Steelers vs. Eagles: Live Report Card for Pittsburgh's Preseason Debut

Tonight, the Pittsburgh Steelers face their first test of the preseason as they head to Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Though we won't see the Steelers starters on the field for more than a series or two, there are a number of other players—rookies, those on the bubble, those expected to contribute more than ever—who are worth keeping an eye on through all four quarters.

And if you can't, don't worry: That's what I'm here for.

I will be updating this slideshow quarter by quarter, giving grades for players of note at every position on offense and defense.

Players I am paying especially close attention to are rookie offensive linemen Mike Adams and David DeCastro. Both will be first-team starters, with Adams at left tackle and DeCastro at right guard. 

Also of note will be what the Steelers younger receivers can bring to the table. Marquis Maze, Toney Clemons, Tyler Beiler and David Gilreath are among those competing for the fifth and final receiver roster spot. Whoever emerges in this game will have an advantage as the competition continues.

The crew of running backs behind starter Isaac Redman is also worth watching, to see who can take hold of the third-down and goal-line jobs. Jonathan Dwyer is currently second on the depth chart, but John Clay and Baron Batch are absolutely still in the mix.

On defense, how the Steelers choose to use rookie linebacker Sean Spence will be of major interest. At safety, it will be interesting to see Myron Rolle in his Steelers debut.

So keep this page bookmarked throughout the game. Updates will come live, on a quarterly basis, so don't forget to check back often.

Quarterbacks

Ben Roethlisberger

Q1: A; Q2: N/A; Q3: N/A; Q4: N/A; Overall: A

Ben Roethlisberger looked like himself out there, meaning that he had to scramble away from pressure as well as take a few sacks.

You can see the Todd Haley influence already. The passing game has become faster, with quick throws not just to deep receivers but to running backs and tight ends, namely Isaac Redman and David Johnson.

A deep ball to Emmanuel Sanders did not connect, but that was a result of Eagles cornerback Dominique Rogers-Cromartie and not Roethlisberger's pass.

He helped engineer the Steelers' first scoring drive, a 46-yard Shaun Suisham field goal that had Pittsburgh in the lead, 3-0, with around three minutes remaining in the first quarter. 

Byron Leftwich

Q1: C+; Q2: B; Q3: N/A; Q4: N/A; Overall: B-

Leftwich had just a few minutes of play in the first quarter. The results were mixed: He was stripped of the ball on the first play (luckily recovered by left tackle Mike Adams), didn't do much of anything for two more plays (the third-down and 16 play fortunately resulted in an Eagles personal foul penalty that extended the drive) and then threw a first-down completion to Antonio Brown to end the half. 

Jerrod Johnson

Q1: N/A; Q2: N/A; Q3: D; Q4: D; Overall: D

Fourth-string quarterback Jerrod Johnson appeared in over his head, as expected. If he keeps this up, he'll easily be cut before the start of the season. If he improves, perhaps the practice squad is in his future.

Running Backs

Isaac Redman

Q1: A+

Isaac Redman looked more than capable of taking over for the recovering Rashard Mendehall. In the Todd Haley mold, he was targeted for passes out of the backfield, handling the job well. He ran decisively in the first quarter, including successfully running up the middle, which says as much about him as it does the Steelers' offensive line.

Jonathan Dwyer

Q1: N/A; Q2: A; Q3: N/A; Q4: N/A

Dwyer only had one real play in the first quarter and did not touch the ball. In the second quarter, however, he came alive, with a successful dump-off and an up-the-middle run for 33 yards that set up first and goal (which ultimately resulted in a Steelers touchdown). So far, the Steelers' running game doesn't look just like it exists but that it has capability to thrive.

Chris Rainey

Q1: B; Q2: A; Q3: A; Q4: N/A; Overall: A

Rainey showed that his size can be a liability, but his speed most certainly isn't. Rainey both fielded punts and kicks in the first half of the game and looked about as shifty as expected when handed or thrown the ball.

Rainey's best run of the first half came in the second quarter, where he looked bottled up for a gain of one or two yards but managed to get low (his trademark), take advantage of missed tackles and rocket to a first down.

Rainey was injured in the second quarter but returned later on and ran for 57 yards on a third down for a touchdown. He's the Steelers not-so-secret weapon.

Baron Batch

Q1: N/A; Q2: D; Q3: D

Batch's first touch came in the second quarter at the goal line in the I-formation. It was for no gain. That theme repeated throughout the night. At this rate, he's found himself on the roster bubble. He cannot force himself through holes and defenders got to him repeatedly.

John Clay

Q1: N/A; Q2: N/A; Q3: D

An uptick in the Eagles defense combined with the Steelers' second- and third-string offensive line did John Clay few favors. He looked like a statue at times and confused at others. He's still a work-in-progress when it comes to performance on the field.

Wide Receivers

Emmanuel Sanders

Q1: INC; Q2: A; Q3: N/A; Q4: N/A; Overall: A-

Emmanuel Sanders played into a bit of the second quarter. He was targeted once by Roethlisberger in the first quarter, a deep ball that could have resulted in a touchdown, but he was masterfully defended by Dominique Rogers-Cromartie.

In the second quarter, with Byron Leftwich under center, Sanders brought down a pass in the red zone (helped along by a bad read by the Eagles' Nnamdi Asomugha) to make the score 9-0 Steelers. The extra point? It was good.

Antonio Brown

Q1: A; Q2: A; Q3: N/A; Q4: N/A; Overall: A

Antonio Brown wasn't targeted as much as he would be in a regular-season game as the Steelers installed other packages and plays to maximize their running game and running backs in general.

Roethlisberger connected with Brown on a quick strike in the first quarter and Leftwich connected with him for a first down in the second before Brown's night ended.

Fullbacks/Tight Ends/H-Backs

David Johnson

Q1: A+; Q2: N/A; Q3: N/A; Q4: N/A; Overall: A+

Head coach Mike Tomlin said earlier this week that David Johnson would still be used as a tight end even though he'll also be taking over traditional fullback duties, and he wasn't kidding.

Johnson was targeted repeatedly by Roethlisberger in the new-look quick passing experiment, with a number of passes thrown his way in third-down situations, which he converted at least twice for a first down.

Johnson was rolled up on from behind near the end of the first quarter and left the game. Heath Miller was in motion on occasion but was never targeted while he was on the field.

Offensive Line

Offensive Line

Q1: B; Q2: B-; Q3: C

There were ongoing issues for the offensive line when it came to protecting the quarterbacks, but they did look better than they generally did in 2011 when it comes to promoting the run game.

Isaac Redman was able to run decisively up the middle, a good sign for the running game into the regular season. But quarterback protection was lacking, primarily because of rookie left tackle Mike Adams.

Adams has a steep learning curve to overcome, however, so it is not surprising that he had issues in pass protection. He, however, left the game with an injury to his right knee; if it's serious, the Steelers may be in a bad way. When Trai Essex came in, it wasn't very pretty.

The guards, however, and the veterans on the line performed extremely well, in the sense that nothing they did stood out. That's a good sign—the best offensive line is the one that's hardly noticed. David DeCastro, therefore, should have little trouble transitioning to a full-time starting job in the regular season.

Team Defense

Q1: A; Q2; B; Q3: C

On defense, the Steelers looked as strong as usual, even without a glut of their starters on the field or playing all that long.

Up front pressure was the name of the game, more so than stellar secondary play, at least to start the game. Standouts included likely starting nose tackle Steve McLendon, who was all over the field, and outside linebacker Brandon Johnson, who has made a strong case for a roster spot.

The Steelers performed well while Eagles starter Michael Vick was on the field as well as when backup Mike Kafka played. Third-stringer Nick Foles gave the Steelers' number three defense fits, however.

Cornerback Curtis Brown, who was vying for the other starting spot alongside Ike Taylor, likely hurt his chances greatly, giving up a huge touchdown near the end of the third quarter. Foles hit Mardy Gilyard, and the score went from 13-7 Pittsburgh, to 14-13 Philadelphia.