Steelers’ backup QB job on the line

Associated Press

charlotte, n.c.

Rookie quarterback Cam Newton will get one more chance tonight against the Pittsburgh Steelers to impress coach Ron Rivera and earn the Carolina Panthers starting job this season.

Although it’s almost a foregone conclusion Newton will get the nod, Rivera has yet to name him the starter for the Sept. 11 regular season opener at Arizona.

Newton, the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, has struggled with his accuracy in three appearances, completing 40.4 percent of his passes, including just 4 of 26 to his wide receivers.

The Steelers have no such concerns over who’ll be their starting quarterback this season. But the backup, well, that’s a different matter.

Ben Roethlisberger will sit this one out rather than risk injury, giving Steelers coach Mike Tomlin a chance to figure out who’ll be his No. 2 quarterback after Byron Leftwich broke his arm while scrambling last week against the Atlanta Falcons. The job is up in the air between veteran Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon.

Batch — who has only thrown four passes this preseason — will get the start, although both will see significant playing time.

“I’ve got to go out there and play and play well,” Batch said. “I know that the guys who will be on the sideline watching will be the guys evaluating me. I’ve got to put on a performance that says, ‘Hey, if I have to step into the huddle, you all can count on me to get the job done.”’

Tomlin says he’s going to play it by ear as far as the rest of the starters go.

For both coaches tonight will go a long way toward determining the final few spots on the roster. NFL teams must trim their rosters from 80 to 53 on Saturday.

“I just showed the guys the tape, at this time last year [linebacker] Stephenson Sylvester was on the outside looking in,” Tomlin said. “He was the fourth-team inside linebacker. He made enough plays in this game to convince us that he should stay. I’m not trying to put too much emphasis on it, but I acknowledge that a lot of guys are undecided and this game could play a factor on the other side of it.”