What to look forward to in Game 2

The Redskins will try for a second time to score some points when the team takes on Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday.

Here are five things I'm looking to see out of the team on game day.

Tomorrow, look for a breakdown on individual players.

1. Score some points.
The Baltimore Ravens, yes, are a good defensive team, but it was still very disappointing to come away without at least a field goal in four quarters. The Redskins gained just 196 total yards. The first team offense did the best against the Ravens, which is a small comfort. Jason Campbell and Co. will get a longer look Saturday, and some points would be nice. The offense needs to get some drives and stay on the field longer. The Ravens had almost 30 more plays on offense than the Redskins did (80-51).

2. Portis and Haynesworth in and out.
Having Clinton Portis play in the preseason is good. Getting used to the pounding is good. Getting injured is NOT good. 4-5 touches would be fine by me. Similarly with Albert Haynesworth, it'll be good to see him in some live situations, but having him get injured could be disastrous.

3. Throw the ball downfield ...
Last Thursday against the Ravens, the Redskins barely tested the Ravens' deep coverage. Maybe that was by design, maybe not. But the Steelers have also have a tough defense that will challenge the Redskins' ability to get down the field.

4. ... and also show the ability to run the ball.
Washington ran 19 times for 56 yards, a net average of 2.9 yards per carry. That isn't going to cut it. A good passing game usually will open up a rushing game, but the same could be said of a good rushing game opening up the passing game. The team did neither against the Ravens, and that's why they were shut out.

5. Backup defense needs to be better.
In the second half, the defense needs to show the ability to stop Pittsburgh QB Dennis Dixon. The Skins couldn't stop Troy Smith from throwing for 200 yards in limited work, and Baltimore ran up most of their 500 yards against the Redskins' backup defense. These backups are playing for jobs, and the second half is where the jobs could be won - or lost.

Redskins links

• A listing of Redskins on Twitter, if that's your sort of thing. Also, find me on Twitter. The Redskin I want to see start tweeting? Fred Smoot.
• Backup receiver Marques Hagans trying to bounce back from a disappointing game against Ravens. Also, he can still chuck that football.
• Backup defensive linemen J.D. Skolnitsky and Antonio Dixon are trying to win roster spots.

My favorite Greg Blache quote of the week

I might have to start quoting the Redskins defensive coordinator every week ...

"Rookies are coming to a new world, and so they play like aliens. We have to get them into the system."