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Dixon Makes Case For Starting Steelers QB Job
NFL.com reports that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has yet to announce the starting quarterback for Saturday’s preseason game against the New York Giants. Ben Roethlisberger is presumably getting the call, but that’s a side note. The question facing Steelers fans is this: Who will take over under center for the team’s first six games?
Roethlisberger, who is set to serve a six-game suspension for off-the-field transgressions and poor behavior, sat out the team’s first preseason game.
Meanwhile, the battle behind him has turned into a legitimate fight. Coming in to the preseason, most football pundits expected Byron Leftwich would beat out Dennis Dixon for the role of six-game starter. Leftwich has a huge advantage on the experience tip and posted a 104.3 QB rating for the Steelers two season ago.
Dixon is getting his opportunities, and he’s making the most of them. He had relative success in the second half against the Detroit Lions last week, completing 6-of-7 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. He rushed for another 31 yards. Compared to Leftwich’s line of 6-of-10 for 41 yards, the odds of starting week one are starting to look favorable. The clear highlight of the game was a 68-yard touchdown pass from Dixon to wide receiver Antonio Brown in the fourth quarter.
“He’s got to take the job if he’s going to take it,” Tomlin said about Dixon to NFL Network on Tuesday. “That’s why we’ve continually worked on a package [of plays] solely for him not only here in training camp but back in the spring at our place,” Tomlin said.
The Steelers expect to use Dixon in some capacity. How big his role might become should be much clearer after Saturday night.
For more news and video highlights on the Steelers QB battle visit NFL.com.
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