Offenses take center stage at Heinz Field

LATROBE – Pittsburgh has always been a defense-first kind of football town.
But today, when the Steelers host the Green Bay Packers in their preseason home opener at Heinz Field, all eyes will be on the two respective offenses.
Green Bay, spearheaded by All-Pro quarterback Aaron Rodgers, led the NFL in total offense in 2014. The No. 2 unit in the league last season was the Steelers. So, this promises to be a rare preseason marquee matchup – at least for a quarter or so.
Typically, early preseason games aren’t all that exciting. But with two of the league’s best quarterbacks in Rodgers and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger on the field, this one might be an exception.
“I think he is one of the best in the game. I don’t think there is any argument about it,” said Roethlisberger of Rogers. “The way he goes about his business and the athlete that he is and player that he is, it’s undeniable.”
Roethlisberger played just six snaps in the Steelers’ second preseason game after sitting out the Hall of Fame Game. He led the Steelers on an 80-yard touchdown drive against Jacksonville and then capped it off with a two-point conversion pass to Markus Wheaton.
Rogers, meanwhile, played about a quarter in Green Bay’s win over New England last week, going 11 of 19 for 117 yards.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will get a good look at his young defense against one of the league’s top offenses, but he’s not overly concerned about that.
“We don’t care who we play. We just focus on us and how we execute and play,” Tomlin said of the preseason. “Obviously, it will be a great test to have a guy like Aaron Rodgers and a team of this quality facing us at this juncture, but it doesn’t dictate our plan.”
The plan again on defense is to get some of the younger starters on the field a little longer than usual. So while Roethlisberger and many of the team’s offensive stars won’t play long past the first quarter, players such as inside linebacker Ryan Shazier and defensive end Stephon Tuitt could play into the second half.
“The more experienced they get, the better off we’re going to be,” said defensive coordinator Keith Butler. “We need them to get that experience in real games and not make the same mistakes we’re making now.”
Despite the fact the Steelers broke training camp Saturday and will return to their practice facility on the South Side when they resume workouts Tuesday, there are still roster spots to be won. And considering the starting units will likely play a full half or more next Saturday when the Steelers travel to Buffalo for their fourth preseason game, today could be one of the last chances for some younger players to make a lasting impression in a game environment.
“The big thing is that we get enough looks at a lot at guys that we can make proper evaluations off of and also we give the guys what they need to continue to grow and develop and push towards game readiness in some instances,” said Tomlin.
The game also will offer many their first opporuntity to see updates to the South Plaza of Heinz Field. The team added about 3,000 seats in the south end zone in the offseason.
The new seating could affect kicking at Heinz Field, a stadium already notorious among kickers for its swirling winds.
But Tomlin isn’t concerned how that will affect new placekicker Garrett Hartley, signed two weeks ago when Shaun Suisham was lost for the season with a knee injury in the Hall of Fame Game against the Vikings.
“I don’t overanalyze, because I don’t kick,” Tomlin said. “But, I expect the ball to go through the uprights.”
The game was moved to a 1 p.m. start so as not to conflict with the Pirates’ Sunday night game against the Giants. … Tomlin said he expects to give punters Brad Wing and Jordan Berry each a half to perform as he has done in the first two games. Wing has averaged 49.5 yards per punt, Berry 45.4. … After playing guard in the first two games, second-year lineman Chris Hubbard will get a look at center today. … Alejandro Villanueva, who played only left tackle in the first two games, will play right tackle today.