STEELERS Mike Logan shows his ability at strong safety

After two uneventful seasons, Mike Logan has become a starter.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- He hasn't disappointed them with his play, his demeanor or his attitude. So far in his brief NFL career, Troy Polamalu has been nearly everything the Pittsburgh Steelers expected their first-round draft pick to be.
Except one thing: He's not yet a starter.
The plan was for Polamalu to slide seamlessly into a starting job in a secondary that was badly in need of upgrading following a disappointing 2002 season. But as the Steelers head into their exhibition game tonight against the Philadelphia Eagles, six-year veteran Mike Logan is starting at strong safety.
Here's the surprise: Logan was a backup last season who played extensively in the Steelers' extra-man defensive schemes, but was unable to beat out either Lee Flowers or Brent Alexander at safety.
Playing better
Logan, who made 11 starts for Jacksonville in 2000 but has started only once in two Steelers seasons, came into camp injury-free and has played at a much higher level than anticipated.
"Mike Logan has had an outstanding camp," coach Bill Cowher said. "He probably has been the most productive out of all those guys. Troy Polamalu is getting better and is getting comfortable in a lot of the different roles we have put him in."
Amid all the troubling developments at the Steelers' camp, including the offensive line's instability and the constant weather problems, Cowher said, Logan has been a pleasant surprise.
"He has been very decisive," Cowher said. "He feels comfortable with the defense. He has always been a good tackler. He has made a lot of plays."
Lackluster opener
The Steelers go into their second exhibition game knowing they can't play much worse than they did in a 26-13 loss at Detroit last Saturday. The offense never got into a rhythm, mostly because an offensive line that is still in transition never meshed.
Center Jeff Hartings, fighting through a knee injury that can't be operated on, won't play. Right guard Kendall Simmons will play 18 to 20 plays, even though his pre-camp bout with diabetes cost him 2 1/2 weeks of practice time. Right tackle remains a mystery, with neither Oliver Ross nor Todd Fordham able to establish himself as the starter.
Cowher will play his starters nearly a half, but Eagles coach Andy Reid said Friday his regulars will play only about a quarter -- or a little longer than they did in a 27-17 victory Monday over New Orleans.
"You expect the young guys in each of these preseason games to take another step forward," Reid said. "Their nerves are a little more settled and they understand the plays better. We'll see what they can do."
Westbrook making trip
Among those making the trip will be Brian Westbrook, the running back and kick returner who hurt his right knee during practice Wednesday. With running back Duce Staley still holding out, Correll Buckhalter will start at running back.
The game will feature a mix of new technology and old-style football.
The Steelers will wear 1940s style uniforms in tribute to the 60th anniversary of the Steagles, the Eagles-Steelers team that played the 1943 season in both cities. The teams combined because so many NFL players left to take part in World War II. Six players from the team are expected to attend.
But even as '40s-era music is played on the public address system, TV viewers can watch the first local HDTV telecast of a Steelers game. KDKA-TV will show the game in high definition to those with an HDTV set and access to the station's digital signal, which will be carried on at least two Pittsburgh-area cable systems.
It will also be the first game played on Heinz Field's new hybrid surface. The grass field was strengthened with thousands of plastic fibers to avoid the frequent resoddings necessary the last two seasons. The turf is much like that at the Eagles' new Lincoln Financial Field.