... The injured starter they got back, however, happened to be Pro Bowl
running back Willie Parker.
And Parker's return helped offset injuries to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and tight end Heath Miller, as the Steelers came away
with
a 23-6 victory at FedEx Field.
Parker, who had been out since suffering a sprained right knee Sept. 21
at
Philadelphia, had 70 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown as the
Steelers
improved to 6-2 at the midway point of the season.
Washington falls to 6-3.
But the injuries to Roethlisberger and Miller could keep them out of the
Steelers' game next Sunday at Heinz Field against Indianapolis.
Roethlisberger, who was 5 of 17 for 50 yards and an interception,
re-injured his sprained right shoulder suffered in the season-opener
against Houston, while Miller suffered a sprained right ankle.
Despite a terrible first half offensively, the Steelers took a 10-6 lead
into the half thanks to a 35-yard Jeff Reed field goal and a one-yard
touchdown plunge by Roethlisberger.
A 43-yard pass interference penalty on Washington cornerback Carolina
Rodgers was the big play on the drive for Reed's field goal, while
Roethlisberger's TD run was set up by a blocked punt by linebacker Andre Frazier.
Cornerback William Gay recovered the ball at the Washington 13 and
Roethlisberger got into the end zone on a sneak with 32 seconds left in
the first half to give the Steelers their first lead.
Washington scored its first six points on a pair of Shaun Suisham field
goals on two drives that totalled 14 yards.
The Steelers attempted a surprise onside kick to open the game, with
Washington recovering at the 41. Gay was offsides on the kick, giving
the
Redskins the ball at the Pittsburgh 36 to open the game.
That set up a 44-yard Suisham field goal.
Byron Leftwich relieved Roethlisberger in the second half and connected
on
his first pass, a 50-yarder to Nate Washington that set up a one-yard TD
plunge by Parker. Reed, however, missed the PAT and Pittsburgh settled
for
a 16-6 lead.
The Steelers ended Washington quarterback Jason Campbell's streak of
passes without an interception at 271 when Deshea Townsend picked off a
deflected pass at the end of the third quarter.
Leftwich, who completed 7 of 11 passes for 129 yards, then finished off
the Redskins by tossing a 5-yard TD pass to Santonio Holmes for a 23-6
lead with 11:58 remaining.
The Steelers limited Clinton Portis, who entered the game with an
NFL-high
944 yards rushing, to 51 yards on 13 carries and also recorded seven
sacks.