Saturday was an all-around
triumph for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team opened a new stadium with a steady
offense and an imposing defense, they played turnover-free football and they
beat the Detroit Lions, 20-7, in front of a sellout crowd at brand new Heinz
Field.
"I was really
pumped," RB Jerome Bettis said. "It was a great feeling, starting in a new place
and getting the opportunity to run out there with all the fans. It's just a new
environment. It felt different, but it was a great feeling."
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Jerome Bettis is run
out of bounds against Detroit on
Saturday |
Bettis looked sharp
in limited work Saturday, helping the team along in a 96-yard opening drive that
ate up much of the first-quarter clock and put the Steelers ahead on the
scoreboard to stay. He finished the day with seven carries for 24 yards and a
touchdown.
QB Kordell Stewart,
too, played well in his Heinz Field debut. He played most of the first half and
completed 12 of 15 passes for 135 yards with seven rushing yards, no turnovers
and just one sack.
"We have our fans
here and we want to put on a good show for them and give something to cheer
about," Stewart said.
It was a homecoming
of sorts for both Detroit quarterbacks. Both starter Charlie Batch and backup
Mike McMahon played high school football in the Pittsburgh area. Until a late
touchdown pass from McMahon to Scotty Anderson, however, the QBs received a cold
reception.
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Fans filled Heinz
Field to the tune of
57,829 |
Batch was hurried
all day by the Steelers defense, throwing several passes to empty areas of the
field. He completed eight of 17 pass attempts for 96 yards. McMahon didn't fare
any better, completing five of 16 passes for 78 yards. Aaron Smith, Rodney
Bailey and Kendrell Bell each recorded sacks on the Detroit
quarterbacks.
After taking a 7-0
lead in the first quarter, Pittsburgh tacked on a Kris Brown field goal in each
of the next two periods while blanking the Lions. QB Tommy Maddox set up both
scoring drives while looking capable again after a bad experience in Minnesota
last week.
In the fourth
quarter, Maddox again had the Steelers rolling down to the Detroit 33-yard line.
He dropped back, looked right and hit WR Demetrius Brown with a perfect strike
down the sideline for a touchdown and a 20-0 lead. Earlier, Maddox had connected
with WR Bobby Shaw over the middle for a 44-yarder that Shaw took to the
one-foot line. A false start penalty helped to keep the Steelers out of the end
zone.
Maddox completed 11
of 17 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown. QB Kent Graham also took a turn at
the helm of the Steelers offense in the fourth quarter, completing four of five
passes for 30 yards.
Several backups
performed admirably filling in for injured starters in the secondary and at
fullback. Matt Cushing and Ron Janes handled the fullback chores after Jon
Witman again injured his back Friday.
"Jon bent down to
put his shoes in his bag and his back went out so he wasn't able to go today,"
Coach Bill Cowher said.
FB Dan Kreider is
also injured, necessitating the signing of Janes and moving Cushing from tight
end in Training Camp.
With starting
cornerback Dewayne Washington already out of the game after a concussion last
Thursday, starter Chad Scott went down in the first quarter with a knee injury.
Deshea Townsend, Hank Poteat and Jason Simmons hardly missed a beat in covering
the Detroit receivers.
The Pittsburgh pass
catchers, meanwhile, had to make amends for several dropped ball against the
Vikings.
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Jerome Bettis is run
out of bounds against Detroit on
Saturday |
"I just made light
of it in the meeting last night," offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey said. "I
said, 'Why would you use all of your drops up in two games? We have none left
for the rest of the season.' Whether that made a difference or not, they picked
up their game."
Edwards led the
crew with six catches for 45 yards. He also returned two punts for 28
yards.
The Steelers finish
up the preseason Thursday night at Heinz Field against the Buffalo Bills -
another team that Pittsburgh will meet in the regular season. The Steelers play
the Lions again in Pittsburgh this December.
Aaron Smith, Rodney Bailey
and Kendrell Bell all recorded sacks.
The Steelers had scoring
drives of 96, 20, 79 and 69 yards.
Pittsburgh held Detroit to
21-percent efficiency on third down, but the Lions were 2-for-2 on fourth
down.