Challenges still lurk for Steelers

Don't read too much from only one game, Bill Cowher said.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Those eight quarters watching a going-nowhere offense last month weren't erased from Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher's mind by 11 mostly effective passes Ben Roethlisberger threw Sunday.
Cowher isn't ready to proclaim the Steelers' offensive problems solved, even though they scored on six consecutive possessions during a season-opening 34-7 rout of Tennessee made possible mostly by Willie Parker's 209 yards of rushing and receiving.
"I'm not ready to sit here and say everything is set with one game," Cowher said Tuesday. "I've said this before, the first month of the season, you're creating an identity. It's not what you do in one game. It's not what you do in two games."
It's also about what the Steelers' starting offense did during the preseason -- namely, nothing. The starters failed to score a touchdown, although they played no longer than a half in any of the four exhibition games.
Big Ben's Sunday performance
Roethlisberger, unsettled and ineffective throughout the preseason, couldn't have been much sharper while going 9-of-11 for 218 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also became the first NFL quarterback since 2003 to have a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
But with Parker's big plays making it unnecessary to throw more than 11 times -- the Steelers' fewest attempts since 1977 -- the passing game didn't get the work it normally would in a regular season game. The 11 attempts were about what Roethlisberger would get in one half of a preseason game.
"Certainly from a first-game standpoint it was probably pretty good," Cowher said. "There are some things we can do better execution-wise."
While Parker will make his second career start Sunday at Houston (0-1), the injured Duce Staley (knee) and, possibly, Jerome Bettis (calf) could play. Both sat out Sunday, allowing Parker to enjoy the best opening-game performance by a running back in the franchise's 73-season history. He ran for 161 yards, the 12th-best effort in team history, and set up their first touchdown with a 48-yard catch on a swing pass.
Staley, limited by injuries to 41 carries since the midpoint of last season, is listed as questionable. Bettis is doubtful, meaning he has a 25 percent chance of playing.
"I've got to see them run and I've got to see them jump, cut and accelerate," Cowher said. "They have to feel comfortable and I have to feel comfortable."
Cornerback Willie Williams, who missed the opener with a groin injury, also is probable, as are starting offensive tackles Max Starks (ankle) and Marvel Smith (knee). Both were lifted during the Tennessee game, though Starks returned.
Ike Taylor replaced Williams, and Cowher said there is a chance Taylor could remain in the lineup even if Williams is ready.
"I thought he did a lot of good things," Cowher said. "He tackled very well. He was in position when needed to be in position. I thought he played a solid game."
Meanwhile, No. 3 quarterback Charlie Batch returned to the 53-man roster after being released just before Sunday's game. To make room for Batch, free agent wide receiver Noah Washington was waived, but the Steelers plan to put him on their practice squad Wednesday if he is not claimed by another team.