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Who is one potential breakout player for each AFC North team in 2013?

Baltimore Ravens: Kelechi Osemele. It can be argued that Osemele did, in fact, break out at the end of his rookie season. And it could be argued that the Ravens’ shuffling of their offensive line -- moving Osemele to left guard from right tackle, Michael Oher from left tackle to right tackle and inserting Bryant McKinnie at left tackle -- was the single biggest reason for their spectacular Super Bowl run. But while the argument holds true that Osemele excelled at left guard, I believe he is just scratching the surface and will become a Pro Bowl-caliber player and one of the elite guards in the game. Still new to the position, Osemele is a massive human being with extremely long arms and huge, powerful hands. But unlike some offensive tackles who move inside, leverage and pad level is not a problem for this extremely talented young man.

Cincinnati Bengals: Mohamed Sanu. There wasn’t a Bengals player who jumped up as a breakout candidate, unlike with the other three teams. That isn’t to suggest that Cincinnati has drafted poorly. I view young players Kevin Zeitler and Vontaze Burfict as already having broken out. Last year’s first-round pick, Dre Kirkpatrick, certainly is a candidate, but we haven’t seen enough at the NFL level to judge him. The same is true for Devon Still and Brandon Thompson. That left receivers Sanu and Marvin Jones, who logged about double the snaps as Sanu in 2012. Either could develop into a quality second option opposite the great A.J. Green, but Sanu is the better prospect in my opinion. While he isn’t a perimeter burner like Green, he is a sure-handed, big-bodied wideout who fits well with Andy Dalton, who gets the ball out quickly and allows his receivers to perform after the catch. Like the defensive players mentioned above, there isn’t a lot of film of Sanu to go off. He caught just 16 passes before a Week 12 foot injury ended his rookie season, but he should be penciled in as a starter and see plenty of favorable matchups.

Cleveland Browns: Jordan Cameron. There were easier choices for the Browns than Cameron, namely on the offensive side of the ball, from their impressive rookie class from a year ago. Trent Richardson, Josh Gordon and even Mitchell Schwartz all have extremely promising young careers after impressing as rookies. I expect all three to drastically improve and for Richardson to be one of the top running backs in the league in 2013. But I went with Cameron, a relatively unknown tight end, because of his abilities, the coaching and a major increase of snaps. Cameron is the typical athletic former basketball player with the long frame to really excel against safety and linebacker coverage. But why do I really expect this breakout? Look no further than Cleveland’s new head coach, Rob Chudzinski. Going back to his days as the tight ends coach at the University of Miami, Chudzinski has a spectacular track record for developing great talent into great production at this position. Cameron is his latest project; expect it to go very well.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Cortez Allen. Recent first-round selections David DeCastro and Cameron Heyward crossed my mind for this honor, but I went with Allen over those linemen. Allen fits the mold of what Pittsburgh does at cornerback to a T. On a regular basis, the Steelers draft big, developmental cornerbacks in the middle rounds. Those players tend to have nondescript rookie seasons while making their bones on special teams and learning “The Steeler Way” in Dick LeBeau’s defense. In Year 2, these cornerbacks often take a step forward, playing in sub packages and filling in for injured starters. And if that development goes well, as it did for last year’s starting cornerbacks, Ike Taylor and Keenan Lewis, they take over a starting position. It’s Allen’s turn to do exactly that. The Steelers allowed Lewis to leave for New Orleans, showing they have all the faith in the world in Allen. They did sign William Gay -- another corner they once drafted and who fits this mold -- but Gay is a depth player who is obviously familiar with the system and franchise. Allen gets the opportunity to step up. Expect big things.

The Steelers are looking like the Steelers again. The old-school Steelers. The ones who ran the ball down defenses' throats and wore down teams late in games.

The change has been initiated by offensive coordinator Todd Haley. The plan has been carried out by the unlikeliest of players -- the Steelers offensive line. Bashed the past few years for being the weak link of the offense, the linemen have flexed their muscles during Pittsburgh's three-game win streak and have become the backbone of an attack that will be a force to be reckoned with for the rest of the season.

The Steelers' offensive line has been the most improved unit. It has been the most dominant one recently. And, at the midway point of the regular season, these linemen have been Pittsburgh's most valuable players.

Establishing chemistry and a nasty attitude, the offensive line turned a Steelers run game, off to its worst start in 62 years, into a surprisingly successful one. Pittsburgh has produced a 100-yard rusher in three consecutive games. How big of a role has the line played? When Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman were hurt, the line opened holes for Jonathan Dwyer to gain more than 100 yards in back-to-back games. When Dwyer and Mendenhall were sidelined last Sunday, this line paved the way for Redman to crack 100 yards.

The message is clear: This line gives running backs a chance to succeed. The difference has been the push generated off the line. In the first five games of the season, Steelers running backs were hit in the backfield 19.8 percent of the time, according to ESPN Stats & Information. In the past three games, runners have been hit in the backfield just 12.1 percent of the time. If Redman gets hurt again, maybe Jerome Bettis could suit up and gain 100 yards against the Chiefs on Monday night.

In the past, the offensive line drew more criticism than compliments. The high number of hits on Ben Roethlisberger and the problems in the running game used to be blamed on the line.

"Everyone wants to jump on (the offensive line) when they’re not playing good, but no one talks about them when they’re playing great,” Roethlisberger said recently.

During an offseason in which president Art Rooney II made it a priority to run the ball better, the Steelers had hopes of improving the offensive line although they had a different vision for it. Pittsburgh used its first two draft picks this year on guard David DeCastro and tackle Mike Adams. But DeCastro suffered a severe knee injury in the preseason and Adams didn't win the starting job in training camp.

The difficulties with the rookies weren't the only hurdles that this line had to face. There were question marks on the left side of the line, where tackle Max Starks was months removed from ACL surgery and guard Willie Colon was converting from right tackle. Instead of having a first-round pick in DeCastro at right guard, the Steelers went with Ramon Foster, who was undrafted three years ago. There was even an issue with two-time Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey, who had to sit out a game because of a knee injury.

Where the line came together was Oct. 11, when Adams stepped in for Marcus Gilbert after he injured his ankle. Adams has moved defenders off the line of scrimmage, and the Steelers started to build cohesion that didn't exist a year ago. Last season, the Steelers used an NFL-high 26 different offensive line combinations, according to ESPN Stats & Information. In eight games this season, the Steelers have used six different offensive line combinations.

This line was a work-in-progress early. After three weeks, the Steelers ranked 30th in rushing yards per game (65.0) and were tied for last in yards per carry (2.6). No running back had cracked 50 yards in a game, much less 100.

Over the past three games, Pittsburgh gained 155.0 yards rushing per game and 5.1 yards per carry. Colon and Foster have been equally athletic and aggressive in pulling from one side to another on the team's counter plays.


The line has played so well that there are no guarantees that Gilbert and DeCastro will get back their starting jobs once healthy. Gilbert could be available for next week's game against the Ravens, and DeCastro might be ready by December. This isn't a problem, though. Having too many solid options is a luxury.

By next season, Gilbert is expected to take over at left tackle and DeCastro will take back his spot at right guard. For now, the Steelers might not want to mess with continuity. Starks said the success in the running game goes beyond consistency on the offensive line.

"By committing to a primary runner as opposed to a runner by committee has also played a big role in that," Starks told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this week. "Having a guy know he can run -- and if it doesn't go well, they're going to shelve him and put a guy in for couple plays. Knowing you're committed to him and allowing him to get a feel for the game, to get into a rhythm with us, I think that's the biggest thing, having that continuity."

Roethlisberger remains one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Mike Wallace is still one of the fastest receivers. And tight end Heath Miller is a reliable target in the red zone. They can all make plays when they need to do so. But the pressure is not all on them anymore.

The Steelers have returned to their roots with this physical style of football, which makes them more balanced and stops pass-rushers from teeing off on Roethlisberger (he's only been sacked 17 times in eight games after suffering 40 sacks last season). They're wearing down teams with the second-best time of possession in the NFL and they're finishing off teams in the fourth quarter. The Steelers haven't been able to do this in recent years. But they haven't had this strong of a line during that time either.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A quarter after losing Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers watched right tackle Marcus Gilbert leave with what is believed to be a right ankle injury.

Gilbert hurt his ankle on a third-down conversion about five minutes into the second quarter. Rookie second-round pick Mike Adams has replaced him. The team announced that Gilbert is probable to return.

The Steelers are now playing without three projected starters on the offensive line -- rookie first-round pick David DeCastro was injured in the preseason -- and all available linemen are in action. No backups are left.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The banged-up Steelers are dealing with another injury to a starter. Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey is currently out with a right leg injury and is questionable to return.

Doug Legursky, who replaced Pouncey when he was injured the past two playoffs, has taken over for him Thursday night against the Titans.

Pouncey went down in the first quarter when right tackle Marcus Gilbert rolled on the back of his right leg. After laying on the ground in pain, Pouncey walked off the field by his own power.

This was similar to two months ago when Gilbert rolled into the back of right guard David DeCastro's right leg. The rookie first-round pick is on injured reserve and could return in the second half of the season.

The Steelers are already playing without two starters on defense, safety Troy Polamalu and linebacker LaMarr Woodley.

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Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 1:

Steelers’ inside running game: Pittsburgh lost first-rounder David DeCastro (knee), but their interior offensive line trio of Willie Colon, Maurkice Pouncey and Ramon Foster is a massive group that could be able to dominate Denver’s suspect interior triangle, which could be the team’s biggest weakness. Also, DE Elvis Dumervil will be at a disadvantage in the running game against Steelers OT Max Starks, and LB D.J. Williams will miss this game because of a suspension. That leaves the Broncos very vulnerable against a power running game, particularly up the middle. Pittsburgh will mix in small doses of Chris Rainey, but for the most part look for it to feature Isaac Redman and/or Jonathan Dwyer, two heavier power backs who could wear the Broncos down. Of course, this approach also would be very beneficial for keeping Peyton Manning on the sidelines as well as possibly opening shots deep downfield off play-action to Mike Wallace or Antonio Brown.

Which Ravens’ offense will we see on Monday night? Over the past few seasons, Cam Cameron’s offense in Baltimore has been about as bland and predictable as any in the league. To some degree, that made sense considering Joe Flacco was a young quarterback adjusting to the NFL from a very small college and the fact that Baltimore had Ray Rice at its disposal. So why not feature the running game with some deep shots downfield that often came off play-action? But in today’s NFL, that style of offense can only take you so far. In the preseason, Baltimore featured a lot of no-huddle with Flacco being the focal point of the offense. This change could allow Baltimore to catch opposing defenses, Cincinnati in this case, in favorable personnel groupings and control the tempo of the game. But to run it successfully, Flacco needs to be very adept at exposing the weaknesses that Cincinnati’s defense presents to him and making the correct play calls before the snap. By the preseason indications, Baltimore is ready to trust Flacco with such responsibilities.

Bad draw for Browns, Weeden: The Browns’ Brandon Weeden is my least favorite of the five rookie starting quarterbacks starting across the NFL. He is a very good pocket passer with a big arm, but Weeden doesn’t move his feet well, can stare down receivers and hasn’t shown he is adept at handling pass-rush pressure. Well, the Eagles are a brutal opponent for this aged rookie’s first start, as their pass rush and defensive line rival any in the league. Philadelphia is extraordinarily deep up front and will consistently rotate fresh bodies into the game to attack upfield and disrupt Weeden, who can be statuesque in the pocket. Compounding matters, the Eagles’ corners figure to play a high percentage of press-man coverage, and the Browns’ young wide receivers have yet to show they can consistently beat such coverage at this level. This doesn’t bode well for the Browns or Weeden.

Where’s Ike? Almost as much as any team in the NFL, Pittsburgh likes to match up its top cornerback, Ike Taylor, on the opponent’s No. 1 receiver. When the Steelers and Broncos met last postseason, it was Demaryius Thomas against whom Taylor most often lined up. That ended poorly for Pittsburgh on what was Tim Tebow’s best day as a professional throwing the football. But Eric Decker was knocked out of that game and was not a factor. Because of his sticky hands and precision route running, Decker looks to be the more Peyton Manning-friendly target. It will be very interesting from the start of this game how Pittsburgh views the Broncos’ two starting wide receivers. It could be a tactic that Denver’s future opponents mimic going forward.

Cincinnati’s run game: Bernard Scott is a better outside runner, but BenJarvus Green-Ellis is the reliable between-the-tackles back who can sustain a large workload. Running against the Ravens is never an easy task, but in this matchup, going to the outside might be the preferred route, as Baltimore lost two elite outside run stoppers in Jarret Johnson, who is now with San Diego, and Terrell Suggs, who is sidelined with an Achilles injury. However, Scott might not be healthy for this contest and Cincinnati favors Green-Ellis overall. So assuming Green-Ellis is the main ball carrier, most of the Bengals’ runs should be aimed up the middle. That could be a problem considering Cincinnati’s interior line has been decimated with injuries and simply put, the Ravens are fantastic at stopping the inside run. So expect the Bengals to have to rely on Andy Dalton and the passing game plenty on Monday night.

Click here for the complete list of Pittsburgh Steelers' roster moves.

Most significant move: The Steelers are going with undrafted rookie Drew Butler (son of former NFL kicker Kevin Butler) as their punter. Injuries essentially forced this move. Pittsburgh parted ways with Daniel Sepulveda in the offseason because he couldn't stay healthy and waived Jeremy Kapinos on Friday after a back issue sidelined him this summer. Butler averaged 45.9 yards a punt this preseason and placed six of his 28 punts inside the 20-yard line. The other noteworthy move was keeping Charlie Batch, who was not expected to see his 11th season with Pittsburgh after Byron Leftwich won the backup job. The Steelers decided to keep three quarterbacks and just four wide receivers. Chris Rainey, who has lined up in the slot this preseason, is a hybrid running back-receiver.

Onward and upward: Pittsburgh should have no problem signing David Gilreath to the practice squad. If the Steelers went with a fifth receiver, it would have been Gilreath. He separated himself from an undistinguished group of reserve receivers with four catches for 78 yards in the second preseason game. The other benefit of keeping Gilreath is his ability as a returner. He led Wisconsin in punt and kickoff returns two years ago and could be promoted if Rainey got injured. Receivers Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders can return kicks as well.

What's next: The Steelers may address depth at inside linebacker after placing rookie third-round pick Sean Spence on injured reserve Friday. With Stevenson Sylvester out for a couple of weeks with a torn MCL, Pittsburgh is down to former Bengals linebacker Brandon Johnson as the top backup inside. The Steelers could bring back Trai Essex, after cutting the eight-year veteran Friday, when they place first-round pick David DeCastro on injured reserve Tuesday, allowing the team to activate DeCastro after eight weeks under the new IR rule. Pittsburgh is expected to waive rookie tight end David Paulson after Weslye Saunders serves his four-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.

After watching right guard David DeCastro hurt his knee in Buffalo, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger blamed the injury on FieldTurf.

There's only one problem: Ralph Wilson Stadium uses A-Turf Titan, not FieldTurf.

Roethlisberger corrected himself on that fact, but he didn't back away from his dislike of artificial surfaces.

"In my postgame interview on Saturday, when asked about the knee injury David DeCastro suffered, I mistakenly referred to the artificial grass in Buffalo as FieldTurf," Roethlisberger said in a statement on his own website. "My intention was only to say I believe real grass is the safest surface for football, and allows some knee injuries to be avoided. I was really bothered by David’s injury in that moment, and can only wish him the best now in his recovery."

Roethlisberger and the Steelers are among 16 NFL teams who play their home games on grass (the Browns, Texans, Jaguars, Chiefs, Dolphins, Raiders, Chargers, Titans, Cardinals, Panthers, Bears, Eagles, 49ers, Buccaneers and Redskins are the others). Two other teams, the Broncos and Packers, use a blend of natural and synthetic called DD Grassmaster. That means 14 teams play on some sort of artificial surface, whether it's FieldTurf, Sportexe Momentum (Ravens), Sportsfield Softtop, UBU Speed Series-S5-M (Bengals) or A-Turf Titan.

In March 2010, an NFL panel found that certain serious knee and ankle injuries happen more often in games played on FieldTurf. An NFL spokesman said at the time that further study was needed before anyone could draw conclusions, and FieldTurf president Eric Daliere argued that the study was flawed.

With right guard David DeCastro out indefinitely, there will be minimal impact felt from the Steelers' 2012 draft class this season. DeCastro, the team's first-round pick, was the only guaranteed starter from Pittsburgh's most recent draft.

Offensive tackle Mike Adams, the second-round pick, is in the running for the starting left tackle job. But it wasn't an encouraging sign when the Steelers started Max Starks at left tackle Saturday night.

The player from this draft class who has the best chance of changing games is running back Chris Rainey, a fifth-round pick. He's displayed electric speed this preseason, scoring on a 41-yard run and a 57-yard catch.

Inside linebacker Sean Spence (third round) will be a key contributor on special teams and could see time on the starting defense if there is an injury to Lawrence Timmons or Larry Foote. Nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu (fourth round) has struggled at times and likely will be among the team's inactives every week. Pittsburgh's four seventh-round picks (wide receiver Toney Clemons, tight end David Paulson, cornerback Terrence Frederick and guard Kelvin Beachum) are long shots to make the team.

This isn't to say there won't be a rookie starting for the Steelers this year. Will Johnson, who was out of football last year, is expected to be the Steelers' starting fullback, and Drew Butler, an undrafted rookie, has punted well enough to earn a spot. But the Steelers have to determine whether they'll go with Butler or Jeremy Kapinos, who still hasn't punted this preseason because of issues with his back.

The Steelers had only one rookie starter from the 2011 draft class (right tackle Marcus Gilbert) and one in 2010 (center Maurkice Pouncey).

Steelers first-round pick David DeCastro has a torn medial collateral ligament and will undergo an MRI on Sunday around lunchtime to determine whether he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, a high-level team source to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

A torn MCL means DeCastro could return midway through the season. But, if DeCastro tore his ACL and MCL ligaments, Pittsburgh's starting right guard would be lost for the season.

According to Schefter, the Steelers are hopeful that the MRI won't reveal a torn ACL because doctors did not detect that on Saturday night. Ramon Foster, who started at right guard, would replace DeCastro on the offensive line.

There's a chance that Steelers first-round pick David DeCastro is done for the season after suffering a right knee injury in Saturday night's 38-7 preseason win at Buffalo. "It's potentially severe," coach Mike Tomlin said after the game. "We'll see what the MRI says."

The rest of the division says: Welcome to the club, Steelers.

With DeCastro getting hurt, the top pick for each AFC North team has now been injured for an extended period. Browns running back Trent Richardson (knee), Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (knee) and Ravens outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw (shoulder) all missed a large chunk of training camp and have yet to start a game in the preseason.

Richardson, the third overall pick who had his knee scoped Aug. 9, is expected to play in the regular-season opener, albeit in a limited role. Kirkpatrick, the 17th pick of the 2012 draft, hurt himself before reporting to camp and just began practicing a week ago. Upshaw, a second-round pick, was out for seven days in camp and has yet to unseat Albert McClellan for the rush linebacker job since his return.

The difference with DeCastro is that his injury might leave him sidelined for his entire rookie season. After having a rough start to camp, DeCastro has looked more than solid in the preseason. Now, after watching his right knee bent awkwardly, the Steelers will have to wait for the MRI to see if they'll get him back this season.

While this continues the bad luck for the top picks in the division, it also could extend the Steelers' rough streak with knee injuries. Since the regular-season finale on Jan. 1, Pittsburgh has seen four starters (running back Rashard Mendenhall, offensive tackle Max Starks, nose tackle Casey Hampton and fullback David Johnson) suffer torn anterior cruciate ligaments.

Ben Roethlisberger doesn't know the severity of right guard David DeCastro's injury, but the Steelers quarterback believes he knows the cause.

Roethlisberger is blaming the playing surface at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium.

"This is a great field, but it's FieldTurf, and it's just killing guys because they can't get their feet out of the ground," Roethlisberger told the NFL Network, "and it's just another reason we should get rid of FieldTurf."

Unfortunately for Roethlisberger and the Steelers, they are going to play half of their eight road games this season on artificial surfaces: Cincinnati (FieldTurf), New York Giants (FieldTurf), Baltimore (Sportexe Momentum turf) and Dallas (Matrix RealGrass artificial turf).

The Steelers, though, have lost more players to severe knee injuries on grass in the past year. Running back Rashard Mendenhall injured his knee in last regular season's finale in Cleveland. Nose tackle Casey Hampton and offensive tackle Max Starks hurt their knees in the playoff game in Denver. And fullback David Johnson blew out his knee in the preseason opener in Philadelphia.

Maybe it's safer for the Steelers to play on FieldTurf.

Ben Roethlisberger looked like his old self for the first time this preseason in the Steelers' 38-7 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

It took until the third game of the preseason for it to happen. It also took the Steelers getting backed up to their end zone with under two minutes left in the first half.

Looking comfortable for the first time in Todd Haley's new offense, Roethlisberger marched Pittsburgh down the field on an 11-play, 98-yard drive that he capped with a six-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown. He completed seven of eight passes for 92 yards on that drive.

For most of the preseason, it's been a conservative passing attack for Roethlisberger. Even his longest pass of the preseason -- a 57-yard touchdown to Brown -- was the result of a long run after a short throw.

In Buffalo, after a sluggish start that featured four dropped passes, the key play was Roethlisberger throwing a deep back-shoulder toss to running back Jonathan Dwyer for 33 yards to convert a third-and-9. He then finished off the marathon drive by hitting Brown with 13 seconds remaining in the first half.

Here are some other thoughts from the Steelers' third preseason game:

• Head coach Mike Tomlin called the injury to the right knee of right guard David DeCastro "potentially severe" after the game. He is scheduled for an MRI on Sunday. DeCastro was carted off early in the first quarter after right tackle Marcus Gilbert fell on the leg of the Steelers' first-round pick. Ramon Foster is adequate if you need him to fill in, but he is a marginal starter over an entire season. That's why the Steelers used the 24th overall pick on DeCastro.

• The other injury concern is defensive end Brett Keisel, who has a high ankle sprain. The Steelers have less of a worry at this spot because they have a solid replacement in Cameron Heyward, a 2011 first-round pick.

• Other than that long pass to Dwyer, Roethlisberger didn't really try to stretch the field. He went deep one other time, but Emmanuel Sanders dropped the throw down the right sideline. Mike Wallace is reportedly ending his holdout Sunday.

• Outside of that final drive in the first half, the Steelers offensive line had problems moving a physical Buffalo defensive front. Foster and left guard Willie Colon got pushed back in pass protection, and there were few running lanes for Isaac Redman (24 yards on 12 carries). On one play, center Maurkice Pouncey got called for holding after he grabbed the left leg of Kyle Williams. Even on Redman's touchdown run, he had to push back two Bills defenders who met him in the hole.

• Forcing turnovers has been a priority for the Steelers, who finished last in the NFL last season with 15 takeaways. Pittsburgh came away with three turnovers against the Bills, forcing a fumble and intercepting Bills backup quarterback Vince Young twice. The Steelers converted touchdowns off all three turnovers.

• Brown remains the focal point of the Steelers' passing attack, especially with the absence of Wallace. He caught seven passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns, including a 39-yard touchdown from Byron Leftwich. But Brown should've had better numbers than that. He dropped two passes from Roethlisberger early in the game.

• The Steelers have to figure out a way to set the edge better in the run game. Bills running back Fred Jackson gained most of his yards by breaking to the outside. He made safety Troy Polamalu look bad in the open field on a 15-yard run. Polamalu, though, rebounded to strip the ball away from Shawn Nelson in the end zone and intercepted Young early in the third quarter.

• With James Harrison still out, it was expected that LaMarr Woodley would be the key to the pass rush. On Saturday night, Woodley was more of a presence in pass coverage. He should've intercepted a deflected pass in the first quarter (he dropped it after Bills receiver collided into him) and he later got his hand on a pass while dropping back.

• The Steelers backup quarterbacks are making this a tough decision for the coaching staff, although I still see them giving the job to Leftwich. Last week, Charlie Batch was the first to replace Roethlisberger and he completed seven of 10 passes for 84 yards. On Saturday night, Leftwich took over for Roethlisberger and finished 5 of 8 for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

The Steelers have had to use three different starting lineups on the offensive line in the first three preseason games. It looks like they will have to use a different combination next week -- and might have to adjust their plans for the season.

Right guard David DeCastro was carted off the field in the first quarter of Saturday night's preseason game at Buffalo. The Steelers announced that DeCastro is out for the game with a right knee injury, but it's not known whether he could be out a couple of weeks or for the entire season.

Pittsburgh selected offensive linemen with its first two picks in the 2012 draft to provide long-term continuity. The Steelers went through 25 different offensive-line combinations last season, which ranked first the the NFL.

Through the first three games, only DeCastro and center Maurkice Pouncey are the only Pittsburgh offensive linemen who have started at the same position. Ramon Foster replaced DeCastro in the starting lineup, which means the Steelers go from the top guard taken in the 2012 draft to an undrafted player.

The Steelers' offensive line is facing a familiar problem, and it's not just that constant pressure it allowed in the preseason opener.

With rookie left tackle Mike Adams out a couple of weeks with a mild sprain of his anterior cruciate ligament, Pittsburgh is already reshuffling the offensive line. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Steelers used a league-high 25 different offensive-line combinations during the 2011 regular season. Now they're on their second one heading into their second preseason game.

Pittsburgh's starting lineup for the preseason opener was Adams, left guard Ramon Foster (because Willie Colon was injured), center Maurkice Pouncey, right guard David DeCastro and right tackle Marcus Gilbert. When the Steelers took to the field Sunday, Gilbert went from right to left tackle, Colon returned to left guard and Foster moved to right tackle. The decision to go with Foster at right tackle likely was influenced by the shaky performance by Trai Essex in the opener.

Pittsburgh could also face another decision if veteran left tackle Max Starks (offseason ACL surgery) is ready for the regular season. There has been increased talk about the available of Starks after the opener. Adams had a rough preseason debut, giving up 2 1/2 sacks in a span of nine plays even though the Eagles sat their starting defensive ends.

This isn't a surprise because all rookie linemen endure growing pains. DeCastro struggled in training camp but he had the best showing of all the starting Steelers offensive linemen Thursday. On a positive note, Adams looked solid in run blocking, sealing off the side and getting to the second level.

"He did some pretty impressive things,” Gilbert said of Adams, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Obviously, the sacks stand out, but he did some impressive things in run blocking. He’s going to improve. He’s a player who’s going to bounce back."

Gilbert added, "I just told him to relax and let it come to you. Being too amped up, being overly hyped, is not going to help you in a game. You have to be very calm and very detailed with what you're doing."

Trent Richardson's sore knee could keep the Browns running back out of Friday's preseason opener. This has unfortunately become the status quo for the top rookies in the AFC North this summer.

Of the top picks for each team in the division, there's a good chance that only one will make his preseason debut this week. That would be Steelers guard David DeCastro, and he's only starting Thursday because of an injury to Willie Colon. The good news for DeCastro is that he's only experiencing growing pains. Others haven't been so lucky.

Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, the Bengals' top pick in the 2012 draft, is on the non-football injury list after hurting his leg before camp began. He's expected to miss the preseason, but coach Marvin Lewis said the No. 17 pick could return for the regular-season opener next month.

Outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw, the Ravens' top pick, was sidelined for seven straight practices with a shoulder injury before practicing Tuesday on a limited basis. Head coach John Harbaugh said it's unlikely that Upshaw will play Thursday at Atlanta, but he has yet to make a final decision on the second-round choice.

While these picks are going through a rough start, this year's rookie class could make an immediate impact. It's possible that 11 rookies will start the regular-season opener. The Browns could go with six rookies: Richardson, quarterback Brandon Weeden, offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz, wide receiver Josh Gordon, defensive tackle John Hughes and linebacker James-Michael Johnson. There could be two rookie starters for the Steelers (DeCastro and offensive tackle Mike Adams) and the Bengals (guard Kevin Zeitler and wide receiver Mohamed Sanu). Upshaw is expected to be the only first-year starter for the Ravens.