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I haven' t written in a bit because I figured there would be more than enough info out there on the web so why should I just duplicate it. Since we have the first game coming up, I' ll get back with it here. Today I' ll go over some things to watch on Saturday, things that might make the second half of the game worth watching. Here we go.

Here We Go:
• QB: Ben and Batch will play a little but I would be surprised if either one of them was still in there after the first quarter. Shane Boyd will come after and the thing to watch there is how well his athleticism translates to the Steelers' offense. If he' s able to move around and make some plays, he might just be able to give himself a shot at the #3 position. After Boyd, the so-far-disappointing Omar Jacobs will take over. The fifth round pick has been having a tough time in camp in many areas including getting his team out of the huddle. It' s still early in camp so nobody' s ready to cut him but it is something to keep track of. Proving himself in game conditions would sure make the coaches happy.
• RB: Can anyone run in short yardage? It will be nice if the Steelers run into a goal line situation to try and find out. Outside of that, keep an eye on Duce Staley and Cedric Humes. Staley has looked pretty slow in camp and the Steelers will need to determine whether that' s a permanent condition brought on by past wear and tear or is he just a bit rusty. The first game will be a good indicator. As for Humes, let' s see if he actually has a desire to run inside and over people. He' s been a bit hesitant so far and has tried to become an outside runner which is not why he was drafted. If he can' t or won' t run inside, he will not be a Steeler this season. If John Kuhn does anything better than Humes, he might vault ahead of him in the chase for a roster spot but that is probably a real long shot right now.
• WR: Watch how Nate Washington performs against first teamers (he will be starting with Hines Ward being held out). He was great in camp and pre season last year and has been great again this year but let' s see how he does against the Cards' top corners. They' re not too bad and will test the young Tiffin-ite. I' m looking forward to seeing our young draft pick that' s been wowing everybody in camp. Sadly, it' s not Santonio Holmes but in fact Willie Reid. He' s been catching everything, looking like a seasoned vet on punt returns and reminding everyone of Antwaan Randle El. The difference is he comes with a lot more speed and a thicker physique. You never know, the 49ers once thought they had a great WR picked in the first round a few years back named J.J. Stokes. As it turned out, it was their third rounder, Terrell Owens, who blossomed into the star. Another battle to keep an eye on will be the contest for a roster spot between Quincy Morgan, Sean Morey and Lee Mays. Each has their strengths and weaknesses and will have to show the ability to help out the team in numerous ways. Watch and see if you can notice any one of them.
• TE: Keep an eye on sixth round pick Charles Davis. He' s impressed in camp so far and will see a lot of action with Jerame Tuman sitting out. He might just make it very tough to cut him. Another thing to keep an eye on will be if Brett Keisel takes any snaps at the position. He' s been used as a TE in goal line formations during camp and has even caught a TD. Davis might actually be battling him for a job.
• OL: Marvin Philip, Marvin Philip, Marvin Philip. With backup C Chukki Okobi out for at least a month or two, the Steelers need their sixth round pick Philip to step up and do it soon. So far, so good, he has been looking good in camp-even impressing Casey Hampton with his ability to hold. That' s an opinion worth noting. I' m not sure if we' ll see it but try to keep an eye on Kendall Simmons to see if he takes any snaps at center. The Steelers' coaches had him working there for a short time this past week in case of an emergency but if he looks good, who knows. On a personal note, that' s what my old coaches told me one day, moving me inside from the LT position. I never saw the tackle position again and spent the next five seasons squatting over a football getting pounded on by nose tackles. I guess all I' m saying is Simmons might want to start brushing up on line calls. One other player I' m going to be keeping an eye on is Willie Colon, the fourth rounder from Hofstra. He' s been playing everywhere on the line in camp but will probably be used exclusively at the RT position on Saturday. I not only want to see how well he does (he' s impressed so far) but if he tries to rip any heads off in the process. His nasty demeanor may have actually been underrated coming out of the draft. Trai Essex could take lessons.
• DL: There is a big battle shaping up at this position with a lot of quality players involved. As best as I can tell, Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel and Chris Hoke are the only locks on the DL. Orien Harris is starting to lock up a position as a nickel/dime DT, something the Steelers really don' t have. He reminds some of Kendrick Clancy, who has done quite well since he left Pittsburgh. Then the battle for one or two more spots will be between Travis Kirscke, Rodney Bailey, Shaun Nua and even Lee Vickers (who may end up counting as a LB). The competition will be decided on the field so stay tuned. Since I' ve mentioned Vickers here, keep an eye on him in kick coverage. The Steelers like his size and speed and envision him as a good replacement for Brett Keisel' s wedge buster role. The guy really is a physical freak out there, size of an end-speed of a LB. I wouldn' t be surprised at all to see him make the club.
• LB: James Harrison has been the stud of camp so far so make sure you watch him for pure enjoyment sake. Silverback has been knocking people around in every drill, has been good in pass coverage and has even been used as a full back down by the goal line. That and he still scares the **** out of everybody too. As for competitions to keep an eye on, look for a battle between Rian  Goo Wallace and Richard Seigler. Wallace hasn' t shown much at all so far and Seigler has moved ahead of him on the depth chart. The problem for Seigler is that he not only needs to beat out Wallace but he must also prove to be more valuable than a guy like Vickers. Right now, I don' t like either of their chances. The rest of the LB group looks pretty set with Porter, Haggans, Foote, Farrior, Harrison, Frazier and Kriewaldt holding onto their jobs.
• DB: The FS position is up for grabs right now with Tyrone Carter scheduled to start the pre-season opener. He' ll see plenty of time along with Ryan Clark and Anthony Smith. Also, don' t forget about Mike Logan, he' s been looking surprisingly good in this camp. It' ll be a tough choice on who to keep in the secondary because there is some competition at corner too. Everybody knows the top three (Taylor, Townsend and McFadden) but Colclough and UFA Anthony Madison have shown well too. As long as you don' t ask him to field a punt, Colclough has looked very good and is solid as the #4 corner and the decision will come down to whether the Steelers keep an extra safety, an extra corner and what to do with special teams ace Chidi Iwouma. There are a lot of tough calls to be made in the secondary this year. I' ll be watching Colclough, Madison and Smith in particular.
• ST: There may be a changing of guard at punter this season with the stronger legged Mike Barr putting some serious heat on the better placements of Chris Gardocki. I would still favor Gardocki and his experience but his age may play a factor (not to mention his salary) in the final decision. Also keep an eye on the two punters to see who holds for which kicker. Cowher said they would alternate so we' ll just have to see.

Well, that' s all I have time for now. By the way, here' s a little betting heads up if you' re into such a thing (and I sure as heck would not even consider betting on pre-season personally). If I had a nickel to bet, I would take the Cards in this one. It' s their first game at their new stadium so you know the crowd will be there (although, with the way the Steelers travel, there may be a lot of black and gold there too). Also, Denny Green always does a great job of winning his pre season games. A lot better than his post season ones anyway (right Vikings fans?). That and the Steelers' third and fourth string QBs are not playing too great right now and you have the makings of a Steelers loss. That said who really cares? I think the Steelers went .500 last year and they seemed to do O.K. in the end.

So, enjoy this Saturday and I' ll be back with more next week.

Nuf fer now

Tim "needs more time to type" Campion