September is finally here and for some sports fans, it's time to start breathing again as this month marks the return of relevant football. I count myself as one of those numerous fans who put the pigskin atop my list of favorite sports so you won't here a peep of negativity from me...at least today. With football fresh on our collective consciousness, let's look at four questions relevant to the upcoming season.
Will Roger Goodall reduce the suspension of Ben Roethlisberger from 6 to 4 games?
Ben Roethlisberger is set to meet with Commissioner Goodall at the end of this week to determine if the quarterback has earned the right for his suspension to be reduced from 6 games to 4 and all signs point to that being the case. Roethlisberger has reportedly gone above and beyond the conditions set up by the commissioner earlier this summer and is poised to return to action against the Browns in week 6. With the expected reduction and the Steelers week 5 bye, that would give Ben 2 weeks of first team practice before his first game action.
Who will the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers be?
One of the more intriguing preseason battles has been between Byron Leftwich and Dennis Dixon over who will be the starting quarterback during the expected four week suspension of Ben Roethlisberger. Leftwich, acquired for a 7th round pick this offseason from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, came into camp as the number one guy and all indications are that he will remain so. Though Dixon has shown growth at the position, he struggled in his primary chance to show the organization that he is ready to be the starter with a shaky performance against the Denver Broncos in preseason week 3. No official declaration has come out of Pittsburgh, which of itself is a mystery, but expect them to go with the seasoned vet Leftwich to keep the team afloat in the early goings.
Will Matt Leinart be an Arizona Cardinal at the start of the season?
The most recent reports coming out of Arizona is that the Cardinals are shopping Matt Leinart and that a few teams have shown interest in the quarterback. Once thought to be the future of the franchise, Leinart has failed to impress coaches this preseason, leading Arizona to start former Browns quarterback Derek Anderson in his stead. The potential stumbling block to a trade is the lack of experience at the position behind Anderson, as the Cardinals only have two other rookie QB's on the roster, but a disgruntled former number one pick may be too much of a distraction to keep on the roster. My thoughts is that Leinart will not be a Cardinal come the season opener.
Who looks to be the most improved team going into the season?
While a lot of cellar-dweller teams have made improvement this offseason, the teams that is looking the best to rebound is the Cleveland Browns. The Browns haven't made any mind blowing moves since they ended the season last year but they have made solid improvements that highlight their strengths while glossing over some of their weak points. Case in point is the signings of Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace to shore up the quarterback position, a major detriment to this team since they re-entered the league. These signings have shown promise in the preseason as the Browns offense has been clicking and looks to nicely compliment a steady defense. Expect the Browns to flirt with a .500 season this year.
