Steelers at Broncos: What Bettors Need to Know
Week 3 of the NFL preseason comes to close with the Pittsburgh Steelers traveling west to face the Denver Broncos.
This is a rematch of Week 9 in Denver last season when the Steelers won 28-10. The rushing attacks were the difference in that game. Pittsburgh’s Rashard Mendenhall ran for 155 yards, while Denver netted just 27 yards, its fourth-lowest total since the merger.
QUARTERBACK MATCHUP
Both teams know who its starting quarterback will be in the regular season: Denver’s Kyle Orton, who surprisingly just got a near $9 million extension through 2011, and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger.
That’s not to say Orton and Big Ben aren’t in different boats. Orton was expected to be pushed by Tim Tebow but that extension signaled the Broncos will let Tebow sit a while. It also didn’t help that Tebow hurt his ribs at the end of the first preseason game and missed the second one.
Coach Josh McDaniels still hasn’t said whether Tebow, who resumed practicing Wednesday after missing the past week with bruised ribs, would play Sunday (the home fans still haven’t seen him on the field). But he remains No. 3 on the depth chart behind Orton and Brady Quinn and apparently will stay there entering the season.
McDaniels did say his starters would play into the third quarter because he wanted them to be able to simulate going through adjustments, etc., during halftime. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said much of the same.
Roethlisberger sat out the first preseason game but returned last week against the Giants. He completed six of eight passes for 76 yards and led the Steelers on a 13-play, 58-yard field goal drive in his three series. He also threw a pick.
Byron Leftwich, the presumed starter while Roethlisberger serves his suspension, was in second against New York but apparently won’t be in this one. Tomlin wants to take a longer look at Dennis Dixon with the first-team offense. Dixon has completed 13-of-15 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns in two games for a perfect passer rating of 158.3. He also has directed four touchdown drives.
LINE MOVEMENT
Pittsburgh is one of three road favorites this weekend at -2 with a total of 36. This line opened as a pick’em at some books. The Steelers are currently getting about a 57 percent lean.
INJURIES AND NEWS
Denver’s other first round pick this year, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, continues to have problems with his left foot and is indefinitely. Left tackle Ryan Clady, who tore up his knee this winter playing hoops, returned to practice this week but isn’t ready to play yet. Running backs Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno remain out, and it appears LenDale White is iffy as well.
Pittsburgh is making a change at center. Rookie Maurkice Pouncey is getting the first-team snaps at center and moves ahead of Justin Hartwig on the depth chart. Pouncey is expected to play with the starters against Denver. Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden is doubtful and safety Ryan Clark won’t play because of a rare blood condition that can be dangerous in Denver’s altitude.
Tips and Trends
Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos
STEELERS: (-2, O/U 37) Pittsburgh very well might be the most impressive team this preseason, a surprise by many. After all the turmoil this past offseason surrounding star QB Ben Roethlisberger, many experts and fans thought it would effect the Steelers on the playing field. Instead, Pitsburgh has dominated both the Lions and the Giants. Backups Dennis Dixon and Byron Leftwich have been amazing this preseason, each amassing a QB Rating over 100. Dixon has a QB Rating of 141, while Leftwich has a 105.7 QB Rating this preseason. Neither QB has thrown an INT this preseason either, an amazing achievement considering how many different players are shuffled on and off the field during preseason play. As a result of their play, Pittsburgh has averaged 23.5 PPG this preseason. Defensively, the Steelers are playing the type of defense that have made them so successful through the years. Pittsburgh is allowing only 12 PPG so far this year. Pittsburgh has been the listed favorite in each preseason game they've played this season, with tonight being no exception.
Steelers are 2-0 both SU and ATS this preseason.
Key Injuries - LB Andre Frazier (knee) is out.
Projected Score: 24 (SIDE of the Day)
BRONCOS: It's been quite shocking to see Denver struggled so badly on defense this preseason. Last year, defense is what carried this team all season long, but this preseason they appear lost. The Broncos have an average of 29 PPG this preseason, against the Bengals and the lowly Lions. Denver has been dominated on the ground, as they have been outrushed by 231 YDS this preseason. Offensively, Denver has been better, as they've scored at least 20 PTS in each contest. Starting QB Kyle Orton has been solid, throwing for 261 YDS with 4 TD's in route to a QB Rating of 116.5. Backups Brady Quinn and Tim Tebow are battling it out for the role as 2nd string QB. There are several camp battles going on in this offense, both at RB and at WR. WR Jabar Gaffney has had a great preseason, catching 8 of his 11 targets for 135 yards. Head Coach Josh McDaniels really would like to win this preseason game, as it's in front of the home fans and it would get them their 1st win of any kind this season.
Broncos are 0-2 both SU and ATS this preseason.
Key Injuries - T Ryan Clady (knee) is questionable.
Projected Score: 13
Broncos starters expected to play three quarters vs. Steelers
By Mike Chambers
The Denver Post
Broncos fans should expect to see the team's starters play into the third quarter in Sunday's preseason game against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers.
"We'd like to go through a halftime where they're going to go back out there," Denver coach Josh McDaniels said today of his starters. "I think we want to go through our normal process of halftime, like we would during a (regular season) game, so that's the plan right now."
Quarterback Kyle Orton played a quarter in the preseason opener at Cincinnati, and to halftime in last week's game against Detroit. He will lead the team though at least the first series of the third quarter on Sunday, and then likely hand the reigns over to backup Brady Quinn.
Quinn could play the rest of the game, depending on the health of rookie QB Tim Tebow. Tebow is recovering from bruised ribs suffered in the Cincinnati game. He did not play against Detroit and didn't return to practice until Wednesday.
"We'll see how Tim does (in practice)," McDaniels said. "He's still pretty sore and there are some things that I don't think he can really do effectively at this point.
"But we've got a few more days here before the game. We'd love for him to be in the game and play. So there could be two (quarterbacks playing on Sunday), there could be three."
Denver concludes the preseason next Thursday at Minnesota. The Broncos open the regular season Sept. 12 at Jacksonville.
Steelers Gameday: QB conundrum on display
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Steelers prepared their starting quarterback for 2009 by playing him in the first 38 plays of their third preseason game, the entire first half against Buffalo last August.
They will prepare their starting quarterback in their third preseason game tonight by playing him ... not at all with the first team in Denver?
Is this any way to get your quarterback ready for the start of the regular season?
Byron Leftwich did not start in the Steelers' second preseason game last Saturday night, and, not only will he not start tonight, he likely will not play until the second half with the second-string offense against the Broncos.
Yet, from all appearances, Leftwich will start at quarterback when the Steelers line up for the season opener against Atlanta Sept. 12 at Heinz Field.
The Steelers have called the game tonight in Denver a "dress rehearsal" for the regular season, and coach Mike Tomlin had them follow the routine of a regular-season week leading up to it. Traditionally, coaches use the third preseason game to play their starters longer than any other. Last year, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his first-team offense were on the field for all 38 plays in the first half against the Bills.
Like last year, it appears Roethlisberger will start the third preseason game tonight. He will not be preparing for the opening game of the regular season because he cannot play until at least Oct. 17 in the fifth game.
And once Roethlisberger leaves the game tonight, Tomlin plans to use third-team quarterback Dennis Dixon with the starters. So where does that leave Leftwich, the presumed starter for Sept. 12? He has not played in a real game since last September for Tampa Bay and, while Roethlisberger said he needs to build a rapport with some of the young receivers, doesn't Leftwich have to do that with all of them?
"If I'm the guy Week One, I'll be ready," Leftwich claimed "Regardless how it goes, I just have to be prepared for anything. The way things have been going we've been getting a lot of reps, everybody."
Tomlin has not said which quarterback will start Sept. 12, but his actions since spring practices began in April have pointed strongly to Leftwich. When Roethlisberger was away from the team in May, it was Leftwich who nearly always ran the first team. In training camp, Tomlin split the snaps with the first team between Roethlisberger and Leftwich for the most part with Dixon getting some on occasion.
Leftwich started the first preseason game with Dixon entering with the second team and Roethlisberger not playing. Roethlisberger started the second preseason game, Leftwich finished up with the first team and Dixon took over with the second team.
All Tomlin and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians have said is they have special packages prepared for Dixon and that they will use both quarterbacks in the games Roethlisberger will miss.
On the one hand, Leftwich, entering his eighth season and second with the Steelers after backing up Roethlisberger in 2008, said he does not need extra work in games.
"It doesn't really matter how much I play. I don't think I need these many snaps or that many snaps to get ready for when things open up. I think I'll be ready regardless how many snaps I get. That won't be an excuse when the games matter."
Yet, on the other hand, Leftwich talked about how important these games are to him, citing his 11-yard scramble up the middle against the New York Giants as an example.
"The more game situations you can be in is always good for you. It's a different feel, a different pocket presence. I don't think I could have made that run in that first game. Because you go so long without getting hit -- in practice you don't get hit, you don't get touched -- you got to make different decisions when it's real and they can hit you. You have to practice those situations."