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Steelers 13-4 under Tomlin in 2007-2010 preseason games. Game 1: 4-0 record, 20-9 avg score, 32:05 TOP


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I've heard a lot of people hinting that the Steelers mailed in their Game 1 preseason performance against the Redskins. They pulled Roethlisberger after 1 series. They're the AFC champs, they don't get up for preseason, etc.

Mike Tomlin takes NFL preseason seriously. The Steelers have been very consistent in the prior 4 years, pulling Roethlisberger after a few passes in Game 1, but still dominating Game 1 and most preseason games. Here are their stats:

  • Game 1 record: 4-0
  • Game 1 average score: 20-9
  • Game 1 total yards for-against: 292-273
  • Game 1 TOP: 32:05
  • Preseason average score: 18-12
  • Preseason total record: 13-4

Meanwhile, the Redskins have not been a good preseason team, 2007-2010:

  • Preseason average score: 15-19
  • Preseason total record: 8-9
  • Preseason median TOP: 28:22
  • Game 1 total yards for-against: 287-372

So, last night was a startling turn of events for both teams:

  • Total yards, Redskins - Steelers: 452-186
  • TOP, Redskins - Steelers: 39:25 - 20:35
  • First downs, Redskins - Steelers: 27-12

I think the game says much more about the Redskins than the Steelers. The Steelers were predictably tough to score on. Under Tomlin, opponents have scored an average of only 12 points in the prior 17 preseason games. The Redskins scored 17, while missing 2 field goals.

Much more interesting was the dominance of the Redskins offense and defense, measured by yards, time of possession and first downs. Since the Steelers give such consistent good effort in the preseason, especially in Game 1, the performance by the Redskins is highly credible.

The Redskins looked like a team that might finish 11-5. Some red-zone trouble and vulnerability to deep passing, but otherwise a nearly perfect game.

The law of averages says that injuries and bad luck will take their toll, so last night's performance was likely an outlier on the high side. So, maybe 9-7 or 10-6 is more realistic. The Redskins need Landry and Cooley back, and they don't have the talent level to survive many additional injuries.

They do have the coaching, team culture, youth and speed to be a contender. Based on what I saw last night, I'd favor the Redskins to finish 2nd in the East and win a wild card playoff spot. If Vick gets injured or if the Redskins somehow manage to beat the Eagles twice (unlikely), winning the division is possible.

This is the best looking Redskins team I've seen in about two decades, at this point in the preseason. My compliments to Mike Shanahan, Bruce Allen, and all of the players. It's a great start. And it's a long journey ahead. Keep it up, and stay focused.

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Well done. I don't think anyone should poo poo the fact that this was a preseason game. We learned some really good things about the 2011 Redskins that should give us hope.

With that said, I don't want to get my hopes up to much. Let's not discuss the playoffs. But we are not going to be in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. I think we are a .500 team on the upswing. With all of the crap we have been through, I would be perfectly happy with that.

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Wow you drew a lot from the first preseason game.

I liked what I saw, but I'm talking about the growth, not the final score. Hopefully we will continue to progress, and our young guys will continue to show they can play. I think we are on schedule in the rebuilding process (and if we stay consistent, possibly a little bit ahead).

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the performance of our first team offense ... NOT THE GAME OR THE RESULTS

mattered and to dismiss it as a just a preseason game is CRAP and the OP has made this point even more.

don't give me that "the steelers were playing the second stringers" Lamar Woodley and Co. were in there into the 2nd Q.

---------- Post added August-13th-2011 at 01:28 PM ----------

Well done. I don't think anyone should poo poo the fact that this was a preseason game.

exaclty my man ... i would be just as pissed as I am happy if the skins ddi't get the ball into the redzone once last night, or sustain a drive of more than 30-40 yards.

this meant something

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I don't think it can be discounted that, although they pulled Ben, both their next two QBs have very legit starting NFL experience.

Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon have played serious snaps for the Steelers. Dixon almost beat the Ravens last year and Batch has often won the Steelers games. We weren't playing against a Colt Brennan or a Chase Daniels.

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This is the best looking Redskins team I've seen in about two decades, at this point in the preseason. My compliments to Mike Shanahan, Bruce Allen, and all of the players. It's a great start. And it's a long journey ahead. Keep it up, and stay focused.

Outstanding showing and I hope the momentum and confidence continues to build. Absolutely agree and I look forward to your future threads this season ASF.

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I don't think it can be discounted that, although they pulled Ben, both their next two QBs have very legit starting NFL experience.

Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon have played serious snaps for the Steelers. Dixon almost beat the Ravens last year and Batch has often won the Steelers games. We weren't playing against a Colt Brennan or a Chase Daniels.

And when they pulled Big Ben he immediately had his hand wrapped in ice. He was hit twice.

I loved watching that game, but it really was just the first preseason game. One preseason game. Just one game. That's all it was.

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My goal for the skins is to not embarrass themselves. They accomplished that goal yesterday and then some. Generally, we are talking about all of the goof ups after the first preseason game, and convince ourselves that it's not as bad as it seems. Today, we don't have to do that. Very refreshing.

They looked like a well coached, professional football team. Will they win the division? Probably not. But It looks like things are moving in the right direction.

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Right on - it was more than a game. It was a beginning.

Forget the score or whose starters were in or out, there is not a time I remember when a team looked so well coached. Players knowing where they were suppose to be, plays in/out on time, don't remember a false start and topping it off with the enthusiasm of wearing the uniform.

We may not win a slew of games this year but Shanny told us this team will compete. We saw that tonight against a typically tough team..

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Another great OP, ASF. Thanks. Your stats are somewhat reassuring.

I'm still down on our performance, considering how poorly our corners looked, and our 1st string D against Pitts 2nd stringers, and our redzone struggles. It seemed like we blitzed more than normal for a preseason game.

Still worried we treated it like an actual game, and not vanilla evaluation/practice, and we'll have another rude awakening regular season, like we have before.

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I think this preseason game backs up my opinion that the entire culture and landscape at Redskins Park has changed for the better. All of these pundits and naysayers look at our record last year, assume Beck will be our starter, think back to the underachievers and circus acts and just assume we will suck and be abysmal.

I hear an enthusiasm from our players and people around the team that is tangible, you can feel it. The circus has pulled out of town and we have got our house in order. We have hard workers who want to play for Shanny and who want to win. I think this team is going to develop some good chemistry.

People discount that despite how bad we were last year, we were very competitive in all but two games. They discount the learning curve for the 3-4 defense and the zone blocking. They cannot see that we are better everywhere along our offensive line without dramatic changes to expensive free agents.

Last night most definitely showed if anything, that we are headed in the right direction, and whether it is this year or next year, the NFL better not take us lightly. The worst team in the league we are NOT.

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Preseason blah blah blah...meaningless....blah blah blah

Last time Steelers lost first game of preseason was back in 2006. Don't tell me they don't take it seriously.

Redskins played hungry last night. They will do so this season. I don't know what our record will be or make the play off, I do know they will play 60 minutes every game for us. That is all I can ask for.

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http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44128784/ns/sports-nfl/

Redskins put more stock than usual in the first preseason game. Washington coach Mike Shanahan had his starters play the entire first half — hardly the norm for the opener — as he sought to gauge his team's fitness and knowledge of the play book following the NFL lockout.

The result was that the Redskins' starters were facing the Steelers' backups for part of the first quarter and all of the second. The 1s-vs.-2s fought to a draw, with Grossman hitting Moss for an 8-yard score against Pittsburgh's backups and second-unit running back Isaac Redman spinning his way through Washington's starting defense for a 22-yard touchdown to make it 7-7 at halftime...

Still, how bad are the Steeler's backups that we could trash them like this? The first quarter was a horrible miss-match. They could not block our front 3.

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the steelers didnt mail it in, but harrison and polamalu didnt dress, we can expect tougher secondaries in the upcoming preseason and regular season games. however, as coach tomlin said, the skins beat the steelers in every aspect of the game.

that was one of the best performances that i have ever seen from the redskins, nearly everything looked good. our secondary was a problem, but shouldnt be when we have atogwe and landry in there. robinson had trouble with returns, but banks is the returner anyways. same issue for the kickers..

love the attitude. the long drives, and the performance from the rookies (especially the nebraska rooks) and vets. as you said, that is prolly about as good as our team plays. i still think our season will go the way of the qb. more good rex than bad rex and we have a winning record.

with all this said though, im sticking with 6-10 for now. we do have a young staff with a lot of turnover. when i see them look this good again, maybe ill change my expectations.

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As I said in another thread, the Skins played the Patriots in a preseason game two seasons ago where the starters for both sides were in for the whole first half and maybe some of the third quarter. We held our own with New England that game (think we even might have won) but when the season rolled around......ugh! We finished 4-12.

The team definitely put in a nice performance last night, and it was a nice trat to have the starters in for a whole half in the first game, but I'm not going to go crazy yet. Lets see what happens on September 11th against the Giants. At least the game will be down here and not like it was up there during 2008-9.

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Originally Posted by KingGibbs

I don't give a **** if we win or lose in the preseason. I just want to see the following;

1.Chemistry starting to build amongst the OL.

2.Competent QB play

3.WR's running crisp routes, getting seperation.

4.RB's being decisive and hitting the hole quickly.

5.RB's picking up the blitz.

6.The offense moving the ball.

7.Scoring a TD(S) would be a bonus

I quoted myself from another thread prior to the game and by golly, I saw all of the above.

It was so much fun watching the game and the intensity level was higher than I've seen it in some time.

That being said? I'm not going to contradict myself and I'm going to keep my expectations tempered. Been burned way too many times.

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This is the best looking Redskins team I've seen in about two decades, at this point in the preseason. My compliments to Mike Shanahan, Bruce Allen, and all of the players. It's a great start. And it's a long journey ahead. Keep it up, and stay focused.

_____________________________________________

Good work ASF. I would agree that the road to recovery has been breached. The team played with fire. There were numerous players playing above what I expected to see at this time and played together, which is more a statement about coaching then the quality of players at this point.

---------- Post added August-13th-2011 at 02:18 PM ----------

Right on - it was more than a game. It was a beginning.

Forget the score or whose starters were in or out, there is not a time I remember when a team looked so well coached. Players knowing where they were suppose to be, plays in/out on time, don't remember a false start and topping it off with the enthusiasm of wearing the uniform.

We may not win a slew of games this year but Shanny told us this team will compete. We saw that tonight against a typically tough team..

And that should be good enough for now.

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