
PLAYER NOTES
--QB Ben Roethlisberger left Sunday's game with 3:31 to go with a right hand injury. X-rays showed no breaks and he should be OK, but the Steelers won't provide an update on his condition until Tuesday.
--RB Mewelde Moore finally touched the ball as the team's third-down back. He has one run for six yards, no receptions.
--CB Bryant McFadden made his second straight start for injured Deshea Townsend and had an interception and fumble recovery.
--DE Travis Kirschke started on the right side for injured Brett Keisel, who is out 1-2 months with a calf injury.
--RB Gary Russell, released Saturday to make room for a special teams player, likely will be re-signed this week if no one claims him.
REPORT CARD VS. EAGLES
PASSING OFFENSE: F - Ben Roethlisberger completed 13 of 25 passes for 131 yards, one interception and was lucky he wasn't killed. He was sacked eight times, scrambled away from sacks for barely positive yardage on four other occasions, lost two fumbles and was called for a safety for intentional grounding in his end zone. He left for good with 3 1/2 minutes to go with a mild right hand injury. It was one of the worst days of his career. Byron Leftwich was 4 of 7 for 60 yards and he, too, was sacked once.
RUSHING OFFENSE: F - This could have taken some heat off the passing game with some production, but there was none. The total: 33 yards on 19 carries with Willie Parker managing just 20 on 13. The coaches also abandoned the ground game before giving it a chance, running only six times in the first half of a tight game.
PASS DEFENSE: B-plus - If it weren't for the offense, the Steelers would have won. Donovan McNabb completed 24 of 35 for just 196 yards and one TD. He threw one interception and was sacked three times. He also had no big scrambles. His one TD pass to Correll Buckhalter, though, staked the Eagles to a lead they never gave up when the running back dodged two tacklers and dived into the end zone to take a short pass 20 yards for a score.
RUSH DEFENSE: B-plus - The Eagles aren't known as a running team and they did not try much against the Steelers, who held them to 65 yards on 23 carries. Brian Westbrook, though, was injured in the first quarter and did not return for Philadelphia after 12 yards on five carries.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B - Another basically good game for a surprisingly better unit through three games. They had no returns to speak off but Jeff Reed made both field goals, including a career long of 53. Punter Mitch Berger averaged a 41.4-yard gross and stuck three inside the 20 or his average would have been higher. The Eagles also had no returns worth mentioning.
COACHING: C-minus - It looked as if the blitzing Eagles defense took the staff completely by surprise, and if they made adjustments to it they weren't apparent or effective. Players said they were confused all day, which sounds as if they were unprepared for what they saw. Hey, it's what Jim Johnson defenses do; it should have come as no surprise. A failing grade for the offensive coaches was upgraded because the defense played it almost perfectly and special teams once again looked much better coached in a third straight game.
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