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	Geoff Burke/US Presswire
	The Steelers limited Clinton Portis to 51 yards on 13 carries in a 23-6 victory over the Redskins on Monday.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

LANDOVER, Md. -- Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell still had a dazed look on his face when a paramedic walked past with a gurney 45 minutes after Monday's game. After a brutal 23-6 loss to the Steelers, Campbell is lucky he wasn't on it.

The Steelers validated their No. 1 ranking on defense by battering Campbell for seven sacks and forcing two interceptions. He'd gone a remarkable 271 consecutive attempts without an interception, but it had to end at some point. Despite being handed great field position throughout the first half, the Redskins could muster only two Shaun Suisham fields goals.

With the exception of a 22-yard run -- the longest allowed by the Steelers this season -- Clinton Portis couldn't get anything going on the ground. He saw his own streak of five games with at least 120 yards or more come to an abrupt end. The stretch plays that had shredded the Eagles and Cowboys didn't seem to faze the Steelers. And the lack of a running game took away the threat of the play-action passing game.

The Steelers' starting linebackers combined for five sacks. Campbell was frustrated because Pittsburgh prevented the deep ball by playing at least one safety 25 yards away from the line of scrimmage and then brought pressure from all over the field. In describing his frustration, the mild-mannered Campbell even issued a "golly durn," which passes for foul language in Taylorsville, Miss.

"That's about the most tenacious defense we've seen," Campbell said. "Those linebackers are so fast from east to west that they can take away the passing game and then have time to still bring pressure."

The Redskins didn't convert a third down in the first half, and were 3-of-15 for the night. Coach Jim Zorn said his team's inability to extend drives prevented him from ever getting into a play-calling rhythm. The Steelers had an acute awarness of down and distance, and stopped the Redskins a yard or two short of first downs on several occasions. And for some reason, Campbell took a couple of sacks when he could've simply tossed the ball out of bounds. Zorn said he enjoyed the chess match with Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau -- until the end of the third quarter.

"They play what they want and just throw it right in your face and say, 'Deal with this!' " Zorn said. "So I can't say it wasn't fun after a while, but it was challenging."

But what seemed to bother Zorn the most was a play his defense didn't make. He felt the need throughout the week to remind players to catch the ball before they thought about returning interceptions. Midway through the first quarter, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stared down a receiver in the flat and threw a made-to-order pick six to Carlos Rogers. The cornerback broke on the ball perfectly, but let it go through his hands.

"It was the exact situation that we discussed in practice Friday," Zorn said. "I thought we might have an opportunity to get an interception, and I didn't want us worrying about running or anything else."

Added Rogers: "Next time I may cradle it and just drop to the ground. Maybe I'll get a chance against Dallas [in Week 11] to take one to the house."

But it's not fair to pin the game on Rogers. The Redskins began drives at the Steelers' 36, 30 and 47-yard lines in the first quarter alone. They had only six points to show for it.

The Redskins had a 6-3 lead when Ryan Plackemeier had a punt blocked by Andre Frazier with 2:21 left in the first half. Pittsburgh's William Gay recovered at the Redskins' 13, leading to a Roethlisberger 1-yard touchdown run that gave Pittsburgh a 10-6 halftime lead.

Roethlisberger didn't return to the field in the second half because of an injured right shoulder, but the change of pace that backup Byron Leftwich provided caused the Redskins problems. Roethlisberger takes a ton of sacks because he holds the ball while waiting for receivers to come open downfield. Washington, not known for its fierce pass rush, sacked him three times and sent him to the locker room early.

Leftwich's first pass of the game was a 50-yard strike to Nate Washington. The play set up a touchdown to put the Steelers up, 16-6. But his best throw of the night came with the Steelers facing third-and-15 from their 18-yard line. He threw a dart across the field to Santonio Holmes, who stepped out of bounds a yard past the first-down marker. It was another poor play by Rogers, who inexplicably gave Holmes all the cushion he needed.

"He was getting the ball to his first read," said Redskins defensive end Demetric Evans, who had an excellent game with six tackles, two sacks and two quarterback hurries. "It was a completely different pace coming out of there."

It's strange to suggest that an injury to Roethlisberger actually increased the Steelers' chances of winning, but for one night, that was absolutely the case.

The Redskins and Cowboys will share a bye week before meeting at FedEx Field for a Sunday night showdown in two weeks. Like the Cowboys, the Redskins desperately need the bye so key players can get healthy. Washington is hoping Jason Taylor and Shawn Springs will be able to return against the Cowboys. And it should also give receiver Santana Moss and Portis opportunities to recover from lingering injuries.

Zorn said he's taking a page out of his old boss Mike Holmgren's playbook and instructing players to get away from football from Wednesday through Sunday. Holmgren has won over coaches and players alike by telling them to get lost for a few days -- and it's something Zorn wants to duplicate.

"It revitalizes you," said Zorn, as if he were sending players off to spa treatments. "There's such a commitment. We need to take some time and just relax."

On Monday, the Steelers were superior p
hysically and in the grand scheme of things, it's not a debilitating loss. The Redskins fell two games behind the Giants in the loss column, but they have the easiest schedule by far in the division from this point on. In fact, heading into Week 9, the Redskins had the 18th easiest schedule in terms of opponents' winning percentage. The Giants, Eagles and Cowboys were all in the top five.

"We just need to bounce back when we get back in here next week," Campbell said. "We can't get discouraged. We're still in a good position."

Do the Steelers consider FedEx a neutral site?
I always knew that Steelers fans traveled better than any team in football, but even by their standards, Monday's turnout was remarkable. You could spot Terrible Towels in almost every section at FedEx Field. Before the game, I overheard a couple of Redskins players marveling at all the black-and-gold. Fan bases such as the Steelers and Packers plan one or two road trips a season. By my estimation, there were 10,000 Steelers fans in attendance. And when the Redskins were facing a third down, they were loud.

	James Lang/US Presswire
	Ben Roethlisberger rushed for a touchdown in Pittsburgh's 23-6 victory over Washington, then left with a shoulder injury.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

LANDOVER, Md. -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stood in a tunnel in FedEx Field laughing and talking to a small group of people on Monday night.

There was no sling on his injured right shoulder, and no grimace on his face after suffering an ailment that kept him out of half of Monday's game.

Even through aches and pains, big victories can serve as the perfect elixir.

Roethlisberger was knocked out of the game, but Pittsburgh still pulled off a convincing 23-6 road victory over the Washington Redskins for its most significant statement game of the season. Although there were no definitive answers on Roethlisberger's injury -- he didn't talk to the media following the game -- there was a sense from the Steelers that it wasn't serious.

"I'll have more information for you guys tomorrow," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. "Potentially he was capable of going back into the game. But we went down the field with [Byron] Leftwich in the second half."

Although Roethlisberger's situation didn't appear serious, it still leaves the question of whether he will miss time, even if it's just for one game. Still, that shouldn't overshadow Pittsburgh taking its biggest win of the season.

Here is what else we learned from Pittsburgh's win:

Byron Leftwich is ready, if needed
The Steelers have survived injuries to key players all season. But their biggest fear was having to do without their starting quarterback.

Leftwich eased some of those fears Monday with a solid second-half performance. His first completion was a 50-yard bomb to receiver Nate Washington to open the second half and set up a touchdown. He finished with 129 yards, a touchdown and a 145.8 passer rating just miles away from his hometown of Washington, D.C.

"That wasn't a difficult situation for me to go out there, and get in the huddle and be on the football field," Leftwich said. "The difficult situation for me is being on the sideline. I've been playing football too long to ever get nervous on the football field."

Pittsburgh's 6-2 record also could convince the team to rest Roethlisberger. If it's a borderline injury, the team's record, combined with Leftwich's performance, could factor in Pittsburgh's decision-making.

Parker and Holmes make a big difference
This is the first time in more than a month that Pittsburgh has played with both starting tailback Willie Parker and receiver Santonio Holmes in the lineup. The added threats make a difference.

In a defensive struggle, Parker rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown. He had several shifty runs and took several hard hits without suffering any setbacks to his knee.

"I definitely feel good, but I'm still not where I want to be or where I need to be," Parker said. "I've got to keep grinding."

Parker smiled when asked about having Holmes on the field. The receiver was suspended for the Week 8 game against the New York Giants, but returned against Washington to have three catches for 30 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown to seal the game. The Steelers improved to 3-1 this year when both Parker and Holmes are starting.

"This team can be great," Parker said. "We call each other 'Prime Time.' I'm 'Prime' and he's 'Time.' So we always look to each other, and when we're both in the lineup we can go a long ways."

Steelers' defense is unrelenting
Pittsburgh's top-rated defense has bullied teams for most of this season. But its lopsided performance against a Redskins team with Clinton Portis, the league's leading rusher, and quarterback Jason Campbell was perhaps its most impressive.

Washington (6-3) scored the first six points of the game but went scoreless for the final three-plus quarters.

Portis was held to 51 yards on 13 carries (a 3.9-yard average). Campbell threw his first two interceptions of the season and was sacked seven times. By the end of the game, the Steelers proved to be the first team that was able to rattle Campbell.

"When you start bringing pressure and you're hitting that quarterback, you definitely don't want to hold onto the ball that long," Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley (two sacks) said. "Once we started getting back there a little bit, he gave us the ball."

Playing from behind in the second half, Washington became one-dimensional. Campbell (208 passing yards) was forced to throw 43 times. That played right into the Steelers' hands as six different players sacked Campbell.

"It's fun when we know what a team has to do," Steelers linebacker James Farrior said. "That's when we let the dogs loose."

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

LANDOVER, Md. -- The Steelers put their AFC pride on the line Monday. Pittsburgh had lost to the Eagles and Giants from the NFC East, and a loss to the Redskins would have invited even more doubters.

But it didn't come to that because the Steelers' defense held the Redskins to two field goals early in the game. The Redskins were dreadful on third down. They were 0 for 9 before finally converting one in the second half. The stretch running play that had been the Redskins' calling card all season wasn't there against the relentless Steelers defense.

Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell threw his first two interceptions of the season and wasn't particularly efficient at any point in the game. Even when the Redskins finally sustained a long drive midway through the fourth quarter, they stalled inside the Steelers' 10-yard line.

Coach Jim Zorn has been praised for his motivational ploys and imaginative offense this season, but the play he called on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter was a head-scratcher. Campbell rolled right and tried to throw it to defensive tackle Lorenzo Alexander, who had reported as an eligible tackle. Linebacker James Farrior made a nice play on the ball, but you still have to wonder why they didn't try to smash it in with Clinton Portis from the 1-yard line.

The Redskins have mixed the West Coast offense with a smashmouth running game for much of the season, but they were all finesse against the Steelers. Portis had his streak of five games with 120 yards or more interrupted.

The Steelers made the Redskins one-dimensional in the fourth quarter and linebacker Lawrence Timmons ended any hope of a rally by sacking Campbell for a big loss with just under four minutes left.

With two minutes left, the only fans left at FedEx Field were wearing black and gold. The Redskins defense feasted on Ben Roethlisberger in the first half, but he wasn't able to return for the second half because of a right shoulder injury.

It didn't matter, though, because backup Byron Leftwich was rock solid. He stepped away from pressure and completed a 50-yard pass to Nate Washington to set up the Steelers' second touchdown. After going up 16-6, the Steelers defense caused a three-and-out and then Campbell's first interception of the season. It was Campbell's first interception in 271 attempts, a franchise record.

Campbell never looked comfortable in the pocket. When he dropped his arm down to try to find different passing angles, the Steelers did an excellent job of knocking the ball down. The Redskins head into their bye at 6-3, a record they most certainly would've embraced at the beginning of the season. But while the loss was disappointing, Zorn will quickly try to put it in perspective for his players. The loss makes the Dallas game in two weeks even more important.

Zorn was still working the officials after the final gun sounded, but the Redskins have only themselves to blame for this loss. Campbell was sacked five times and he rushed throws on the few occasions when he had time in the pocket. Zorn always talks to his team about now "flinching."

That will be a tough assignment after this effort. The Steelers pushed the Redskins around in the second half. And for one night, they struck a blow for the AFC.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

LANDOVER, Md. -- The Pittsburgh Steelers made a huge statement Monday night.

But the cost of their statement is yet to be determined.

Pittsburgh proved it can play --and beat -- a very good NFC East team, pounding the Washington Redskins 23-6 before a national television audience on "Monday Night Football" and 90,512 fans at FedEx Field. But most Steelers fans are nervously awaiting the injury status of starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who didn't return for the second half with a right shoulder injury.

Roethlisberger barely moved his throwing shoulder the entire second half while supporting his teammates from the sideline. Steelers backup quarterback Byron Leftwich (129 passing yards, one touchdown) filled in and kept the offense moving in the second half.

Despite the injury concern, Pittsburgh's win was very significant and lifts the team to 6-2. The Steelers maintained a full game lead over the Baltimore Ravens (5-3), as they continue a tough stretch that includes home games against the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers in back-to-back weeks.

That two-game stretch becomes a lot tougher if Roethlisberger is forced to miss time. Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin is expected to address the injury status of his franchise quarterback in a matter of moments, so stay tuned.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

LANDOVER, Md. -- Jason Campbell's quest to break Bernie Kosar's record for most consecutive passing attempts without an interception at the start of a season is over. Campbell came into Monday's game tied with David Garrard at 230. He took over sole possession of second place, but DeShea Townsend's interception of a tipped ball means that Kosar's record will stand.

Kosar began the 1991 season with 286 attempts without an interception.

By the way, it is unbelievable that the Redskins gave Santonio Holmes that much cushion on third-and-15. They just completely let the Steelers off the hook.

And that was a great throw by backup quarterback Byron Leftwich. For a guy that should be pretty rusty, he has looked solid in the second half. And Ben Roethlisberger has been his biggest cheerleader on the sideline.

The Redskins have been in a similar spot this season -- and won. They fell behind the Saints by two scores, but rallied to win in the fourth quarter. This Steelers defense is a lot better than the Saints' defense, though.

Think it's pretty safe we won't see Big Ben again. His helmet is nowhere in sight.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

LANDOVER, Md. -- Luckily, I have a very good angle to watch quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on the Pittsburgh Steelers' sideline from the FedEx Field press box, which is closer to ground level than most NFL stadiums.

Roethlisberger is involved in the game from the sidelines, but based on his body language (which is not official or scientific, mind you) he doesn't appear likely to return.

The team announced his return as questionable but Roethlisberger hasn't moved his shoulder much since coming back to the field in the second half and he doesn't have his helmet anywhere near him, which is usually a sign that he's ready to return. Even third-string/emergency quarterback Dennis Dixon has his helmet on and is staying close to Pittsburgh's offensive coaching staff.

Backup quarterback Byron Leftwich came out for his second straight series in the third quarter. Pittsburgh is winning by 10 points at the moment, and as long as that type of lead sticks, the Steelers likely will not throw Roethlisberger back in.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

LANDOVER, Md. -- Here's what Jim Zorn said as he left the field at halftime:

"It is a battle. The last punt we got beat on the left side and it created a problem. Both teams are battling. We have had too many three-and-outs, but I also have to call the right play. We have to win the individual battles. Sometimes the coverage was there, but we have to win. We have to find a way to make the plays to put ourselves in a winning situation."

Well, the Redskins just had another three-and-out series. I think that makes them 0 for 9 on third downs. I watched Zorn make a beeline to where the Redskins offensive players were sitting. Clinton Portis doesn't look anywhere close to 100 percent to me. There's just no explosion and he had a drop during that series. But it's not like the Redskins have any options. Shaun Alexander is dreadful at this point in his career.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

LANDOVER, Md. -- Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is currently sitting out of the second half of Monday's game against the Washington Redskins because of a shoulder injury.

Roethlisberger went into the tunnel a little before halftime to get it looked at and it was announced in the press box that his return is questionable. Backup quarterback Byron Leftwich has replaced Roethlisberger in the lineup for Pittsburgh and led the team to a touchdown drive.

The Steelers currently lead 16-6.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

LANDOVER, Md. -- The Redskins scored their six points off a failed onsides kick attempt and a Ben Roethlisberger interception. It certainly wasn't anything the offense accomplished. The Redskins are 0-for-8 on third downs. They've moved the ball with Clinton Portis at times, but they can't sustain anything. Jason Campbell hasn't been as efficient as usual. From my vantage point, he seems to be guiding the ball a little instead of cutting loose.

I think it's important for the Redskins to stick with the running game, but Portis' right knee appears to be banged up. Veteran Shaun Alexander is the backup, but he doesn't pose much of a threat against this Steelers defense. I'm not sure why the Redskins aren't running the ball to the left side. Maybe it's out of respect for linebacker James Harrison, who lines up on the right side.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

LANDOVER, Md. -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are leading the Washington Redskins 10-6 in a big game for both teams.

Here are some first-half observations:

• Pittsburgh is playing with reckless abandon on special teams. After trying an onsides kick on the opening kickoff in the first quarter (it failed), the Steelers successfully brought the pressure for a punt block in the second quarter. It was Pittsburgh's first punt block since Dec. 17, 2006 and set up quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's 1-yard touchdown run with 32 seconds left in the second quarter.

• The Steelers are getting good pressure off the edges with outside linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. Woodley has a sack and Harrison is attacking Washington's left side and has two sacks against Redskins left tackle Chris Samuels, who is returning from injury.

• Monday marked the returns for Pittsburgh starting tailback Willie Parker and receiver Santonio Holmes. Parker showed some good shiftiness and had 45 rushing yards on 10 carries in the first half. Holmes looked the most rusty of the two, missing a hot read on one play in the first quarter. Holmes had one catch for nine yards.

• The Redskins have played the Cover 1 defense on third down three straight times in the first quarter and the Steelers failed to figure it out all three times. It's been a common pressure package for Washington all season. Pittsburgh began attacking it deep a couple times in the second quarter with a little more success.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

LANDOVER, Md. -- The Redskins have had a lot of success running the ball to the left side, but tonight they've run the stretch to the right side quite a bit. That may have something to do with left tackle Chris Samuels being banged up right now.

The Steelers have done a nice job of maintaining gap control and not allowing Portis to find seams. He's one of the best backs in the league at getting yards after contact -- as evidenced by how defensive end Aaron Smith bounced off him in the backfield.

Ladies and gentlemen: The Redskins are now 0-for-7 on third downs. Wait, make that 0-for-8. Fabulous punting contest going on -- if you don't count Mitch Berger. Oops. Redskins punter Ryan Plackemeier was just blocked by Andre Frazier. First blocked punt of Plackemeier's career.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Redskins running back Clinton Portis limped off the field late in the first quarter after he was hit by Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. He has a bruised right knee according to the Redskins, but he was back on the field for the next series.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

I'm receiving word that some of you don't appreciate the all-burgandy look the Redskins are going with tonight. Hopefully we can track down the Redskins' record in this color combination.

The Steelers don't have anything to show for it yet, but this looks like a different team with Willie Parker. He just hits the hole so fast that guys don't have to stay with their blocks as long. Notice how narrow the splits are between the offensive linemen when Parker is about to run. I'm thinking the Redskins might notice this, too.

Steelers punter Mitch Berger has been banged up, and that's reflected in his performance.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

LANDOVER, Md. -- Although it may not be a big deal nationally, those in the Steel City will be keeping a close eye on new Pittsburgh Steelers long snapper Jared Retkofsky.

Long-snapping issues hurt Pittsburgh in last week's loss to the New York Giants. Greg Warren suffered a torn ACL and linebacker James Harrison attempted to fill in but delivered a high snap that resulted in a safety.

Retkofsky was signed as a free agent last week and had ample time to get acclimated. But it's difficult to predict how any new player will respond to a hostile environment. His first snap on a punt was fine in the first quarter.

If this is the last time I mention Retkosky's name, Steelers fans probably will be satisfied with his first game.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

LANDOVER, Md. -- After watching film this week of the Washington Redskins' game against the Cleveland Browns, we noticed a defense that could give the Pittsburgh Steelers trouble.

Washington is one of the few teams that loves to play a Cover 1 defense on a fairly regular basis. Essentially, it's a man-to-man defense that keeps one safety deep and brings everyone else.

In the Steelers first look against Washington's Cover 1, Pittsburgh gave up a sack on third down. This is the Redskins' favorite pressure package, so expect to see it a lot more tonight.

It will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh handles it better than it did the first time.