• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Roethlisberger throws for two scores, Steelers top Eagles

Aug 19, 2011 - 4:20 AM Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Ben Roethlisberger threw for 125 yards and a pair of scores on 8-of 12 passing to lead the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers over the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-14, at Heinz Field.

Roethlisberger and the rest of the first-team offense marched down the field with ease against the much-hyped Eagles defense. Rashard Mendenhall rushed six times for 28 yards, while Jerricho Cotchery -- who played in his first game as a Steeler -- and Antonio Brown both caught touchdown passes.

Michael Vick had a less-than-stellar performance in his second start of the preseason. Vick played the first half and finished 5-of-12 for 47 yards and was picked off three times. Offseason acquisition Ronnie Brown led the Eagles ground attack, rushing six times for 25 yards while Johnnie Lee Higgins paced the receivers with seven catches for 54yards.

Third-string quarterback Mike Kafka threw two touchdown passes to Gerald Jones late in the game to help the Eagles avoid a shutout.

DeSean Jackson saw his first action of the preseason for the Eagles, catching two balls for eight yards.

On its first drive, Pittsburgh's starters marched down the field with a 14- play, 80-yard drive capped by a 29-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Brown, who was able to race down the right sideline past Asante Samuel and into the end zone.

On the Steelers' second drive, they went right down the field again, this time starting from their own four-yard line and capping the march with a perfectly throw ball to the back of the end zone from Roethlisberger to Hines Ward for a 14-0 lead four minutes into the second quarter.

Pittsburgh moved down the field with ease on its third drive, moving down to the Eagles 30-yard line. Swayze Walters came out for the field-goal attempt, but it was blocked by Samuel.

Steelers backup quarterback Byron Leftwich threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Cotchery in the dying moments of the first half to give Pittsburgh a commanding 21-0 advantage.

In the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh stayed sharp as Walters connected on a 30- yard field goal attempt to cap an eight-play, 51-yard drive and put the Steelers up 24-0.

With 3:47 remaining in the game, the Eagles got on the board when Kafka connected with Jones on a 14-yard touchdown pass, and with only seconds remaining, Kafka connected with Jones again, this time on a seven-yard pass to cap the scoring.