Redskins Look For Points In Preseason Game Against Steelers

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) _ Enough already. <br/><br/>The Washington Redskins have a streak of six preseason games without their first-team offense scoring. No matter how much the games really mean, the starters

Friday, August 17th 2007, 3:08 pm

By: News On 6

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) _ Enough already.

The Washington Redskins have a streak of six preseason games without their first-team offense scoring. No matter how much the games really mean, the starters are tired of putting on their baseball caps for the night with a ``0'' on their side of the scoreboard.

``At this stage,'' receiver Santana Moss said, ``with this offense, with this team, it's almost like now or never.''

The Redskins will try again Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach Joe Gibbs played most of his offensive starters for an entire half last week against the Tennessee Titans _ quite a bit for a first exhibition game _ and the plan is to do roughly the same this week.

``Last week, we had parts of our team that looked good, parts that didn't,'' Gibbs said. ``And so you're hoping to improve on the parts that didn't.''

Pittsburgh's approach couldn't be more different. This is the third game for the Steelers _ they had an extra one because they played in the Hall of Fame game _ and new coach Mike Tomlin has been easing his starters along. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has played only three series, although he lobbied for more last week, and he anticipates getting ``maybe a quarter'' this week.

Roethlisberger's appearance should be more exciting than the preseason norm because the Steelers have been working on the no-huddle offense, which they plan to use as a mid-game change of pace this season. Roethlisberger was in hurry-up mode for both of his series at home against Green Bay last week.

``I'm sure we'll do it again this week on the road,'' Roethlisberger said. ``And it'll be a good test for us.''

Running back Willie Parker, who rushed for 1,494 years last season, will play for the first time this preseason after sitting out the first two games with an inflamed left knee.

A swollen knee has also slowed Redskins running back Clinton Portis, who has been out for more than two weeks. Portis and Rock Cartwright (hamstring) aren't expected to play, leaving Ladell Betts to get the bulk of the carries with the starters.

The Redskins want to see more progress from third-year quarterback Jason Campbell, but the biggest focus will be on a starting offensive line that allowed two sacks last week. Mike Pucillo will get a chance to show that he's the answer at left guard as he replaces Todd Wade, who has struggled in his move from tackle and also has a shoulder injury.

Also, rookie free agent Stephon Heyer is expected to get another start at left tackle despite a nagging hamstring injury. He's been replacing Chris Samuels, out with a sprained knee.

``We want to keep guys off Jason, and we want to get a better average rushing,'' right tackle Jon Jansen said. ``We want to get the ball moving a little bit more. If we do those two things, the ball's going to go into the end zone.''

The Redskins starters last saw the end zone in a preseason game on Aug. 26, 2005, coincidentally against the Steelers. They didn't score in the final exhibition that year and were blanked in all four games last year, as well as in last week's 14-6 win over the Titans, when all the points were scored by backups.

Tomlin summed up the Steelers' attitude toward preseason when he said: ``We have to try to master the things that require no talent'' _ referring to intangibles such as playing hard, playing fast and knowing assignments.

The Redskins want those things, too _ but with a touchdown or even just a field goal to show for it.

``That's kind of the objective,'' center Casey Rabach said. ``If we move the ball up and down between the 20s, we'd feel pretty good about that, but the ultimate goal is to get in the end zone, and you kind of go home unsatisfied if you can't get in there.''