MIAMI (+1) at PITTSBURGH -- Of course, the Steelers are going to have to make do without Ben Roethlisberger for at least a couple of weeks, as Charlie Batch, a starter years ago in Detroit, steps into the fire. He's only thrown 44 passes in the last four seasons, but Batch quarterbacked Pittsburgh to two wins last year when Big Ben was injured. And even minus Jerome Bettis, the Steelers will have some of the other components working, like a running game with plenty of punch in the persons of Duce Staley and Super Bowl hero Willie Parker, and that nasty defense. Meanwhile, it's Daunte Culpepper who is undergoing the bigger test, as he is starting his first game since tearing up his knee last October. Chris Chambers may become an All-Pro receiver, but there's no one scary on the other side. And Culpepper, who completed 73% of his passes in the pre-season, will see a variety of blitzes as he tries to work out his regular season rust. The Dolphins are carrying a lot of momentum into this season, as they scored wins in six straight games to end last year. But Pittsburgh has been the NFL's best team over the past two years (Super Bowl win last year, 15-1 regular season the year before). And undoubtedly they'll have an especially focused effort in the wake of Roethlisberger's absence. So there's still something for Nick Saban's crew to overcome.
THE PLAY: PITTSBURGH ** |
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