielded a low punt by Jason Baker at the Steelers' 20-yard line and made a couple of Panthers tacklers miss. After breaking through the first wave of defenders, Logan was more than a match for the back end of the Panthers' punt coverage team.
After racing into the end zone, Logan leaped into the stands in the north end of the stadium where a small contingent of Steelers fans were celebrating.
They had every reason to cheer Logan, the former Canadian Football League standout who looks as if he is ready to graduate to the NFL. During the preseason, Logan averaged 37.0 yards on kickoff returns and 21.2 yards on punt returns.
Those numbers are gaudy enough to think they will add up to another significant number: 53.
"Coach made a big point that we've got to show what we can do on tape," Logan said of the Steelers' final preseason game. "I knew I wanted to make this bus. I knew I wanted to give it my all."
Tomlin seemed pleased that most if not all of the Steelers took the same approach.
"Really got a great deal of respect with how these guys competed and worked," Tomlin said. "Now we begin the process of moving forward and attacking the season, which we will do."
