FRIDAY NFLX SELECTION
WASHINGTON +2½ over Pittsburgh
Teams on opposite ends of the preseason standings will meet at FedEx Field on Friday, as Pittsburgh pays a visit to Washington. The Steelers are 2-0 after a Monday Night 38-31 victory over the Eagles and a 17-3 triumph against the Dolphins last Saturday. The Redskins, meanwhile, are desperately searching for a win, after following up a 28-10 defeat to the Panthers with a 24-17 home loss to the Bengals last Saturday.
Hidden by the Steelers' victories is the fact that the first-string offense has yet to put the ball in the end zone. QB Ben Roethlisberger has been unspectacular in limited action and will again be operating without running back Duce Staley. In addition to Staley, linebacker Joey Porter, cornerback Vontez Duff, cornerback Chidi Iwuoma and defensive end Travis Kirschke are not expected to be in uniform versus Washington.
While Pittsburgh is losing players to injury, the Redskins are getting healthier. They will get a couple of big boosts here with the expected return of former Pro Bowl linebacker LaVar Arrington on defense, and Clinton Portis on offense. Washington’s #1 running back should see significant time versus Pittsburgh after carrying just once for four yards in Washington's first two preseason games combined. At quarterback, Patrick Ramsey will look for a more consistent outing than his two-interception showing versus Cincinnati last week. Former starter Mark Brunell has an 81 passer rating, which leads the team, so there will not be a drop off when he takes the field.
As we noted in our Monday Night 2½ STAR winner with Dallas, a win in the preseason usually allows a coach to feel zero pressure the following week, and he can look at players. A loss, on the other hand, may mean negative press and questions at training camp. It intensifies with streaks, which is what we have here. While Pittsburgh’s Bill Cowher can’t complain too much about being 2-0, even with a weak showing from his 1st-string offense, Joe Gibbs is fit to be tied. He doesn’t often get very upset, especially in the preseason, so when he does, he certainly gets the attention of his players.
Gibbs has rarely been as upset as he obviously was last Friday since returning to run and coach the Redskins 19 months ago. But on the podium in the interview room under FedEx Field after the Redskins suffered another preseason loss, 24-17, to the Cincinnati Bengals, Gibbs had that angry glare few have seen. "He was mad -- I mean steaming -- and he let the players and everyone else know how he felt," said a staff member. "We're our own worst enemy," said Gibbs, not giving out any of those high-pitched cackles. "I don't like the way we're playing. We turn the ball over and commit penalties. We're making too many mistakes and need to play smart to win football games we're supposed to win. That's why we're here. To win."
With inspiration coming from off and on the field, we look for a spirited Redskins team to respond with a SU win over the Steelers as a small home underdog.